Uncharted Series Review (PlayStation)

Uncharted had a staggering disadvantage in the wake of Tomb Raider’s orbital flight across the world’s most heavily traveled crypts and archaeological sites. For a long time, it felt as if Naughty Dog had little room to operate, almost as if it had Lara Croft breathing down its neck as if to say, “I’ve already been there, find another spot to dig your claws.” But, as if by some sporadic miracle, Drake’s Fortune found a loophole in the framework—a reason to continue telling its stories  and exploring vast possibilities across ancient burial grounds, time periods and mythical underworlds. It knew it had competition, yet still had the momentum to breathe life into the beating heart of third-person action-adventure properties—a move that would ultimately dislodge the barriers between historical fiction and fantasy.

Naughty Dog, being the creative waterfall that it is, has a formidable reputation for weaving stellar plot lines and palpable character arcs, engrossing puzzles and exemplary worlds that scream symbolism and charm, vibrancy and panoramic goodness. Uncharted, being one of its signature poster children, caters to all of these benchmark qualities, with an iron grip on perfectionism and originality, phenomenal world building and flawless action-oriented gameplay. Not that this comes as a major surprise, mind you; lest we forget that The Last of Us also exists within this realm of superiority. But that’s not what we’re here to talk about. For a while, we’ll stick with Drake and Naughty Dog’s whirlwind anthology. Care to join us? Then let’s sink our heels in.

More Than a Tomb

Uncharted follows the ambitious adventures of one Nathan Drake, a historian-thief jack-of-all-trades with a hunger for ancient heritage and mythical secrets, elusive treasures and fleeting expeditions of an epic exposition. From “humble” beginnings as a thief with an insatiable desire for the archeological relics of the past to a globe-trotting aficionado of bewildering plateaus and generational wealth, each chapter in the series sees Drake, Sully—an elderly sidekick-mentor, of sorts—and a ragtag clique of historians and avid adventurers taking to the reins to unravel vast worlds and descend into the pits of epic, action-heavy stories of discovery and exploration, high-stakes feuds and eye-watering theatrics. Again, like Tomb Raider, but without the butler-locking walk-in freezer antics.

The series pours its eggs into a number of baskets, each with a formidable facet that establishes the axis on which Uncharted erects its worldwide excursions. It’s a love letter to harmless grave robbing; it’s a tilt of the hat to Indiana Jones; it’s an ode to historical relics and artificial lore; it’s a puzzler with bullet-sweltering Western shootouts; and it’s a cinematic anthology that allocates its greatest moments to beautiful details and epic battles, iconic characters and powerful climaxes. It is, to some extent, a saga that has no boundaries—a gift that doesn’t just stop with the contents, but also ensures that each layer has all of the bells, whistles, and thematic ribbons to keep you second guessing.

Fortune Favors the Bold

As with most of Naughty Dog’s titles, Uncharted makes a commendable effort to leave no stone unturned with its world-building and lore. It is, at the very least, a series that keeps the fires burning from the moment you embark on a new journey to the second you solve the final riddle. What I mean to say here is that, despite having drawn out storylines with hundreds of different strands, at no point does it ever shamefully ignore its crucial details and encourage you to look the other way whilst it cuts corners elsewhere. No, what Uncharted does is entice you, and then keeps you on the edge of your seat as you gradually connect the dots and parade through its scenarios. And if there’s one thing that the series does well, it’s providing a fluid and, more importantly, thrilling world-hopping experience that can keep you on tenterhooks from beginning to end. A train dangling from a cliff; a mirage induced by a blistering desert heat; a sacred tomb of mythical beasts; a bullet-brazen motorcycle shootout; a throwback to Crash Bandicoot’s opening chapter, and so on and so forth. The point is, Naughty Dog knows how to tell a story, and Uncharted happens to make a pretty convincing argument to support that notion.

Suffice it to say that, despite its crest being of a similar style as the likes of Tomb Raider and other cult classics within the action-adventure world, Uncharted still remains a standout saga that goes above and beyond to capture the spirit of adventure and epic storytelling, rigorous action-focused gameplay and thought-provoking puzzle solving. With a lot of depth in its character development arcs and a ton of minor details that ultimately flesh out a stellar anthology, each chapter in its series earns the mark of a perfectly memorable experience with all of the evergreen qualities to keep you invested for the long haul.

Verdict

Uncharted sets the standard for action-adventure crypt dwelling with its wondrously crafted anthology of ludicrously entertaining archilogical excursions and seamless gameplay tropes, thus making it a true icon among Naughty Dog intellectual properties and to those who share an undying love of compelling and oftentimes pulpy whirlwind adventures.

While Naughty Dog’s homeward bound IP has since fallen from grace in the wake of its retirement from Nathan Drake and the mainline series, Uncharted still has dozens of worlds left to explore, and not to mention the option to slip into numerous historical capsules and introduce its timeless formula. It’s a door that, when all’s said and done, will always remain open for its creators. Of course, the odds of seeing the return of Drake is disappointingly slim. But then, who’s to say a former protagonist can’t return for just one more trip around the sun? Heck, if Gears of War can bring back Marcus Fenix for a fourth and fifth chapter, then what’s to say Nathan Drake can’t slip back behind the wheel for a well-needed homecoming? We won’t hold our breath, but we’ll certainly cross our fingers. Take notes, Naughty Dog.