HIGH ADVENTURE THAT’S BEYOND COMPARE
Intro:
Confession time. I’ve never actually beat any of the Uncharted games. I got halfway through the first game and stopped for some unknown reason, probably cause Nathan Drake did his death scream one too many times. But when the trailer came out, and Marky Mark told Tom Holland that he’s a little young for a bartender, I realized it was time to change that.
So I slid the Uncharted disc into my PS3, and was transported into the very green and dense jungles of Drake’s Fortune. After many hours of hard work, failed jumps, and multiple sniper shots to Nathan’s leading man shaped head, I finally beat the first game in the series. Here are my thoughts.
We’ll start with the cons, because if college life has taught me anything, you gotta save the pros for later.
Cons:
My first issue with the game was the climbing. It got so tedious. There were moments that made me want to intentionally throw Nathan Drake into the nearest fifty foot drop. What an incredibly time consuming mechanic, that more often than not, felt like a simple rope would have been both equally exciting and cinematic. Sure, scaling cliffs is enjoyable and gets the heart racing, but did I really need to climb every single ancient Spanish wall Drake came across?
Another problem that goes hand in hand with the climbing, the platforming. 3D platforming can be really challenging. Especially when you don’t know where to jump. I often was stumped on where to propel Drake’s athletic carcass. Occasionally close ledges could be easily accessed, other times not so much.
Both of these are minor matters, and more polished than I’m giving credit. My biggest dilemma with the game was the lack of visual change. Most of the game’s environment is a mix of green forest, or incredibly white ruins. While everything is astonishingly refined and detailed, I couldn’t help but wish for an adjustment. Towards the end of the game I was granted that wish, but the ratio felt off. This visual shortage also transfers over to the characters. Drake’s Fortune feels like a Hollywood Blockbuster. A charismatic cast, huge explosions, majestic set pieces, a grand story. Everything was transferred from the silver screen. Minus the costume changes and multiple locations. Drake goes through the whole game only wearing two outfits. A scuba suit in the opening, and then his dirty white long sleeve shirt and jeans. Can we get this man a different t-shirt, make him dress up like a guard. Something. Anything. And I’ve already mentioned the overused environments.
Pros:
With that said. Drake’s Fortune rules.
The action is amazing. What an absolute blast to play. There are enough gun types that you can become familiar with how each fires, what the reload time is, how accurate they are, etc. But it doesn’t feel repetitive. Enemies move strategically, while still giving you openings to make your move. Every area the combat sequences are set in have been designed perfectly. Plus the variety between man-made and natural structures works superbly.
Additionally when the game transitions into a vehicular action set piece, *chef’s kiss*. You go from a tight courtyard shootout with shotguns, then all the sudden you’re driving fifty miles next to a cliffside, machine gunning pursuing motorists.
Takes your breath away.
Now onto the real meat of this AAA title. The story. Few games have characters this compelling. The narrative has legitimate emotion. Drake’s thirst for adventure, his urge to solve the mystery of his long lost relative, resonated with me. I wanted him to succeed. Every setback was a punch in the gut. He just couldn’t seem to chalk up a W. Although the decision to isolate Drake from Elena and Sully wasn’t a choice I support, I do understand it. This game acts as an introduction to the series’ lead. The writers didn’t want to overcrowd the debut entry into the franchise.
But when Sully and Nathan are grabbing a beer in some mysterious port, or Elena and Drake are having yet another moment of dynamic rapport, it just works. The dialogue is so masterfully written.
Favorite Game Moment (Spoilers for Uncharted 1):
My absolute favorite moment in the game was when the zombies just started pouring out of every crevice, and you had to use this old WWII era machine gun to blast them to kingdom come. My heart started racing. Suddenly I ran out of bullets, and an undead monster jumped on top of me. Little did I know that the only way to survive a zombie melee encounter was to shake your controller. I cannot describe the amount of excitement that coursed through my body when this suddenly became a mixture of Call of Duty and Wii Sports. Perfect gaming moment right there.
Outro:
I come to Uncharted not for the climbing, not for the wonderful shootouts, but for the story. Because no matter how hard you try, it’s gonna be tough to get on the level of Naughty Dog’s fantastic tale of action, adventure, excitement, danger, romance, friendship, and endless treasure hunting.