It borrows enough action and adventure to make it feel familiar, but adds to it, giving it strengh to stand on it's own.
User Rating: 9.5 | Uncharted: Drake's Fortune PS3
Ok, so I'm admittedly a PlayStation fan boy, even at 28... but I've played enough games to tell what's good and what's not... Uncharted is NOT... it's absolutely amazing! I believe that this is Naughty Dog's finest work so far. The first thing I noticed is wen you boot up the game, you are welcomed with the highest quality music. It's orchestra music hat really sets the mood for the game. The menu system is simple, but does the job. The graphics in the game may not be as detailed as others such as Call Of Duty 4, at least not all the time, but it doesn't need to be... The jungles are a lush green, the trees sway in the wind, the environment really FEELS alive. The character models perhaps have even more detail, as they are used for the cut scenes as well. Naughty Dog even developed a new layering technology that allows them to add wrinkles to the character's faces. It may be subtle, but it works. Graphics are only one part of what makes a game, and as I said before, the audio is fantastic! The music score, the voice acting, everything is top notch! In the words of a Mr. John Hammond from Jurassic Park ... I believe they "Spared No Expense". The controls are familiar enough to get used to easily, but also adds SOME six-axis control, such as having to tilt the controller back to change the distance and angle of a grenade that's waiting to be thrown. The Puzzle elements were not so much puzzles, but they just made you "explore" a little further into the game. It made you stop your running around, look around, and figure out your next path. When I first started playing the game, I was dazzled with spectacular scenery, wowed with amazing audio, and even captivated by the cinematography. In fact, the cinematography is so beautiful, that my wife, and friends would even just sit down for a while and watch me play... it's quite a breathtaking adventure... and I was happy with that. An adventure, that was basically what I expected... your standard search for the treasure, while shooting the enemy who also wants the treasure... but about maybe 80% into the game, the story took a serious twist... something that could have been straight out of a modern day Indiana Jones movie... but isn't... in fact, it actually made me think of another movie altogether. Of course I won't tell you what it is, because then it ruins the surprise! Simply put, Uncharted: Drake's Fortune is, so far, THE best single player action game for PS3. Hands down. Do not hesitate to buy this game. I don't usually play games after I've beaten them, but this time... I think I'll make an exception :)
