You know that explosively confused feeling you get when hear someone say they’ve never seen an Indiana Jones film?
That’s how I react when I hear someone say they haven’t played the Uncharted series.
Uncharted is, without a doubt, one of the most defining games series of the last decade. What Naughty Dog have been able to create with the adventures of its lead character Nathan Drake have essentially changed not only the landscape for gaming, but also the expectations gamers have for the quality of the medium.
Over three sagas – Uncharted: Drakes’ Fortune, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves and Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception – the series has essentially revived the swashbuckling, treasure-hunting, high risk stunt world we fell in love with the likes of Indiana Jones in the ’80s and breathed a magical new life into it – only one in which we get to be Indy.
Through brilliant writing, gameplay and mechanics, Uncharted has also overcome many of the clunky traditions and expectations of old action-adventures, and elevated the benchmark for quality standard for all third person shooters and platformers.
Also, it’s stupendously, ridiculously, outrageously fun.
With the first next gen chapter of the series, Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, set for release early next year, the first three editions of the series are now set to be rolled out in a classic package titled Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection, so that a new generation of gamers can have the chance to experience the high octane, mind-bending, bullet-dodging all in one go.
To celebrate the return of Nathan Drake, I’ve pulled together the 10 reasons why the Uncharted series is arguably the greatest of all time, and why if you haven’t already played them you’ve been seriously missing out.
1. Nathan Drake
Uncharted’s intrepid hero, Nathan Drake, might just be the most appealing action hero of the modern era. As in across the board, not just the videogame universe. He should be counted up there with the likes of Walter White and Tony Soprano as one of the greatest characters of the modern entertainment era. In terms of action adventure, he’s often compared to a hybrid of Indiana Jones and Lara Croft, due to his vast knowledge of ancient cultures and languages, his incredible athletic abilities, and well, his talent for landing himself in deadly situations.
What sets Nate apart though, is the fact that he’s an “everyman” – albeit an everyman with insane core strength, parkour abilities and combat training. He stumbles, slips, falls, gets blown up, captured – even gets shot in almost every game. He’s not a muscle bound, demi God impervious to pain and bullets – he’s about as realistic as a pixelated human can get. It’s those moments when he finds a way out at the last second, gives a giant sigh of relief and then makes a witty quip about how he almost just died for the 487th time that makes him so loveable. Just like the thousands of ancient relics you pocket throughout the games, Drake has stolen many a gamer’s heart.
2. The Gameplay
Uncharted has always been a showstopper when it comes to gameplay due to its seamless fusion of third person shooter and platformer. Whether you’re climbing the side of a building or cliff face, running evasively from a squad of goons, swinging from rope-to-rope above a mountainside, or firing an AK47 blindly over a barrel, the functionality of the game never becomes repetitive or predictable. Even the occasional injected cut scenes – usually in the form of being knocked over by an unexpected explosion or belted in a surprise goon attack – pop up regularly and totally unpredictably to keep you on the edge of your seat at all times.
3. The games actually get better with each sequel
Practice doesn’t always make perfect when it comes to game franchises. Resident Evil, GTA, Mass Effect, inFamous, Fallout – all huge series that have managed to build intricate and immersive universes, and all franchises that have managed to stuff it up at points along the way by getting carried away with either inconsequential mechanics, gimmicks or character developments. Uncharted has only ever refined its skills and built upon them from game to game. Part of that is that the game has always revolved around a core cast of characters in Skully, Elana, Chloe and of course Nate – and new developments have focused on advancing the simplicity and flow of gameplay, challenges and story arcs with each new release.
4. The Action
Who doesn’t love explosions?! Uncharted games have not only managed to pack more ridiculous explosions, building collapses, environmental chaos and temple obliterations than could bankrupt a multinational insurance broker, but they’ve often done so in a way that doesn’t seem completely far-fetched. Like, they’re still totally ridiculous, but they definitely don’t defy the realms of believability.
