2 years after Uncharted 2: Among Thieves wowed us with spectacular set pieces, an unrivaled introduction and balanced gameplay, Naughty Dog has returned with Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception. Uncharted 3 brings the franchise full circle while reuniting characters, and story elements from the original title back in 2007. All of this while bridging together a fascinating origin story that looks deep into the history of our favorite hero and his partner in crime; Victor Sullivan.
Drake and “Sully,” continue the adventure and cross-deserts, seas, and continents to find “the Atlantis of the desert.” The script is written by series writer Amy Henning, and is funny and poignant. For the first time in the series, the people around Drake are beginning to question his motives and why he is doing what he’s doing. Are the risks and sacrifices worth the reward? This morality is what drive’s Uncharted 3’s overall story. Nathan encounters a new type of enemy, himself. The story delves deeply into a narrative surrounding the character’s past and with a villain like Katherine Marlowe, the story goes even deeper turning corners that’ll leave you with your mouth gaping. Old friends return for a cameo and new ones are made as Drake finds that he’s being pushed to his limit.
Tombs are plundered, treasures exposed and discovered with enemies showing up moments later. “This is where the fun begins” as they say. In regards to your altercations with the enemy behind Marlowe, there’s no variety. Enemies spawn in random points often being unforgiving as soon as you begin the checkpoint. On top of this, they are not afraid to get in your face. If you’re close enough, enemies will engage in fisticuffs and you are powerless if you’re in a bad spot with enemy fire coming your way. Aiming is a bit of subjective point of view. The aiming in Uncharted 3 isn’t as ridiculous as everyone claims it is. Every person has a different perspective of how they play and some may encounter issues and some may not. I personally did not have any issues with the aiming in Uncharted 3. There were points during the game, however, where controlling Drake felt like a chore when you didn’t hit the right spot while platforming.
Yes, platforming is the main way to get around in the Uncharted world. There are various locations you’ll find from tombs to cities and caves that require climbing. The platforming is well designed, however, if you don’t hit the right spot at the direction Naughty Dog is pointing you in you will fall to your death. It should be noted that the platforming seems to have been taking by the way side for more shooting sequences. I did feel like I encountered more firefights then in previous titles, like in Uncharted 2 for example. It was more of a feeling like run to this point, shoot these guys, run again, shoot some more guys…etc. The improved melee system was a great addition to the overall gameplay design; however, it feels like there should have been more puzzles. There were fewer tombs this time around when you consider the overarching story, so that may have played a factor. Drake’s isn’t searching for a simple piece of lost treasure this time around.
The game is beautiful; there is no doubt about that. Naughty Dog continues to impress in its artistic vision for the series. Colors are vibrant and varied; lighting is as realistic as it is relevant. There is something to be said when you find a game that truly takes itself seriously. The production values are staggering and with the stunning voice cast, you’ll swear you’re watching a new Indiana Jones adventure. Nolan North once again continues to give us a hell of a performance as Nathan Drake and applause all around for the rest of the cast as well. There seems to be no stone left behind when you dissect Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception. Everything is here to give you a cinematic experience that you’ll be left with wanting more when the game ends. The ending by the way actually comes in a blink of an eye.
Uncharted 3 comes with a host of modes for online multiplayer. First things first is that with every new copy of Uncharted 3 gamers will have to enter an Online Pass in order to access the MP content. Afterwards, what you’ll find is every bit of customization you can imagine. If you choose to stick with a custom character, you can outfit him with different color skins, faces, weapon loadouts, weapon skins, kickback rewards, and the list go on. You’ll start off with a basic cash amount and as you play more matches you’ll earn more cash to spend on your character. There is a level up system as well so you’ll see what rank you are at when looking at the Leaderboards. Other modes include online co-operative play where you are given a few missions to test your skill and work together. Within the online multiplayer you’ll find match types like Team Deathmatch, Free for All, and more treasure seeking modes where you must find the treasure before the other team.
Bottom Line: Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception isn’t perfect by any means. There are a few flaws that will take away the immersion factor at times. However, when you look at the overall picture, this latest installment in the series is merely a stepping-stone in Naught Dog’s continued success. The only real disappointing thing to remember is that we’ll have to wait for another 2 years before the next game.
