Before Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, games were fun, but that’s what they were: games. I had never seen anything like the cinematic movie style that Uncharted delivered. From the graphics to the dialogue to the remarkable storytelling, I was in awe. Once I had completed it, I knew I had just played a game that would change the industry forever. So, what made it so revolutionary? And was it for the better or worse of gaming?
Like Nothing I Had Ever Played Before
Let me take you back to 2007. We had only been blessed with the PlayStation 3 console for a year when its era-defining game was released. I heard that there was a new game based on Sir Francis Drake, and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it.
We’re immediately introduced to Nathan Drake and Elena Fisher as they’re standing over Sir Francis Drake’s coffin. The camaraderie between the main characters is joyful, but it was the mystery of the treasure that instantly engaged me. The cut scenes felt like a film, and I couldn’t wait to explore the world I’d just entered.
I didn’t have long to enjoy the feeling of intrigue, though, because we were immediately attacked by pirates. Fighting them off wasn’t easy. One of the biggest improvements throughout the Uncharted series is the combat system. In its first iteration, it was often frustrating.
It would’ve been easy to fight the pirates with button combos, but when they started firing rockets at me, I decided that my only option was to learn how to aim. Thankfully, Nate’s old friend Victor Sullivan (Sully) came to save us in his plane, and we escaped the burning boat just in the nick of time.
There are no Good Guys and Bad Guys in Uncharted
I wouldn’t go as far as calling Nate and Sully heroes. Although I was appreciative of Nate’s enthusiasm for the historical element of the treasure. Both characters do seem hell-bent on finding a fortune, no matter who they hurt in the process. The way they ditch Elena is heartless, but I guess that’s what’s to be expected when you play a game with thieves.
Nate and Sully then explore the Amazon rainforest to find the treasure of El Dorado. Growing up, I wanted to pursue the lifestyle of finding treasure. Yet, after I saw the rainforest, the dangerous climbing involved, and, of course, the men shooting their guns at me, I decided just to enjoy these games on my PlayStation instead.
I also don’t do well with caves, which is exactly where we found ourselves after finding a way underground. Drake’s journal is a fun way of working out tasks. After I had matched up all the symbols, I found myself once again in danger.
Walking across the wooden bridge didn’t feel like a good idea, and then it predictably started to fall apart. This meant having to sprint to avoid falling to my death. Thankfully, I did manage to survive this ordeal, and I decided that Nate was rather heroic after all.
Then Things Got Really Interesting
When I first saw a review of Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, I didn’t know what to expect. Nothing could have prepared me for the moment I witnessed the German U-Boat underneath the waterfall. So many questions emerged in my brain. How did it get there? Why is it important that we search inside it? And frankly, what have the Nazi’s got to do with Sir Francis Drake? I agreed with Sully; it was all a bit ‘Hinky’.
I climbed around the waterfall and became distracted by the astounding scenery on show. Climbing is the best thing about this game. Some of the ledges Nate hangs from are perilous to say the least. The environment around you often crumbles and breaks, which means you must always remain focused.
I finally found my way inside the creepy U-Boat and was shocked by what I found. Some old coins were fine, but in the next room, there lay a dead body. I had the heebie-jeebies. Then Sully stopped replying to me. The feeling of impending doom was rising in my bones as I left the U-Boat, and then everything made sense.
Escaping Destiny
We were then introduced to the game’s main villain: Gabriel Roman. A cold-blooded English bastard. After he had taken our findings from this adventure, he then shot Sully! I remember being devastated when I first witnessed that scene, but I didn’t have long to grieve.
The U-Boat explodes from the bomb Nate accidentally ignites, and then the escape is on. We run into Elena before having to fight our way out of the underground cave.
I don’t always need to take cover when in a gun fight because of the health system. The colour from the screen drains the closer you are to death, so you have a clear window before needing to hide. The shooting feels great if you land a headshot. There were many enemies, but we made it back to the plane, ready to set off for the next step of our journey.
Can You Feel the Love Tonight?
In the sky, we start to see Nate and Elena’s love blossom. Unfortunately, the plane is shot down, and we crash land separately in the middle of another jungle. At this point, my trust that the remaining characters will survive the story is about as strong as Nate’s parachute. After surviving the landing, the hunt is on to find Elena.
Travelling through the jungle is an immersive experience. From the flies to the animals, and the water that looked drinkable, I felt like I was actually there myself. My serenity was then broken by the arrival of enemies. At times, the constant barrage of bad guys became suffocating, and it would’ve been nice to be able to progress the story instead.
Each step you take, the difficulty of the enemies increases, but so does the calibre of weapons you can use. Grenades are very effective when fighting a large group at once, and you can always fire from the hip if you’re under severe pressure.
I then had to climb up the side of a castle, and I noticed something. Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune is beautifully picturesque. It’s so beautiful, in fact, that the camera slowly pans out whenever there is a nice view on offer.
I Embarrassed Myself on a Jet Ski
We do eventually find Elena, but it’s she who does the rescuing when Nate ends up in a prison cell. We’re having an energetic conversation with the unbearable Eddie Raja when Elena breaks the prison walls with a 4×4. We climb into the vehicle and are then treated to a spectacular car chase. It felt incredible to blow up the enemy motorbikes and trucks, and we finally managed to make our escape.
My experience using the car was amazing, but the jet ski, not so much. It wasn’t easy to drive. Dodging the explosive barrels felt impossible. My only chance to survive was to make sure that there were no barrels left to avoid. As it turned out, that shouldn’t have been my biggest concern.
