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Edge explains themselves
EDGE REVIEW: Uncharted: Drakes Fortune
Does Uncharted shake off the Bloke Raider tag and deliver on its billing as one of the PlayStation 3s big hopes for the holiday season? Edge gives its verdict within
If you expect Uncharted: Drakes Fortune to begin with a cutscene, youd be right. If you expect to negotiate beautiful environments and fight mercenaries, shoot explosive barrels and scale ruins, youd be right. In fact, youd be right with almost any informed prediction about Uncharteds content. But the fact that youre right doesnt begin to explain why, despite everything about it being a little predictable, Uncharted manages to get it right.
The games it takes as its inspirations are the best examples of their type the shooting from Gears Of War and Resident Evil 4, the adventuring from Tomb Raider and Prince Of Persia. Uncharted is brazen in its borrowings, but it is also selective and never ambitious to excess: the whole experience is carefully crafted and perhaps its greatest achievement is in its pacing, which alternates between combat and exploration (and occasionally a vehicle section) with a real consideration for the player. It is one of the great lessons it learns from Resident Evil 4 and, although Uncharted never quite manages to reach that level of breathless excitement, it makes the basic core of the game replayable rather than repetitious.
The combat exemplifies this: at heart it is little more than a very good example of the cover/fire school of gameplay, perhaps not quite as exaggerated as that of Gears Of War. But it is distinguished through variation in environmental layouts such that, even though youre facing the same types of enemy for most of the game, each encounter demands something slightly different from the one before.
Theres a reasonable selection of weapons, all with their own quirks (although the pistol is your best friend), but the real pleasure and the second factor that elevates Uncharted above the ranks of imitator is to be found in the Indiana Jones close combat. This is incorporated into your fighting in several ways, whether as a five-punch combo to finish off a lone gunman or a flying dropkick when an enemy is blocking your hurried escape, and when used properly its an invaluable addition to your armory. The only disappointment lies in some problems with the cover system, with Drake occasionally refusing to respond to your urgent commands next to doors a stumbling block within its free-flowing context.However, there are some poor design decisions that simply cant be ignored: chains, for example, are occasionally used to move around the environment, and are often used as an insubstantial decoration. Youll only know which, initially at least, when youve either made it across the gap or are falling to your doom. At least Uncharted is generous with its restart positions.
Within these sections, the game isnt shy about moving the camera for dramatic effect during key moments. This can work brilliantly, particularly in an out-of-screen moment that nods to the original Crash Bandicoot, and with some of the games more routine platform moments. If theres a criticism, its that it isnt used completely coherently there are only one or two big set-pieces in the game that use these tricks, and these are excellent, while there are many smaller moments where quick camera changes confuse rather than help. And although it would be madness to criticize linearity in and of itself, none of the adventuring environments offer a freedom of approach towards the single destination indeed, neither the physical nor mental puzzles will significantly slow down anyone.
But apart from this Uncharted has a sense of spectacle in the obstacles you face, and also concentrates its narrative around these sections making them a significantly different counterweight to the fighting. The game looks beautiful, and in motion is far from the impression of shiny waxworks that screenshots may give: towering trees, vine-covered ruins and crumbling masonry create a real sense of place, and the attention to detail in even the incidental temple decorations is to be applauded.
This is complemented by the story, a half-nonsensical, half-thrilling adventure plot, which manages to showcase the well distinguished main characters as well as keep the momentum of the treasure hunt going: its as tight and coherent a plot as seen in a game of this type, as serviceable as it is accomplished. Its this attention to detail beyond the obvious that makes up for some of the other areas where the game isnt quite as striking: Drakes animations are plentiful and authentic, for example, and at least shake the impression that youre controlling Captain Scarlet, but cant help but look slightly basic next to the new gold standard of Assassins Creed.
Amid all the comparisons Uncharted tempts, however, one thing remains: it is a great adventure story that plays excellently. Theres nothing substantially new in what it does indeed its influences are obvious and there are some minor problems, but through judicious pruning and reweaving Naughty Dog has crafted one of the finest action adventures to date. Its involving in its narrative, a triumph of pacing, and simply a pleasure to play. Your move, Ms Croft.
Verdict 8 / 10
It's all the same. And the remark was quite justified, it needn't be evidence of a bias...but merely a look at their past PS3 review scores (Heavenly Sword a 6/10 from Edge, and a 6/10 for Resistance from Eurogamer)