Active Cinematic experience. That's what the lead developers at Naughty Dog call the Uncharted series. They are not liars. Playing Uncharted, any piece of the trilogy, is like watching a movie. Not as good as an Indiana Jones, but extremely better than that travesty Tomb Raider. And I'm a Lara Croft fan!
Small nuances, for instance how Nathan will gently touch the wall on his way past, or stumble over things, make him a character that is comfortable to play. I often find myself playing and thinking he's a real actor. Or that he was at least based on one. Which he was! Uncharted's main character,Nathan Drake was based on Harrison Ford and Johnny Knoxville, actually. Crazy, right? I know.
I've played each of the Uncharted games, and found that though the creators very clearly designed a male Lara Croft, I'm so glad they expounded on what was missing from Tomb Raider. Each of the Uncharted games have a plane crash, a train of some sort, and a boat. Same things each time...and yet I'm always impressed. It is Nate who makes the game what it is, and his great band of friends (Everyone but his girlfriend/estranged wife Elena Fisher. She irks me a bit.)
Similar to the way he touches things, the throwaway commentary he spills out is great as well. When you're playing and feeling as though you've had just about enough of the shootout you're in, Nate will say something like, "I'm sick of this!" He stumbles, stutters, and missteps. He's a fragile character, something most video games won't give us, and that's what makes him so much fun to play.
