Once in a while, I
actually finish a game. The First Impressions series is for talking a bit about
the games, but I don’t intend it to be the full picture. A good way to contrast
this is to actually review a game, which I am reluctant to do unless I feel
that I have seen everything the game has to offer me. Hop aboard a vehicle that
is about to crash and burn, and I can tell you why I enjoyed playing the
Playstation 3 Exclusive Uncharted:
Drake’s Fortune.
As the first title
Naughty Dog developed for the PS3, Uncharted
set the standard for an action-driven platform adventure. You play as Nathan
Drake, a young fortune hunter who, with the help of an old friend Sully and a
news reporter Elena, seeks out the treasure of El Dorado in a jungle island
somewhere in the Pacific. In the last generation Naughty Dog’s Jak series was a
more cartoony style, but this game used motion capture and the PS3’s graphical
capabilities to portray what amounts to a video game adaptation of a
blockbuster adventure movie. Motion capture from the voice actors brings their
performances to life, and the acting and writing make you care about the
lovable rogue Drake even as you’re shooting through hordes of pirates out to
capture the treasure for themselves. The jungle environments are really pretty,
and the music adds to the sense of adventure you get from hunting for hidden
loot and exploring ancient tombs and abandoned bunkers. There are sixty
treasures scattered throughout the game for Drake to collect, and you will
regularly survey the surroundings to find a shiny object to pilfer while on the
search for the big haul.
All of the visual
presentation works well with the gameplay mix of shooting and platforming.
Throughout the game Drake runs and jumps his way through perilous ledges, some
of which crumble as he grabs onto them. The camera automatically positions
itself to show you where to go next and to give scenic views when appropriate.
For example, before entering the wrecked submarine, walk to the end of the top
deck to admire the gorgeous jungle from the top of a waterfall. The third
person shooter aspect of the game is serviceable but not as good as the
platforming. There are plenty of guns to wield in Drake’s arsenal, and the
enemy variety keeps the game challenging. One problem is that the grenades
require the Sixaxis functionality of the PS3 controller to aim the throwing
arc, and it’s clumsier than aiming with a gun or just firing from the hip if
you need to quickly blast away an enemy. At times enemies will just jump in to
a large arena, and it gets tiresome especially on higher difficulties where
Drake’s health depletes more rapidly than the game can regenerate it. To let
you know that you’re close to death, the game gets a grayscale filter, so you’re
encouraged to not get hit too often to see the colorful action. The gunplay and
platforming are spaced out well, and some vehicle sections are added for
variety.
In moving to the
PlayStation 3, Naughty Dog left behind the cartoon style of Crash Bandicoot and
Jak and Daxter and animated motion-capped actors in a visual spectacle. The
game’s environments look great and are a pleasure to explore, and the third
person shooter aspects are solid enough to challenge you at any difficulty you
want. Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune is
an excellent treasure hunting platformer/shooter hybrid, and it set the stage
for Naughty Dog to show off their game design talents for the future iterations
of a franchise. Play this game if you’re interested in a game inspired by
adventure movies or if you’re curious about the origins of the superior sequels
in the series.
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