Would Tomb Raider have ever been so popular if it didn’t have Lara Croft’s ample bosom? Uncharted is the latest in a long line of games that's trying to find out.
Starring an apparent descendent of that legendary explorer Sir Francis Drake, Nathan Drake, this is as close as the PS3 gets Eidos franchise until Lara's next gen outing sometime in 2008.
With a huge island to explore and masses of gunplay to enjoy, this one sure has all the right ingredients to be a classic. Who doesn’t want to play as the video game equivalent of Indiana Jones? Only there’s a lack of Nazis in this one. Thankfully.
They say:
Gamespot: “If nothing else, Uncharted is a graphical showcase for the PlayStation 3 and it dazzles the senses at nearly every opportunity.”
PSW: “Uncharted looks great, it's exciting, it's very funny at times and it should have huge, mainstream appeal for anyone old enough to have grown up with Indiana Jones or young enough to be growing up with the less good National Treasure movies.”
IGN: “Say what you will about the PS3, but Uncharted isn't just a standout for Sony - it's a standout for gaming as a whole.”
We say:
Combing running, jumping, exploring and bloody battles was always going to be tricky. But Uncharted manages every bit with the kind of brilliance that only comes along every few years.
And guess what? While we eagerly await Lara’s command performance on PS3, Drake’s escapades offer the best raiding experience bar none.
Take the graphics for example. Though the initial scene aboard Drake’s hired boat doesn’t exactly wow, as soon as you’re on the game’s main island your jaw will regularly be heard striking the floor.
Out in the open, the jungle landscape is nothing short of stunning. It just feels incredibly full and luscious. Plants sway in the breeze and the incredible level of detail, especially when viewed via a HD screen, is an absolute joy to behold.
Nathan himself, while lacking Lara’s astonishing cleavage, isn’t any less good looking. Instead of going for some gaudy outfit, he’s simply clad in jeans and a scruffy T-shirt, giving him the kind of look you’d actually expect an epic explorer to possess. We love Lara’s hot pants but sometimes wonder how practical they really are.
It’s the way Nathan moves that’ll really excite you. As you run and jump around the many areas you’re expected to explore, you’ll notice the absolute fluidity with which Drake reacts to his surroundings.
Forget having to make aching painful pixel perfect manoeuvres. Here you just simply run to the edge, press the jump button and the game will manoeuvre Nathan into the best position to make the leap. He’ll scramble for edges of ledges and clutch at vines in such a manner that makes the animation of just about every other game look archaic.
As fun as all this exploring is – and you’ll certainly do a lot of is during the game’s twelve hours lifespan – it’s not the only major plus point.
The puzzles thankfully refuse to descend into the kind of colour coded key ideas that gaming has always been about. Instead, you’ll use Drake’s diary for hints as to how to progress. Sadly the puzzles are a little thin on the ground, though most are cracking examples of brain bending goodness.
The developers have taken a leaf out of Gears of War’s book for the combat. Cover features heavily with only a few shots needed to drain Drake of his life. Your enemies are all filled to the brim with devilish deviance, with none of them eager to lose their lives in a swift manner. They’ll happily hop from cover to cover and attempt to sneak a few pot shots at you when you’re not looking. They want this treasure too after all.
We’ve not even mentioned the story either. While you’d expect a cliche filled boreathon, Uncharted packs one of the most thrilling and exciting story based journeys modern gaming has seen. The latter stages take a bit of a strange twist, but it’s never anything other than top quality.
Finally, the PS3 has a stunning exclusive that’s worth picking up a console for all on its own. Tomb Raider’s next gen outing has a lot to live up to.
Like this? Try these:
Tomb Raider Anniversary – Xbox 360, PS2, PSP, PC, Wii
Crackdown – Xbox 360
Super Mario Galaxy – Wii
FORMAT REVIEWED
PS3
OTHER FORMATS
None
POSTED...
Wed 19 Dec 2007 at 10:56am
