Naughty Dog’s Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune in Game Informer magazine

The game Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, by Naughty Dog, is apparently right on track for its winter release this year. This single player game was announced last 2006 at E3 and it received some attention from those in attendance. In a previous article, we announced that Game Informer (GI) would be getting the skinny of the game in the April issue. For those who can’t wait though, forum-goer chubigans got a copy of it and spilled the beans on the game.

The opening paragraph of the review had this to say:

Sir Francis Drake had a wealth of titles to his name by the time he died at sea in the winter of 1596. To his English Countrymen, he was a hero…an explorer who circumnavigated the globe, a sea captain who sunk dozens of ships in the Spanish Armada, and a knight by Queen Elizabeth‘s own hand. To his enemies, he was the worst sort of villain…a marauder that heartlessly destroyed their ports and colonies, a pirate that ceaselessly stole their chests of gold, spices and jewels. Whatever people called him, his infamous adventuring career came to an end when his body was tipped over the side of his ship off the coast of Panama some 400 years ago. But what if that lead coffin held no body? What if there was instead a mysterious book that hinted at his last great adventure? What if you found that book?

So far, so good, the story looks to be interesting. Vehicles will apparently be present as certain concept shots show a jeep with your character in the turret seat. Another shows your character piloting a submerged jetski while yet another shows a white-water rapids chase scene. Hmmm, interesting stuff.

Other details that are worthy of note:

• There’s fifty minutes of cinematics.
• The animation scheme allows for over 1,200 different ways of doings things like taking cover. (An example would be taking cover as they have nine screens with Drake taking cover behind a pillar, the final game would have around 3000.)
• The SIXAXIS controller allows for some tilting sequences (such as balancing your character as he walks on a narrow log).
• Dynamic shadowing and high-dynamic range lighting will be implemented for the jungle.
• The soundtrack is dynamic.

The game sounds promising. The features they have been adding are the kind of things you would find in a “game of the year” awardee. We’ll be eagerly waiting for the game to be released.

The game Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, by Naughty Dog, is apparently right on track for its winter release this year. This single player game was announced last 2006 at E3 and it received some attention from those in attendance. In a previous article, we announced that Game Informer (GI) would be getting the skinny of the game in the April issue. For those who can’t wait though, forum-goer chubigans got a copy of it and spilled the beans on the game.

The opening paragraph of the review had this to say:

Sir Francis Drake had a wealth of titles to his name by the time he died at sea in the winter of 1596. To his English Countrymen, he was a hero…an explorer who circumnavigated the globe, a sea captain who sunk dozens of ships in the Spanish Armada, and a knight by Queen Elizabeth‘s own hand. To his enemies, he was the worst sort of villain…a marauder that heartlessly destroyed their ports and colonies, a pirate that ceaselessly stole their chests of gold, spices and jewels. Whatever people called him, his infamous adventuring career came to an end when his body was tipped over the side of his ship off the coast of Panama some 400 years ago. But what if that lead coffin held no body? What if there was instead a mysterious book that hinted at his last great adventure? What if you found that book?

So far, so good, the story looks to be interesting. Vehicles will apparently be present as certain concept shots show a jeep with your character in the turret seat. Another shows your character piloting a submerged jetski while yet another shows a white-water rapids chase scene. Hmmm, interesting stuff.

Other details that are worthy of note:

• There’s fifty minutes of cinematics.
• The animation scheme allows for over 1,200 different ways of doings things like taking cover. (An example would be taking cover as they have nine screens with Drake taking cover behind a pillar, the final game would have around 3000.)
• The SIXAXIS controller allows for some tilting sequences (such as balancing your character as he walks on a narrow log).
• Dynamic shadowing and high-dynamic range lighting will be implemented for the jungle.
• The soundtrack is dynamic.

The game sounds promising. The features they have been adding are the kind of things you would find in a “game of the year” awardee. We’ll be eagerly waiting for the game to be released.