Victor Sullivan

Victor "Sully" Sullivan

Victor Sullivan as he appears in Uncharted 2: Among Thieves.
Series Uncharted
First game Uncharted: Drake's Fortune (2007)
Voiced by Richard McGonagle

Victor "Sully" Sullivan is one of the protagonists from the Uncharted series, developed by Naughty Dog. He is voiced by Richard McGonagle, who also did the motion capture for the character. In the games, he is a friend and mentor to Nathan Drake, the main series protagonist. He is a man with large debts and a criminal past. He appears in all three games in the series, and is playable in the multiplayer component of the 2009 video game Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

Sullivan has been featured in advertising for the series, and appeared as the owner of a bar for one of the first areas in the social space PlayStation Home. Reception to the character has been mixed, with some reviewers calling him likable, and others labeling him a jerk.

Contents

Creation and characteristics

Richard McGonagle, the voice actor for Sullivan,[1] also performed the motion capture work for the character. The dialog was recorded while the scenes were being performed.[2] Sullivan was meant to act as both a partner and mentor to main series protagonist Nathan Drake. His presence hints at the darker, criminal path of Drake.[3]

In both games, Sullivan wears a bowling-style shirt, cargo pants, and chews on a cigar wherever he goes.[4] He has a gruff, abrasive, yet jovial personality.

Appearances

Uncharted: Drake's Fortune

Sullivan first appears in the 2007 video game Uncharted: Drake's Fortune as Drake and reporter Elena Fisher are under attack from pirates. He flies his seaplane into the gun battle, saving both Fisher and Drake.[5] Using a map found in the coffin of Sir Francis Drake, Sullivan and Drake ditch Fisher and head into the Amazonian jungle in search of El Dorado.[5] However, once they follow the map, they discover that El Dorado is a large golden idol that the Spanish had moved to an island centuries ago.[6]

The two come across a U-boat in the jungle. While Drake is inside the submarine, mercenaries led by Gabriel Roman take Sullivan hostage. Sullivan owes Roman a good deal of money, and had called him to tell him about the possible discovery and ask for time to find the treasure, allowing him to obtain the money to pay Roman back. Sully is shot and presumed dead as Drake flees.[7] Later, Sullivan is revealed to be alive; the mercenaries are forcing him to help them find the treasure.[8] However, Sullivan attempts to mislead them until Drake arrives and rescues him. The two realize that the statue is cursed, and Sullivan covers Drake as he goes to stop Navarro, one of Roman's henchmen, from taking to statue to sell as a biological weapon. After Drake succeeds, Sullivan arrives in a boat full of several boxes of treasure, and picks up Drake and Fisher.[9]

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

Sullivan appears briefly near the beginning of the 2009 video game Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. He first shows up to bail Drake out of jail, using the remainder of Drake's fortune and some of his own money to bribe officials into doing so. Afterward, the two go after war criminal Lazarevic in Borneo.[10] After destroying the base there, Sullivan is not seen again, until the final cutscene of the game. Sullivan also appears as a playable character in the multiplayer mode of the game.[11]

Cultural impact

Merchandise and promotion

Victor Sullivan was featured as the owner of a bar in PlayStation Home as one of the first five spaces in the open beta.[12][13]

Critical reception

Reception to Sullivan has been mixed among commentators. IGN called Sullivan "a great raconteur, his stories are always believable enough that people will invest in his schemes."[14] Ryan Davis of CNET called Sullivan a "cigar-chomping, affable cad with a taste for trouble."[15] However, Tom Hoggins of the The Daily Telegraph called him rude and aggressive.[16]

Tom Cross compared Sullivan to The Prince from the Prince of Persia franchise for the way he interacts in his relationships.[17]

