In the year 2007, there was a game system that, though it came with pedigree, was STARVING for new games that could properly show off its hardware. That system was the Playstation 3, which had the (mis)fortune of following the footsteps and continuing the legacy of the Playstation 2, debatably the most successful game console of all time. In the tail end of 2007, the PS3 got its wish with a game called Uncharted: Drake's Fortune.
Uncharted 1 tells the story of Nathan Drake, treasure hunter extraordinaire, history buff, archeology enthusiast, and all around badass. The tale opens up with Drake and intrepid reporter Elena Fisher seeking a coffin out at sea. The coffin belongs to Sir Francis Drake, famed corsair of the 16th century, which proves that Francis Drake faked his own death for one last treasure hunt. The coffin contains only a diary, which seemingly gives the reader instructions to find the lost treasure. After a pirate attack, Nate and Elena meet up with Nate's old buddy Victor "Sully" Sullivan, who takes them to shore.
The diary reveals the treasure: El Dorado, the lost city of gold. Leaving Elena behind (seemingly) Nate and Sully travel to the Amazon, finding ruins to a lost civilization that proves that El Dorado was no city, but a large statue made of gold. There is evidence that the statue WAS there, but was long moved elsewhere. Angered, Sully reveals that he depended on finding the treasure to clear his gambling debts.
Further exploration of the jungle reveals a shocking revelation: ruins of a Nazi U-boat. Exploring the boat reveals that the Nazis found a missing page from Francis Drake's diary which reveals where the statue was taken: a former Spanish colony located in an undisclosed island. However, Nate and Sully are accosted by the person Sully is indebted to: Gabriel Roman, a rival treasure hunter with no qualms about killing or hiring psychopaths and pirates to do his dirty work. Thus begins an epic adventure to find the lost treasure of Sir Francis Drake...
Uncharted 1 continues the Naughty Dog tradition of creating new franchises for the Playstation family that neatly showcases what the consoles can do, technology wise. Starting with Crash Bandicoot from the original Playstation, Naughty Dog has become one of the companies that has helped define the success of the Playstation brand. Because of this, Uncharted came with pedigree, as well as high expectations. Were those expectations met?
In a word, yes. In a few more words, hell yes. Uncharted 1 set out to redefine the Adventure genre in console gaming by mixing 3rd person shooting with platforming, combined with an unprecedented level of realism never before seen in an action adventure game. The results? A fucking gorgeous game.
Gameplay wise, the title is a monster hit. When the game starts with a shootout between our heroes and a gang of modern pirates, you know you've got a game you will NOT be able to put down so easily. And indeed, the game delivers in that aspect; from exploration to combat, the game grabs your attention and never lets go.
Uncharted 1 takes inspiration from the action adventure serials of cinema, and it shows. Particularly, the Indiana Jones film franchise was a major source of influence to the game. Many of the staples of the genre are found in the game: exotic locales, a plucky heroine, a dashing and daring hero, nefarious and cowardly villains, shootouts, the list goes on.
As far as characters go, the cast is unforgettable. Our hero, Nathan Drake, is funny, charming, and a badass. The guy wields a gun like a pro, can shoot down gangs of pirates like it's nothing, all while having a quip ready. The guy is also a history aficionado, his eyes lighting up not just at the prospect of treasure, but at the idea of finding ruins no one had ever seen before. As a history teacher, I can certainly relate to Nate.
That rhyme was semi intentional.
What I liked most about Nathan Drake was how all these seemingly contradictory elements, the badass gunman, the incredibly buff and fit adventurer, and the somewhat dorky history buff, all come together seamlessly into one complex, likable, and relatable character. Nathan Drake is the guy we all want to be, or that at least I want to be. It is in my opinion that the best protagonists are those that either let the audience see themselves in, or that they could wish they could be. Nathan Drake falls into the latter category.
But what truly makes Nathan Drake so admirable is that, all game long, it's his PASSION that drives him. It's not greed that drives him to find El Dorado, it's his his love for history that drives him. Riches? Nate doesn't care about riches, he cares about the find. It's like an artist who creates art for the sake of creating art, a singer who sings for the hell of it, or a kid who studies Plato because she loves philosophy that much. Nathan isn't in it for the money, he's in it for the adventure, for the sake of finding something new and interesting.
