Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune was originally released in 2007 for the Playstation 3 and more recently remastered and released on the Playstation 4 in 2015. Releasing all three remastered original games was an excellent choice by Sony with Uncharted 4 on the horizon. Playing Drake’s Fortune was a welcome adventure down memory lane and the remastered graphics and textures did not disappoint…at all.
As soon as the Nathan Drake Collection was announced I knew that I would be playing all three original games to prep my memory of the back story leading up to Uncharted 4. It was also my decision to get the platinum trophies in each one, again, because I love the series so much. For those of you newcomers to the Uncharted series that are looking to dive in this generation (I’m looking at you Tim, Steve, and Corey!), here is a synopsis of the first game in the series: Drake’s Fortune.
Uncharted’s leading character is Nathan Drake, a quick witted, flirtatious, treasure-hunter/historian who always finds himself in precarious situations. Drake’s Fortune follows the adenture of Nate, Sully (his token father figure), and Elena (reporter and love interest of Nate) as they attempt to discover the location of the infamous El Dorado using notes from Sir Francis Drake (Nate’s ancestor). Along the way the story is strife with pirates, villains, explosions, Nazis, treasure, beautiful locales, and even a bit of the supernatural. Playing through the game feels like you are the central character in an action movie. The storyline progresses at a fast pace and is fun and exciting to boot. The cinematic effects used in chase scenes, overhead shots to show how dangerous the next section will be, and the well timed cut-scenes feel like a seemless movie reel of a well shot movie. Gameplay occurs in the third-person POV at all times which gives the player a better sense of the surroundings and adds to the cinematic feel. Gameplay consists of a good mix of shooting enemies, collecting hidden treasure, platforming, puzzle aspects, and timing. You feel immersed at all times and the remastered version makes the world feel so much more real and alive. Honestly, even just Nate’s hair and the way it moves while you are playing are a huge upgrade over the original version. From beginning to end I was never bored and even went on to achieve the platinum trophy. The Uncharted games have a lot of shoot X number of enemies with X gun, but if you are paying attention to weapon pickups you should be able to get most of them in your first play through. The trophy list has changed slightly, removing a few and adding some time trial trophies. You have to beat levels in a specified amount of time, but they are nothing to difficult. Collectibles will be the most time consuming depending on if you use a guide or not. I used one for the treasure I couldn’t remember from years ago. Probably the most difficult part of getting the platinum is the Crushing difficulty play through which requires a lot of cover, knowing your surroundings, and health awareness.
Overall, Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune (remastered) was a fun, more beautiful and cinematic experience the second time around. I highly recommend it to people who have never played the series before or want to play it for the second, third, or fourth time. It’s worth every adventurous minute.
9 / 10
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Late Night Gamers LLC
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