Uncharted Trophy Hunt - Review

So, I got Uncharted yesterday, and as soon as possible, downloaded the patch and started up the game. Now, I've received three trophies from PixelJunk Eden, but there was something different about trying to get them for Uncharted. I had a game plan, did some research, even had a treasure guide so I could make sure I found all of them. And then I dove right in. After one night (that was shortened a little), I've got 9 of the 47 trophies and I'm completely hooked. My plan is to get all of them, but going back and beating the game on Crushing will be challenging so we'll have to see. But, since I've beat the game already, I figured I'd do a little of a Retro-Review of the game.

Uncharted: Drake's Fortune is about Nathan Drake's quest to find a lost treasure that Sir Francis Drake (who Nathan thinks is a long lost relative) hide after a supposed death. Without giving anything away, the game is the search for this treasure and the adventures that are brought along with that.

I'll be honest and up front. I loved this game. The gameplay is typical adventure with some shooting, platforming, and puzzle solving. All of these elements really fit into my interests and with a story that is both interesting and actually well written, it makes for a really fun experience. The controls are very intuitive and the camera works very well staying where it should almost all the time. Games I like to play are the ones where I feel like if I would have designed the control scheme, this is how I would have done it. Uncharted accomplishes this goal.

The story, like I said is good, but it's the actors' delivery that make it that way. The whole game is presented like a big movie, and that is really cool. One evidence of this is the missing load time screens, and when you enter a new level, the only way you know it is by the screen showing a graphic stating that it is a new level. I love that touch to the game. Make you feel more part of the action. Visually, the game is amazing. The first time I played it, I was on a 25" Sanyo from 20 years ago. The game looks so much better on my HDTV, I can't describe the difference it makes. Little touches such as a sound track that changes much like a movie would (tense music in a tense situation, etc..) add to the experience.

So, I think it's obvious, but I'll go ahead and say it. This game is great. I give it 5 out of 5. The only complaint is that maybe the game is a little too short. Not a bad complaint to have...

PS3 Trophies - Now I Get Achievements...

So, I had already sent a PSP game (Burnout Legends) back to Gamefly when I saw the news that Uncharted: Drakes Fortune had received it's patch for Trophy support. I immediately moved it to the top of my Queue, and just found out, that's what they are sending me next. So, now, I'll be able to go through the game again (which I commented earlier was one of my favorites this year) and get the new fun trophies... Someone has already sent out a list and they match the existing medals from the game which is cool.

I currently have three trophies from PixelJunk Eden (I'm only a 5th of the way through the game, so expect my review soon.. oops, here comes Uncharted to derail that idea..). And I finally realize why everyone wanted these and why Achievements on the 360 are so popular. There is a cool satisfaction with accomplishing something in a game and being rewarded for it. Even if it's just for you. There is also something that drives me to go back and complete games 100%. I did this with Burnout Paradise (at the moment I'm only 9 challenges away from 102%). The added fun is that you can compare your status to those on your friends lists which makes it kind of like a cool meta-game that 360 players have been playing for a while that we are beginning to enjoy. I only hope that the completion factor does not derail my enjoyment of the game.

So, now, I'm really wishing I had a few days off to play games cause I'm really wanting more trophies. I've even almost convinced myself to get Super Stardust HD just to get the trophies. (I almost bought Warhawk again for the same reason). So thanks Sony for the trophies... You've now added to my list of games to play again.