The game's main antagonist, Roman, exists as a perfect foil for Nate. Roman is in it for the money, pure and simple. While Nathan Drake will get his own hands dirty, Roman prefers to let others do the work for him. Nathan is also 100% loyal to his friends, while Roman won't think twice about abandoning his people if it will get him what he wants. This contrast helps inform the player about the differences in motivation between Nate and Roman, as well as helps the player sympathize more with Nate.
Elena is a tough woman. A reporter by trade, Elena's spunk gives her the backbone she needs to stand her ground against pirates shooting at her, mercenaries threatening to kill her, among other dangers. Not one to "stay in the kitchen" so to speak, Elena is a real go-getter, one who will stop at nothing to get the story she knows the people need to hear. She's not a great shot per se (she can only kill when you control her, otherwise she will mostly miss) but this is excused by the fact that she's a REPORTER, not a gunwoman.
Sure, she gets captured near the end of the game, but this is where the game's realism shows itself. Sure, Elena's badass in her own right, but she's no Lara Croft. If she's outnumbered, she can't realistically fight off her enemies. Plus the fact that she earlier saved Nathan when HE got captured earns her some sympathy points from the player.
But here's where the game's biggest flaws are shown. Storywise, Sully is rather flawed. The entire plot really kicks off because Sully, who is older than Nate and is practically his father figure, screwed up by blabbing about the treasure to Roman, with whom he is in debt. Although Sully does make up for his mistakes later on, it can't be ignored that the game would have been over in six chapters if Sully had kept his mouth shut.
Another flaw is that the player never deals with Roman directly; rather, we settle for his assistant, Atoq Navarro. Narrative wise, this is a somewhat wise move as it means that we're dealing with the guy who actually DID the physical work to oppose Nate and hinder the player's quest. Likewise, Gabriel Roman was undone by his own greed, opening up the statue of El Dorado after the game made it clear that doing so was a BAD IDEA, as there was something in it that turned people into zombies. Also, the fact that Atoq intended to turn El Dorado into a weapon and sell it to the highest bidder meant he had to be taken out.
But there's still that feeling of "that should have been ME dealing with Roman!" When you spend most of the game with a clear cut antagonist, you do NOT pull a bait and switch on the player and then tell them "nah, THIS guy is your final boss." I've spent the game wanting a piece of Gabriel Roman! I was frustrated at that development; to me, it was one of the disappointing moments of the game.
All in all, Uncharted 1 has its flaws, but it's still a great game. As far as a debut game goes, it's a strong way to start a franchise. A lovable protagonist, a daring adventure, wonderful and breathtaking locales, Uncharted 1 is an unforgettable adventure, and a fantastic way to kick off one of the best franchises of the Playstation family, as well as the franchise that DEFINED the Playstation 3.
But can the sequel keep the momentum going? Well...tune in next week to find out!
Image taken from the Uncharted Wiki, originally uploaded by user Richard1990
The diary reveals the treasure: El Dorado, the lost city of gold. Leaving Elena behind (seemingly) Nate and Sully travel to the Amazon, finding ruins to a lost civilization that proves that El Dorado was no city, but a large statue made of gold. There is evidence that the statue WAS there, but was long moved elsewhere. Angered, Sully reveals that he depended on finding the treasure to clear his gambling debts.
Further exploration of the jungle reveals a shocking revelation: ruins of a Nazi U-boat. Exploring the boat reveals that the Nazis found a missing page from Francis Drake's diary which reveals where the statue was taken: a former Spanish colony located in an undisclosed island. However, Nate and Sully are accosted by the person Sully is indebted to: Gabriel Roman, a rival treasure hunter with no qualms about killing or hiring psychopaths and pirates to do his dirty work. Thus begins an epic adventure to find the lost treasure of Sir Francis Drake...
Uncharted 1 continues the Naughty Dog tradition of creating new franchises for the Playstation family that neatly showcases what the consoles can do, technology wise. Starting with Crash Bandicoot from the original Playstation, Naughty Dog has become one of the companies that has helped define the success of the Playstation brand. Because of this, Uncharted came with pedigree, as well as high expectations. Were those expectations met?
In a word, yes. In a few more words, hell yes. Uncharted 1 set out to redefine the Adventure genre in console gaming by mixing 3rd person shooting with platforming, combined with an unprecedented level of realism never before seen in an action adventure game. The results? A fucking gorgeous game.
image from http://www.meristation.com/reportaje/las-7-maravillas-de-uncharted/2124899
Uncharted 1 takes inspiration from the action adventure serials of cinema, and it shows. Particularly, the Indiana Jones film franchise was a major source of influence to the game. Many of the staples of the genre are found in the game: exotic locales, a plucky heroine, a dashing and daring hero, nefarious and cowardly villains, shootouts, the list goes on.