I was making my way through the hazardous waters when I did something stupid. I completely lost my bearings and my ability to drive the jet ski. Weirdly, the game had become ghostly quiet. There were no longer any enemies shooting at me or any barrels to dodge.
This went on for about five minutes until I found myself right back at the start of the checkpoint. I felt delirious. I travelled back down the river until I ended up where I was supposed to be, with my tail between my legs and my cheeks burning red. The final nail in the coffin was needing a hint to find my way out of the water.
An Uncharted Betrayal?
After splitting from Elena, I killed a lot of enemies with some exciting new weapons and a machine gun. She then returned with some surprising information. Sully was still alive! There were no guns pointed at him, and he looked healthy. This seemed strange and begged the question as to whether he had played us for fools.
As I spent time pondering this possibility, I found myself back on the perplexing jet ski. Frankly, I’m not sure if it’s scientifically possible to climb water rapids on a jet ski. Throwing some barrels in front of me only made my job harder, and I was slightly surprised I’d made it to the top with only a couple of deaths to mention.
From this point onwards, the weather became very gloomy. There were traps to avoid, and it was a mystery as to who was creating them. Everything suddenly felt haunted. Yet, it was all worth it to finally link back up with Sully. After some minor interrogation, it turned out that it was Drake’s journal that saved his life. We reunited as friends, and I opened the journal to solve the puzzle. It didn’t take long before each ornament was facing the right way, and the secret entrance was opened.
What is Happening Here?
At this point, I knew I was coming to the end of Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune. Considering I’ve played this game so many times before, I still had no idea where I was going. I repeatedly died to the moving flames. It took me a while, but I found my way in the end.
Waiting for us was the body of Sir Francis Drake himself. Unfortunately, he didn’t die on a treasure-filled island in paradise. He died in a cave with nothing to show for his life. What a pity. We didn’t have long to dwell on that disappointment, though, because Eddie had found me.
Then everything changed. I thought I was playing a game about pirates and treasure, but boy, was I wrong. First, I heard the groans. Next, Eddie’s henchman was thrust off the podium. Then I saw it. A man who had been overcome by a terrible sickness. A demon.
It was in this moment that I knew this was a very different game from what I thought I was playing. This was the scene that cemented Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune in my soul forever.
Survival of the Bravest
Eddie and I fought off rounds of demons until he was brutally murdered in front of my eyes. Elena helped me escape the podium, and then we worked out that Drake was protecting the world from the demons. He lost his life so that the cursed treasure of El Dorado would never leave the island.
The next thing I knew, I was in a dungeon, surrounded by darkness, with demons attacking me from everywhere. No part of me was prepared for how scary this game would be, and the only thing that mattered now was survival.
For some reason, I seemed to be making this objective difficult for myself because I kept reloading my gun at stupid times. This essentially allowed the demons to have a free attack at me. I ran out of bullets in my M4, and I only had a few sniper rounds left. They were all I needed, and all the soldiers were dead.
Heroes and Villains
Earlier, I said that no character in Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune was a hero, but I was wrong. Yes, they all have their reasons for searching for El Dorado. Nate wanted to find out what happened to Drake, Sully wanted the financial rewards of finding treasure, and Elena was determined to find a story for her show. Yet, they were heroes by the end of the game.
The El Dorado treasure cave was a wonderful sight. As a kid, I was obsessed with pirates and treasure. Seeing Gabriel Roman transform into a demon was nightmare-inducing, but finding out that Navarro knew about the curse all along was even more unsettling. The main villain of Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune had been quietly waiting for his moment in the background. He knew that the demons were the Spaniards who never left!
The Final Showdown
Nate very quickly became one of the most popular characters in gaming, and it’s mainly due to his heroics. He hoists himself onto the treasure, and with Elena’s help, they manage to bring the helicopter crashing onto the boat. It’s then a shootout for the fate of the world.
Navarro is a lethal gunman. If his accurate shots don’t kill you, then the falling debris, which requires fast button-pressing, will. I worked out his move set and kept advancing until Nate and Navarro settled things the old-fashioned way. With a fist fight. I didn’t miss a button, and Navarro was down. Elena was in Nate’s arms, but Navarro was back up, pointing a gun right at them.
Like all heroes do, Nate found a way to win. He pushed the helicopter off the side of the boat, trapping Navarro and the treasure, as they were pulled to the bottom of the ocean—hopefully, never to be seen again.
Elena gave Nate Sir Francis Drake’s ring back in a touching moment. Sully then swooped by to pick them up, with a large grin on his face. He finally had his hands on some treasure. The game ends with Nate and Elena embracing as the boat sails off into the sunset.
How has Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune Affected Gaming?
Some people complain about linear games, but I love them. I enjoy open-world games as well, but there is just something about being taken on an interactive journey that I find exhilarating. It’s like watching a movie, except I’m taking an active role in what happens in each scene. Certain moments occur regardless, but how I climb the castle or kill the demons is entirely my choice. There will always be people out there who want more control, but this game is a high-octane thrill ride, and it’s a joy to be a part of it.
Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune truly is a masterpiece in storytelling. There is an argument to say it’s the start of modern gaming.
The Last of Us takes the mantle of being Naughty Dog’s most popular game, but I’ve always felt that the Uncharted series deserves to be viewed in the same category. If not for the graphics or the dialogue, the gameplay or the moving story, then plainly because of the impact it had on a kid who just wanted to explore the world. It’s not the best Uncharted game, and it’s not even my favourite, but it’s definitely the one that is the most, well, me.
Verdict
My overall rating of Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune is 8/10.
The video for this blog post will be published on YouTube at 6 pm BST. Link: https://youtu.be/Kv3ojUTeVP8
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