Uncharted 3 involves Nathan Drake's quest to find the Atlantis of the Sands in the Rub' al Khali desert which has a connection with the ring Drake originally took from his ancestor. Both Catherine Marlow and Drake share an interest in this ring and once again it becomes a race to find the lost city. The story is definitely more focused on Drake himself this time with Marlowe being linked to both Drake and Victor Sullivan's past which adds a greater level of depth to the villains in this instalment. Taking the focus off the other characters on the other hand makes them feel less important to the story as a whole and the hallucinations caused by Marlow's right hand man Talbot do overstay their welcome for creating unnecessary anti-climaxes at major points in the story. These lesser flaws are saved by the as always impeccable voice acting from Nolan North among many others.
Uncharted 3's campaign takes Drake and his allies across multiple locations spanning around ten hours of play. Similar to the previous games you'll be climbing, shooting and solving puzzles on your way to the next story cut scene. The length stands at the middle of the pack for the series, but the multiplayer makes up for it with many more refinements being added. Once again the verticality of the online certainly sells the online component; split screen has been added as well as deeper customisation options for both characters and weapons. New modes include coop adventure which is a proper campaign separate from the main game for three players which is definitely the highlight of the multiplayer package. Multiplayer maps are also more dynamic and unique such as fighting on a cargo plane about to take off or two trains running side by side. Games feature kickbacks which are essentially rewards earned after getting medals in a match as well as power plays that give the losing team and extra chance to rack up points such as double damage for two minutes. The theatre mode returns for campaign and cooperative modes which remains functional but hasn't received a large improvement from the previous game. Drake's deception continues to provide a good value product. The campaign is worth playing again to grab all the hidden treasures and the multiplayer is certain to keep players on their PS3's for a long time to come.
Gameplay in Uncharted 3 has changed relatively little since the second game. Gunplay is still mostly solid until you realise that this is by far the most difficult entry in the series. Enemies are numerous, quickly swarming you and some absorb more bullets than ever before. This is exacerbated by the new hand to hand techniques. While these are still greatly satisfying to carry out and punching an enemy or two out is a sure fire way to put enemies down instantly, this form of combat often takes an excruciatingly long time to perform that you're often left in the line of fire at low health. Riot shield and heavily armoured thugs are often a pain as you're often forced to waste your precious long gun ammo and the pistols are practically useless around halfway through the game. Stealth gameplay has also been toned down significantly, often times you may wish you could use it to avoid the frustration of the gunfights but enemies are much more aware of your presence and are likely to spot you as soon as take down an enemy or two. The puzzles are fewer in the third instalment but what's there is interesting to solve using the new fire torch mechanic, at certain points Drake has to grab a torch to ward off deadly spiders or light the way to the next area. Platforming has also remained similar to previous game which has quelled it's enjoyment slightly with the lack of creativity despite the addition of vertical cover battles. A sprint manoeuvre has been added to multiplayer modes increasing the speed greatly. Earning money from multiplayer matches is used to unlock new gear and weapons as you levels. You'll even play as young Drake at a few points in the game. A spectacular escape from a crashing plane and a bar fistfight at the start of the campaign are just two of the many moments that characterise Uncharted 3 as one of the best providers or jaw dropping, set piece moments. Despite some frustrations in the shooting the series continues to be as fast and frenetic as ever.
The PS3's technical prowess has been shown strongly with the uncharted series and Drake's Deception is no different. The greatest area this time is sand, watching it swirl in the wind, seeing Drake get covered in it and the way it flows and pours is exceptional and well worthy of the series graphical standard, Just about every animation is universally polished from Drake squeezing through a gap to the brutal hand to hand choreography. Naughty Dog's motion capturing talents shine through again with every character being presented almost photo realistically with the ways they move, act and go through the game. Multiplayer maps look just as good with superior performance both technically and artistically. Load times could have compressed further but it's a miniscule complaint in a sea of technical excellence, unmatched by few other games this generation.
Uncharted 3 Drake's Deception may not rise above its superb predecessor but that in no way means the game is anything less than brilliant. The third and possibly final entry is the series pulls off everything it does very efficiently despite a few flaws that will aggravate those expecting it to be the greatest game in the PS3 library. Fans of both the series and action/adventure games alike should not avoid this thrill ride and is well worthy of being knighted one of the best games of 2011.
Rating: 9/10
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