Uncharted just might be the most fun you'll have with a videogame. More hype? Not so much. The first installment of a franchise is always an unknown quantity; Uncharted delivers with an adventure so engaging you'll have trouble putting down the controller.
You play as Nathan Drake, a treasure hunter that could give Indiana Jones a run for his money. The game (really an action-adventure-platforming-shooter amalgamation) pits you against hordes of treasure-hungry pirates as you traverse ruins and jungle in your quest to reveal the secrets of your ancestor Sir Francis Drake. Accompanying you on your journey are fellow treasure hunter Victor Sullivan (Sullie) and a sufficiently adventurous aspiring video journalist, Elena.
The mo-cap efforts and polished dialog pay off, making what might otherwise seem like a prefab story come alive in a captivating mixture of performance and gaming. Go ahead and compare it to a movie, Uncharted is the perfect example of how video games can keep those Hollywood studios on their toes. The characters are likable and entertaining, and we can all give a collective round of applause for secondary characters that can hold their own. You won't find yourself screaming at your television as you try to complete any "protect the inept buddy" escort quests. Instead of hurting your cause, Elena and Sullie will actually make your progress easier. Unbelievable.
The puzzles you'll encounter aren't overly challenging, just another facet to a game founded on action. Similarly, even the platforming elements act as a backdrop to the fantastic gun play.
As you come under fire from pirates and other shady types looking to do you in on your way to the treasure, you'll have to make use of the game's stunning architecture taking cover behind arches, pillars, trees or any other handy objects. Get good at it, because much of the game you'll find yourself pinned against a wall, popping out to pick off your reloading attackers. The enemy AI isn't anything to sneeze at, either; they'll try to flush you out with grenades, or flank you, or even attack head-on with guns blazing. This sort of unpredictable enemy AI really keeps the combat interesting.
In case you hadn't learned this already from other games, temples and ruins are just riddled with ledges, platforms, and chasms. Naughty Dog handily deals with the "where next?" problem through subtle visual cues. This sort of attention keeps the game clear of both garishly illuminated environment components and those frustrating moments trying traverse the wrong gap for fifteen minutes. In fact, the whole game progresses very swiftly, and you'll likely polish it off in under twelve hours. The replay value is in all the un-lockables, from headshots to treasures, all of which earn you points that you can use to unlock things like limitless ammo and more costumes.
Graphically it's easy to fall in love with the art style, the beautiful lighting and touches like Nate's water-logged clothes. However you will encounter some screen tearing and texture problems from time to time. Even mentioning it makes it seem like it's a bigger issue than it is: it doesn't add up to much of anything: it's just noticeable.
Just when you're getting sick of the waves of well-armed pirates Naughty Dog throws in a twist turning much of what you've learned on its head, and really making you work. With its breathtaking score, rich art style and lively storytelling, Uncharted will have you hooked on its varied game play from the start, and the open-ended conclusion will leave you hungry for the next chapter.
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?
good review ! :)
I'd put it a 9.0, and that's barely. The lack of Online was a turn-off for me, just like the lack of campaign on Warhawk was a turn-off for me either. I like complete games, especially if it's possible to make an online mode as it could be with Uncharted.
Wow great review Catastrophe,I'm impressed,I look forward to your future reviews,Uncharted is a superb game all around,and Uncharted's single player does more than make up for the online that Uncharted doesn't have,sometimes people get sick and tired of playing games online and just want to enjoy a good single player experience:P
Edit:Double post:P
im glad the sales picked up.