Released well over a year ago, Uncharted has managed to stay cutting edge in terms of graphical prowess. At the time of release, I dismissed it as overhyped rubbish. But the other week I felt the urge to buy it, went home, and didnt put the controller down the hole way through.
You are Nathan Drake, a distant relative of one Sir Francis Drake. What the game throws up for him is a weird but superb mix of Prince of Persia, Metal Gear Solid, with an exceptional adventure element thrown in. Before I played the game, I thought it was more about the exploring than the shooting, but I couldn't have been much more wrong. You'll find yourself spending most of the time shooting things, but it does keep within the realms of adventure as the things you are shooting are generally in the way of you and your treasure.
Uncharted is a deeply immersive title, more so than just about any other game. The graphics indeed help with this, but its the depth of the game that makes you forget you're playing a game. The sound is superb all round, as is the animations which all look cutting edge despite their relative age.
The characters are all pretty cool and have real depth. Nate, as he is known, is a bit of a joker, Sullie, your employer, goes on and on about his past experiences, which are all enjoyable to listen to, and Elena's relationship grows throughout the game.
The best part with the separate characters is that they aren’t actually so separate. They help each other and you out, something not many games accomplish. For a reporter, she is damn good at using a gun, but not so good at climbing, she nearly always has to wait for you to scale a big wall and open some door from the other side for her.
The cover system has been well implemented and is an integral part of any fire fight, especially the sustained ones toward the end of the game. You'll find yourself in a cat and mouse situation most of the time here, were you'll be forced to duck for cover while the enemy reins all hell on you, wait for them to reload and then get some of your own back. The tactics used by the enemies are varied, and certainly help to keep it interesting.
One of the best parts about Uncharted is that it doesn't demand precision. In previous Prince of Persia's, you would find yourself confronted by a gap that required perfect timing and execution to pull off. This isn't the case in Uncharted, and it's all the better for it.
Speaking of the Prince, there is enough shimmying and jumping from ledge to ledge to rival him and then some, but its done in a way that never gets boring. The puzzle elements are also pretty simple, but there was one that I only completed with blind luck, and even after completing it, I couldn't figure out why it was correct.
There are 60 hidden treasures within the game, some are really obvious, but others are damned impossible to find, and require an online tutorial. Trophies were added by patch, and usually correspond to an in game medal. The more medals you acquire, the more points you get, allowing you to unlock things like unlimited ammo or cool costumes.
Graphically, Uncharted's beautiful as you tear down trees with turrets, and nothing was cooler than diving into a pool of water and emerging with wet clothes that dried over time. Sure, its no Crysis, but its still one of the top 5 games graphically on any console. There are some texture pop-ins, but they aren't to frequent.
In conclusion, if you haven't bought this game yet, go buy it now. With Uncharted 2 due later this year, Naughty Dog will likely improve on this winning formula even further, with some people already earmarking it for game of the year.
