Poll: Why is Uncharted so polarizing?

[DustyDrB]

I do think they are overrated, but still good. I've never thought of the series as divisive, though. Seems that most people who play them at least think they are decent. The first and second game have pretty terrible third acts involving cheesy mystical BS. The third one lacks that (it sort of teases it, but turns out it is something of a drug trip). That makes the third one far and away my favorite. So it's actually getting better with time.

 

[OldDirtyCrusty]

I like them alot. They are a bit overrated but really good games. I like Nathan Drake (and can't a guy be snarkry in a game without be called a douch?) and have fun with them.

Seconded - I enjoyed the first and the second is just great. The third game was a bit of a let down due to the lack of replay value (no stuff to unlock). The dialogue alway sounded believable to me and while the overall story may lack with a few plot holes it`s still better compared to most other games. The set pieces are amazing and those are the parts i really remember when i think of Uncharted. It`s the perfect weekend game (reminder- i say the same about cod), nothing less, nothing more and i heard good things about the mp (only played a bit from U2 but it was fun).

I can understand that this game doesn´t appeal to everyone but hating it says more about the xboxfanboism than a Uncharted-Yay-screamer ever could. Everyone else takes it for what it is or simply doesn`t care.

 

[TheCommanders]

I'm a sucker for sarcastic main heroes, even if it is an overused stereotype. Hell, I can't get enough of the sarcastic Hawke in DA2. Also the games look gorgeous and I'm the kind of person who thinks that's important.

 

[IanBrazen]

snip

You know, while I thought the stories of first two games weren't anything special, I agree with you about the third game and it really did turn things around for me story wise. I loved the back story they added with Sully and Drake, and I thought the entire story was very well executed.

Also, I always felt like I was playing the story, unlike some other games where I feel like I'm just killing bad guys until the next cut scene. And that's something not all games can get right, especially when it comes to linear shooters.

There's a lot to like about the Uncharted games, which is why I get so disappointed by the mechanics in them. It really made a sizable part of the game not enjoyable or fun to me.

It just seems kinda silly that your killing like 100 guys just for treasure, if anything I think it should have at least been mostly a brawler.

 

[FoolKiller]

For me, it was just a better story single-player version of Gears of War (I own both consoles).

I actually liked Nathan Drake (at least through the first game) because his motivations were more family related than treasure related. He was trying to find things that his ancestor had located centuries earlier. He then got dragged into some crazy shit.

The sequels (especially the third game) left me feeling like they ran out of good ideas for the story and were just throwing out crazy ideas because everyone is worried about being predictable.

Overall, I found it enjoyable to play through them though and that's all that matters.

 

[V8 Ninja]

Because Uncharted basically IS a Hollywood big-budget adventurous blockbuster turned into a video game. It hits the same beats and plays the same tunes as its film equivalents. Essentially, an individual's opinion of Uncharted entirely falls down to their opinion on modern, adventurous Hollywood movies.

As for which camp I fall under, I am currently under the "It's Alright" banner. While it's generic and succeeds at being a Hollywood experience, there are very few other games that really "Nail" the style that Uncharted goes for. I'm currently playing through Among Thieves because I just so happen to have the game, so I cannot say in its entirety whether or not the Uncharted series is wholly terrible, wholly good, or wholly average.

EDIT: "One of the best game series of this generation": 27.3% (85)

Interesting...

 

[lunavixen]

I selected Overrated garbage in the poll, it felt most appropriate to me. I borrowed the first two games off a friend, and i was so glad i only borrowed them, the story felt all over the place, Drake was completely unlikable, the "action" parts were competent but very average, I think the only thing I liked was the scenery at close range and the water effects.

And the fact that it pretty much rips off two of my favourite series (Tomb Raider and Indiana Jones) is never going to give it points in its favour with me.

I would never voluntarily buy any of these games. They are not for me.

Captcha: fellow traveller... no he's not. >.<

 

[Chased]

I only played and own the 2nd. Though the game was fun, I didn't care for it enough to buy the 3rd. Drake was fairly standard material for an action hero and the shooting gallery style game play became exhausting after a while. If the opening sequence of the game was more like the rest of the game than I would have liked it much more.

Regardless, the way the game was lit was great, that guy deserves a medal.

 

[Guitarmasterx7]

"Overrated" seems to be something that people think is synonymous with "bad." Granted there are definitely cases where something is both, but if people absolutely love something, even if it's decent there's almost always an element of spite present that makes people feel that it's getting praise it doesn't deserve.


Uncharted really wears its heart on its sleeve, and I think that's what a lot of people don't like about it. It sets out to be a grandiose globetrotting action packed adventure. It doesn't attempt to be extremely thought provoking or delve into anything particularly deep, it just tries to be fun. Also while I don't think anything like it has been done nearly as well in this medium, it definitely draws inspiration both tonally and conceptually from sources like indiana jones (which is itself very source derived). The criticism that it's "dumb" and "unoriginal" is something that it really can't stand up to because being high brow and profound isn't the point of Uncharted.

Also for some reason when people don't like Nathan Drake they REALLY don't like Nathan Drake. I think the personality reflects the tone of the game very well and there's something entertainingly absurd in how he's simultaneously the most lucky and unlucky person ever, but I guess people find his sarcasm annoying or something.

Personally I thought the second and third games were extremely fun and the in-game setpieces and camera create a cinematic gameplay experience that would have seemed absolutely unthinkable 10 years ago. Extremely impressive and very enjoyable.

 

[JoesshittyOs]

I loved the story, was meh on the actual game itself. It's not that creative, besides a few really cool set pieces. But the characters and their relationships were done very well.

 

[Casual Shinji]

The first and second game have pretty terrible third acts involving cheesy mystical BS. The third one lacks that (it sort of teases it, but turns out it is something of a drug trip). That makes the third one far and away my favorite. So it's actually getting better with time.

Except that the lack of mysticism in Uncharted 3 doesn't grant the villains any real motivation for going after it. Apparently they want some cursed vase that turns any water source poisonous with like "fear water", but throughout the game it was very apparent they already had the ability to produce those effects anyway. They drug both Drake and the other guy with roughly the same results.

So what was the point of them risking their entire operation chasing after a power which they already have?

 

[DioWallachia]

Play the Legacy of Kain series and see the difference in writing and characters as night and day, and both of them were made by the same writer.

 

[Cranky]

It's alright.

It was fun and had beautiful vistas. And there were some funnies. But that's about it, I can't understand why it's hailed as god-tier though.

 

[TallanKhan]

Its polarizing because at its heart its a fun and functional game. However it doesnt do anything to wow, hasnt really innovated atall and rips alot off from other franchises so doesnt feel very original. So for a hardcore gamer who prizes originality and innovation highly it doesnt tick many boxes, but for somone who just wants something shooty and functional to play it ticks all the boxes. So most people either come down one side or the other when in truth the games arent great or terrible, just average.