My interest in games is starting to ware as I become, steadily, more in love with books just like the old days but I was given a loan ofUncharted: Drake’s Fortune by a friend in the work-place so I had to play it and return it, even if I couldn’t really be bothered.
The game is about Nathan Drake, supposed descendant of real-life explorer Sir Francis Drake, and his journey for the treasure of El Dorado. What this amounts to is lots of Tomb Raider-style jumping from pillar to pillar and Gear of War-style shooting segments, which is an odd combination but it works.
First thing you’ll notice is the voice-acting and mannerisms are top-notch, up there with the best of Hollywood which is obviously where the main inspiration for the game is coming from but, sadly, so does the script which relies far too much on old action-movie cliches: foreign baddies who like to espouse the usual dreaded speeches, slightly ridiculous set-pieces and some generally over-the-top moments. Somehow all that adds to the fun of the game; it’s meant to be a whole big cliche, a true hollywood experience along with the likable lead character and the whole, will-they-won’t-they storyline with the female reporter that rides along for the journey. Another thing is the way the characters look: although the game takes the gameplay elements from Gear of War and Tomb Raider it does not take anything from the character models–the people in this game look like real people. Nathan is skinny and rather weak looking, which flies in the face of the huge hulking man-beasts of the Gears-of-War guys and the female reporter looks…eh, I don’t know how to put this nicely so I’ll just say it: she’s got small breasts. This flies in the convention of every singe female character that has ever appeared in video games, especially Lara Croft’s mountainous mammaries and along with her died-blonde hair with the roots showing you have a realistic and sympathetic character, which is just the same as all the characters in the game. The characters you are meant to like you do and those you are meant to hate, you do.
I have to say that the game is too action-heavy, featuring far-too many killing and not enough platforming. I tend to prefer the latter more to the former but it doesn’t overly detract from the overall experience. One event near the end of the game, just as I was seriously beginning to wane of the constant shooting of foreigners, shocked me and really got my blood pumping. It was a surprising moment in the story and really did change-up the action on-screen and it was a great addition. I just won’t spoil it for anyone that wants to play the game.
The game is short and there isn’t any multiplayer unlike the sequel but it is an entertaining game that’s hard to put down once you get started.
