Uncharted and other forms of the 'contemporary' adventure game experience
 

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Uncharted: Drake's Fortune | trailer (HD)

Finally got to this baby after 3 years (didn't have a PS3 then). First off, the game is absolutely beautiful. Second, never mind that it's a "console game", that snobby arse PC gamers tend to dismiss it. It's a fantastic adventure game full of action, suspense, cliffhanger moments, and sexiness in the tradition of the Indiana Jones movies (Raiders Of The Lost Ark trailer) and Tomb Raider.

Actually, its lineage goes further back, to the novels of John Buchan (The 39 Steps, Green Mantle), the silent films of D.W. Griffith (Birth Of A Nation, A Corner In Wheat, etc.) featuring last minute rescues, and the serial suspense short films of the early 20th century, like The Perils Of Pauline (links to an actual short clip, 1914).

What I noticed, however, was how Uncharted departs from the Tomb Raider formula, which I think had gotten old and lame in the past several years. In the Uncharted games there's more of a sense of immediacy and intimacy with the characters and how the story unfolds, though that may have to do in good part to the breathtaking graphics and the art direction that favours a more realistic, true-to-life world. As well, the Uncharted games completely embrace the cinematic qualities of the 'old school' kind of action adventure - the race to discover the treasure, a ragtag team of adventurers, daring stunts, and classic story exposition through dialogue, camera angles, facial expressions, gestures, and other filmic conventions.

Nathan is not some quasi-superhuman athlete like Lara Croft; whereas Croft auto-aims as she does quadruple flips over spike infested abysses, we have to help Nathan aim his gun while dodging enemy fire and avoiding speeding vehicles. Actually Nathan seems a bit more down-to-earth, realistic (at least cinematically) - a combination of perhaps James Sunderland (Silent Hill) and Indiana Jones himself, quite vulnerable but also quick witted and as daring as a mortal adventurer can be.

Well, I had just started the game a couple hours ago so I have more to add later. Suffice it to say that I declare Uncharted, like a dozen or so other games that have come out in the past few years - on ANY platform - is an amazing example of the adventure game of the 21st century. A more conservative, traditional site like Adventure Gamers would naturally reject it as such ("puzzles are GOD, action is SATAN"), but I think it has more to do with AG's severe and very, very narrow minded guidelines (they also never covered ICO or Silent Hill 2). But I digress, let's talk topically about these kinds of adventure games that can involve direct action (as controlled by the player) and even violence, and yet remain true adventures in terms of elements like story, exploration, character, and discovery.

Who here has played Uncharted (or Uncharted 2) and what did you take from it that you love? And who plans to play it and why are you drawn to it? What other "21st century adventure games" have you played and why do you think they are also a progression of The Adventure experience?

;) Did I mention Uncharted's addictive?

I never played Uncharted (played for a few minutes in a friends PS3 though) and i don't expect to play it in the near future bacause i don't have a PS3. However someday (when PS4 hits the market and PS3 gets ultra cheap) i will probably play it, bacause its a landmark in this decade video gaming industry. And of course its a descendant of my all time favourites series, Tomb Raider and Prince of Persia.

In the good old days video games had clear distinct genres, Doom was a FPS, Monkey Island an adventure game, Super Mario a platformer, etc. Suddenly games like Deus Ex, System Shock, Tomb Raider, Resident Evil started to melt different genres. Deus Ex is an FPS, but it's also an RPG. Tomb Raider is a platformer, but also an adventure game... and so on.

Nowadays, genres are almost irrelevant, games tend to use several different aspects of different genres, and Uncharted is a good example of that, it uses elements from platformer games, adventure games, action games... it's hard to define it, however i feel that Uncharted is more focused on its action elements and not so much on the classic adventure elements.

This site could start to review this kind of games but then we would reach a point when almost all kind of games that have a few adventure elements would be on it, going a bit against the point why we are all here.

This community wants to be informed about the direct descendants of the classic adventure games, that's why it exists. I'm not saying we should ignore or burn other games on the fire, i love all kind of games, but if i want to know more about action games with adventure elements i'll go to a generalist website.

I would add Bioshock, Batman: Arkham Asylum, and Heavy Rain as examples of modern day Adventure Games in this same vein.

I can't believe I actually started Uncharted yesterday afternoon and beat it 13 hours later. I played nonstop! It was that addictive, an edge-of-your-seat roller coaster experience. Mind you, it's not a deep, intellectually challenging interactive ride, but it never makes a claim at all to be one. Instead, as I stated, it's in the tradition of the cliffhanger adventure movie, filled with danger, suspense, thrills, spills, and treasure hunting.

I know that it's not the kind of adventure that some of us here at AG would lump into the pile that this site prefers, but I think that's unfortunate and kind of dismissive, IMO, and it places way too much fixation on puzzles and non-action elements. Those things, I think, are only two of many elements that make up an adventure experience (even this site's owner, Marek, once stated that Grand Theft Auto III is itself essentially an adventure game!). Instead, why not also focus on the other categoric adventure elements equally and fairly - exploration, discovery, story, characters, etc.? Otherwise, puzzles and non-action are just arbitrary standards, very unfair. Anyway, I'm not gonna throw anymore fits and obsess over this. I'll not bring it up again in this thread.

Going back to topic...

Batman: AA is an exceptional example of the amalgam of adventure elements, character, story, and even puzzle solving! Even when the action sequences are many, the game still fills itself with very strong narrative, brain teasing enigmas, and exploration and discovery. Many times it does feel like a typical [non-action] adventure game when you're poking around the island looking for clues to Joker's riddles.

