 Review By: Jared Black |
Developer: | Naughty Dog |
| Publisher: | SCEA | |
| Genre: | Adventure | |
| ESRB: | Teen | |
| # Of Players: | 1 | |
| Online Play: | No | |
| Accessories: | HDTV 720p/1080i | |
| Buy Now: |   |
Of course, a great storyline and characters mean nothing without the gameplay to back it up, and that’s what really sets Uncharted apart. Most of the game is spent exploring ancient ruins of civilizations past, which means lots of crumbling buildings, overgrown vines, and the unique architecture of the period and location. As a result Nate has to do a lot of climbing, scaling the sides of buildings and jumping from ledge to precarious ledge. This is done simply and efficiently, as Nate can easily jump from one grab point to the next with the press of a button and shimmy with just the analog stick. It isn’t always obvious what Nate can scale at first though, and simply finding the right route can be challenging if you turn the hint system off.
My only complaint with exploration in this game is that it seems a bit too restrictive. For starters, you’ll spend the majority of the game climbing the same basic things over and over again, and although that can still be challenging, it’s a little too simplified. Granted, this does help to keep the game moving at a brisk pace, but those looking for a bit of a mental workout looking for the best route up a building (like Assassin’s Creed occasionally provides) may be disappointed. Also, the height of a fall never seemed to matter so much as where it occurred; if the developers had designated an area as a death trap, Nate would die there regardless. After stumbling across this inconsistency I tested it by intentionally jumping off of several low ledges, and after short falls I died in spots that Nate would normally be able to land in with ease. On the whole though, it’s a very effect exploration mechanic, and strikes a fine balance between grounded heroes and high-flyers like Assassin’s Creed’s Altair.
Combat also plays a big role in this game. Uncharted utilizes a cover system similar to other shooters like GRAW, and Nate will “stick” to anything that can be used as cover simply by pressing the circle button. Once behind cover, Nate can walk along it while remaining hidden, vault it if it’s low enough using the analog stick and X button, or pop out to aim and fire with the L1 button. Some cover is destructible, which keeps the player moving to keep the best position. Weaponry gets progressively more powerful as the adventure progresses, with several real-world firearms found throughout. Nate can also use his fists in a pinch, as well as a stock of grenades. Grenades are one of only two things in this game to use the Sixaxis’ motion feature (the other being to shake off a certain type of enemy), as the player can tilt the controller to adjust the trajectory of a grenade before throwing it. Even though it’s a fairly pointless feature (the right analog stick would work just as well), it does actually work, which is more than most developers can say of their motion controls on this system.
I’ve seen some complaints that this game forces the player into gunfights far too often, and I tend to agree with that. Wave after wave of enemies barrage Nate on a regular basis, and after fighting off my third or fourth wave in a row I often found myself wishing I could just get back to exploring. These enemies are pretty smart for the most part though, steadily advancing on Nate’s position and not allowing the player to camp in one spot for too long. More importantly, Naughty Dog changes everything about 2/3rd of the way through the game, much the same way the introduction of the Flood did in the original Halo. Without giving too much away, these new enemies require the player to adjust his or her tactics, allowing the combat to remain challenging rather than stagnate towards the end of the game.
Posted: 2008-01-21 16:47:27 PST