Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception (PS3) > Reviews (44)

Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception

Tested and reviewed based on the PS3 version.
Review by Ben Nacca
(Follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/BenNacca )
XBL GT: Darkeyes1991 PSN ID: Darkeyes2k11

The Uncharted series by Crash Bandicoot masterminds, Naughty Dog, has turned into a flagship title for the Playstation 3 after the first two titles in the series were widely praised by critics and the public alike. With Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception now here, the developers are showing off what the Playstation 3 is really capable of.

Blending Tomb Raider with Indiana Jones along with adding its own unique style, the Uncharted series is filled with fast paced action, cinematic adventures and witty one liners as you follow the adventures of Nathan Drake across the globe. Although at times it is easy to forget Uncharted 3 is, in fact, a game and not a film, you cannot deny the effort that has clearly been pumped into this franchise.

Handling as a third person action adventure shooter, you control Nathan Drake from running, jumping and climbing to shooting, brawling and throwing throughout the game. Fans of the previous instalments will feel right at home with only a few tweaks added which make everything much smoother and fluid, including new grenade system and the ability to counter more than one foe at a time.

Combat, whether close or ranged feels comfortable and fast paced with the melee system receiving a little bit of a makeover. Keeping what worked in and adding more has actually improved it massively, making surfaces and objects on surfaces, such as bottles for instance or stools, items can hit people with as part of the fight. It brings so much more immersion into the fighting scenes and further engrosses you with the story. Weapons still handle similarly with a lot more variety now than the previous games which helps to mix the gameplay up and tailor to individual player’s tastes easier.

With you off this time around the world looking for the Atlantis of the Sands, players get to see more of Drake and a lot more backstory than before, focusing on characters and their motives a whole lot more. With red herrings a plenty, plot twists, turns and shocks, it is one of the most engaging and inspiring narratives on Playstation let alone in the series.

On a visual level, Uncharted 3 is outstanding. A pure marvel to look at and damn is it detailed. Showing off with bustling crowds in cities to the vastness of a ship graveyard, not to mention the desert areas with the attention to detail with specs of sand, from start to finish Uncharted 3 is beautiful. It really shows the power of the Playstation 3.

Once again, voice acting is superb even if there are the “typical” English accents thrown in to represent us Brits. Either really posh or Cockney…apparently there is no middle ground? Either way, the script and dialogue are perfect, filled with one liners, personalisation and feeling – making Uncharted 3 one of the most engaging games I have actually played, not bad for a game that is not a Role Playing Game.

There is not much to complain about with the musical score either, the recurring theme tune is back in all its greatness and ambience sounds along with gunshots, enemies talking and so on are all as they should be. It hardly feels like anything is not good enough or too over the top.

Multiplayer features include your deathmatch style game mode along with co-operative ventures too for those who prefer to work together. The co-op missions are all over the Playstation Network however so unfortunately there is no splitscreen option but at least you have the option to gain more Uncharted story and game play through the online option, since the campaign on Normal will last you around 6-8 hours at a push although there is plenty of replay value and of course, collectables.

Visuals 10/10

Visually perfect for this type of game. Looks amazing and really is a delight to the eyes. Cinematically plays out really well and the in game visuals are equally fulfilling.

Audio 10/10

The voice cast is exemplary and even if they did throw a few typical English accents in there, that is what we are there for in these American adventures right? Weapons, background sounds and explosions all sound really well while the music is as catchy as usual.

Gameplay 9/10

More of the same for fans of the series but if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it but if you can improve, do so. Which they have ultimately done with the tweaks to the grenades and melee combat, it feels much more fluid and responsive. Great work.

Delivery 8/10

With a campaign spanning 6 to 8 hours on average with multiplayer and co-operative missions, there is more than plenty to do. The multiplayer still feels a bit out of place like Dead Space 2 or Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood but there are plenty of people who are going to love the online portion of Uncharted 3.

Summary 9.4/10

Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception is the pinnacle of Playstation 3 glory. It is one of the best games I have experienced and I personally don’t think, outside of an RPG, you can get a better story in a game. Uncharted 4 is rumoured to be on the cards but don’t expect to see that for another year, or two.

This guide is the property of Ben Nacca and is for the sole use of www.lanraiders.co.uk, www.dooyoo.co.uk and www.ciao.co.uk. No copying to other websites or other mediums without written permission first.