“Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune” PS4 Review: Reunited and it Feels So Good

The delay of “Uncharted 4” was unfortunate. Thankfully, there’s “Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection” — enhanced versions of the first three games — to keep us busy while we wait.

“Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune,” the game that started it all, originally released in 2007. Naughty Dog, a developer with a legendary track record, introduced the world to what would become the flagship title for the PlayStation brand. But regardless of whether or not you’ve played it, there should be no question that this game belongs in any PS4 owner’s library.

The game follows the epic journey of Nathan Drake, a witty archaeologist who never seems to run out of luck. He, along with a reporter named Elena Fischer and his longtime friend/mentor, Victor Sullivan, is looking for the lost treasure of El Dorado. But they’re not the only ones searching for it. Gabriel Roman and his army of mercenaries want it too, and they’re more than willing to stop Drake by force.

However, “Drake’s Fortune” is a light-hearted game that never takes itself too seriously. Drake is probably the biggest smart-ass in all of video games, and the dialogue will constantly make you laugh, lightening those intense moments.

Gunplay is robust, and once adjusted, you’ll probably be an unstoppable headshot machine. When you’re not getting shot at, you’re probably solving puzzles or climbing something. The puzzles don’t ever offer anything challenging, so don’t worry about getting stuck.

Aside from enhanced graphics, not much has changed from the originals. There’s Photo Mode, a popular feature that allows players to snap pictures of their gameplay and edit them to share online. It’s no game changer, but it’s pretty cool, especially because the game looks gorgeous on PS4. New game modes were added as well. Speed run slaps a timer on your screen, letting you see how fast you can finish a level. And Brutal mode is the series’ new highest difficulty. If you thought Crushing was tough, you’re in trouble.

There are in-game treasures to collect throughout the game. In the original, if you missed one after completing the game, you were screwed because it didn’t specify which chapter you overlooked the item — that feature was added in the second game. But good news, folks: You now know which chapters you missed treasures in.

For you Trophy hunters out there, “The Nathan Drake Collection” comes with all new sets of Trophies, so that’s three more Platinums. A bunch of the Trophies are the same from last time, but there are a few new ones. Don’t worry. You won’t have to speed run through every level — only a few.