Perhaps, the most satisfying gaming experience ever. Perhaps, then again some flaws may be a turn off.
The characters are the best video game personalities yet. No hollow conversation, actually interesting personalities and witty conversations. The main character is calm cool and collected. Nathan Drake actually makes you want to play as him, and Elena Fisher is a girl you actually want by your side, so when she isn't, you want to save her. That being said, she doesn't always need saving and the portions with her are perhaps the most fun (sea-dooing up a river is awesome). Of course Nathan needs a mentor Victor Sullivan, Sully. The characters are actually worth mentioning in a review.
The graphics can be explained in one sentence. The best console graphics to date. I'm aware of Crysis (and how it hasn't sold well due to requiring a new computer to play) however Uncharted in terms of consoles, takes the cake. When Nathan and friends get wet, they get wet. Cut scenes are great looking, but not as good as game play (thats a lie). Game play graphics taunt the hardware of the PS3 with all the characters shooting and moving at the same time.
Game play however is bitter sweet (recently was listening to bitter sweet symphony). There are portions that are good and fluent, and then some that annoy you in a bad way. Some gunning moments are jolly good fun, and others are a difficult that makes you shake your head. All the vehicle levels are really fun and cool. I actually would not have minded some filler vehicle levels. Thats the thing about this game, it is short, there are no filler levels, all of them flow perfectly. That being said, some filler levels would have been appreciated.
The problem is that the enemies have an unnecessary difficulty in that they have too many hit points. You will fire about 10 bullets in to them, and they won't die. Their good at dodging bullets too, but you aren't. I don't want to spoil anything, but later on in the game, some enemies will also be annoying because you can't punch them out. You'll find out.
The platforming aspect of the game is pretty good, mostly about timing the button pressing and solving puzzles. The game has a good moderation of including the puzzle parts.
The voice actors, well, I would want their autograph. The voice work is fantastic, and so is the orchestrated music. With the adventure motif set with sweet sound effects and a heroic sound track.
The story is one of the best scripts in a video game, up there with RPGs. Thats the cool thing about this game, the thick script of an RPG but with action packed game play.
PS3 owners are few and growing, Uncharted Drake's Fortune is why we bought a PS3. Don't cheat yourself out of a grand experience. A bit short, and some questionable game play aspects are not enough to derive this game of its greatness. Play it, now!