here’s no ignoring it – this game has a formula and sticks very carefully to it throughout the surprisingly long adventure. That formula is: Tomb Raider + Prince of Persia + Indiana Jones + a ton of guns. For me, that math works out just fine, in large part due to the extremely compelling and excellently paced story that the gameplay is built around. Drake, who makes his living chasing down rare artifacts, is a classic action movie hero, quick with his wits and a gun, with a sly sense of humor. Basically, imagine if Indiana Jones shopped at the Gap, and you’re most of the way home. He also happens to be a descendant of the legendary Sir Francis Drake, and while searching for his coffin, Drake uncovers evidence that Sir Francis not only lived much longer than historians thought, but also may have discovered El Dorado, the famous lost city of gold. By his side for (most) of the adventure are Elena, his love interest and spunky TV documentarian, and Sully, his shady treasure-hunting mentor of questionable morals.

Okay, that’s probably not Oscar material, but in the context of the game it works exactly as a story should: It keeps things moving and keeps the player invested in the action happening onscreen. The developers also throw in a number of well-timed double-crosses, cliffhangers, and left-field plot twists that keep ratcheting up the tension until the thrilling conclusion. It also doesn’t hurt that this game is among the most gorgeous video games I’ve ever seen. From lush jungles to decaying underground caverns, Uncharted takes you around the world in almost photorealistic style, making part of the excitement of reaching a new level the anticipation of just how beautiful it will look. The facial animations during the cutscenes are also notable in how they make the plot come alive; in my estimation this is some of the best work in that department I’ve ever seen (and that includes BioWare’s recent masterpiece Mass Effect). I know some people might say this makes me a “graphics whore.” Well, put me up in some red pumps and leather miniskirt, because this game is amazing to look at.

The gameplay matches the story’s jaunty pace, delivering tense gun battles interspersed with some (fairly light) puzzle solving, hand-to-hand combat, and challenging platforming. The combat is generally well done; gun targeting works a bit like Gears of War, using the R1 button for the aim look and placing a big emphasis on taking and advancing to cover positions. Of course, you can man up and box it out with a timed-button press combat mechanic, which affords you bigger ammo drops from enemies. While it’s definitely not a Tom Clancy style sim, you’ll be surprised at just how satisfying and challenging the enemy AI is. These guys can move, taking cover and making wicked evasive moves. The platforming is equally well done, streamlining the work that Ubisoft has done with Prince of Persia and adding a level of amazingly fluid animations. The only missteps are the game’s brief attempts at variety – while I was excited to jump on a jet ski in the middle of a tropical jungle, the controls and pacing of those segments seemed off compared to the rest of the package.

Uncharted isn’t destined to be a classic; I don’t think there are enough new ideas here to put it in the genius category. However, this is game that is very sure of its identity and does the things that it set out to do very well. It’s a fun, fast, and memorable thrill ride, and perhaps the closest video games have come yet to approximating the experience of an interactive summer blockbuster.