As far as characters go, the cast is unforgettable. Our hero, Nathan Drake, is funny, charming, and a badass. The guy wields a gun like a pro, can shoot down gangs of pirates like it's nothing, all while having a quip ready. The guy is also a history aficionado, his eyes lighting up not just at the prospect of treasure, but at the idea of finding ruins no one had ever seen before. As a history teacher, I can certainly relate to Nate.
That rhyme was semi intentional.
What I liked most about Nathan Drake was how all these seemingly contradictory elements, the badass gunman, the incredibly buff and fit adventurer, and the somewhat dorky history buff, all come together seamlessly into one complex, likable, and relatable character. Nathan Drake is the guy we all want to be, or that at least I want to be. It is in my opinion that the best protagonists are those that either let the audience see themselves in, or that they could wish they could be. Nathan Drake falls into the latter category.
But what truly makes Nathan Drake so admirable is that, all game long, it's his PASSION that drives him. It's not greed that drives him to find El Dorado, it's his his love for history that drives him. Riches? Nate doesn't care about riches, he cares about the find. It's like an artist who creates art for the sake of creating art, a singer who sings for the hell of it, or a kid who studies Plato because she loves philosophy that much. Nathan isn't in it for the money, he's in it for the adventure, for the sake of finding something new and interesting.
The game's main antagonist, Roman, exists as a perfect foil for Nate. Roman is in it for the money, pure and simple. While Nathan Drake will get his own hands dirty, Roman prefers to let others do the work for him. Nathan is also 100% loyal to his friends, while Roman won't think twice about abandoning his people if it will get him what he wants. This contrast helps inform the player about the differences in motivation between Nate and Roman, as well as helps the player sympathize more with Nate.
Elena is a tough woman. A reporter by trade, Elena's spunk gives her the backbone she needs to stand her ground against pirates shooting at her, mercenaries threatening to kill her, among other dangers. Not one to "stay in the kitchen" so to speak, Elena is a real go-getter, one who will stop at nothing to get the story she knows the people need to hear. She's not a great shot per se (she can only kill when you control her, otherwise she will mostly miss) but this is excused by the fact that she's a REPORTER, not a gunwoman.
Sure, she gets captured near the end of the game, but this is where the game's realism shows itself. Sure, Elena's badass in her own right, but she's no Lara Croft. If she's outnumbered, she can't realistically fight off her enemies. Plus the fact that she earlier saved Nathan when HE got captured earns her some sympathy points from the player.
But here's where the game's biggest flaws are shown. Storywise, Sully is rather flawed. The entire plot really kicks off because Sully, who is older than Nate and is practically his father figure, screwed up by blabbing about the treasure to Roman, with whom he is in debt. Although Sully does make up for his mistakes later on, it can't be ignored that the game would have been over in six chapters if Sully had kept his mouth shut.
Another flaw is that the player never deals with Roman directly; rather, we settle for his assistant, Atoq Navarro. Narrative wise, this is a somewhat wise move as it means that we're dealing with the guy who actually DID the physical work to oppose Nate and hinder the player's quest. Likewise, Gabriel Roman was undone by his own greed, opening up the statue of El Dorado after the game made it clear that doing so was a BAD IDEA, as there was something in it that turned people into zombies. Also, the fact that Atoq intended to turn El Dorado into a weapon and sell it to the highest bidder meant he had to be taken out.
But there's still that feeling of "that should have been ME dealing with Roman!" When you spend most of the game with a clear cut antagonist, you do NOT pull a bait and switch on the player and then tell them "nah, THIS guy is your final boss." I've spent the game wanting a piece of Gabriel Roman! I was frustrated at that development; to me, it was one of the disappointing moments of the game.
All in all, Uncharted 1 has its flaws, but it's still a great game. As far as a debut game goes, it's a strong way to start a franchise. A lovable protagonist, a daring adventure, wonderful and breathtaking locales, Uncharted 1 is an unforgettable adventure, and a fantastic way to kick off one of the best franchises of the Playstation family, as well as the franchise that DEFINED the Playstation 3.
But can the sequel keep the momentum going? Well...tune in next week to find out!
No comments:
Post a Comment