Nathan Drake seems to get himself into all kinds of dangerous situations but barely escapes every time. He is lucky like that. He has found himself hanging from flying planes, hanging from falling trains, and climbing up numerous collapsing towers. It's never realistic, but it's just like a blockbuster movie.
Drake has been through some amazing things throughout his four games. This list ranks the top ten action sequences in Uncharted, omitting the Vita game, Uncharted: Golden Abyss. Sorry to any Uncharted: Drake's Fortune and Uncharted: The Lost Legacy fans. Both are excellent games, but the action doesn't hold up in Drake's Fortune and The Lost Legacy rehashes old action scenes in what seems like a tribute to older games.
10 Another Round - Uncharted 3
The image above shows the few seconds before complete chaos ensues. The beginning of Uncharted 3 is an extravagant bar fight that involves hitting a guy with a toilet seat and being thrown out of a window. It's the perfect introduction to Uncharted 3's new melee system, which integrates the environment like never before. It's also the tamest entry on this list but its still tons of fun to play. The game makes melee even more exciting by having multiple enemies attack at the same time and a more collaborative approach between Drake and his companions. Lastly, Another Round does a good job of mixing cut scenes and gameplay to make a true cinematic experience.
9 Caravan - Uncharted 3
Caravan upgrades the classic Uncharted chase scene by adding a new element - horses. Drake and Salim have to chase down a convoy that has Sully captive. They chase down a group of enemy vehicles on horseback and fight their way to the front car. Drake can shoot from horseback or jump on the vehicles themselves to take out the soldiers in the back. The process of jumping from vehicle to horse is a fun mechanic that requires a bit of strategy. It all ends with a fistfight on top of a speeding truck and hanging from a small crane - classic Uncharted.
8 Stay In The Light - Uncharted 3
This all starts with running away from a swarm of spiders and it ends with a burnt down chateau. Drake and Sully have to shoot their way through a countless number of henchmen while the chateau burns down around them. It does a good job of combining epic climbing scenes and shootouts. The walls are collapsing around Drake causing cover to crumble to pieces. Drake will also fall through the floor a couple of times and slide down a rooftop. It does what Uncharted does best, which is making gameplay look extremely cinematic.
7 No Escape - Uncharted 4
No Escape features one of Uncharted's best shootout areas- a ship graveyard. Most of the chapter is an intense shootout in the graveyard that integrates Drake's rope into combat extremely well. It is nonstop, intense combat that adds small elements of cinematic gameplay into the gunfight.
Drake has to run through explosions, barely avoiding an old canon that slides toward him, climb up a tower that is barely withstanding enemy gunfire, and take out an armored truck that puts the truck scene from Uncharted 2 to shame. It's nonstop action that's fun to play with the right amount of challenge.
6 The Thieves Of Libertalia - Uncharted 4
This chapter is a great way to show off Uncharted 4 around your friends. The small detail of Drake leaving footprints on the dusty top of bookshelves shows Naughty Dog's attention to detail. The banter between Drake and Sam shows Naughty Dog's clever dialogue. The collapsing tower, why we're really here, shows Naughty Dog's intense gameplay. Drake and Sam are climbing through remnants of a pirate village when an RPG missile strikes the flimsy structure.
The characters have to climb while avoiding explosions from RPGs that is destroying the structure around them. Drake ends up running through a collapsing tower and barely saving himself from a fall with his rope. He then climbs up the rope while avoiding RPG missiles. The encounter ends with a fistfight with Nadine, which is just as epic as the collapsing tower.
5 Stowaway - Uncharted 3
The chapter is short but probably Drake's most daring moment. The craziness of the situation goes overboard. It starts with Drake fighting a big henchman inside of the plane. The fight ends with Drake flying out of the plane and barely saving himself by grabbing onto the plane's luggage. Drake proceeds to climb up the line of trucks dangling from the plane. Once back inside the now destroyed aircraft, Drake gets himself into a gunfight. The shifting of the plane brings a new dimension to combat as cover is moving back and forth. The scene ends dramatically, of course it does, as Drake free falls from the plane.
4 Rough Seas/Cruisin' For A Bruisin'/Sink Or Swim - Uncharted 3
Drake goes on a little detour in Uncharted 3 when he is captured by pirates. These three chapters are filled with intense moments that escalate as the chapters go on. It has shootouts during rough seas, a boat chase, and a sinking ship. The latter is a fun moment where everything is turned upside down creating intriguing climbing segments. The way the waves move everything is a technical achievement and a fun addition to gameplay. It is the exact crazy moments you can expect from Uncharted. The whole detour may seem detached from the overall story but its one of the best moments in the series.
3 Desperate Times - Uncharted 2
Uncharted's best moments seem to always involve vehicles. This time around it is a helicopter. Drake is climbing across buildings, as he often does, when a helicopter shows up out of nowhere. He, with Chloe by his side, have to run across rooftops with a helicopter shooting at him.
The best part is the gunfight inside a collapsing building that ends with Drake jumping out of a window and landing inside the neighboring building. As soon as he lands in the building the music stops, which exaggerates the clicks of a clock. It's a small detail that adds so much to the scene. The whole shebang ends when players have to use a grenade launcher to shoot down the helicopter in a mini-boss fight.
2 Locomotion/Tunnel Vision - Uncharted 2
That's right. Another helicopter. This time Drake has to avoid its fire while traversing a speeding train. This truly is an iconic scene that is known for being one of the best Uncharted moments. The gunfight on the train takes some strategy, for the player can remain inside or climb to the top. The avenue is dependent on the enemy's pathway and avoiding the helicopter. Sections of the train are also blown off by the helicopter, which requires a constant need to move forward. Uncharted: The Lost Legacy upgraded this in its version by adding a drivable jeep. Uncharted 2 edges it out though, for the placement of the scene in the overall story and its originality.
1 Hidden In Plain Sight - Uncharted 4
Locomotion used to be the number one spot but along came Uncharted 4 with its amazing chase scene about midway through the game. The best part is driving the jeep through the town while being chased by an armored truck. The destructible environment and multiple pathways add a new level to Uncharted never before seen. The scene even gets more dramatic as Drake has to chase the vehicle, holding Sam, by jumping from truck to truck and hijacking vehicles. The rope can also be used to latch onto trucks, which leads Drake to slide across the ground and shoot at enemy vehicles with one hand. The upgraded graphics and gameplay from Uncharted 4 also puts this scene at the top of the list. Maybe a future Uncharted scene can top this or maybe Uncharted is over. Either way, I'd be happy.