UNCHARTED: DRAKE’S FORTUNE - HANDS ON PREVIEW

We managed to get Three Speech reader/regular/contributor Tom Eccles into the SCEUK offices today to try out the E3 build of Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune. Here’s what he thought…

Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune is a new venture for the Naughty Dog team – previously known for the Crash Bandicoot and Jak & Daxter series. The mysterious trailer shown off at E3 2006 intrigued many. Since then, the game’s been demonstrated at this year’s E3 - the E3 build being what we got our hands on.


Uncharted is based around the adventures of Nathan Drake. A clue he finds in Sir Francis Drake’s coffin sets him off on a trail to find the lost treasure of El Dorado, which leads him to a forgotten island in the Pacific Ocean. What he doesn’t realise, though, is that on the island he will come face-to-face with deadly mercenaries.

The level starts with Nathan and Elena (his partner) on a plane heading for the island, when it gets shot down by anti aircraft guns. They promptly get split up as they parachute out – and Nathan sets off to find his companion. He soon runs into some enemies, which he/you quickly dispose of, and also gets a taste of some gritty hand-to-hand combat. The game often presents you with puzzles – similar to Tomb Raider or Half Life, where you have to find a way to open a door or find a way to get to a certain place. They’re not particularly hard to figure out (sometimes you can press L2 to physically look towards where you’re supposed to be going) but they can take you a while to get past.

The gameplay mechanism in Uncharted is fantastic. You have a third person view of Nathan – so pressing L1 lets you target his gun using a crosshair. You can press circle next to any object to use it as cover – then press L1 to lean round the edge and aim. If, for example, you’re standing behind a doorway taking cover, you can leap to the other side by just pressing circle while pointing the analogue stick in the direction you want to go. Nathan will climb over rocks and up them if there is something to hold on – the animation is superb, each move flows perfectly into the next and is extremely realistic. From jumping over a rock to punching someone in the face, it looks great. The enemy AI is definitely something to shout about – there’s no hiding in Uncharted. Stay crouched behind a rock for a minute and they’ll come and find you – or even find other places where they can see you (i.e. a canopy above). This makes the replay value very high – your actions will effect theirs and you’ll be able to get a different experience time and time again.

One of my favourite parts of the game is the hand-to-hand combat sequences – activated by pressing square, the background goes blurred and only you and the target are in focus. You can then unleash a range of attack moves depending on your position relative to the target – so, if you’re behind, you can strangle him; if you’re in front you can run up and do a drop kick. Every time it’s a different experience.

The rich jungle atmosphere looks really strong – birds fly about and sit perched in trees. The water in Uncharted is something the developers are particularly proud of – the use of physics based wave simulation means that when you walk through the water it will ripple away from your feet. It also features refraction and reflection techniques to add to the realism. You’ll often find yourself thinking the game is cutting to a cinematic – and then you move the controller and discover it’s actually gameplay. One good example: in the trailer where you see Nathan shoot a barrel and send a jeep flying in the air and get wedged in between two rocks; you actually do that in the game, and then climb over the rocks using the jeep as a bridge. The lack of a big HUD (heads up display) adds to the cinematic element, making this feel as much like a film as a game.

We only saw a tiny part of the final game – it will be great to see the other environments, such as ancient ruins and ships - so we’re by no means in a position to offer a full opinion on this one. But the fights are exciting and you never know what to expect next; the graphics and animation are spectacular and you’ll get into the game as soon as you pick it up. The version we played was careful not to reveal much (if any) of the storyline – but so as long as Naughty Dog provide a solid plot then Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune should be well worth checking when it’s released towards the end of this year.

By Tom Eccles