It pains me to say that, despite being a raving Uncharted fanboy, I completed neglected the series’ first instalment for quite a while. At the time I was mainly into fantasy or medieval themed games, Assassin’s Creed being my first purchase for the PlayStation 3, soon followed by Heavenly Sword and The Elder Scrolls IV. Then, after a month or so fiddling with my new console, I started to branch out, exploring genres I had once only played casually, like racers, fighting games and, more relevantly, shooters.
When Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune launched following the PS3’s release the game itself was nothing ground-breaking. Looking back and deconstruction its web of mechanics and features, most of what Uncharted had came from existing titles with hits such as Gears of War and Tomb Raider being clear inspirations. However, as we’re now well aware, there is little room for innovation in just about any genre; recycling existing ideas and leaving your own signature is a near universal practice.
Best Bit
Though the gameplay was solid and set a firm foundation for two more action-packed instalments, it was something else that really defined Uncharted for many gamers: its characters.
After a brief cinematic opening, players were immediately introduced to series protagonist Nathan Drake and his camera-toting companion to be, Elena Fisher. Going into the first opening chapters there was literally nothing we knew about these two characters. Where a lot of games use walls of text or flashy cutscenes to illustrate expansive back stories and profiles, Naughty Dog let the characters speak for themselves.
Straight off the bat there was an immediate connection between Nate and Elena, establishing the Uncharted series’ trademark use of witty, light-hearted dialogue. Here were two characters that, despite finding themselves in a sequence of perilous situations, managed to break free of the severity through puns or by teasing one another. The same can be said of Sully too, as well as comic villain, Eddie Raja. Speaking of antagonists, Roman and Navarro were just as effective, their obsession and greed creating a sense of gravity.
Naughty Dog, it seemed, had effortlessly created a cast of immediately likeable characters. Even today, where there is a particular focus on character development and relationships, few games manage to hit the mark so perfectly.
Worst Bit
In terms of negatives, there is very little to say about Drake’s Fortune even after half a decade or so. The story may have been a simple, treasure-hunting romp which went from A to B though the cast was strong enough to carry it the entire way.
Gameplay, again, was nothing we hadn’t seen before. However, before Uncharted, we hadn’t seen the cover-snapping gunplay – made famous by Gears of War – paired up with platforming and puzzle solving, creating a game that focused just as much on exploration as it did combat.
Having seen The Last Of Us and God of War: Ascension, over the past couple of years we’ve witnessed the PlayStation 3 pushed to its limit. In comparison, Uncharted can seem drab but, given the time gap, that’s to be expected. Looking back at Drake’s Fortune, it can be identified as a precursor – in the years after its release more and more developers would begin to explore the field of performance capture and the use of voice acting to change how we think about video games.
It’s pretty much unanimous, then. Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune was, and continues to be, one of the best titles available on PlayStation. If you’ve yet to embark on one of Drake’s adventures then you are truly depriving yourself. The gameplay is great and the characters are unforgettable, and guess what? It only gets better in Naughty Dog’s sequel which, without a shadow of a doubt, stands tall in the pantheon of god-like games.
bunimomike
Does anyone remember trying the demo? It had a bit of promise but didn’t shine. I recall saying (to a friend) “yeah… it’s okay but feels a bit unfinished. The graphics are kinda there but it’ll need some spit and polish. You never know, perhaps they’ll really go to town on this and it turns into something special” and it still amuses me.
It was genuinely “okay” but showed promise. To see what it’s transformed into is incredible. :-)
kjkg
Spot on my friend.
I remember playing the demo and really not thinking much of it. I just remember coming across that first bit of water and literally just stopping and taking note of how amazing it looked. Was completely blown away by the shimmer and then when Drake jumped out the water, the way his clothes reflected this.
So basically, I bought the game because I thought the water looked cool. Damn am I glad I did that. An absolutely fantastic game.
Just shows you, sometimes graphios are moaned about too much and aren’t the be all and end all. Or sometimes, they will be the selling point that leads to a massive fan of the series.
bunimomike
Oh, top memory! The river and the little waterfall. Shit! Wow. I remember it clearly. He hopped in and we exclaimed too. The wet-material look was excellent. That the bit?
kjkg
Yip, that’s the one. There was a bird on the log that you eventually had to cross (with that rather dodgy sixthaxis section).
It’s probably still one of my most memorable gaming moments.
JR.
I remember playing the demo on psn and thinking it was the most incredible adventure game I’d ever played. I loved everything about it. It was the first game I ever bought on release day and my most played game ever. I must have completed it more than 30 times before they patched in trophies and I completed it again for the trophies. Uncharted 2 was an incredible follow up but Uncharted Drakes Fortune will always be my favourite.
Taylor Made
I remember me brushing off the game as a tomb raider rip off but having played it loved it, the graphics wasn’t the UC2/3 but they were decent enough to platinum it. Nate on the jet ski was funny
Playing on crushing was kinda painful.
tactical20
My mate is a pretty well known DJ and was home for a couple of days between his US tour, so came round for a catch up and a few beers/some food. He’d never seen a PS3 and I’d only had mine a month or so. Had got Uncharted, but had never even opened it, so we gave it a go. 10 hours later, he’d ordered himself a PS3 and Uncharted! Great game and reminds me of a great day with my pal. :-)
Loxstokk
Worth playing for that first time you see the German U-Boat alone!
tatoemonkey
That bit alone transports me entirely to another place, climb on top of that thing and it is stunning!
bunimomike
Ah, lovely mention. Climbing up and going behind the waterfall (I think). That view over the U-boat across the island, was utterly staggering back then. A real “wow” moments in the graphics department. Ooo, video game concept art website! Found the U-boat paintings. Lovely stuff. Click through for more. Website is a bit clunky but the concept art is all legit and fascinating to look at.
Eldaveo
I go back and forth between this one and Uncharted 2 but I think overall Drakes Fortune will always be my favourite in the series. Playing that demo completely justified my PS3 purchase.
Andrewww
No doubt one of my all time favorites. Always felt the controlling in gunfights was really precise, and I loved the plot twists. Still remember the submarine moment, or the more spooky levels.
And that you heard things coming during your second playthrough, which I didn’t notice the first time around.
tatoemonkey
every now and again I like to get onto the multi-player and have a go on it but this seems to really let it down not because of the game itself as I love that its takes a bit of skill but it is so so so difficult to get into a game sometimes its annoying
Forrest_01
This one doesn’t have multiplayer though does it(unless they patched a mode in literally years after release???)?
Among thieves was ND’s first shot at a UC multiplayer mode if i recall correctly.
Foxhound_Solid
Absolutely stunning game – gamechanger. Literally :-)