| Platform | OVERALL |
|---|---|
| PlayStation 3 | 9.20 |
| Overall | 9.20 |
|
- The PS3 has had a rough start, but things are beginning to turn around, some great games have been hitting the system. Yet it seems like the PS3 needs a big exclusive, well this is it, it may not be as hyped as Halo 3, or as beloved as Mario Galaxy, but it is a showcase game for this console and a game all PS3 owners should pick up. Uncharted tells the story of Nathan Drake, a descendent of Sir Francis Drake, who is on a mission to discover the lost treasure of El Dorado. Nathan is sort of an every man who gets thrown into a massive adventure with tons of action, danger, and romance. If this sounds like Indiana Jones to you then you get it, that is what this game is trying to be and it surprisingly does a great job of pulling it off. The reason being is cause each of the main characters, Drake, Elena (women along to film the expedition) and Sully (con man side kick) feels fleshed out, they are instantly likeable and you root for them. Each character comes alive because of the excellent voice work and motion captured acting, it really is some of the best in gaming. It also includes a state of the art animation system which gives Drake some of the best animation we have seen from a main character. Unlike MGS there are not long drawn out cutscenes, the story is told mostly through the gameplay. This game excels cause the storytelling and gameplay intertwine so well it creates an unforgettable gaming experience. None of the storytelling aspects would matter if the gameplay weren’t up to par, well don't worry, the gameplay is excellent as well. Most of the time you will be invloved in gunfights, which plays out a bit like Gears. The cover system is without a doubt one of the best, with a push of a button you will get behind the nearest piece of cover, which you can move around easily. Press the aim button and you will pop out to take a shot, blind fire is also possible. You can switch cover by pressing the cover button while pushing toward the next desirable location and Drake will dive toward it. The jump button allows you to jump over the cover with ease. You may also use height to your advantage and take cover from a ledge while you hang off, just aim and you will pull up a bit to shoot. Of course sometimes you may get stuck into cover in a spot you did not want to but overall it works as it should and adds a whole layer to the combat. You will need cover to survive this game cause the enemies are brutal. They will come at you from all sides. They will attempt to flank you or flush you out with grenades. If they hear you are out of bullets they will run at you guns blazing. They are constantly behind cover, they use the cover system as well as you do, you will see them do all sorts of dives and slides to get behind cover. The result of all this is that the gun fights are dynamic and fun. To combat them you have a whole arsenal of guns and melee combat. Most of the standard weapons you find are in this game, strangely though the pistol remains one of the most useful throughout the entire game. Melee combat is an afterthought in many of these style of games but not here. Drake has some simple punch combos he can pull off which work great when you get up close. Some of the best moves are done in context with your surrounding; for example if an enemy is next to a wall you may grab them and smash their head against it. You may also sneak behind an enemy and break their neck for a nice stealth kill. You will have to mix between gun fighting and fisticuffs if you want to survive. The only issue with the melee is that it locks you into the combat; many times you get stuck in animation while enemies get a free shot at you. The game keeps things fresh by mixing up the locations and style of enemies you meet, its almost RE4 like. One moment you are in a narrow passage that you need to blast your way through, the next section is a large open area with grenade launch carrying enemies or snipers. The game tries its best to keep things moving and fresh, for the most part it works but I started to feel it was getting repetitive around the middle. Luckily the final 2-3 hours are breathtaking so it ends on a very high note. There are also a few vehicle segments, a car chase that will have you floored and a jet ski segment that might not be as good as you would hope. To balance out the combat there are plenty of platforming sections, how can you have a treasure hunter without life threatening jumps and perils. Platforming is handheld like PoP or SotC, lots of shimming along edges and jumping from ledge to ledge. Most of the platforming you do will be simple point A to point B jumps with practically no obstacles in your path. The game automatically decides how far you should jump, so all you need to do is point in the direction you want to jump and press X, the game does the rest. It comes off as too simple, yeah its fun and a good diversion but it could have maybe had some traps or actual skill based jumping. There are a few puzzles scattered throughout the game but they are of the mindless variety. You have a book which you need to look at that will provide you with the answer to every puzzle, which is usually something like push certain statues in a certain order. There are not many so it never gets in the way, it actually helps add to the whole treasure hunting vibe. If more attention was paid to these two aspects this game could have been an all time masterpiece. Quite possibly the largest negative for this game is that it is short, about 7-8 hours and you will be done. I do feel it could have been longer but at least there is no down time or backtracking. There are four difficulty modes in total, the crushing mode being the hardest (unlocked after you beat the game once) which will give you a substantial challenge. The game also includes a reward system similar to Achievements. You get points to unlock things such as color filters, flip mode, and videos, for getting a certain amount of headshots or getting a certain amount of kills with a weapon. On top of that there are sixty hidden treasures scattered about the game. Sadly its really just sixty blinking lights, many times you will just stumble upon them, no real side quests to get them. All this means that you will have plenty of reasons to play this game over and over again, so as far as value goes its good enough to own. Graphically it’s a showcase game for the PS3. It's a very colorful game so it stands out. Some of the vistas you encounter in this game will cause you to put the controller down and just stare at the screen in amazement. The sound quality is just as good. The voice acting is some of the best, the gunfights will have your surround speakers working overtime. The score is movie quality orchestrated work. Uncharted may not be the best game of the year or anything but in a sea of sequels this original game stands out as one of the best newcomers in gaming. It's a cliché but it fits, this game is rollercoaster ride from beginning to end. If you have a PS3 it would be a crime to not check this game out. |
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Posted by Dvader Sun, 22 Jun 2008 06:51:25
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travo (4m)
Its good but I gotta disagree that its a 9+ experience. But then again, I was spoiled by a fuckton of killer 360 games before playing Uncharted.
I want to play through this game again.