Incredible production values anchor this fun but repetitive actio
For years Naughty Dog has been one of Sony's premier studios, pushing the limits of each successive Playstation system further and further. Never before, though, has Naughty Dog pushed a Sony platform as far as they have with Uncharted: Drake's Fortune. Released in 2007, Uncharted simply looked better than any other console game on the market. Two years later its sequel has easily dethroned it, but Uncharted still looks better than most any game out there. Unfortunately for Naughty Dog, the actual game behind the graphics leaves something to be desired.
Uncharted tells the story of Nathan Drake, a descendant of the late Sir Francis Drake, famous captain and commander of the British navy. The younger Drake believes his ancestor had found a great treasure but was forced to cover up the discovery for some unknown reason. After finding Sir Francis' empty coffin containing a journal Drake sets out with friend Sully on a quest to find the treasure and get the girl. Of course pirates of all sorts want a piece of the prize and Drake will fight countless of them on his way to his ultimate goal.
And many those pirates are. Uncharted consists of several different gameplay elements. There are the shooter segments which play similar to Gears of War and other stop and pop based third person shooters. The platforming segments are essentially a rip off of Tomb Raider, while the puzzle elements are likewise stolen from Laura Croft's adventures. Uncharted certainly doesn't do anything new from a gameplay standpoint, but it successfully merges shooter and adventure elements better than any game before.
The shooting segments are the weakest of the pillars. Virtually every battle plays out the same. Drake will find himself in some sort of jungle arena faced with wave after wave of pirates and must shoot his way to victory. The problem with these segments is twofold. First off, the pirates are far too numerous and take far too much damage. Because of this the battles can drag on for far too long, and by the end you'll find yourself risking your life to grab any ammo you can to finish the fight. This problem is worsened by the presence of snipers who can easily kill you in a single hit. You are often faced with several of these snipers at once, and it can be frustrating to dodge their shots while taking down a half dozen other enemies. Secondly, the combat in Uncharted just doesn't feel that great. The aiming could be far more accurate, and the weapons look and sound incredibly weak. The grenade tossing system is initially set to be controlled by the motion sensing, although this system is essentially broken as it's impossible to line up a toss in the heat of battle.
Luckily for Uncharted the platforming, puzzle, and vehicle sections fare much better. The platforming has a great feel. You are almost never required to make leaps of perfect accuracy, as Nathan will usually jump towards anything you are even remotely aiming at. That's not to say the platforming isn't difficult because there are definitely some challenging segments, but the game never feels unfair; if you die it's because you messed up, not because the controls or camera failed you. The puzzle sections are easy enough, especially with the help of Drake's journal which offers hints as to the solution of any given puzzle. Still they are fun to solve and make good use of Nate's acrobatics.
Finally, the standard action is broken up from time to time by vehicle sections. These are usually simple turret sequences, although one boat ride up a river offers a nice change of pace as you dodge barrels and take out pirates shooting at you from the shore. These segments are fast paced and look great, with the water being a special highlight.
In fact, almost all of Uncharted looks great. A special nod must go to the animations. Naughty Dog has always been at the forefront of animation, but Uncharted is simply fabulous. Nathan will stumble over rocks, flail when jumping, and even climb down stairs in a realistic way. Simply put, the animation is some of the best in gaming, although it pales in comparison to its successor. Likewise, textures are incredibly detailed even when viewed up close and the framerate remains at a steady pace throughout the adventure. The little details really sell the experience. Nathan's clothes will get wet when he wades through water, and dirty when he rolls in the dirt. Detailed facial animations make cutscenes seem almost movie-like, and plants that sway in the wind and react when touched really make the world feel alive. The main problem with the graphics is that there just isn't enough variation. The game takes place in one jungle area after another, with very little change of scenery throughout.
Honestly the lack of variety is easily the main problem with Uncharted. Although there are several interesting sequences, ninety percent of the game is spent doing the same thing in relatively the same situation over and over. The hundredth time you find yourself in a jungle arena surrounded by pirates, or on the side of a cliff leaping to safety you'll know what I mean. Simply put, there just aren't enough set piece moments to really drive home the action movie feel. The story tries to make the game seem like Indiana Jones, but far too little of the game extends beyond basic walk to this location, shoot these pirates, jump out scenarios.
That's not to say Uncharted is boring, because it certainly isn't. It's just a shame that the situations Nathan is put in aren't as amazing to play as they are to look at. Uncharted simply feels like a game where too much time was spent on the production and not enough on the gameplay. Yes it looks great. Yes the acting and facial animation is incredible. Yes, it features one of the best scores to ever grace a game, and yes, the gameplay is enjoyable for a certain amount of time. But eventually the repetition starts sinking in and Uncharted loses its edge. It's still worth playing, if only as a primer to the far superior second entry, but Uncharted feels like a missed opportunity. The game has fantastic ideas that are simply left out to dry by simplistic missions that repeat all too often. Definitely buy Uncharted's soundtrack, and at least rent this incredible looking, okay playing, sadly repetitious experience.
