Uncharted has become the poster boy for Sony platforms since its inception in 2007, with hero Nathan Drake quickly cementing himself in the public consciousness as the format holder’s unofficial mascot—sorry Kratos, but the ladies love an athletic bloke with dreamy, wavy hair.
Drake aside, the series has become synonymous for producing epic set pieces, sumptuous visuals, and high-octane gameplay—not forgetting a few wisecracks by Nate in the face of seemingly insurmountable danger, we might add.
Sure, we’re all PlayStation nuts here at PSU, and we’re massive fans of Uncharted; but that doesn’t mean we aren’t oblivious of any shortcomings either. With Uncharted 4 delayed until spring 2016, it got us thinking about the series once again—what makes it so special? And, more importantly, what sucks about it?
Here’s our thoughts below.
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4 things Uncharted does right
Eyeball-popping graphics
No contest, Uncharted’s visuals are a sight to behold, and probably one of the only games from the last generation of hardware you can legitimately claim pushed Sony’s console to its absolute limits. Granted, this is probably true more of Uncharted 3 than the past few games, but even with the 2007 debut, Nate’s treasure hunting exploits have always remained one of the visual highlights in the action-adventure genre—or any other, for that matter. From lush environments, gorgeous character models, to intricately designed ruins and sprawling deserts alike, Uncharted nails the Hollywood blockbuster aesthetic to the T. Naughty Dog doesn’t just have an eye for jaw-dropping graphics that jump out and make your eyes bulge; its also a master of subtlety, with locations and characters alike oozing little details here and there, that really benefit from scrutinization.
Voice acting that doesn’t suck
Uncharted’s stellar production values extend well beyond its pretty aesthetics, as the game’s voice talent is also top notch. Aside from the ubiquitous Nolan North providing the voice for lovable rogue, Nate, there’s also some brilliant performances from the talent behind Victor Sullivan, Elena Fisher, Chloe Frazer, and a few others. Sure, some of the bad guys are a little cliched, although Uncharted 3’s Katherine Marlowe ranks among the series’ best so far, delivering a solid, nuanced performance—even if she is a rip off of Helen Mirren in terms of looks. Strong characterisation is just one thing; if the performances fall flat, then you’ve blown it. Fortunately, Uncharted offers up both effortlessly, and it’s a testament to the talents of North and his co-workers that the cast has become so popular.
Jaw-dropping set pieces
Uncharted wouldn’t be Uncharted without adrenaline-pumping set pieces punctuating the bread-and-butter exploration and combat, and nobody does it better than Sony’s favorite misbehaving pooch. Whether it’s speeding through a dense jungle shooting bad guys from the back of a jeep, escaping a collapsing building, or hanging precariously from the back of a plane, Nate has survived it all—and nearly given us a heart attack in the process. In fact, not only does Naughty Dog’s poster boy franchise do set pieces extremely well, it probably does them better than any other video game franchise out there.
One of the best, well-rounded protagonists out there
Nathan Drake remains one of gaming’s most enduring protagonists since he waltzed onto the scene back in 2007 on PS3. While early comparisons to Indiana Jones were inevitable—as were the ‘Bloke Raider’ accusations, a sly dig at the developers copying Tomb Raider—Nate quickly cemented himself as quite a unique game hero. Sure, his boyish good looks and roguish nature appeal to the Dr. Jones fanboy in us all, but as the series progresses, we get to dig far deeper into what makes Drake tick as he lets his walls down. Before long, his vulnerabilities were laid bare, as was his caring, affectionate side when it comes to the women in his life—particularly a feisty, young reporter.
…and 2 things it doesn’t
Exploration
Uncharted is ripe full of lush, exotic locations with each instalment, but they are never exploited to their full potential due to the linearity of the gameplay. Naughty Dog never lets us stretch our legs and explore a bit more, which is a real shame considering how expansive the areas look at first. Sure, Uncharted’s a linear experience, and we wouldn’t want them to compromise that; but there’s no reason why we can’t venture off the beaten track a bit more, right? Uncharted 1 and 2 are extremely linear in comparison to latter instalments. Things picked up with Uncharted 3 (the desert location in particular) but Golden Abyss went right back to square one. Fortunately, Uncharted 4 looks set to change this particular issue—and we’re convinced it will be for the best.
Punchy gunplay
Before you string us up, we’re not saying that Uncharted’s gunplay is rubbish; far from it. However, overall, the series hasn’t managed to nail combat like some of its contemporaries, lacking the smoothness of Gears of War’s cover system, while guns lack the mighty, satisfying punch of something like Resident Evil or Tomb Raider. Earlier titles in particular feel lacking, with guns sounding too weedy, while enemies lack consistency in terms of the effect of your firearms, with some surviving point-blank Shotgun blasts or caps right between the eyes. Aiming also feels a little stiff in the first couple of games, although there was obvious effort to remedy this with Uncharted 3; still, overall, it would be disingenuous of us to suggest Naughty Dog’s crowning achievement with third-person adventure is the shooty bits. It hasn’t quite nailed it yet.