The next Indiana Jones movie has been pushed back to June 30, 2023. That’s a long time to wait. So if you are looking to fill that fedora-sized hole in your heart, look no further than Nathan Drake.
If you’re not a PlayStation family, there’s a good chance you haven’t heard of the character. Drake appeared in 2007 as a Lara Croft rip-off who quickly went on to out Croft Croft. Interestingly enough, an early version of the Lara Croft Tomb Raider character had the then male hero running around wearing a fedora. Ah, what might have been if game developer, Core Design, hadn’t worried about a lawsuit from Lucasfilm.
Nevertheless, this Croft wannabe has become a better-developed character and excellent modern-day Indiana Jones rival.
Nathan Drake is a perfect blend of Harrison Ford’s two fan-favorite characters: Indiana Jones and Han Solo. Drake is a globetrotting adventurer searching for lost cities and ancient treasures but instead of saying, “That belongs in a museum!” he’s looking to make a quick buck.
Drake, like Solo, starts with hopes of a big payday, even if that means swindling the other guy in the process. He also isn’t afraid to shoot first but possesses the moral compass that makes him a hero at the end of the day.
There are the four games starring Drake in the Uncharted series.
Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune
The game opens with Nathan Drake recovering the lost at sea coffin of his great great great great great great grandfather, Sir Francis Drake. Interred inside the metal casket are not the famed explorer’s remains but his diary, which holds the location of El Dorado.
While pursuing the famed golden city, Drake discovers Nazis had attempted to recover El Dorado when he finds a marooned German U-boat deep in the Amazon. *I told you he’s a great stand-in for Jones.*
Eventually, Drake finds El Dorado, but nothing can prepare him for the truth of this golden treasure.
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
For Drake’s sophomore outing, he attempts to unravel a mystery surrounding Marco Polo’s doomed and undocumented 1292 from China. It turns out that Polo discovered the location of Shanghai-La and the wish-fulfilling Cintimani Stone. Drake isn’t the only one looking, though. Evil Serbian mercenaries are also on the hunt, and they have their own nefarious intentions for these ancient powers.
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception
Once again, fortune hunter Nathan Drake is catapulted headlong into an adventure that takes him on a daring trek into the heart of the Arabian Desert in a search for the fabled “Atlantis of the Sands.” Drake is pitted against a shadowy clandestine organization and its ruthless leader this time around.
When the terrible secrets of this lost city are unearthed, Drake’s quest descends into a desperate bid for survival that strains the limits of his endurance.
Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
Here’s the elevator pitch for Uncharted 4—Indiana Jones meets The Goonies.
This time Drake is hunting pirate treasure. Not just any pirate treasure, either. In the fourth installment of the series, Drake is searching for Libertalia, the pirate utopia deep in the forests of Madagascar that holds mother of all pirate hordes Captain Henry Avery’s long-lost gold cache.
Uncharted 4 Nathan Drake is as close as you can get to Indiana Jones. Instead of a whip, he carries a rope with a grappling hook, which he uses to swing from ledge to ledge. The only thing missing is the iconic hat. Although in the scene below, he’s wearing the leather coat while making a “bad dates” Easter egg joke.
Uncharted (film)
Sony also has an upcoming movie based on the character that releases in February 2022. The story is a prequel to the video games, starring Holland as a younger Drake, showing us details of how he came to meet and befriend Sully.
Unfortunately, video games inspired films don’t have a great track record. I’m hoping this one is an exception.
Experience Nathan Drake for yourself
The best way to experience Nathan Drake is to play the games, but just because you don’t have a PlayStation doesn’t mean you can’t share in his adventures. That’s where Andy Gilleand’s YouTube channel comes in.
Gilleand takes video games and edits them into cinematic movies. He does a great job editing all the cut scenes and adding just enough gameplay to connect the dots without getting bogged down with all the required video game grinding.
But don’t take my word for it. Start watching Gilleand’s Uncharted movies today and satisfy the thing you’ve been Jonesing *wink, wink* for.