nerdboy has 2 chronicles

1. Uncharted: Drake's Fortune Review
   

   Player Chronicle -- Posted on Feb 09 2008

   "I'm telling you, Sully. This is it - this is finally it."
   
   Years ago when Uncarted was unvealed for the first time I had very little interest in it at all. Not once did I think that this would be a very good game. But as time went by I slowly gained more and more interest in this game. Eventually Uncharted went from just another game to me and turned into one of my most anticipated games. I was simply dying to have a chance to play this game. It was not until just three days ago that I finally got this game and it very quickly proved itself worthy.
   
   For those who don't know you play Nathan Drake. A young explorer of sorts who believes that the great Sir Francis Drake is his ancestor. He's on the trail of the treasure of El Dorado. Throughout the game the mysteries surrounding the treasure and Sir Francis Drake are slowly revealed. The story itself isn't revolutionary but it is better than a good amount of other games. Then again it's not the story that really pulls this game together.
   
   One of the hardest things to do is to make controls that work well with the game. Uncharted nails this. Throughout the game you'll find yourself jumping from ledge to ledge, climbing, hiding behind cover and then peaking out from behind the cover to take out the enemy. All of this sounds like it's been done before and it has but what makes this gameplay different is the animations that go along with it. While playing I noticed many things that I've never seen before. With bullets flying past me as I ran I noticed Drake adjust himself and duck in order to not be hit. And as I ran up stairs I noticed a completely new animation that for the first time that I can remember in a game it actually looked like you were going up or down stairs. And the list goes on from there. The unprecedented amount of animations in this game not only look good but they add a lot to the gameplay. The controls aren't only easy to get used to but the animations of not only Drake but all other characters make gameplay superb.
   
   So yeah, gameplay is great but what about AI right? What can often times be a games kryptonite proved, just like everything else in this game, to make this game even better. The AI in this game is nothing short of spectacular. For instance while in the midst of a gun fight you cannot simply stay in the same place. The enemies will work together to trap you. Staying in the same place will result in you being surounded by numerous enemies and very quickly dead. Not only that but if they can't get behind you then they'll simply destroy your cover and leave you open. And it's not just that when it comes to AI. It really does feel like the developers put a lot of time into the enemy AI.
   
   Now something I've yet to mention is the graphics in this game. From the lush forest and greatly detailed caves that you'll explore it's sometimes hard not to look around and admire the hard work. There's nothing like standing high above the forest and to look out upon it all in wonder. The game is beautiful.
   
   Now there is still one last thing that I've yet to cover. It's something that makes the realism of this game all the more immpressive. The way the story is told in a game can range from cutscenes to just having the characters converse in game. This game while it does follow the usual cutscene way of telling the story there is something that you'll notice during each and every cutscene. They are very much presented in a movie-like fashion and the dialog helps this as well. But the one thing that really immpressed me was that each character showed an amazing level of emotion. Again back to the animation, the way the characters moved and the way their faces changed during dialog allowed for a great amount of emotion to be displayed. All of this put together makes for a very cinematic feel. For the first time in a while I actually enjoyed watching the cutscenes just because of how well they were put together.
   
   The game also offers a kind of achievement system which is a nice touch. I'm personally not big on achievements but as said it is a very nice added bonus.
   
   It's not all good though when it comes to this game. Going back to the story as I said before it isn't the best and with the twist in the story at the end the story turns out to be a bit cliche. While it does have it's elements of originality the story isn't the most original, although it is hard to find a story that's completely original anyways. Another downside is the game is short. On the first playthrough I took about six hours.
   
   With a story that will keep you interested, great gameplay, amazing graphics, superb animation and heck something I didn't even cover great sound (background music, sound effects, etc.) this game is a must have. With four difficulty levels and a large amount of achievements this game is sure to last you. Uncharted is easily the best PS3 game out right now.
   
   9/10

   
   

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nerdboy has 2 comment s on this chronicle.

1. BEN
   Posted On Feb 11 2008

   Hey there, great review and keep them coming! I haven't seen this game yet, but I'm going to get Andy to rent it and we'll check it out asap! Gave you a 10 as well

2. DecipherOne
   Posted On Feb 09 2008

   Nice chronicle as well. I unfortunately deleted your comment on mine as I deleted the chronicle multiple times trying to format it differently, so if you want you can resubmit it other wise don't worry about it, and thanks for the kind words.