Uncharted: Drake's Fortune (PS3)

Think Gears of War, Indiana Jones, Tomb Raider and you have the main kind of gameplay of Uncharted Drake's Fortune. However it takes all those great aspects of play and combines them with high quality production values, a great story, amazing attention to detail, beautiful/stunning graphics and levels And a complete style of it's own to create one brilliant adventure that you must experience if you own a PS3.Follow Drake on his adventure along with his friends Elena and Sully to find the lost treasure of El Dorado which leads to the discovery of a forgotten island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. After they become stranded, they must fight their way to survival as they uncover the dark secrets hidden on the island.Most of the gameplay in Uncharted will have you shooting enemies which includes a really great aiming system and the option to take cover behind structures to regain health. There's also a decent amount of platforming including climbing, jumping, swimming, swinging from branches and puzzle solving. Also included is a thrilling jeep chase and the ability to ride on jet skis. Everything you need to take you on a great survival adventure.The graphics in Uncharted are absolutely amazing. Attention to detail is very present and plants and trees will move as Nathan passes by them, leaves and trees will blow in the wind, making the world feel real and full of life. Water in the game looks fantastic and Nathan himself has around 3000 animations making him one of the most fluidly moving characters in a video game ever. His clothes will get wet in water, they wrinkle as he moves, his muscles bulge under them when he raises his arms and sweat pours from his forehead. All this makes for a fantastic looking game that will blow you away.The game uses motion capture like we saw in Heavenly Sword using real actors. The characters come to life and are believable and all great people that you will come to love. Sully is such a funny guy and will even follow you around, telling you stories as you are walking around as Nathan. Elana is a cool strong female character but she's also a character you can relate to, much like most of the characters in the game. They aren't stereo typical game characters who you can't relate to but very real, making you feel as you're watching actors in a movie.In terms of story you will have to buy the game and see for yourself but be prepared for one of the most epic adventures and best stories you will see in a video game with fantastic twists that will keep you on the edge of your seat. If you ever wanted to play a game that was like a Hollywood blockbuster then treat yourself to Uncharted and you'll not be dissapointed. 10/10

Listen, I never usually leave reviews but I just had to this time.I have had my PS3 for several months now and own around 7 games. I have never been blown away by any of the games and to be quite honest I am a little disappointed as i felt they are not a million miles away from the PS2 games.I ordered this game after reading the reviews, but was'nt that excited.As soon as you load Uncharted it ouses quality, the cinematic scenes are movie quality and very believable. Then you start playing the game...WOW!!!The graphics are just out of this world, I played the game with my mouth open as I could not believe how good it is. The sound track just adds to the atmosphere and before you know it, you are fully submerged in the game.The controls are very responsive and make the game a pleasure to play. I defy anybody not to like this game. This game is what the PS3 was designed for. All PS3 owners must own it. ENJOY!!!!

I'd waited until the HD-DVD and Blu-Ray war had been decided before buying the PS3, and based on reviews here bought Drake's Fortune to go with it. Everyone who has described it as visually stunning is spot on; it justified buying the PS3.The story line is good, character movement is excellent, water effects superb. When Nate emerges from water, his clothes are wet, branches move in the wind, rocks and walls are algae stained. The attention to detail is amazing.Now why only 4 stars? Firstly, it is a linear game, along the lines of Tomb Raider. I do like the ability to go where I want whenever I want (like GTA). Also, as has been previously mentioned, the puzzles aren't exactly brain teasers, and in some way the game reminds me more of going for a weekend paintballing trip. The game consists of one skirmish after another, not that these aren't fun, but the balance of the game falls heavily on the fighting rather than puzzle solving.... and there's the annoying trend encountered in all linear games of this ilk. Why is it that having finally opened the secret door that's remained hidden for countless centuries, do you get shot at 5 minutes later by a host of enemies who couldn't have got past you?Now I work for a living and have a family, so don't have hours each day to spend gaming, so it has to be said that this game is ideal for someone in that position. If you don't want to spend hours getting your skill levels up a notch, but want something you can dive into for half an hour, then this is ideal. The auto save is mostly good (it usually, but not always returns you to a recent point when you get killed), meaning you don't have to play through 20 minutes of game simply because your finger slipped on a button. Note, usually, but not always.There is however a downside to this. If you actually want to go back, sometimes you can't. For example if you move to a 'next' location, so long as you don't die you can go back to pick up ammo or weapons left by the last set of cannon fodder, however if you die, and return to the new location, everything has gone.All this said, I'm glad I bought it.R.