References

  1. ^ "Uncharted 2: Among Thieves Tech Info". GameSpot. CBS Corporation. 2009. Archived from the original on 2010-02-26. http://web.archive.org/web/20100226022913/http://www.gamespot.com/ps3/action/uncharted2amongthieves/tech_info.html. Retrieved 26 January 2010. 
  2. ^ Casamassina, Matt (19 November 2009). "Editorial: How Uncharted 2 Can Fix Gaming". IGN. News Corporation. p. 2. http://ps3.ign.com/articles/104/1044396p1.html. Retrieved 7 December 2009. 
  3. ^ "Victor Sullivan Profile". IGN. News Corporation. 2009. http://stars.ign.com/objects/143/14320063.html. Retrieved 26 January 2010. 
  4. ^ Totilo, Stephen (15 October 2009). "Virtual Fashion: What They’re Wearing In Uncharted 2". Kotaku. Gawker Media. http://www.kotaku.com.au/2009/10/virtual-fashion-what-theyre-wearing-in-uncharted-2/. Retrieved 26 January 2010. 
  5. ^ a b Reed, Kristan (14 November 2007). "Uncharted: Drake's Fortune". Eurogamer. Eurogamer Network. p. 1. http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/uncharted-drakes-fortune-review. Retrieved 26 January 2010. 
  6. ^ Nathan: Of course. 'El Dorado' - 'the Golden Man'! Sully, it wasn't a city of gold, it was this. It was a golden idol. [...] I bet the Spanish dragged it out on cut logs. Huh... we're four hundred years late for this party. Naughty Dog. Uncharted: Drake's Fortune. (Sony Computer Entertainment). PlayStation 3. (19 November 2007)
  7. ^ Nathan: UK2642... you got that? [...] It's Kriegsmarine coordinates. I think I know where the Spanish took El Dorado. [...] The problem is, so do the bastards who killed Sully. Damn it! If the Spanish found the treasure, they had to've moved it there, to that island. And Drake followed 'em. Naughty Dog. Uncharted: Drake's Fortune. (Sony Computer Entertainment). PlayStation 3. (19 November 2007)
  8. ^ Elena: He's alive. Nathan: Huh. Elena: I don't know, Nate... I mean, how much do you trust this guy? It's not exactly like they're holding him at gunpoint. Nathan: I know. Yeah, it seems weird. But no. Sully's a lot of things, but he's not a back-stabber. Which way were they headed? Elena: Uh... North-ish. Yeah, towards the mountains. Nathan: Okay, it's gotta be the monastery. Let's go. Naughty Dog. Uncharted: Drake's Fortune. (Sony Computer Entertainment). PlayStation 3. (19 November 2007)
  9. ^ Nathan: Sorry you didn't get your story. Elena: Ah, that's all right. There'll be other stories. You still owe me one. Nathan: I'm good for it. Naughty Dog. Uncharted: Drake's Fortune. (Sony Computer Entertainment). PlayStation 3. (19 November 2007)
  10. ^ Takahashi, Dean (12 November 2009). "Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is one of the best video games ever". VentureBeat. http://venturebeat.com/2009/11/12/uncharted-2-among-thieves-is-one-of-the-best-video-games-ever/. Retrieved 26 January 2010. 
  11. ^ Miller, Greg (27 April 2009). "Uncharted 2: Among Thieves Multiplayer Impressions". Shacknews. GameFly. http://www.shacknews.com/article/58348/uncharted-2-among-thieves-multiplayer. Retrieved 26 January 2010. 
  12. ^ McGarvey, Sterling. "PlayStation Home". GameSpy. News Corporation. p. 1. http://ps3.gamespy.com/playstation-3/home/891518p1.html. Retrieved 26 January 2010. 
  13. ^ Kollar, Philip (September 22, 2008). "Hands-On With Home’s 'Uncharted Bar'". 1UP.com. Hearst Corporation. http://www.1up.com/news/hands-on-home-uncharted-bar. 
  14. ^ "Victor Sullivan Biography". IGN. News Corporation. 2009. http://stars.ign.com/objects/143/14320063_biography.html. Retrieved 26 January 2010. 
  15. ^ Davis, Ryan (19 November 2007). "Uncharted: Drake's Fortune (PlayStation 3)". CNET. CBS Corporation. http://reviews.cnet.com/playstation-3-games/uncharted-drake-s-fortune/4505-9992_7-31878955.html?tag=mncol;subnav. Retrieved 26 January 2010. 
  16. ^ Hoggins, Tim (7 October 2009). "Uncharted 2: Among Thieves video game review". The Daily Telegraph (Telegraph Media Group). http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/video-games/6268575/Uncharted-2-Among-Thieves-video-game-review.html. Retrieved 26 January 2010. 
  17. ^ Cross, Tom (4 January 2010). "Analysis: The Sexual Politics Of Uncharted 2". Gamasutra. United Business Media. http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/26661/blogs/rss/. Retrieved 26 January 2010.