The PS3's Great Shining Hope
This, of course, was to be expected from the folks at Naughty Dog, who have a such keen sense of what the modern gamer wants: equal parts style and substance, without feeling overburdened by complex controls, and a story that moves along crisply and with enough quality to pass for a cinematic production. Uncharted does everything well, and frankly, it's almost good enough to make you forget just how mediocre the PS3 game library has been to this point. That would've taken a miracle, though, so in fairness, Uncharted is at least the kind of game that can really push hardware sales this holiday season and get some momentum for the struggling console.
What's impressive about the game is that it moves along so swiftly and has such varied inspiration. That jungle setting and all those gun-toting baddies in the trees has a little bit of Far Cry to it, while the third-person perspective and the high adventure concept brings about memories of the early Tomb Raider games. Ducking out from cover looks to be a mix of Gears of War and Rainbow Six: Vegas. Tightroping along logs and climbing walls with Nate Drake will even remind you of some of the acrobatic feats you performed as Kratos in the God of War games.
But shockingly, the game never feels Derivative. The high-quality cinematics and excellent voice acting give the game a unique feel and make the adventure a pulse-pounding, grin-inducing romp, even if some of the puzzles are kind of mundane and the gunplay tends to get stale on occasion. Honestly, the "repetitive" criticism is one that can be made of any game these days, and to Uncharted's credit, it draws you in so well that you never truly feel the urge to put the controller down and say, "Enough with these damn pirates already."
This is the kind of game that the PS3 has sorely needed for the past 12 months, and only Warhawk, Heavenly Sword, and Resistance: Fall of Man seemed to have the right moxie. But Uncharted takes all the best elements of games and carves its own niche: this is a game with a flavor all its own, a real throwback of sorts, and it has all the makings of being a killer franchise for this generation and beyond. Uncharted: Drake's Fortune is "next-gen" in every way except one--its cheeky, unabashed, and simple desire to give the player enjoyment--and that "last-gen" ideology is the kind of thing that many new games frustratingly lack.
It's easily the best game of 2007 for the console, and an absolute treat for PS3 owners who've looked far and wide for a reason to stop using the device as a Blu-Ray player.