Why I wish Nathan Drake was my boyfriend

Alyssa Harrison


We have all seen the PlayStation 3 commercial where a guy complains that his girlfriend thinks Uncharted 2 is a movie. Kevin Butler didn’t think that was a problem because the truth is, the Uncharted series is like watching a movie. And chicks will dig it. Hell, if the guy is lucky his girlfriend might even make him a sandwich while she watches him play. Or she might take the controller from him and have a go herself. Either way, Uncharted has bridged the gap between gaming and girlfriends so really, it’s win-win.

When I finally bought a PS3 2 years ago, Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune was the first game I purchased, and I finished it faster than a freshman finishes a 12-pack during frosh week. Finally, here was a game that had the pace, dialogue, and character depth of a movie but didn’t sacrifice a solid gaming experience. I quickly moved on to the sequel, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, and once again was blown away by what the creators at Naughty Dog brought to life on my TV. I immersed myself in the excellent storyline, exotic locations, and introduction of fun new characters. The cut scenes were superb, the interaction with Drake and his surroundings was unparalleled, and the emotion in some scenes even had me choking back tears a couple times. As much as I hate to disagree with the VP of Epic Footage himself, but I don’t think Uncharted 2 was like a movie. It was better. It gave me a solid 12 hours of entertainment that I controlled; when was the last time a movie offered that? And I got to blow shit up with an M32-Hammer and pick off guys like flies with a Dragon Sniper. If there’s a better way to blow off PMS rage, I am unaware of it.

The graphics are the best in show, the fight sequences and puzzles are endlessly entertaining, and the cut scenes are just as good as any acclaimed Hollywood movie. But what really keeps a girl hooked on this series? Two sexy, sexy words- Nathan Drake. Guys, you have Lara Croft so you can understand where I’m coming from. Nathan Drake is every girl’s dream, and here are my reasons for why I wish he was my boyfriend.

1. He brought sexy back

The creators at Naughty Dog put a lot of thought into Drake’s physical appearance. He has the everyman style, a basic shirt and jeans that get progressively dirtier as he rolls through his adventures. The ever present ring around his neck symbolizes his determination and love for what he does, a constant reminder that “greatness [comes] from small beginnings.” He’s a regular guy who just happens to get himself into crazy situations. But he handles it all in stride, swaggering along rocking the half tuck and a loaded twin gun holster. Drake has always been an attractive man, but the visual improvements in Uncharted 3 had me drooling. The sparkle in his eyes, the constant 5 o’clock shadow and the well defined biceps that support him as he scales the sides of ancient ruins and jumps up ladders… yes, jumps UP ladders. The upper body strength that would entail is mindblowing. His ruggishly striking looks and approachable appearance are the stuff of dreams. Sexy dreams.

2. He can kill men with his bare hands. And guns. And bombs.


[Minor Spoilers]
Being Nathan Drake is fun. The laws of physics don’t apply and he makes the most of this covetable quality. In Uncharted 3 he escapes a burning building, a capsizing cruise ship, and a crumbling city in the middle of the desert. The hand to hand combat is head and shoulders above its predecessor’s. He jumps from a staircase, kicks an enemy in the face, snatches the gun as it flies through the air, and rolls safely behind cover, ready to take down an army of soldiers single-handed. He bare-knuckle brawls with English thugs that have 2 feet and 100 lbs on him. He rides horseback through the desert, shooting his way through a caravan of enemies that are holding Sully hostage. He changes weapons like a girl changes clothes, effortlessly switching between a .45 Defender, an M9, and an RPG-7. He is the epitome of action hero, the kind of guy any girl would love to have rescue her from a legion of cursed Nazi-zombie things. Wherever the Drake’s Damsel List is, I want to get my name on it.

3. He’s a Man of Mystery with a heart of ancient Spanish gold

What makes Nathan Drake tick? His cockiness has landed him balls deep in trouble more times than anyone can count, but we all still love him for it. He brushes aside serious questions or reprimands them with witty one-liners and always saves the day so we forgive him for the trouble he causes. He’s reckless, he’s confident and he’s got more bad-ass than he knows what to do with. But beneath the layers of roguish charm we know there are impenetrable morals and a broken past that haunts him. Despite the quick banter and old man jibes aimed at Sully, Drake would go to the ends of the earth for his surrogate father. He has the swagger of a ladies man but at the end of the day he’s gonna take home the good girl. (As we saw at the end of Uncharted 2. Cue the awwwwwe moment as we reflect on the final cut scene). Uncharted 3 promises to answer many of the questions still lingering around our Man of Mystery. Is Drake the decepted or the deceptee? Is this Sir Francis? Or our beloved Nathan? Is our lovable hero finally faced with demons from his past? Why does he so willingly gamble his life for nothing more than stubborn pride? Will he finally commit to being with the good girl? I hope so. It’s just too bad the girl can’t be me.