There is intelligence to these games, of a kind you won't find in many other games that feature tons of action, shooting, and such. These games challenge you on many different levels, including teasing your brain.

And the sequel is even better :D The integration of the story is certainly key for me in my appreciation of it, and in that respect it beats Tomb Raider into the ground.

Uncharted 1 and 2 are probably two of my favourite games in the PS3.

Uncharted 1 kinda jumped the shark towards the end when it introduced a new enemy.

Uncharted 2 is the better game and story.

Me want :9~

I'd love to play them, but I don't have a PS3. Maybe one day I'll get to experience them. One day...

;) Incentive for you to eventually play it:

Uncharted: Drake's Fortune opening cutscenes (in-game)

No spoilers, really, 'cause these scenes start the entire game.

Oh, some day I will, rest assured :devil:

I only played Uncharted 2 but I think this is a game that you need to play with the right expectations. If you go in looking for intricate puzzles and free exploration you will be disappointed. There's only one way to go and there's too much hand holding (Drake's diary) for you to need to do much thinking...

But, if you go in expecting an epic rollercoaster with solid combat, spectacular set-pieces and fun characters, it has a good chance of knocking your socks off.

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Just acquired it, and OMFG! I love how Uncharted 2: Among Thieves starts off with a literal cliffhanger! And game is stupefyingly beautiful.

Yeah, the flashback stuff is well done. :)

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Presently in the monastery in the mountains in Uncharted 2. I loved challenging train hopping sequence. The set pieces within that sequence were spectacular (kudos for good directing and camera work). As well I loved working the vehicle mounted canon while Elena was at the steering wheel! Very Indiana Jones.

Gotta say this. The Uncharted games seriously kick Tomb Raider's ass all the way to next Sunday! And the in-game cutscenes trump most 'conservative' point-&-click adventure games NON-INTERACTIVE cutscenes.

What Tomb Raider games did you play?

I don't know about what Intrepid has played, but I have played most of the Tomb Raider games, and I agree that Uncharted is far superior.

In what aspects? I'm not doubting you guys, its only curiosity, cause i never played the Uncharted games and i'm a huge Tomb Raider fan. And being honest i'm a bit tired to see people comparing them and when asked why the Naughty Dog game is better they all rave about Uncharted strong points, and ignore Tomb Raider's strong ones..

I'm just saying, Tomb Raider 1 and 2 are really amazing, i've played very few games that "kicked their asses", and i've played a LOT of games.

Tomb Raider II
Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation
Tomb Raider: Chronicles
Tomb Raider: Legend

What the Tomb Raider games, particularly the first couple and TLR, have done was introduce a fast paced action and exploration experience in gaming in real time 3D when back then (mid to late 90s) flat 2D was still the norm. Puzzles, though light compared to, say, a game like Myst punctuated the thrill of treasure hunting and discovery. However, the stories in the games tended to remain in the passenger seat while all the action - shooting, running, jumping, platforming, blowing things up, etc. - almost always drove the experience. And that's understandable because the main feature of the games were that they were real-time 3D. Back in 1995 it was a huge deal to finally be able to run and jump INTO the gameworld as opposed to merely on top of the gameworld, from one side of the screen to the other (side scrolling 2D).

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The original Tomb Raider, 1995, on the Playstation.

As well, all the cinematic cutscenes in the earlier TR games were non-interactive and not in-game (not generated in real time, just like most non-action oriented puzzle heavy adventure games), but still a kind of reward for beating and completing levels nonetheless.

I think it took a decade - and advanced technology - to reformulate that essential thrilling action adventure experience and re-introduce it in a far more fluid and seamless way. Yes, it has always been possible to improve on previous excellent games (just as in any kind of media - film, novels, plays, television, etc.), and though some of us may place a game like Tomb Raider on a pedestal and worship it, in the end another game (or game series) could overtake it on many levels.

The Uncharted series did just that. Naughty Dog most likely studied the mechanics of Tomb Raider games as well as other action adventure titles. The cover and shoot combat system has its lineage in Gears of War, the hand-to-hand combat is similar to Indiana Jones And The Emperor's Tomb but much more stripped down. The rock climbing, mantling, and scaling moves mirror that of Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time and Assassin's Creed (though Uncharted: Drake's Fortune also came out in 2007). Many of these games' gameplay ideas naturally also came from Tomb Raider.

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Uncharted 2 gameplay video (demo) | Gametrailers

But the strongest, most piquant refinement in the Uncharted games, and what sets them apart from the Tomb Raider titles and many other action adventures, is the seamless and impressively balanced integration of all these elements, often DURING GAMEPLAY: player interaction, high quality directorial work in the classic cinematic style (approaching that of movies like Raiders Of The Lost Ark), expert voice acting and ubiquitous dialogue between characters, subtle and highly realistic facial expressions and motion capture animation, artificial intelligence (both for enemies and your companions), light puzzlework, precise pacing of events and challenges (many times creating suspenseful transitions from one kind of action to another, thereby demanding the player to quickly adapt and shift frames of mind), and other elements.

Yeah, the games are that tight. The quality is very high. Naughty Dog essentially set a new benchmark.

I guess the bottom line is for you to actually play Uncharted and Uncharted 2. That's pretty much the only way you can know yourself.

Give me your PS3 and i'll gladly play them :D