Jet Ski

Lore & Background

The Jet Ski in Uncharted is a rugged, single-rider personal watercraft adapted for extreme environments. In Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, it becomes Nathan Drake's primary means of escape after the collapse of the Spanish monastery, allowing him to flee through jungle waterways while being pursued by mercenaries. The vehicle's lightweight design makes it ideal for shallow rivers and narrow passages, but its lack of armor leaves the rider exposed.

In Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, the Jet Ski returns in a memorable sequence set in Borneo, where Drake navigates treacherous rapids and crumbling ruins. The vehicle's handling is refined, with tighter turning and better responsiveness to player input. Later entries, such as Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, feature Jet Ski-like segments in Madagascar's rivers, emphasizing speed and environmental interaction over combat.

The Jet Ski is a staple of the franchise's action set-pieces, often serving as a transition between larger gameplay sections. Its inclusion highlights Uncharted's focus on dynamic, vehicle-based sequences that blend exploration, evasion, and cinematic spectacle.

In Their Own Story

The river roared beneath me, the Jet Ski's engine screaming as I gunned it through the narrow gorge. Behind me, gunfire cracked from the mercenaries' boats, bullets pinging off the rocks. I leaned hard into a turn, the spray blinding me for a second. Ahead, a waterfall—no way around it. I hit the throttle, the Jet Ski launching off the edge, and for a moment, I was flying. Then the plunge, the cold water shocking my system, and I was still alive. For now.

Reader's Guide

The Jet Ski is controlled with standard vehicle inputs: accelerate, steer, and brake. In Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, it introduced a simple mechanic where the player must avoid obstacles like rocks and fallen trees while shooting enemies with a mounted or handheld weapon. The vehicle has a health bar that depletes from collisions or enemy fire, leading to an explosion if ignored.

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves refined the Jet Ski by adding more complex environmental hazards, such as collapsing platforms and timed jumps. The player can now perform sharp turns by tapping the brake and steering simultaneously, useful for navigating tight corners. Combat is integrated by allowing the player to fire a pistol or assault rifle while driving, though accuracy suffers at high speeds.

The Jet Ski interacts with other systems by enabling traversal of water-based areas that are otherwise inaccessible. It can be used to reach hidden treasures or shortcuts, rewarding exploration. In chase sequences, the vehicle's speed is critical for outrunning enemies, but its fragility means the player must prioritize dodging over prolonged firefights. A well-timed boost off a ramp can clear obstacles or skip dangerous stretches, but mistiming a landing can cost you precious health. Keep an eye on the water ahead: ripples or debris often mark submerged hazards that can flip you if hit head-on.

Did You Know?

• The Jet Ski sequence in Uncharted: Drake's Fortune was inspired by similar chase scenes in action films like 'The Fugitive'—director Amy Hennig wanted that frantic, 'one wrong move and you're dead' energy.
• In Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, the Jet Ski can be used to perform a 'boost jump' off ramps, a mechanic later refined in Uncharted 4's rope and vehicle physics, letting players chain speed with verticality.
• The vehicle's design in Uncharted 4: A Thief's End was modeled after real-world personal watercraft, but with reinforced hulls to withstand gameplay damage—Naughty Dog's artists added visible scuffs and dents that accumu
• Early prototypes of the Jet Ski in Uncharted: Drake's Fortune had a two-player mode, but it was cut due to development constraints. Testers found it too chaotic to balance shooting and driving with a partner.