Review: Uncharted: Drake's Fortune (PS3)

Uncharted lands on the PS3 with a bang as loud as Indiana Jones' whip.

Pros: Slick presentation and graphics; a cracking yarn; interesting lead character; great controls; achievements!

Cons: A little short; final boss is lame; some illogical paths; simple puzzles

Medals (Achievements): Fair

Very few games deliver on their early promise. Fewer still exceed it. Uncharted is one of those rare beasts that, right from the start, displays a quality of gameplay and presentation that supersedes any preconceptions or expectations. Uncharted looks amazing, sounds brilliant, has some excellent voice acting, and is complemented by an engrossing story.

Essentially, Uncharted is a new take on the Indiana Jones/Lara Croft action adventure that blends the classic puzzle solving and platforming with an exceptional third person shooter. Uncharted is more combat orientated than Lara's adventures, and more tactical in execution. You will need make extensive use of cover and conserve ammunition in order to progress through the story.

The game has a genuine sense of pace, with enemy encounters counterpointed with more laid-back problem solving, platforming or adrenaline fuelled vehicles sections, including a memorable journey up river-rapids on a jet-bike. At no point does any of this become repetitive or old, and it really helps to drive the story and adventure forward. If there is a slight criticism, it is that the puzzles can be a tad obvious, and some of the routes a little illogical. For instance, in once section you travel through enemy infested tombs, following a trail of puzzles and clues, only to end up back where you started from.

I completed a play-through on normal difficulty in about 11 hours, which would have been shorter were it not for the ridiculous last boss. The Medals (Achievements) add an incentive to replay the game and unlock all 1000 points.

Uncharted: Drake's Fortune is my PS3 game of 2007, and should be the first game you purchase when you pick up a new PS3. The breathtaking environments, story, gameplay, action and adventure, all add up to one great game.

5/5