Pursuit always seems to be a major factor that drives the series as well. Whether you’re chasing a lacky with information, being chased by a squad of murderous goons, blasting away in a car chase, or – as Uncharted has forger a huge reputation for – shimmying and shooting your way along several speeding train compartments – the complications of time, danger and speed recur in levels over an over again because, well, that’s the ultimate challenge to gamers. Also, pretty much anything involving a train in an Uncharted game is friggin’ excellent, A+, high class, pure adrenalin pumping excitement. Which brings us to our next point…
5. The Train Wreck in Uncharted 2
If there’s a single moment that defines the entire Uncharted series, it is undoubtedly the opening level to Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. Regularly touted as one of the greatest first levels in the history of modern gaming, it is one of the most captivating opening sequences you’ll ever experience. It was even recently voted the greatest Uncharted moment by fans of the game at the Playstation Blog, and how could it not? Drake is badly injured, dangling from a train carriage that’s toppling on top of a Nepalese mountain into certain pit of death, and he has to gradually claw his way to the top amongst breaking pieces of railway infrastructure and collapsing cliff faces. If you’ve never seen it before, strap yourself in.
6. The Locations
The Amazon, Tibet, Istanbul, Borneo, Nepal, London, Colombia, France, Syria, Yemen, and Rub’ al Khali – why bother forking out your hard earned cash on a round the world Contiki trip when you can jump on board one of Drake’s many adventures, check out some of the most stunning international locations on the planet, and while you’re at it blow a bunch of shit up, shoot some bad guys, parkour of some ridiculous structures, nab a bunch of ancient treasure and save the world a half dozen times?
7. The Puzzles
Every stuffy, middle-aged troll that proclaims that “videogames are a waste of time and make you braindead” [shut up Dad!], have obviously never been caught in one of the intricate, confusing brain teasers that block your path through Uncharted. Whether it’s redirecting shadows or manoeuvring statues into specific sequences, the game leaves you often mentally exhausted as you strive to figure out combinations to open doors and passage ways. Often these moments are as satisfying to complete as major action sequences, and leave you satisfied in the knowledge that you’ve probably been able to stave of Alzheimer’s for a little while yet as a result.
8. The Storyline
Amy Hennig, who has been writing for videogames since the ’80s, is majorly responsible for the bulk of the brilliant story lines that have taken a myriad of tales and fables from both modern and ancient history and repackaged them with an electrifying new context throughout the Uncharted series. But it’s her subtle and nuanced character work that has made the games so special. Amongst a web of action, love affairs, treachery, betrayal and whizzing bullets, she cleverly uses the game’s support cast to highlight character personality aspects of Drake, giving him a much deeper context – a more human soul, than characters we’ve previously been exposed to in the past.
You can see that influence run through to subsequent releases from Naughty Dog, particularly The Last Of Us, and as the Uncharted series rolls out, we get to delve deeper and deeper into the character of Drake. What we first thought was a rebellious rogue with an adrenaline addiction, turns out to be a man running from the demons of his past and trying to fill voids from his traumatic upbringing through the rush of defying death. It’s deep, intriguing stuff, and has served as a blueprint for future game creators on just how fully developed characters should be.
9. The Dialogue
Whenever I’m trying to explain the major virtues of Uncharted to someone, I inevitably end up talking about the quality of the dialogue in the game. And not just in rehearsed cut scenes, the dialogue between Drake, his friends and his enemies throughout action sequences and interactive play is always funny, drives the story, or keeps the player engaged. Even as you struggle alone in certain challenges, Drake often talks his way through each predicament, in a way that really is speaking to you, the gamer. It again, gives you a stronger bond to Drake, leaving you feeling like it’s you and him in a team against the world.
Also the dialogue is brilliantly funny. The timing of delivery is impeccable on all jokes, and it again, has really improved expectations for what has traditionally been horrible dialogue in and around games. Nolan North as Drake’s voice over actor also has a huge amount to do with that. After all, North has previously been referred to as “the nearest thing the games industry has to a bona fide leading man,” and he brings a huge amount to the personality of Drake the character.
10. Multiplayer
As much as the single player adventure can be enthralling, there’s hours and hours of repeat play wrapped into the multiplayer game. Third person multiplayer has always paled in comparison to its first person shooter counterparts, but the Uncharted series offers up hours of explosive combo gameplay where you can pit you and your friends off against one another, or combine for team play, in arenas of combat and action.
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If those reasons aren’t enough to send you over the edge, checkout the insane gameplay trailer for the next game in the series: Uncharted: A Thief’s End, and I’ll see you when we’re both lined up outside the games store on release day.
