Uncharted: Drake's Fortune

[kingoffighters]

The main thing that bugs me about Uncharted is the same thing that bugs me about every Naughty Dog game. It comes off like it was designed by a computer algorithm that amalgamates focus group feedback rather than anyone's personal artistic vision. Particularly the main character (as it was with Crash, Jak, etc).

It just leads to their games feeling like the everygame. Some implacable mixture of every fleeting trend combined into an interactive digital yawn.

Great post. I feel the same way about Naughty Dog games. By no means are their games bad, just kinda meh.

Still, Uncharted looks like their best effort and I would definitely play it through someday.

[Gooch]

Uncharted is a nice game. I'm somewhere around Chapter 11, and I'd give it an 8.0/8.5 to this point. I wouldn't call it a great game, but it is a very good game and one worth a rental or a sub-$60 purchase.

I second magnifiedplaid's recommendation of Heavenly Sword. Definitely worth a rental and a sub-$50 purchase. This is an under-appreciated game that fell victim to its own hype, but it's a solid 7.5.

[StriderKyo]

Heavenly Sword did little for me - mash mash mash. Loved the voice acting though. Sigma was the only action game worth playing for me on PS3 up to this point. A friend of mine bought Uncharted yesterday - this is a pretty damn good game! The core gamplay's basically lightweight Gears, but the platforming makes up for it, and the pretty, pretty visuals don't hurt either. I agree it probably belongs in the 8-8.5 range so far. I'm not having the problems with hand to hand that others have mentioned, seems pretty straightforward to me. All in all, I'd way rather play this than yet another fucking Tomb Raider.

If/when they make a sequel -

Fix the running animation. Looks kinda gimpy.
More exploration - for a game called Uncharted where you're lost, the game is pretty linear.
No more plucky female reporters. That might be my least favourite archetype in western storytelling.

[J2d]

I thought she was a good character honestly and I agree about the exploration. They could have made the treasure hunting so much better than some glimmer in corners.

Sigma was the only action game worth playing for me on PS3 up to this point.

Are we only counting HS and Sigma? Otherwise I think you should check out Armored core 4.

[StriderKyo]

Are we only counting HS and Sigma? Otherwise I think you should check out Armored core 4.

I was really looking forward to it, but the demo did nothing for me. I don't think I'm an Armored Core kinda guy.

[J2d]

The learning curve was too high for me (finished it of course but the customization) and after that I was just getting my ass kicked by japanese players online so I traded it. I'd be up for a sequel but Chromehounds is where it's really at.

[StriderKyo]

Finished the game tonight. The game really got good towards the end, with some nice set pieces like the shootout outside the church. I liked how it was basically like running around in a 1980s adventure movie, complete with all the cliches.

I'm surprised it sold poorly, the control could've been a little tighter but this has mainstream hit written all over it. Hopefully the largely positive word of mouth generates some legs for it. Either this is or Resistance is probably the best exclusive game on PS3.

[B-Ri]

I'm surprised it sold poorly

it was what, a week on NPD? Itll fair much better in this next months, the word of mouth alone will get it up to at least resistance numbers.

And funny thing abour Resistance, is the game is still selling, and sony and insomniac are still advertising it.

[NeoZeedeater]

I constantly see Uncharted ads on TV. I can't imagine it selling that badly.

[StriderKyo]

it was what, a week on NPD? Itll fair much better in this next months, the word of mouth alone will get it up to at least resistance numbers.

It had 11 days on the NPD including Black Friday, which is as much as anything ever gets to make a splash. The vast majority of game sales happen in the first week. It might pick up, but don't act like its sales are being unfairly judged.

Resistance is a unique case in that it was the flagship game the same way Halo was for the Xbox. But generally speaking nothing but Nintendo games continue to sell really well over a long period.