Hero Of The Week: Nathan Drake

by

Nathan Drake

Voice Actor: Nolan North

Series: Uncharted

Age: Unknown

Debut: Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune

We’re starting up a brand new feature here at SpawnFirst called the Hero of the Week, where we bring you a different protagonist every week who’s impact on gaming has been undeniable. A character who’s relevance in gaming still charts courses and defines genres.

What Works

Nathan Drake is perhaps the most believable and realistically portrayed man in video games. His character has flaws, goals and emotional connections both to his actions and the other characters in the story. He reacts to his environment and other characters in an almost immediately relatable manner, whether a shouted threat, a snappy quip, or a murmured bit of self-assurance when you pick up some much needed ammo. He’s become an icon for Sony, a symbol of PlayStation gameplay and storytelling at its best. His dialogue, appearance and actions have been tweaked and modified until they connect a nearly seamless character with an impressive sense of continuity. He’s also voiced by Nolan North, one of the best voice actors in the business.

Where He’s Best

If you own a PlayStation 3 and have not checked out Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, then literally stop right now in the middle of this sentence, go out and pick up the special edition copy (and thank me later). The game boasts breath-taking graphics, cinematic gameplay elements, tight gunplay and top of the line voice acting. The game has a decently long singleplayer story, with a few small hiccups involving a slow chapter or two that kills the pacing in the middle. The same chapter has one of the game’s most exciting and frightening moments though, and leads up to an exhilarating chase through a village town featuring a giant freaking tank. And if anyone is still knocking around, Uncharted 2 features an addictive and satisfying multiplayer.

Charting the Future

Naughty Dog hasn’t confirmed anything yet, but it wouldn’t be a stretch at all to imagine that an Uncharted 4 reveal is in the works. The Uncharted series has become Sony’s flagship exclusive, with Drake as the poster boy, and Sony is not likely to pass up a shot at their best incentive for us to drop $400 on a gaming system. We’ve got the VGAs coming up and plenty of other chances for a dramatic, fancy reveal, so I wouldn’t be surprised. There have also been a lot of rumors surrounding an Uncharted film, from Mark Wahlberg as Drake to Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg writing it, but as of right now, the only information is that it’s being re-written. And that’s from 2012… so maybe not, but we can still keep hoping!

Uncharted Facts

1.Nathan Drake shares his initials with Naughty Dog, his developer. I smell conspiracy.

2. Nathan Drake is also notoriously bad at poker. This is mostly because he has a terrible Poker Face.

3. His name, Nathan Drake, is not actually his real name. It’s revealed in Uncharted: Drake’s Deception that Drake doesn’t know his real name, and maybe made up the name Nathan Drake himself.

4. The word “ottsel” appears on Drake’s swimsuit in Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, a reference to Daxter from the Jak and Daxter series also by Naughty Dog. Huh.

5. Nathan Drake is also afraid of Clowns. Yes, clowns. Grow up, Nate.

There is no doubt that Nathan Drake is one of the biggest characters in gaming right now and we here at SpawnFirst cannot wait to see more of him.