Sure, but you could take the entire environmental context out of Uncharted and still retain every single aspect of the game's appeal. Tomb Raider is about exploration and traversal, and the environments both provide the genuine excitement of discovery, aswell as the proper texture/geometry for its platforming.

Uncharted's platforming is so eeeexxxttrrrreeeeemeely basic and devoid of exploration and plotting that you could script one of those sequences in any environment.

And conversely, Tomb Raider's combat is downplayed to the point where they really ought to pull a Shattered Memories and remove it alltogether. That game is ALL about its puzzles and platforming, and the actual intellectual stimulation that comes from figuring that stuff out. It's a methodical thinker's game, not one for action muppets.

Which is why it's frustrating when people who like one of those games make broad statements about how it's better than the other, when they're like... Shenmue and Yakuza, frankly. :)

But regarding how this all relates to Vanquish - and it does I'm not just rambling here - I think this game's core appeal and Uncharted's core appeal may well turn out to be very similar, even though thematically they're obviously completely different.

I disagree, but it's pointless to debate further until you've played Uncharted really.

Gears is a lot more focused on the combat, so it makes sense that it's more composed and more methodical. Uncharted is all over the place, heart pounding and breakneck. I dunno how even videos can give you the impression that it's clunky, but you'll know when you play it what we meant all along.

It's INSANE that you haven't played it yet, to be honest, you're going to love those games. :)