In a Nutshell review.
Normally I go in-depth with my reviews but I decided to do things a bit different this time. Since the game has been out for quite sometime I thought I just do a quick review instead.
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Story:
I purchased the Dual Pack and got my Handheld telescope ready to chart some uncharted territory. With Uncharted 3 around the corner I figured it would be beneficial to replay through the series and brush up on some knowledge.
Playstation 3's top franchise started in 2007 when Naughty Dog gave birth to a little game which we now know as Uncharted: Drakes Fortune.
During your journey through various environments you control a witty young man who is not afraid to crack some jokes and make light of a situation, Nathan Drake. Drake is a treasure hunter who....you guessed it, hunts treasure. Drake seeks out a valuable statue called El Durado. While on your quest for riches you are accompanied by Victor Sullivan-also not afraid to joke around and Elena Fisher- Host of her TV show and searching for her next big story.
Unfortunately for Drake, "Sully" -as he calls him- has some baggage and owes somebody a lot of money. He then goes and tells that somebody, Gaberial Roman(who would become the main antagonist of the game), that he has a way out of his debt. Things end up getting sticky and now there is a race to see who can get the statue first. The Story from here on out becomes pretty predictable.
Towards the end it tries to sell off a lousy plot twist in an effort to pick up steam. The ending was a little strange and not very good. It left me scratching my head but not from confusion. It just didn't work and felt cheesy.
Gameplay:
During Drake's quest to find El Dorado you will encounter a lot of enemies but the combat can be a hit or miss due to it's quirky shooting mechanics which left me frustrated at time. You are given this odd, circular reticule that makes precision shots difficult and you are also positioned weirdly when you aim. It's not traditionally over the shoulder but rather "over the arm" which has thrown me off numerous time. Dodging, throwing grenades and using cover felt a little bit clunky at times as well.
The platforming part of the game fits in nicely as you'll spend some of your time trying to figure out an alternate route to get to your goal. You can jump from surface to surface or scale cliffs and walls. There are also puzzles to solve. Some are nicely designed, others not so much. Most of the puzzles are rather easy to solve.
Graphics/Sound:
Speaking of design, the levels are structured well and look beautiful too. Some areas seem massive as they seamlessly intertwine giving the level multiple layers to explore. Environments looks great. To the rich and vibrant colors of the jungle to a more dark, damp and gloomy tone of a cemetery. The game has great textures as well as you can see some pretty cool detail on objects and surfaces as they sort of pop out. Chipped paint, rusty pipes, ruggedness of the wall, clothing getting wet as you are sprayed by a near by waterfall and on and on.
The character models, at first glance, had a plastic look to it and the ocean surrounding you during the first scenes, looked off (Not sure how else to describe it). Facial expressions and animations were kinda stiff but seemed to get better as the game went on.
Voice acting is done very well as the actors nail the many tones that are displayed throughout the game whether it be Sarcastic, Humor or Serious. The game will give you a couple good laughs with it's clever dialog and character personalities.
Soundtrack is good as it nails the expedition theme. Also has some cool action tracks that kind sounds like a 70's action film with a modern twist. Sound effects are ok as the guns sound weak but at least have variety.
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Lasting Effect:
Uncharted has it's flaws in the gameplay department but does everything else well. Graphically it still looks good with its gorgeous, colorful, environments and textures that stand out. Mix in a great soundtrack to give you that exploration vibe that ties up everything nicely.
I'm not sure what I thought of Uncharted when I first played through it but as I go through it for a second, it's a pretty good game that gives you an entertaining 7-8 hours of gaming. If you do have a PS3 and never played Uncharted, I recommend it because it gets better with the 2nd installment.
November 19 marks 15 years since the release of the Uncharted game that started it all.
