Uncharted: Drakes Fortune

Action/Adventure games, when done right, can be an immersive and downright epic experience. Tomb Raider, Another World and the recent Prince of Persia are all prime examples of the genre done right, and hopefully Naughty Dog’s new I.P. – Uncharted: Drakes Fortune - will soon join these elite ranks.

Stranded on an island of mercenaries (it’s just not a holiday destination without them), you’ll spend most of your time fighting for survival and uncovering the many secrets of your new home. Don’t worry though, this isn’t a game based on Lost. Expect a good many fire fights, fist fights and explosions galore. The main character, Nathan Drake, looks to be very nimble indeed and you’ll be ducking behind objects, scaling walls and performing a whole host of acrobatics. Oh, and did I mention there’s plenty of treasure (or as NZGamer likes to call it – ‘booty’) to be found?

Shotguns, pistols and grenades are all good fun, but for those that like to get more personal, Nathan will also have a heap of close combat moves up his sleeves. As well as the ever satisfying drop kick, there are some convincingly brutal looking punches to be thrown. Hopefully there will be a good balance between weapons and close quarters combat.

Graphically Drakes Fortune looks to take good advantage of the PlayStation 3 hardware. Animation is as smooth as silk and the island is lush with flora and fauna, as well as of course featuring the usual staples such as ruined temples and underground caverns.

Drakes Fortune may not look like it really makes a huge effort to be original or redefine gaming, but that’s fine with us folk here at NZGamer. What Drakes Fortune does look to deliver is some good old fashioned gameplay inspired by B-Movies. If the game ends up being as fun as it looks, Drakes Fortune will be another solid title for the PS3’s suddenly booming library.