Uncharted: Drake's Fortune (PS3)
A game with style I know I tend to say this a lot lately, but Uncharted has some pretty amazing animations. They are, for the most part, comparable to the animations found in Assassin's Creed. I've already mentioned the very cool looking fights, but the rest of them look equally impressive. When hiding behind a box, getting shot at Nate does these little things like covering his head when a bullet chips away a part of his cover (yes, some of the walls can fall apart, spectacularly if a grenade explodes nearby I might add) or breathing really deeply when he returns to cover after firing a few shots. Perhaps the worst part of the animation is how real his running up and down stairs is. Yes, running carefully downstairs (tilting his body slightly sideways) or making these huge duck-like steps when running up certainly is in line with how most of us would run on mossy, probably slippery stairs. I don't know, perhaps this was intentional to make Nate look more human (and it certainly helps make him more likeable), but it sometimes just breaks the illusion that you are controlling a fierce treasure hunter. The rest of the graphics aren't too shabby either. The character models themselves are all full of life and up till the last one display these small human touches that make killing a mercenary really satisfactory (if I just came off like this psycho, chill down, I rarely leave my dungeon anyway). And the environments… just wow. They sometimes have this cartoony look (huge grass stalks, bright colors) that doesn't really add up with how the characters look, but for the most part they look superb. Nice vistas (almost rivalling the ones found in Crysis), detailed ruins and foliage that reacts to the player (leaves bending, branches snapping) help make the illusion complete. And the sound is just as good. The small one-liners I've mentioned toward the start of the review? They are just fabulous. Like the small animation niceties Nate does, they help make him human. His comments range from playful over nasty stuff said at enemies to sad observations after fights. And Elena has tons to say as well, most of it just as good as the stuff Nathan has up his sleeve. Sound effects follow a similar pattern, with weapon sounds clearly defined and environmental effects that just suck you in. And the music, ahh... what can I say about it that would do it justice? You know the Indiana Jones tune that John Williams wrote all those years ago? Well, Uncharted is filled with songs just like that. If that doesn't get you drooling, you clearly don't appreciate good adventurous music. ConclusionWell, I can safely say that after a few big titles for the PS3 that were not all out great games, Uncharted is finally a title that could sell the console on its own. The blend of shooting, jumping and hanging, as well as vehicle intermezzos is driven up to perfection. The story, while predictable has some nice "unexpected" turns and characters that can be related to (though I doubt any of us will ever find ourselves in their shoes). Perhaps the only shortcoming is the length of the game. If you aren't rushing through it, you'll probably spend about 8 hours at it. A decent length, I agree, but when you realize that is everything the game has to offer (no multiplayer) it suddenly doesn't sound like that much anymore. For what it’s worth, games like this shouldn't be judged by their length - it is the ride itself that matters after all, not the destination or the time it took to get there. Scores
If you wish to comment on this review or discuss the game further, then head click right here (registration not required). Uncharted: Drake's Fortune (PS3) review by Peter Gracar, copyright ©2007 GamingHeaven.net. Article republished with the sole permission of DriverHeaven, home of Driver Cleaner.
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