July 2016 Community Playthrough - Uncharted: Drake's Fortune

[douglie007]

OK let's do it, I want to get the ps4 version, but I already have them on ps3 so I didn't want to spend 30 on the HD remake, unless it's really worth it

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The only changes (at least for the first game) that I can tell are that they made the graphics a little prettier, upped the framerate, and removed the Sixaxis controls (which were pretty minimal anyway).  If you already have the trilogy on PS3, you probably don't need to re-buy the trilogy on PS4.

cool I can deal with that, I do have the original 3 on PS3 so I will play the ones i have.  I want to finish the Illusion of Gaia before I start.

[techwizard]

I am just worried, I have been playing 4.  and then going back to one might be a little odd.

I finished 4 pretty recently also, and it is kind of weird to go back and play the original.  This series has evolved so much in literally every aspect, but it's also really cool to go back and see where it all began.  All in all, it's still a great game and I'm really enjoying it despite how primitive it may seem compared to the later games in the series.

This is why i've been trying to play most series in order as much as is reasonable over the past 5 or 6 years. i make exceptions for series like Final Fantasy, but if there's any story connections between games i definitely want to start at the beginning.

I could have sworn we did a playthrough of this game before, but a search in the sub-forum shows we haven't...must be losing it 

I have a busy July planned but I might try joining in on this one...no promises, but I'd like to.

[Raidou]

A bit late, but I'm in.

I picked up the PS4 Nathan Drake Collection a while back (it came with my PS4 - factory sealed no less).  I've played bits of Uncharted 2 but otherwise I am new to the series.

[Fleach]

Cool! Glad to have you with us.

I hear the PS4 release isn't very different from the original, but it looks much better.

[Raidou]

From what I've seen, that appears to be true.  There's noticeable pop-in and the character models can be a bit jerky at times- you can tell that it's a remaster of an early PS3 game.  Curiously, the PS4's LED changes colour, acting as a sort of health meter (Yellow>Orange>Red).  This did freak me out a bit, as I was afraid that my controller was not charging properly (or something).

It is definitely interesting seeing the difference between this game and the Tomb Raider reboot.

[Fleach]

Uncharted was heavily influenced by the original Tomb Raider games along with pulp style action movies and those influences are really noticeable in this game. I'd say the Tomb Raider reboot is closer to The Last of Us, but that's because they share many gameplay similarities. Great point though! That's a perfect starting point for a discussion.

I wonder what the other people think about the Tomb Raider (and reboot)/Uncharted similarities.

[Raidou]

Spoiler (hover to show)

Chapter 18:
'You need to get to the generator so we can leave.'

I really hope this isn't gonna be like the Magic Generator in The Last of Us.

EDIT: Fortunately, it wasn't.

EDIT:
Got a bit overenthusiastic and beat the game.

[Fleach]

That's OK, Raidou. When Uncharted is at its best it's fantastic. I'm happy you're done and hope you enjoyed the game.

[douglie007]

Started yesterday, but I kept all the treasure I found before, so I can find all with less time

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[Fleach]

Week 2 checkpoint is up.

How's everyone liking this game so far? I've been loving every minute of it... Except for the bullet sponges.

[douglie007]

I am at Chapter 4 now hope to be at 6 tonight

[singlebanana]

Made it to Chapter 8 tonight.

[singlebanana]

Well, I'm up to Chapter 13, so finally caught up with the checkpoints. 

Just some thoughts.

1.  I like the story. Yeah, it's cheesy and very unbelievable at times, but it's a video game, and well....I don't care.  I think there is plenty of substance to keep me interested and there are small events throughout that nicely build on the story.
2.  I really dig the climbing mechanics and they are fairly simple to use. My only gripe is that usable ledges, vines, etc. aren't always well-defined and have caused my several deaths and moments of "What the hell do I do next?"
3.  I like the "hint" feature.  Not always so obvious, but at least it's a nice guide for determining what to do next if too much time passes.
4. Not a big fan of what had seemed like a very rinse & repeat game style up to the first checkpoint.  This gets better with more variety up from the first to the second checkpoint, but the

Spoiler (hover to show)

jet ski missions

aren't the best and feel clunky. Loved the

Spoiler (hover to show)

jeep chase

though.
5. I kind of dig the limited ammo, even though there have been times I've had to charge in for melee in order to get some ammo. Enemies are a bit of a bullet sponge; head shots require one bullet, which is nice, but other fatal areas like the chest should earn similar results. Man, I love that Smith & Wesson.
6. Gun variety is nice.  Not a huge plethora of guns, but enough to keep the game consistent. Not a big fan that there isn't "general ammo," but I've gotten use to it and I think that it makes the game more realistic to have to keep swapping out weapons. If you haven't gotten the

Spoiler (hover to show)

M4

yet, you're in for a treat.
7. Aiming is okay, but could be much better. With many 3rd person cover games, when you aim and then go under cover, when you pop back up, you are aimed at the same spot. Not here, it's a little off and requires you to have to aim again (while being pelted with bullets) no fun. Enemy AI is pretty good and I like that they don't always pop up at the same spots.

Well, that's enough for now. Love to hear others thoughts on these and any additional thoughts you might have on the game so far.

[Pam]

Some thoughts on this game...

I really like Nathan Drake as a character, he keeps things light and funny (while murdering hundreds of people whose cultural treasures he wants to steal).

The mechanics of this game are okay. The shooting is passable, but not great. The enemies are bullet sponges, which gets tired quick. I actually like the climbing and platforming stuff much more than the combat.

I'm usually a collector in games, but I find the treasures in this game really difficult to find. I didn't find more than a handful in my entire playthrough. Games like the Tomb Raider reboot (or even the new DOOM) are much better about collectibles. At least they give you an idea of where to find them.

Speaking of Tomb Raider - it really does everything better than Uncharted. I've yet to play the later Uncharted games, but combat, shooting, climbing are all much smoother and more fun in Tomb Raider.

Uncharted occupies a strange place where overall I'd say I liked it quite a bit, but I also have a hundred different complaints about it.

[singlebanana]

But.....he's murdering "bad guys" and murdering bad guys is cool!  I like the humor and dialogue in this game and think that the lightheartedness of it, which turns to fairly serious at times, works well.  The voice acting is very good.

I agree, I much prefer the platforming to the combat in this game, but the combat isn't terrible.  I understand that there were improvements to the later games and I'm looking forward to hearing from some of the other guys on the podcast who have played them.

I don't mind the treasure hunting so much and it's kind of fun to explore an area once you have it cleared out.  The one thing I do like is that this is the only "collectable" in the game. Oftentimes, too many collectables detract from gameplay and I think that this is subtle enough to just be a kind of fun thing.  Not sure it has the legs to help carry replayability though.

I'd love to hear a comparison of how Tomb Raider and the latter Uncharted games compare. I played the original TR back when it came out on the PSX; those controls were innovative, but wow were they primitive and fairly unresponsive. So maybe Uncharted is simply getting its bearings with this first installment. One thing is for sure, we've certainly come a long way in terms of platforming since the original TR and we owe a lot to it.

Thanks for the comments Pam!