“Uncharted” is finally out and playing in theaters, and opened as the #1 movie in the world, making $226.4 million worldwide that weekend. The movie appealed to many as a classic adventure movie with action scenes in the mix, but how does it stand in comparison to the game it’s based on?

The film tells the story of protagonist Nathan Drake (Tom Holland), teaming up with unlikely ally Sully (Mark Walhberg) to find the lost treasure of the famed explorer Magellan. They make unexpected friends and enemies along the way, and always seem to end up in life-or-death situations. Nathan also goes on this journey in hopes of finding his long lost brother, Sam.

From an adventure movie perspective, this movie has all the right elements: a triumphant soundtrack fit for heroic explorers, a villain with heavily-armed mercenaries, and a grand journey around the world to exotic countries in search of the next clues.

The quick comedy between the characters keeps the audience entertained when there isn’t any action going on. The epic stunts they pull really keep you on the edge of your seat. If you know of other famous adventure movies like Indiana Jones or National Treasure, it’s easy to see how Uncharted is similar to them. 

However, looking at it from the game’s perspective, it’s not entirely accurate. For starters, Tom Holland’s Nathan Drake doesn’t look like Nathan Drake from the games. The movie is actually meant to show a younger Nathan Drake who’s just starting out in the treasure hunting business. Mark Walhberg’s Sully doesn’t look the part from the games either, but he at least gets his character’s iconic mustache in the post-credits scene.

The movie isn’t based on any of the games’ stories, and instead shows a new journey with a new villain and a new treasure of interest. Again, this movie serves as a prequel to Nathan’s main adventures, so it’s understandable that they didn’t use any of the games’ original material just yet.

Despite not being a direct game-to-film adaptation, there are references to the games to indulge the fans watching in theaters. Throughout the movie and during the credits, they play his main theme from the video games, and hearing that iconic theme while watching brought a huge smile to my face. It reminds you that even though his look is different, it’s still the iconic adventurer that we know and love.

If you’ve played Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception, you will easily recognize the famous plane scene in the movie as well. That exact scenario happens in the game, and both the movie and game have Nathan dangling off the plane cargo, parkouring his way back on the plane. It’s a nice detail that shows how the filmmakers loved the death-defying scenarios from the games as much as the players did.

The voice actor of Nathan Drake in the games, Nolan North, makes a cameo in this movie as yet another surprise. In it, he sees Nathan and Chloe after they survive the plane incident. When Nathan tells him about the plane, Nolan remarks that he actually went through something similar, referencing the exact same scenario from the game.

These are just a few examples of the references that the movie has in store for the fans. Whether you’re a hardcore fan or just a casual fan, these gems are quite easy to notice. Even if it didn’t match up 100% to the games, I still enjoyed this movie.

If you’re a casual movie viewer, you don’t need to play the games to understand the story. If you played the games, it’s definitely worth watching to see the franchise on the big screen. As someone who’s done both, I experienced a taste of both worlds and can definitely say that “Uncharted” is enjoyable for all.