Uncharted: Drake's Fortune

 Review

Common Sense Media says

Tomb Raider meets James Bond in teen action game.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

Kids say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this game has plenty of shooting and cursing. That said, neither the violence nor the language pushes the envelope, but be aware there's frequent curse words (s--t, a--hole, God damn, son of a bitch, etc.) and you can shoot enemies -- who are human -- in the leg or arm or head (which will result in a different animation). When the player is shot, a blood red border fills the screen to tell the player death is near.

  • The protagonist is a treasure-hunter who is willing to bend the rules and use his fists, but he is always charming.
  • There is some shooting and some blood. Players can also aim at specific body parts, such as an arm, leg or head.
  • Some minor spoken innuendo between the male and female characters.

What's it about?

UNCHARTED: DRAKE'S FORTUNE really gets going about two hours into the game, when agile treasure-hunter Nathan Drake and a female videographer crash land on a dangerous isle in search of the legendary El Dorado. This PS3 exclusive is played from a third-person perspective in which you control Nate as he swims rivers, jumps chasms, swings from vines, and exchanges fire with mercenaries -- all without losing his charm while trying to impress his reluctant sidekick, Elena Fisher.

Nate can duck for cover by tapping the O key on the controller, and then twist around to aim (L1) and fire (R1) at enemies using a variety of weapons. If you get shot too many times, the screen begins to fade to black and white with a red border, which means you better find cover before it's "game over." Fortunately, the auto-save feature does a great job at picking up where you left off. Along with exploration and combat, Nate must also be adept at puzzle-solving as he inches toward the fabled treasure.


Is it any good?

 

Despite some shimmery edges around parts of the environment, such as trees, the graphics are great, especially the fluid character animation and huge outdoor levels. Plus, every few minutes you will be treated to a short cinematic interlude to help push the story along. There are more than 100 minutes of these high-quality non-interactive sequences and they help add to the suspension of disbelief.

The high production values will attract you to Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, but its tense gameplay will keep you glued to the TV. Armchair adventurers might feel a bit of deja vu with the many borrowed Tomb Raider -like elements, but you won't be disappointed with this polished and immersive single-player journey.


What families can talk about

Families can talk about whether Nate Drake, the protagonist, would be as cool if he didn't swear so often or if he tried to use non-violent approaches. He appears to be a scruffy, charming, and insubordinate treasure-hunter, so perhaps it fits his image, but would the game be as fun if it were rated "E" or "E10+" with less violence, swearing, and smoking?


This review was written by Marc Saltzman
Kid, 13 years old
August 9, 2010
 
one thing i agree with csm on. this game is really innapropriate. its violent and has some blood, and this guy does smoke a cigar but the language is off the charts for a rated T. within about 10 seconds of playing it, me and my dad heard one d***, and one h-e double hockey sticks. and it wasnt even that good

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Teen, 14 years old
June 6, 2011
 
scary at the end (sort of )
near the end there is an old WWII german outpost where there is almost no lights and weird almost mud men ( left 4 dead 2 ) like things and they scared me big time first time i saw them.

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Adult
August 2, 2010
 
The game was fun for me (Age 38) and intense. The game plays around the constant theme of treasure hunting as the suspense and conflict continue to run throughout the game. Gun fire and death (some with blood) continue to rear their heads as well as some swearing. Some intense scenes include some zombies with very intense and suspenseful action. There are some good puzzles involved reminding me of problem solving skills. The game overall was great, good graphics but not for the "tween" but more for the teen.

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Kid, 13 years old
November 29, 2010
 
awesome
very intresting game to watch and play. it does have a bunch of cussing for a T game BUT STILL AWESOME

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Teen, 16 years old
September 12, 2011
 
Woah, that was the best game I have played in.. ever, maybe?
Has your child seen Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark or any of the other movies? This compares to them, but I choose to compare it to Ark because the end is kind of creepy... As for good role models, you won't find many in this game. There are some educational elements to the game, such as the puzzles that you have to solve in the first level. There is violence, and a good bit of it, but the violence is quite unrealistic and there is only a bit of blood splatter. Corpses do stay where they are, and don't disapear magically though. There are some sexual referances, but your child wouldn't understand them unless they've seen worse... There is a good bit of minor language in the game, but it fits into the situation the characters are in. One character smokes a cigar, but mentions that the main protagonist has been hassling him about it..

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Teen, 17 years old
July 4, 2010
 
Perfect for teens
AWESOME! definitely for teens though

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Teen, 16 years old
June 18, 2010
 
boring prequel to uncharted 2. if a movie: Rated R for bloody adventure violence, language, disturbing images, frightening scenes, and smoking/alcohol use

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Teen, 17 years old
October 6, 2011
 
Fun for teens and up, but fairly violent and intense
Uncharted: Drakes Fortune is a extraordinarily fun video game for PS3 that most teens who love adventure games and action (who doesn't, these days, especially teens) and can handle a few tough puzzles in between all of the action. But, this game is not for young tween's and children, because of the violence and profanity, which is actually surprisingly strong for a Teen Rated game: So, whenever someone is shot or injured, which happens constantly in this game, blood sprays from the wounds from which you shot someone, which is a little brutal. Also, the profanity includes but is not limited to many uses of sh-t, hell, crap, a--hole and g-dd-mnit, which happens throughout the action scenes and video segments of the game. Still, teens will love it and even adults will probably get a kick out of it as well. Reccomended for gamer's.

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Kid, 11 years old
April 26, 2011
 
awsome for 10 and up
This game is awesome. Although it has no multiplayer the campaign is awesome it is a great story. Honestly I think they should make a movie

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Parent
June 4, 2011
 
Entertaining movie like game!
This is an entertaining, action packed game that doesn't take itself too seriously-- it reminds me of a great Indiana Jones movie. I have watched my 12 year old son ( he's almost 13, and is quite mature) play this game, and it is like watching a movie! The character is quite likeable, and the concern that the charcaters feel for each other is believable. It's just fun! That said, the swearing is not what i would like my son to use -- but it comlpetely fits in with the story and the character's situation, and does not feel "gratuitous" at all. There is violence as well- this is the only game my son is allowed to have that has guns ( we have not allowed him to get COD, for example), and it's a bit more violent than I would prefer-- but again, it has the same feeling as an Indiana Jones movie. For parents who generally oppose "gun games", this one stands out in my mind as acceptable.

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This review was written by Marc Saltzman
Platforms:PlayStation 3
Available online?Not available online
Genre:Action/Adventure
Developer:Sony Computer Entertainment
Release date:November 16, 2007
Price:$59.99
ESRB rating:T for Blood, Language, Mild Suggestive Themes, Use of Tobacco, Violence

This review was written by Marc Saltzman
 

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About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.

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