Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune is a great game. One of the best the PlayStation 3 has to offer. My opinion you say? No friend, science. Last July, a group of researchers actually established it as fact, using a hamster and an undisclosed amount of electrical tape. They reportedly allowed the rodent – Merlin liked Big Montanas – to play the PS3 exclusive, after which they tied the electrical tape to his left hind leg and asked him to run as far as he could. The little bugger is still going. Last I heard, he was somewhere in Thailand, hopefully avoiding the spicier varieties of curry.

Despite the backing of science – and critical acclaim – the game’s U.S. sales figures are a tad underwhelming. As of late June, it had yet to surpass 800,000 units sold. A disappointing revelation considering that the Naughty Dog-developed title has been on the market for nearly two years.

In an effort to snag some extra sales, and possibly drum up additional support for its highly anticipated sequel, Sony has added Uncharted to its “Greatest Hits” line. This of course means that you can pick it up for $29.99, which is half the price that the game launched at.

If you are a fan of the action/adventure genre, and a PS3-exclusive gamer, you really have no excuse not to bite.

Struggling with finances as a bachelor/bachelorette? Cancel your cable television service for a month. There really is nothing interesting on nowadays, and you can watch a ton of shows online.

Got kids who would rather play Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince? Rent it instead of buying it.

Got a nagging, anti-game spouse? Tell him/her you got the game for free, but the receipt was $30. Insist that your plan is to nurture the slip of paper until it sprouts into a massive tree, providing more oxygen for humanity. Your significant other might think you are crazy, and you might find yourself in therapy for a few months, but you will have Nathan Drake’s sassy smile to keep you company during the lonely nights on the couch.

All kidding aside, I had an absolute blast with Uncharted. To this day, it remains one of my favorite PS3 games, which is quite impressive considering the strength of the console’s software library. It is a tremendous experience that is definitely worth the $30 price tag. Hell, I paid $60 for it, and have absolutely no regrets. I know the SG staff refrains from tossing out scores, but if I were to give the game a rating, it would get nine golden idols out of ten.

Uncharted drew comparisons to the Indiana Jones and Tomb Raider properties, but managed to feel wholly its own. Naughty Dog put a ton of muscle into the project, evident in its spectacular visuals, polished gameplay, lovable heroes, tremendous voice work and impressive character animations. I fell in love with Nate, Elena and Sully, and was awed by the grandiose sights. Needless to say, you owe it to yourself to pick this one up.

Sources: PlayStation.Blog, Gamasutra

Popularity: 1% [?]