There must be a beginning to any great matter  - Sir Francis Drake

Let’s hope that Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, developed by those stand-up chaps over at Naughty Dog, is only the beginning to another great franchise.  If any developer knows how to produce captivating original franchise material it’s Naughty Dog – you may be familiar with some of their previous work: Crash Bandicoot, Jak and Daxter?  Uncharted is the company’s first move away from cartoony characters and into more traditional shooter territory.  As Evan Wells, Naughty Dog’s President, explained earlier this year – their mission was to, “immerse the player in a modern, real-life environment…to create a 3D action-adventure that was very story-based and driven.” To which we reply, “Mission Accomplished!”

This Is the Beginning of a Beautiful Friendship

Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune takes its cue from the classic serials of the 30’s complete with high-action, far flung jungle locales, hidden treasure, fist fights and, yep, you guessed it – Nazis.  The game’s look is as colorful as its story which centers on treasure hunter Nathan Drake’s quest to resolve the disappearance of his ancestor, Sir Francis Drake himself.   Nate has found Drake’s lost diary pointing the way to a hidden treasure though he’s not the only one with his fingers in the cookie jar.  Along for the ride is Nathan’s partner in crime, Victor Sullivan who has bet the farm on Nate’s latest adventure in hopes of settling some long overdue debts.  And then there’s Elena Fisher, a TV producer in search of her next big scoop – the only thing missing here is Bogart and Bergman.

The world of Uncharted is lush and alive – if not linear and restrained.  Even so – you’ll hardly notice as the story whisks you along from stop to stop with nary a pause for breath in-between.  Like Pirates of the Caribbean come alive – not the movie – the ride silly – the Disneyland-esque facades of Uncharted instill that same sense of awe and wonder you experienced the first time you sailed into the pirate’s lair. 

From the minute attention to detail – the addition of motion blur when swiftly changing your field of vision -  to animals scurrying through the underbrush to some of the most gorgeously rendered water we’ve seen to date – you’ll find yourself wishing you could explore beyond the backdrop.  Uncharted also sports some great set-piece moments in homage to its Hollywood roots and serves up one of the most thrilling rail shooter sequences we’ve experienced.

One Not-So Ordinary Man

The developer’s decision to use real actors to inform the animations for the cut-scenes and in-game movement pays off in spades.  The cut-scenes offer some of the most realistically animated performances we’ve seen and this carries over into the in-game animations as powered by the team’s complex animation blending system.  The result is fluid, lifelike movement whether traversing sheer cliff faces, scaling castle walls or engaging in a bit of hand to hand combat with the natives.

Speaking of combat, Uncharted uses a cover system very similar to Gears of War. This system will take a while to get used to but provides for some very slick maneuverability through tense combat sequences with multiple opponents. Coupled with the cover system is a simple combo system that allows Nate, you’re not-so ordinary ‘ordinary man’ to unleash some devastating close quarters combat attacks on his aggressors – including one scissor-kick take down that would make Jet Li blush.  Want to thin the ranks before things heat up?  Sneak up on an unsuspecting opponent and quietly take him down with a simple tap of the square button.  Nice.

Weapons run the gamut from varying pistols – including my favorite Desert Eagle, to the Dragunov sniper rifle to classic MP40 submachine guns.  Grenades are extremely handy as well though I found the targeting system to be a bit frustrating in its reliance on the six-axis for aiming.  No worry – often simply tossing the grenades in the general direction of your enemies is enough to do the trick.  Uncharted neatly avoids the inventory management ‘mini-game’ by simply encouraging players to load up on the go.  Out of ammo?  No worries mate, take down the nearest pirate and borrow his boom stick.

Beyond the Gun

A welcome facet to Uncharted’s design is that it doesn’t rely solely on combat to push the story forward.  The folks at Naughty Dog have done an excellent job of pacing by breaking up the combat with exploration sequences, story exhibition and puzzle solving.  The puzzles while easily resolved are tied back into visual clues left in Drake’s diary which is a nice way to lure the player back into the story.  Much of the exploration revolves around Nate’s keen ability to traverse sheer  surfaces, and then there’s that exciting rapid riding jet ski sequence that will have you cursing the physics engine. 

One unexpected, but very welcome, element was the Rewards system.  Essentially Sony's answer to Xbox LIVE achievements – Rewards are collected for completing various in-game activities. Get 50 head shots and become the Headshot Master!  Find 5 treasures and unlock the Beginner Fortune Hunter Reward. You get the idea. The Rewards are also neatly linked into actual rewards such as Making Of videos, alternate costumes and the list goes on.  Once Sony works out how to reveal your ‘tomb raiding’ prowess to the rest of the community the PS3 online experience may finally gain some much needed adrenaline.

Greatness From Small Beginnings – Drake

Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune is an excellent blend of high-adventure ala Indiana Jones, action-oriented combat ala Gears, puzzles and exploration ala Tomb Raider and a great story that all adds up to one hell of a ride.  There’s plenty here for the completionists out there, the Making Of videos are actually enjoyable to watch and I found myself wanting to start the game right over again which I must say is a very rare reaction for me indeed.  Sony and PS3 owners can only benefit from more exclusive titles of this caliber.  If Naughty Dog’s history is any indication, this won’t be the last we see of Nathan Drake…and that’s a good thing!  Look out Lara, there’s a new gun in town!