Spoiler Alert!
As the title suggests, this feature is going to talk about some of the best moments from the series. In case you haven’t played the series before and would like to avoid any spoilers, it’s probably best you turn back now. You have been warned!
Lil’ Drake – Uncharted 3
In Uncharted 3 we were taken way back… like 20 years back, to when Drake was just a young teenager in Columbia. This section begins with you walking around a museum in search of Sir Francis Drake’s ring. Visitors look around at artifacts both rustic and glimmering, but you notice an unexpected visitor in your presence.
It’s Sully, and he’s out to grab the same loot as you. Drake meeting Sully is an incredibly important exposition in the series which demonstrates the incredible storytelling of the Uncharted series. As we all know how the story goes, Drake gets the ring and is chased across the rooftops before Sully eventually saves his ass when caught.
However, it’s when the game throws you outside that this scene really spreads its visual wings. Shadow and lighting has been perfected and the vibrant colors of Columbia really popped, even in 2011. Bringing this moment to the current day, with its cinematic chases, sun parched streets, and Drake’s environmental interactions, is going to be a nostalgic moment for fans everywhere.
The Cruise Ship – Uncharted 3
The pirate cruise liner from Uncharted 3 is probably the most disorientating moment of the series. As a monsoon bombards the ship from the outside, Drake is shooting at all the pirates hiding inside. The raging monsoon causes all of the interior cover to move around randomly. But then of course, Drake does Drake and ends up plonking a massive hole in the ship’s hull, causing it to fill up with sea water. This is where it gets real disorientating. Trying to escape means making your way to the top, however the ‘top’ is now ‘left’ and the ‘bottom’ is now ‘right’… we haven’t missed that confusion either!
As you scramble your way out, with cabin doors making new platforms and chandeliers becoming hazards that Drake must overcome, water is piling in and forcing you to act fast.
This would have been a pretty incredible set piece even if Naughty Dog didn’t work its magic on the ocean, but that just ain’t Naughty Dog. During this scene, the ocean was quite literally created, so instead of the boat merely rocking back and forth, it has a mind of its own and brings in a whole element of unpredictability! All aboard!
Cargo Plane – Uncharted 3
From the moment you begin sprinting after the cargo plane, this set piece screams cinematic. Making the leap to the landing gear, fighting on the cargo bay at the back of the plane, and sending yourself crashing out the back with the rest of the containers is all one incredible spectacle. Shooting bad guys and fighting on the cargo plane is pretty cool and all, but it really ups the ante as you’re clinging to a cargo container dangling out of a plane, firing rounds at a few bad guys as they plummet past you to the sands below.
As you plummet through the air to your descent, your heart will be racing and the QTE’s will keep you engaged and on your feet. The desert below you looks beautiful, as a thin wisp of sand passes over the tops of dunes. And when you thought it couldn’t get any prettier and any more bad ass, we get that shot of Drake standing in front of the flaming remains of the cargo plane. Perfection!
The Train – Uncharted 2
Uncharted’s memorable set pieces don’t get much better than THAT train scene in Uncharted 2. Naughty Dog made sure this wouldn’t be just a cut-scene; it’s a playable part of the cinematic experience. Clinging to the sides of the train as you navigate your way towards the front is a spectacle in itself and only gets better when you’ve got such a beautiful environment surrounding you. The action heats up even more when a helicopter joins the fray, trying to blow the crap out of you with a barrage of missiles.
The rolling train wreck hurtling into the tunnel, sending rubble flying into the atmosphere is just one more example of what makes this high octane cut-scene a must for replaying in The Nathan Drake Collection. You’re not just an innocent bystander watching all of this chaos go by on a train, you’re thrown in the action… you are Nathan Drake. One-way ticket to chaos please!
The Almost Kiss – Uncharted
To be or not to be? That is the question that plagues the minds of Uncharted fans around the world. Are Drake and Elena supposed to be together? Well while we all can’t agree ourselves, it’s quite clear that the ending to Drake’s Fortune definitely set Drake and Elena’s relationship for the rest of the series. So close to finally confirming it, only for something to crop up and tear them apart at the very last minute.
Granted this doesn’t have any player interaction, but it’s once a significant turning point in the series. What would have happened if they hadn’t been interrupted? Would they be married? Would Uncharted 2 and 3 never been? We’ll never know. The Drake/Elena relationship is one of life’s greatest mysteries, and it all really became a mind fuck at this. Very. Moment.
About the author
