3.5/5 ★ – Empyrean's review of Uncharted: Drake's Fortune.

Greatness from small beginnings… It’s pretty funny that one of Sony’s most iconic franchises started with a guy in a white shirt and blue jeans vs Spanish zombies. Drake’s Fortune is dated, no doubt about that, but I think it’s entirely unfair to say it doesn’t have anything to offer compared to its successors. The island setting is still one of my favorite locations in the series, the music is top tier, and the climb up to the U-boat is awe inspiring even now. Also Roman, whilst having the depth of a puddle, is voiced by Simon Templeman who makes every game 100x better. It’s also fun, like Precursor Legacy, to spot the last remaining vestiges of Crash influence. Sailing upriver on a jet ski whilst avoiding explosive barrels? That’s straight out of Cortex Strikes Back! Sadly everything else is pretty poor by today’s standards. Combat and movement is slow and clunky, leading to many accidental deaths, and the writing isn’t quite there yet. Nate and Sully ooze charisma out of the gate, but I found Elena to be pretty annoying this time around and Emily Rose’s performance is not great. All things that’ll be ironed out in time!