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In its early years, developer Naughty Dog was known primarily for charming 3D platformers, franchises that were well received but graphically favored style over realism (Crash Bandicoot, Jak and Daxter). That all changed with Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, released by Sony in 2007 for the PlayStation 3.
The game stars a rugged, smart mouthed but smooth talking treasure hunter, Nathan Drake, along with his mentor and close friend, Victor Sullivan (aka Sully), and television reporter, Elena Fisher, who accidentally gets tangled up in a mess that she then decides to pursue as a story. On a quest for a lost riches hinted at by Sir Francis Drake – of whom Nathan claims to be a descendant of – the characters meet their fair share of riddles, obstacles, and of course violent mercenaries.
Although it’s considered an action-adventure title, Uncharted seamlessly blends various mechanics to create a melting pot of familiar genres. The meat of the game is a third-person shooter with adventure elements thrown in, but players will also encounter plenty of platforming, driving segments, environmental puzzles, and even stealth. It’s often compared to the Tomb Raider series, and for good reason. Both series carry a sense of adventure into faraway territories and exploration of ancient structures.
The game’s overwhelming success led to three mainline sequels in addition to a spin-off (Uncharted: The Lost Legacy). Having proven themselves capable of creating realistic games, Naughty Dog went on to develop the highly acclaimed The Last of Us. In 2022, a film based on Uncharted was released starring Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg. If you have not yet played Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, it’s highly recommended that you do. And fortunately, it can be played on current gen or last gen PlayStation systems with Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection released for PlayStation 4.
