Uncharted was among the first to introduce cinematic camera appreciation to the game design. In this dynamic approach to your perspective in gameplay, one second you are in full control of the camera and can look around and explore, while the next moment the camera is fixed and tailored to telling a narrative or giving scope or a goal to what you are doing at that moment. Sometimes you’re in and out of gameplay, with very short cutscenes which push the narrative forward and engage the audience. I engaged with Uncharted because of the emotional connection with the characters, the thrilling and adventurous experiences, the cinematic approach to game design and that it felt like I was playing an Indiana Jones movie.
One crucial aspect about Uncharted is the careful pacing of the story. One moment you could be gazing upon a gorgeous sunset on a scenic cliffside, the next you are in a guns-blazing car chase sequence, fighting for your life, and then back to the peaceful scenery, then hanging off a cliff again! Usually when reaching the end of a video game I feel sad that the journey is ending. But Uncharted’s finale took me completely by surprise by evoking the very sadness I was feeling at the time. After they have achieved their mission, the main protagonists had expected to get a strong sense of satisfaction, but instead they were left with a feeling of emptiness. What they had just described applies to many things in life, but they had just described how it feels to finish a video game. Despite the thrill and fun you had during this interactive digital adventure, at the end you are wondering if it meant anything: was it all a waste of time?
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