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Radioactive IT Review: Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune
Radioactive IT Review: Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune | Review: Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune |
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| by Mike Bantick | |
| Saturday, 12 January 2008 | |
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Page 2 of 2 Uncharted: Drakes Fortune provides gameplay that is not extreme in any particular area, pacing is predominantly maintained at an enjoyable level with just some of the combat sequences becoming a little laborious as waves of similarly modelled modern-day cutthroats storm your personal space. Whilst we are on combat, the tools of the trade are a relatively simple bunch of pistols and heavier weapons such as shotguns and an AK47. You can carry one pistol, and heavy weapon along with up to four grenades at a time. Shooting is a fluid combination of L1 for zoom and R1 to shoot and works well, even whilst hanging from a ledge Drake is able to shoot with a pistol. Grenades are a little more awkward requiring a combination of zoom, SIXAXIS tilt and shoot to achieve, this requires a little more practice to master. Like games such as Gears of War, you will soon learn the value of cover, some of which is destructible, but is all necessary to succeed. Pirates will use a combination of their own clever use of cover and grenades to out flank and flush you from any hidey hole you try to utilise. It is here you begin to appreciate the animation in this title, from the comprehensive but intuitive use Drake makes of cover to the various ways enemies pop out from their vantage points, the game provides delightful variety and realism during fire fights. One small niggle is the sensitive ‘pick up the ammo’ system which can be a little fiddly at times as you strive to maintain a reassuring level of firepower for the battles yet to come. Then there are the Tomb Raider inspired jumping and clambering sequences. Actually it is more accurate to equate these adventure points to the more recent Assassins Creed as there is no need to initiate pixel perfect jumps, or fear falling off ledges without warning. Once again the animation of Drakes character model comes into play, with everything from teetering on the edge of a cliff to swinging from ropes and scaling impossible walls looks fluid and realistic and gives the player clues and warnings about the best approach to a situation. The optional hint system and visual clues also give guidance during the puzzle sections of the game; there are never the frustrations so evident in so many other games that try to be clever with their conundrums. During wall scaling for instance, players can tell where appropriate ledges exist for progression, and which of these could be unstable and so forth. Brilliant and subtle without destroying the immersion.  A built in reward system centred around achievements such as gathering the sixty hidden ‘optional’ treasures scattered around the game, as well as nailing enough head shots or simple fisticuff fights keeps the game from getting too linear. With a single ‘on rails’ sequence involving some taking up the gunner position of a jeep whilst racing through the sweaty jungle and a relatively poor couple of jet boat sections to break up the jumping and shooting, pacing of Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune is spot on. Couple this with excellent graphics, voice acting, pulp driven story, AI both enemy and companion and music this is a must have title for the PlayStation 3
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