PS3 Recap: Uncharted
by: Oliver Layco
With Sony set to release the PlayStation 4 this Friday, I want to look back at the games/franchises that have defined my PlayStation 3 experience. Now, I didn’t get on the PlayStation bandwagon until this generation, so I missed out on franchises that spanned the PS1 and PS2. Even with that, I didn’t get my PS3 until I think 2009; a full three years into its lifespan. That being said, none of these articles will be in any particular order.
My favorite franchise that I have played repeatedly this generation is the Uncharted series. I was first introduced to Nathan Drake (Nolan North), Elena Fisher (Emily Rose), and Victor Sullivan (Richard McGonagle) in 2010; even that is three years after the initial release of the game. By that point is was already critically acclaimed and I knew I had to get it. Needless to say, it was the beginning of a beautiful relationship I would develop with these characters all the way until Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception. At its core, what really drew me into this franchise was the fact that it felt like I was playing through an Indiana Jones movie. Drake came off as this cocky treasure hunter with cheesy one liners who would end up with the girl. The only difference between him and Doctor Jones is that he would actually take things from museums as well. Being the first game in the series, Drake’s Fortune didn’t have the refined gameplay that Naughty Dog would master by the end of the series. By the time Uncharted 2: Among Thieves came out, I was giddy with anticipation. As I became familiar with the characters again, Naughty Dog would really ramp up the action in this one. Overall, I would consider it the best in the franchise. While there are still flaws within this one as well, it was the most balanced out of all three. Right from the get go when you have to climb up a train that’s hanging off the edge of a cliff, the action never lets up until the credits roll. Naughty Dog has really mastered a balance between a good story and player interaction. Even though it’s a very linear storyline, there’s a level of involvement that has the game absorb you. They also managed to successfully introduce a few characters; and this is a smart move on them because they could have easily introduced too many characters. With the finale of the PS3 era of Uncharted upon us, I decided to cough up the extra cash for the collector’s edition. While it was going to be near impossible to top what they did in Among Thieves, Naughty Dog did as good a job as possible with Drake’s Deception. Personally, the weakest point for me was the villain and the too over the top action sequences. While it was crazy to play through, looking back I can say they were a bit much. That still didn’t take away from the fun factor that I had when I played through this one several times. For this one, I feel like they tried to combine different elements from the first and second one and it mostly worked. In the end as I was riding off into the sunset one last time as Drake, it really felt like a bittersweet moment knowing it would be awhile, if at all, that I would play as him again on a console.