Who would have thought that subtracting the breasts and adding a penis would have equaled a much better Tomb Raider?
Unlike Lara Croft's more silent and calculating approach, Nate Drake exudes personality with his quirky one-liners and recklessness as he takes down enemies and climbs everything, sort of like a more realistic Spider-Man.
Personality traits aside, the most interesting thing about Nate is that he is a descendent of another legend hunter and explorer, Sir Francis Drake.
Following the journal of clues and antique ring passed down through the generations of Drakes, Nate intends to locate the lost fortune of his long dead ancestor.
Like all good stories, Nate isn't without helpful allies and hindering enemies, all of which are just as interesting as the lead character. Along for the ride with Nate is his gruff mentor and partner in exploration Victor "Sully" Sullivan and an inquisitive bright-eyed journalist named Elena Fisher. Together these allies will provide cover-fire, drive vehicles, and become Nate's moral support against the more maniacal rival treasure hunters also searching for Drake's fortune.
As fun and interesting as the characters and plot may be, the real joy of Uncharted is actually playing it. Starting with a literal bang in the first few minutes of the game, Uncharted rarely gives players a chance to breath between intense bursts of action and in-depth exploration.
Action wise, Uncharted plays as a very solid third person shooter with over the shoulder gunplay. Using firearms found around the island from smugglers and mercanaries, Nate can hold his own as he pops in and out of cover from any object. He can also move from coverspot to coverspot with the slightest of ease, making him a very hard target as he flanks enemies. Imagine it as a mixture between the both solid games of kill.switch and Gears of War and you'll understand how the gun battles are played.
Exploration wise, the game plays just as its spiritual predecessor Tomb Raider as Nate runs, jumps, rolls, climbs, and swims his way into dark and dangerous caverns. While not as prodominent as Tomb Raider, puzzles elements do occur randomly throughout the game, but not nearly enough as almost too much action can be considered one of Uncharted downfalls.
In a massive list of positive elements, Uncharted rarely makes a misstep. The game is almost the perfect length for gamers to get started, enjoy themselves for a few days, and finish without becoming bored. There are plenty of treasures and secrets to uncover throughout the game, and every treasure leads to points to spend in the extra mode for increased game life. Playing this game 2 or 3 times is certainly not out of the question with the amount of unlockables to unlock here.
While a multiplayer mode would put this game a main contender for 2007 Game of the Year, Uncharted is still a surprise hit for gamers and, with a handful of other games, puts the PlayStation 3 on the map for players looking for a good reason to purchase one.