I hope they don’t make another until the end of the ps5 lifecycle…. Show us a better jungle
VGChartz's Issa Maki: "I finally have a proper designation akin to what I've always referred to internally as 'the line that must be crossed' or 'The Line', for short – ludonarrative dissonance – the separation from a video game's story in relation to its gameplay. Why isn't PETA all up in Mario's grill for jumping on turtles and killing fish, or charging Samus Aran with the extinction of the Metroid species? Ever notice how fire has that habit of making bosses in Resident Evil stronger? Read on my friend, for I endeavor to imbue you with the ability to engage in basic queries concerning the concept."
KeenGamer: "Which Uncharted game is the best? Uncharted is widely recognized as one of the most groundbreaking and consistently great franchises in gaming. For both long-time fans and newcomers to this action-adventure classic, here’s a ranking of the franchise’s four main games."
No Golden Abyss -_-, otherwise I agree with the order.
UC2: Best overall
UC4: Best graphics, best gameplay, best locations, best environements
UC3: Best set pieces IMO (the boat and desert fights will always be amazing)
UC1: A rough Draft of what was to come
UCGA: Basically UC1 on Vita
Great list and great article nicely writen and explained. Although for me personaly i would put Drakes Fortune above Drake’s Deception and Uncharted 4 is absolutely my favourite of the franchise and number 1 for me.
U2 is the only game playable on crushing without causing a great amount of frustration. Not to mention just how much influence it had that they redid some of U2s set pieces like the caravan twice, and armored truck chase in U4.
I'd rate it as the following.
1.) Uncharted 2
(Close to perfection of any game I've played in years. Single Player/Multiplayer/Co Op all amazing.)
2.) Uncharted 3
(On par with UC2 multiplayer/co op wise minus the kickbacks [aka killstreaks]. I really liked the Lawrence of Arabia story.)
3.) Uncharted 4
(Single player is amazing. Multiplayer was meh. Co Op had potential. Absolutely hated the health revive system it slowed down the game way too much. Always preferred the fast pace action of UC2/UC3. Made it way more fun that way. Recoil was too ridiculous that most people in lobbies would only do hip firing, using power weapons and using that OP grappling hook to melee people after dropping them. Nobody wanted to revive anyone.)
4.) Uncharted
(It's the first in the series so it's hard to judge. Though I loved the story.)
I agree here but it’s also a series you can play from front to back and truly enjoy. Story-wise, they are all great and flow so well. I wish they threw both Golden Abyss and Lost Legacy on this list. Lost Legacy is the best mechanically in my opinion. You can see it’s stepping stone framework for TLOUS2.
uncharted 2 is one of the few games that actually surpassed its pre-release hype.
I am a single player gamer...I barely ever touch a multiplayer component. The only exceptions over the years have been the Mass Effect 3 multiplayer, TLOU factions, and the Uncharted 2 multiplayer. The Uncharted 2 multiplayer saw me spend more time playing it than all my other multiplayer experiences over the years combined. That game really was a masterpiece all around.
I agree completely, those are all stellar MP experiences, coming from another SP gamer who only occasionally gives MP some time.
Come to think of it, the step between Uncharted 1 and Uncharted 2 is huge. It goes from the weakest in the series to one of the best games ever made.
I think I'm going to play all of them again soon.
is multiplayer still up for the remastered trilogy? or did it never have UC2 mp?
Solid review imo, and perfect timing with 3 around the corner.
in other words, just accept that you hate PS3!!!!
I agree pretty much, although I found the first game to be more memorable than the second. The second threw a lot of frenetic stuff at you in the middle but it's all a blur, I couldn't recall much of what actually happened during the period after the first act until just before the final act. And I didn't feel like replaying it either.
I thought the first game had more "charm", and a more enjoyable narrative, although the second had much better/tighter gameplay. I hope the third gets both right, because if it does, that's GOTY in the bag.
'Lame ending is lame.'
This is why I never take reviews seriously.
I dono....I actually Platinumed UC1 because it was FUN, not because I felt the need to....
10/10 for me.