Naughty Dog has been with Sony since the beginning of their console life bringing Sony some success with the Crash Bandicoot series on PlayStation and the Jak & Daxter series on PlayStation 2. Sticking with the tradition of a new franchise per console they bring us Uncharted: Drake's Fortune and prove that they are made for PlayStation with their mastery of the PlayStation 3 tech. Other than technical prowess, does this Dog still have bite? Or should it be put in the corner for being nothing but bark?
Uncharted: Drake's Fortune stars Nathan Drake, a so-called Treasure Hunter chasing after Sir Francis Drake's legacy. Nathan enlisted the help of a journalist named Elena Fisher in order to fund an expedition to locate Sir Francis Drake's coffin. They find the coffin that was buried at sea 400 years ago and open it to find it empty. They are attacked by pirates after Nathan finds a journal in the coffin. They escape and Nathan heads off with his partner-in-crime Victor Sullivan, known as Sully, and they find themselves on the trail of the biggest haul of their lives.
The story is both amusing and series and there are some pretty interesting twists. For a basic idea of what to expect, think of a mix between Indiana Jones and National Treasure. It's funny, well-written and a just plain fun adventure, even if the story is awkwardly split apart by gameplay segments. Nevertheless, it's a riot.
Gameplay wise, Uncharted isn't really anything special. It plays a lot like a mix between Gears of War and Tomb Raider and it works well for the most part. You control Nathan from a third-person perspective and shoot your way through linear waves of enemies and occasionally jump your way through some linear bouts of platforming. Unlike the main character himself, the gameplay doesn't go to bold new places. The controls work well as does the platforming but sometimes Nathan won't do what you tell him to, he'll find himself stuck on objects in the environment or jumping where you told him not to.
Nathan can find weapons throughout the environments or from his dead enemies. They all handle the same for the most part and you can also throw grenades. You can also shoot and throw grenades while hanging from a ledge and it can add to the combat. Exploring the environment leads to treasures which do little more than serve as collectibles. There is no multiplayer making this game a little light on content with the story taking around 6 hours to complete. There are multiple difficulties to play through and bonuses to unlock but they can only hold your attention for so long. It can get frustrating at times and it can get a little boring as well though it is mostly fun.
The audio is one of the best parts of the game as the voice work and music are fantastic. Nathan Drake is voiced by Nolan North and he does an excellent job portraying the Treasure Hunter and he gives off a modern Indiana Jones vibe. The other characters are top-notch as well and you'll probably not hear better very often. The music is incredibly fitting and well done. The main theme is as catchy as the Indiana Jones theme and that's appropriate considering. Naughty Dog knows how to please the ears.
The visuals are the biggest selling point for the game and they don't fail to deliver. Everything from the character models to the environment looks fantastic, well aside from the bland enemies. These kind of visual styles do the temples and jungles justice and it's hard to think of a PlayStation 3 game that looks better. The facial animation looks fantastic and it's cinematic style is perfect. The big focus here is the water and they pulled it off 100%. Things can only get better for Naughty Dog after this.
PROs
- Mindblowing visuals
- Fun shooting and platforming
- Excellent music and voice work
- Story is fun and brings Indiana Jones to mind
- Cinematic style works well
- Multiple difficulties to play through
- Collecting treasures encourages exploration
CONs
- Gameplay can get dull
- Does nothing new
- Linear in every way
- Cutscenes and gameplay are disconnected
Overall, Uncharted: Drake's Fortune is a fantastic first HD game for Naughty Dog though it suffers from the same trappings as their first games on previous consoles. It's not very unique and can get pretty dull at times. Beyond it's looks lie the story and audio, which are both fantastic but the gameplay leaves a lot to be desired as does the lack of content. Still, Naughty Dog has a hit on their hands and the future is looking even brighter for the studio.
Story: 9.0/10
Gameplay: 7.5/10
Audio: 10/10
Presentation: 10/10
Total = 9.0/10