Title: Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune.
Release date: 2015.
Console (player on): PlayStation 5.
Console (also available on): PlayStation 3 & 4.
Mode(s): Single-Player.
Genre(s): Action, Adventure.
Developer: Bluepoint Games.
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment.
Director(s): Amy Hennig.
Designer(s): Richard Lemarchand.
Programmer(s): Pål-Kristian Engstad, Dan Liebgold & Travis McIntosh.
Artist(s): Bob Rafei & Bruce Straley.
Writer(s): Amy Hennig, Neil Druckmann & Josh Scherr.
Composer(s): Greg Edmonson.
Voice Actor(s): Nolan North, Emily Rose, Richard McGonagle, Simon Templeman, Robin Atkin Doiwnes, James Sie, and many more!
My Overall Rating:
Back in 2007, one of the first games that came with my Playstation 3 was Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune. Innocent and oblivious to the huge developments within the gaming world, I began what I consider my formative years as a gamer with an action-adventure game conceived by one of my all-time favourite developers Naughty Dog. Drawing inspiration from classic films and movie serials, the Uncharted series made me fall in love with video game story-telling more than ever before. Spawning three sequels and three spin-offs, the franchise is commonly seen as the successor to Indiana Jones and Tomb Raider and the definite establishment of new gaming standards oriented around Holywoodian formula where the narrative succeeds with traditional tropes and charismatic characters.
What is Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune Remastered (2015) about? The story follows treasure hunter Nathan “Nate” Drake and reporter Elena Fisher as they discover the coffin of Sir Francis Drake through Nate’s precious ring that he wears around his neck and considers as his family heirloom. Upon cracking open the ancient coffin, they discover a diary that contains the coordinates of El Dorado. Convinced that they’ve found the next big thing, they set off on an adventure that leads them into treacherous and uncharted territory filled with pirates and mercenaries. Unfortunately for them, while the journey will not be without its fair share of gunfights and explosions, what they discover in the end is far more devastating than what they could’ve ever imagined.
Despite its short length, the game channels the best of the action-adventure genre and delivers a compelling narrative with an unexpected twist to keep things going until the very end. Having originally played this game multiple times on the Playstation 3, it was a pleasure to be able to revisit this remastered edition of the game developed for the Playstation 4 on my Playstation 5 (no particular advantages beyond faster loading times). While the twists and turns are now fully ingrained within my memory, the shock value of those elements isn’t as powerful as they were initially but the development and execution, sharing similarities with blockbuster movies, make for an entertaining ride.
Where the game exceeds expectations in the phenomenal characterization and impeccable voice acting. While Nolan North has voiced an incredible and diversified array of characters in his life, what he accomplishes with Nathan Drake is unforgettable and adds an unparalleled amount of charisma to the character that is tenfold amplified by the authentic and hilarious dynamic that the character has with his partner in crime Victor “Sully” Sullivan (Richard McGonagle) and reporter Elena Fisher (Emily Rose). While the villains remain traditional in form and aren’t necessarily explored in-depth, they serve their purpose and allow players to focus on the good guys and their respective motives and drives as they jump, swim, and crash their way in and out of trouble.
This single-player game does merit applause for its high production value and its stellar execution. Linear in terms of gameplay design, as you progress through diverse levels, solving puzzles and taking down enemies, stealthily or gun-blazing, the amount of action blended into the narrative makes for an engaging adventure. The memorable and iconic score and the impressive, especially back in the day, the level design also invites players to explore the environment, occasionally being rewarded for discovered treasures and powerful weapons to utilize in combat. There’s no lying that the final product that later gave birth to more revolutionary games in the industry is an all-around riveting and mysterious adventure that honours iconic movies in its own way.
Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune Remastered (2015) is a crafty, enthralling, and action-packed adventure introducing the ambitious and audacious treasure hunter Nathan Drake alongside inquisitive reporter Elena Fisher and trusted mentor Victor Sullivan.
Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune Remastered (2015) is out on the PlayStation 4 and available on the Playstation 5 since October 9th 2015.
Uncharted (2022) starring Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg will be out exclusively in movie theaters on February 18th 2022.
Have you played this game?
Will you? What do you think about it?
Share your thoughts with me!
Roars and Echoes 
This sounds action packed and adventurous. I like that trailer. Amazing review!
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Thank you so much, Yesha! It is indeed action-packed and adventurous! 😀
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Every time you write up one of these long video game posts I think to myself “hmmm, maybe I should play videogames”. Then reality sets in 😉
Was the remastering just updating the graphics for higher resolution? Or did they add stuff to the game to make it a new one?
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Hahahah I can totally see you go through that reflection. And yep, it is mostly a technical upgrade to make it playable on the PS4. It was a lost opportunity to add extra content (especially when they excluded the multiplayer elements of the later games).
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I love when video games take advantage of the formats great potential for storytelling, especially because of it’s special ability to make that storytelling interactive. That’s what I always loved about role playing games, how the players contributed to the telling of the story. So you looking forward to the movie? 🙂
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Actually, I dreaded the movie. My best bud and I went to see the premiere of the movie because we are huge fans of the games while knowing that there was a good chance that the movie wouldn’t live up to our expectations… Result was catastrophic. It was a horrible adaptation. We were mostly laughing out of despair at everything they got wrong hahah
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I love playing games that are remastered.
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Same here! 😀
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I actually played Uncharted 2 before the first Uncharted. Even with all the major improvements the second one made, I still very much enjoyed the original. It’s got a compelling story, it’s got a good game play foundation that Uncharted 2 and 4 both made noticeable improvements on, and it’s short, but still long enough.
Every now and then I consider replaying it.
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It’s been years since I replayed it and thought going through them now would be nice and it sure is! I recently finished replaying U2 and loved it as much as I did back then and yes! It was revolutionary on all fronts but U1 was still decent for what it had to offer.
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I’m curious to hear your movie review. The trailer looks a bit cartoonish to me, but it does have the potential to be a mind-number (a good thing).
The game has action AND puzzles? Sounds like a great combination.
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Games are wonderful. That I can assure you. I saw the movie premiere the other day. It was as bad as I thought it would be. They failed to capture the heart and soul of the games. However, it still succeeded in the box office and it’s probably mostly due to the fact that the movie rode on Tom Holland’s Spider-Man hype and fame… Don’t be surprised if they make a sequel despite it being awful and cheesy…
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So I thought. Thanks for confirming.
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I think the original Uncharted was a decent game for its time, but I find Uncharted 2 provided a more sophisticated experience overall to the point where I don’t think the original has held up especially well. The ideas are there, but the team wouldn’t make magic with them until the follow-up.
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Exactly. It’s not bad but if someone compares it to U2, it definitely shows that the latter is superior. It’s amazing how they built on U1 and made everything better in unexpected ways for the PS3.
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I hadn’t heard of this game until quite recently when I heard about the movie ahah. Reading your description it does sound like something I would like though! I saw the movie trailer at the cinema the other day and it sparked my interest! I am always quite curious when a videogame is adapted into a movie, though it must be even more interesting when you have actually played the game (which leaves me with very limited options, and I don’t think they would make a Locoroco or Sims movie 😂 I think Skyrim is my best bet!) Thanks for sharing!
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Actually, movie adaptations of video games are dreaded by fans because of how they mostly fail. Uncharted is one of those cases for me. I had a bad feeling about it and when I saw the movie, I was not surprised by how bad I found it, especially compared to the original games! 😛 You gotta be careful about what you wish for. A Skyrim adaptation might sound awesome, visually spectacular… But in the wrong hands, it might end up being everything you don’t want hahaahh 😛 Thanks for reading, Juliette!
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