Nathan Drake: Exploring Uncharted Territory

First off, I'd like to be excused for the pun. I tried to resist but, honestly, it was screaming to be written down. Try and say you didn't chuckle, even if it was a dry one. You totally did. After all, I'm hilarious, ask my dog. Anyway, I'm getting distracted. Today folks, I'm going to talk about a protagonist who, in my opinion, has to be one of the most well-constructed characters in video game history. Ladies and gentlemen, today is all about Nathan Drake.

It works better if I assume you haven't played any of the Uncharted games, so that's what I'm going to do. The Uncharted series is a set of five games by Naughty Dog, three for Playstation 3 and two for the PS Vita, that revolve around exploring various locations in search for mythical treasure. It sounds cheesy, but it comes together in an incredibly realistic and believable way. It is one part exploration, one part shooter and eight parts Nathan Drake. In case you can't tell, the character has Idol-status in my eyes. I mean, can you blame me?

Above: An accurate portrayal of a dreamboat.

It's not just his roguish appearance that makes him awesome. His American voice actor, Nolan North, is responsible for bringing Drake to life and does a fantastic job. He is witty, sarcastic and dry-humoured and has real life in his voice. Naughty Dog picked the perfect person for the job, and have done a brilliant job of animating not only the characters, but their facial expressions. Drakes are especially pignant and allow a deeper connection to the character.

But it isn't just that. Oh no, there's so much more. A treasure-hunter(sometimes thief) by trade, Nathan Drake comes with heavy baggage, but at no point does he lament darkly about it as so many protagonists do nowadays. He covers it with humour and off-handed comments about his past, so when you learn a part of his past, you really feel the weight behind it. He comes across as a very hurt and closed-off character who plays cocky, and his fixation of Sir Francis Drake (his 'ancestor') is tragic in the most poignant way. I don't want to give away further details, but he is a character with a layered and rewarding past.

I could rant about this fictional figment all day, I really could. But I don't want to keep you. I'm sure you want to get back to your own gaming idol. Who is he/she/it? Do you think they're as great as Drake? If so, why? Feel free to drop us a line and get involved!

P.S I may have a man crush on a digital creation. But it's our secret.