Uncharted: Drake's Fortune begins with a 400-year-old clue in the coffin of Sir Francis Drake, which leads modern-day fortune hunter Nathan to a mysterious island in the middle of the Pacific. Problem is, this island is anything but deserted, and the resident mercenaries and other nasty folk make it painfully clear they don't want anyone to find the treasure hidden at the fabled El Dorado.

Viewing the action from a cinematic third-person perspective, gamers take control over Nate as he swims through rough rivers, jumps over deep chasms, swings from vines and exchanges fire with enemies -- all the while putting the charm on his female sidekick, Elena Fisher.

Along with exploration and combat, Nate must also be adept at puzzle-solving on the path to the treasure. While not too difficult (or original for that matter), these temporary obstacles are fun and gratifying; Nate has to step on stones in the correct order to open up a cave door, scale a mountain to navigate over a waterfall and create a bridge over an abyss. It's fun hunting for the 60 collectible treasures hidden throughout this world.

The graphics are fantastic, particularly the fluid character animation and expansive outdoor levels. Every few minutes players are treated to a short cinematic clip to help push the story along; there are more than 100 minutes of these high-quality sequences. Subtle touches enhance the game, such as characters' coy facial expressions, body language and small details, as when Nate grabs the edge of a narrow doorway while crawling through it.

The high production values will immediately attract you to Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, but its tense game-play will keep you glued to the TV. Armchair adventurers might sense a little déjà vu with many borrowed Tomb Raider-like elements, but gamers won't be disappointed with this polished and immersive single-player journey.