[REVIEW] Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception

Mat Paget
(PlayStation 3)

Where does one go when they’ve reached the top? When you’ve made something so incredible, so amazing, that no one can come even close to what you accomplished, how do you follow that up? That is the question Naughty Dog had to ask itself. Its previous game, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, was revered as not only the Game-of-the-Year for many, but one of the best games ever made. Taking huge set pieces usually only found in high-budget Hollywood movies and putting them into a playable game, Naughty Dog reinvented the way video games can be presented. After two years, Naughty Dog attempts to answer that question with its latest installment in the series, Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception.

The game’s story isn’t a complicated one. Actually, it’s par for the course for Uncharted games. Nathan Drake and Victor Sullivan are looking for the lost city of Ubar (or what T.E. Lawrence called, “The Atlantis of the Sands.”) and along the way they get help from a few familiar faces, some new ones, and even face off against a couple new enemies. There are a couple of unanswered questions left after the curtain is called, but none that really lend themselves to be answered in a sequel. This can be a little confusing, but makes sense since you play the game as Nathan Drake and don’t know any more than he does throughout the duration of it.

Although the story isn’t exactly Shakespeare, Naughty Dog does a great job of telling that story and orchestrating the action in between. When a structure is falling apart or you’re being chased by someone, it really makes you feel like Drake’s hitting all of the queues as long as you keep him moving in the right direction. The chase scenes specifically have a high sense of urgency to them. Whether Drake is being chased, or is doing the chasing himself, it is truly one of the most exciting parts of the game.

A downside to this is if Drake is killed during these intense sections, it can kill the momentum of the game. Another negative point to such an experience is that you only get one chance to experience it for the first time. Additional playthroughs or even retrying failed sections won’t feel as new and exciting since you’ll already know what’s going to happen, how it’s going to happen, and when it’s going to happen. Regardless of this small demerit, it still doesn’t affect the fun and excitement these moments instill in the player.

This is the last time Nathan Drake is flying coach.

The game is absolutely beautiful and its fantastical, yet amazing set pieces are even more eye-popping than its predecessor’s. The sections where the camera pans out and you see the whole picture of what Drake has gotten himself into are particularly stunning as it does an impeccable job at making Drake seem small and insignificant when accomplishing out-of-this-world feats.

Accompanying the amazing set pieces are a wider variety of locales. From Cartagena to the Rhub’ al Khali Desert, from England’s Underground to a cruise ship in the middle of a storm, this game’s setting always stays fresh and seems to last just as long as your interest in it. Even the moments where Drake is just walking through the environment are great as you can take in the atmosphere and scenery of his current whereabouts.

Naughty Dog seems to try and make a point of making use of all of the game’s mechanics. There are more chances to use stealth to take down your enemies and partake in some hand-to-hand combat. The melee combat system is more fleshed out and also a lot more engrossing than Among Thieves’. The large number of animations that can be triggered during fisticuffs never get old and leave me wondering if I missed any of them. Along with the great hand-to-hand combat, the enemies don’t seem endless like they did in Uncharted 2, which is a more than welcome change.

Hey, guys! The boat’s sinking…

Joining the superb single-player experience, are several impressive multiplayer components. Several of the modes include your typical team deathmatch, a free for all, and several other very interesting game types. The co-op modes in general are definitely ones worth spending a large amount of time on. The Co-Op Adventure game type puts you and two other players onto a map with a few cutscenes to fill in a non-canon story. These are very well done and set Uncharted 3‘s multiplayer apart from the rest of today’s multiplayer shooters.

New to the multiplayer is the ability to completely customize your character. From weapon loadouts, to skins, to clothing, there is an almost endless amount of customization to be had. Players can also create their own emblem (similar to Call of Duty: Black Ops) and select a taunt. The taunts vary from laughing at a fallen opponent, blowing a kiss, or even thrusting of the hips. These are absolutely hilarious to see administered in a match and add a little bit of embarrassment to the game. Another first for the series, Uncharted 3 brings home a split-screen local multiplayer, which lets you jump online with a friend at home and participate in the multiplayer like you would alone.

Uncharted 3 may not be the game changer that Uncharted 2 was, but it improves on its predecessor in almost every way, even if those improvements are subtle. The multiple changes of scenery and the deeper variety in gameplay keep you interested and wanting more, while the multiplayer experiences will keep you around long after the campaign is concluded. All in all, Uncharted 3 is an absolutely astonishing game that is only held back in its surprises if you’ve played the previous installments. It is a game that every PlayStation 3 user should own. The only question that pops up now is, “Where will Nathan Drake go next?”