Uncharted
Developer: Naughty Dog Studios
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America
Platform: Playstation 3
Release Date: November 20th, 2008
Posted: April 10, 2008
Before Uncharted, when I thought of treasure hunting games I, unfortunately, thought only of the Tomb Raider series. That mess of titles was little more than a disgrace to the plundering, action/adventure genre. All of that has been changed by this one game direct from Sony’s talented Naughty Dog studio.
There are a multitude of amazing features; it is difficult to choose one to begin with. The graphics are stunning, pure and simple. The environments feel real, from the lush jungles to the decaying ancient 
A romp through a local, rotting sewer to exhibit the realistic water effects. Upon Nathan's emergence from water his clothes actually become wet.city. There are sights and sounds to be seen and heard throughout;everything comes together to really take the player there. The ambient noises of birds, insects, and rustling trees breathe life into the many different areas. Not to mention the sudden lack of ambience plays off as a great warning signal for trouble. At a few points during play through, I would stop and take a look around, as everything was breath taking, even considerably on par with cinematic standards. In particular, the view from the tip of the U-Boat was visually amazing; it was quite obvious there was a hint of Naughty Dog’s pride on display. Trust me, it should be.
The voice acting is nothing less than spot on, and gives the entire game a wonderful cinematic feel, which is something few games can not gloat about. Every actor truly became their character, and this shone clearly through each cut scene. Even out of cut scenes, the characters would make smart-ass remarks; and, at times, I found myself thinking exactly what Nathan would say just before he would say it. I am glad that at least Uncharted was able to fully utilize Nolan North’s talents. Yes, that is a knock against Assassin's Creed.
Not only did the voices and the script work harmoniously together, but the facial expressions and lip movements coincided so precisely, it was as if I was playing through a movie. As for the characters themselves, each was a unique individual; they did not come off as a blend of clichéd personalities, rather they played off one another and came together as a very dynamic and thrilling team.
Nathan, Sullivan, and Elena previous to them embarking on their treasure hunting journey.As far as the story goes, this game came off as a playable film. The player fills the protagonist’s role as Nathan Drake, who happens to be a descendant of the legendary Sir Francis Drake. Upon the unearthing of Drake’s empty, watery tomb, the hunt for his long-lost treasure begins. Your partner-in-crime, Sullivan, and rough-n-tough journalist, Elena, tag along in hopes of riches and a career-making story. Along the way you will meet bands of hired pirates who are interested in the very same treasure, and are of course unwilling to share. Thus the player will have to equip himself with an arsenal of weaponry.
Combat comprises about 60% of the game play. The view is third-person over-the-shoulder; think of Gears of War. There is an array of guns at your disposal, and you are allowed to carry one pistol-style, one rifle-style, and grenades. At first, only a simple version of each are available, but as you progress onto later chapters the pirates will carry more sophisticated weapons; including a revolver and sniper rifle, both of which can one-shot-kill most enemies. I personally enjoyed the 92FS-
Nathan showing off some of his shooting skills.9mm and Moss-12 the most. Unfortunately, I did not find grenades to be particularly useful, rather they would bounce off of the cover pirates hid behind and miss them entirely. The player can utilize cover as well, and is considered mostly necessary unless you have a death wish. Also, it is helpful to remember that when there are one-shot-kill weapons that you can use, of course enemies can use them as well. Strategic use of cover and a decent aim will help keep you alive throughout the game, but death is not something to worry about. The game auto-saves frequently, so dying is a relatively non-risky business.
Did I mention the complete lack of loading screens throughout the game? Dying and reloading to your most recent auto save are practically instant, and there was no loading between areas or chapters. This streamlining only added to the already movie-like feel of the game.
For the other 40% of the game, you will be puzzle-solving. This includes lots, and lots of jumping. I am convinced that Nathan is half-monkey 
Nathan Drake employs the "look before you leap" strategy.with all of the leaping business he does. I would not consider anything solvable in the game to be difficult, or too easy; instead the puzzles are set at a happy medium which requires the player to spend just enough time trying to figure a solution without getting frustrated. What may drive the player slightly mad are the random missed jumps that get thrown in every once in awhile. For some reason, Nathan would continually choose not to grab onto certain edges that are jump-accessible, tip-toe off of cliffs only to not catch himself on a rope or the side, and roll off of plateaus to his demise. Maybe he was programmed to rebel against the player’s wishes on occasion, just to spice things up. Regardless, with the persistent auto-saving the most that these incidents are no more than small nuisances.
In addition to the adventure levels, there are a total of three vehicle levels with two skidoo sections and one jeep section. Generally, really well-designed vehicle levels are hard to come by; fortunately, Uncharted’s are not that bad. During the first skidoo level, the player controls Nathan’s driving and Elena’s shooting as they race through the flooded ancient city ruins. Elena’s weapon is a special version of the grenade launcher, by which I mean it never runs out of ammunition. The second section for the skidoo vehicle is during a trip up-river to the
Uncharted's vehicle levels are more fun than frustrating; a feat more difficult than most to attain. monastery. I found the inner-city skidoo level more irritating than the up-river level, mostly because it is rather tricky figuring out where you are getting shot at from with the multi-leveled broken arches and various balconies placed around the water’s edge. During the other vehicle level the player does not have to worry about controlling the jeep, instead you control the large turret on said jeep with Nathan while Elena does the driving. Despite not being in direct control of the vehicle, mowing down mercenaries is not so bad of an alternative.
There is one bonus treasure hunt side quest featured in the game which requires Nathan to find 60 hidden ancient, priceless items. They are, for the most part, not difficult to find, and only take a slightly observant player to discover their hidden locations. Upon collection of certain numbers of these items, game-altering additions become unlocked. These additions are also unlocked by attaining certain medals, or achievements, through combat and weapon use. The bonuses range from costumes for Nathan, to behind-the-scenes movies, even a mirror-world where the environment appears flipped adding an extra challenge to a second play through.
Uncharted’s ability to redefine the action/adventure and treasure hunting video game genres is an amazing driving force for this game. The time, care, and effort that the entire development team devoted to this title shines through every word, every bullet, and every leap throughout. With game renting services being in abundance as of recent, I am proud to say that I own Uncharted and have absolutely no plan to ever change that.
TLDR: Uncharted embodies all of the reasons we love Indiana Jones into a well-developed, fresh video game. And, of course, no one can resist the half-tuck.
