Welcome to Spare Change part trois. This week it’s a PS3 love in so grab your blue tooth controller and set it to vibrate (slowly, then a bit faster, then slowly again).

While the PS3 has been a little light on the exclusives, each one has been a real gem with one the earliest being one of the best: Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune.

If Clive Cussler’s book sales and grown men day dreaming about wearing a dusty fedora are any indication, archaeology equals sexy awesome. Naughty Dog, developer behind Uncharted: Drakes Fortune, knows this. They know searching through the ruins of ancient civilisations and dodging mercenaries and pirates turns you on. Heck they even throw in the two most stereotypical side kicks imaginable: a plucky and hot young reporter with ulterior motives and a senior wise cracking, tough guy, paternal figure with ulterior motives.

You play as Nathan Drake, who might be the descendant of the famous Francis Drake, on the hunt for your ancestor’s fortune; gold stolen from the Incan’s and secreted away by Drake after he faked his own death. That’s right, your school teacher was full of crap, video games have the real story on histories most notable persons. On the trail of Drake’s fortune (yay appropriate titles, take that Final Fantasy 13) you’ll shoot bad guys, solve puzzles, shoot bad guys, scale buildings, shoot bad guys and drive a few vehicles, often while shooting at guys. But don’t worry, they’re bad.

Drake often has an army of gun toting tattooed types to deal with. But while the games climbing and puzzle sections are lifted from Tomb Raider, the combat comes by way of Gears of War. Lots of taking cover and blind firing against the odds and hoping your partner can flank them before you run out of ammo. If you manage to surprise an enemy a quickly executed melee combo can take them down as well, not to mention give you a satisfying swelling of manly pride. Cover is essential as Drake can only take a few shots before succumbing to lead poisoning. In fact most of the bad guys seem even more bullet resistant than you do.

While the gameplay might be a pleasing mash of games you’ve all ready played Uncharted is dripping with character. The charismatic Drake is every bit the twenty first century Indiana Jones; equal parts cocky, clumsy and wise cracking. Drake might not have the acrobatic agility of Lara Croft or the bullet chewing manliness of Marcus Fenix, but his every man adventurer bit is easily the superior character to both. His side kicks might be stereotypes but Uncharted plays them pitch perfect with just the right amount of knowing humour and serious undercurrent. The only complaint I have with the game is that the bad guys are a bit one dimensional. They get far too little lip service and you just don’t hate them the way you love Drake and his crew.

If you’re any type of fan of adventure and action in all its forms you owe it to yourself to get hold of Uncharted, especially before Uncharted 2: Among Thieves continues what is very likely to become a long lived franchise. It’s top to bottom a great game. It's available as a platinum, best seller half price title and at that price its a crime not to pick it up. But then again, isn't that the type of rogueish behaviour your playing it to experience? Oh conundrums!