Uncharted 3 is a masterpiece. I could start and finish the review there, because it really is. From the moment the opening montage kicks in, to the final credits, it has every single ingredient needed to succeed.
The original Drake's Fortune set the bar for visuals and third-person adventures on the PlayStation 3 and Uncharted 2: Among Thieves greatly improved on that, adding multiplayer modes and even shockingly improving on visuals; as does Drake's Deception. It looks brilliant, and if you have a 3D TV, I urge you to try it out; don the silly specs and get very immersed.
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| "Y'know what, I have no idea where I parked the Volvo" |
Drake's Deception may sound familiar to it's predecessors, with the same general idea of a lost city that needs finding before the bad guys get there. But where it achieves one of it's greatest feats is through it's unpredictability. With the game starting off with a barroom brawl that introduces its new melee system, leading to a conversation between villainess Katherine Marlowe and Drake, the game leaves behind the betrayal elements of the last game, instead focusing on a more, "family" orientated relationship between Drake and his mentor Sully.
Gameplay still revolves around climbing walls and shooting bad guys, but thanks to minor refinement, those mechanics are now better than ever. Everything looks incredible, and running through levels and taking cover never gets old because Naughty Dog has done a lot of work to merge the gameplay with the story. With perfect pacing alongside cutting edge graphics and excellent cinematography -- it's a breathtaking experience.
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| "You said you'd put out your cigar!" |
The game isn't all climbing and shooting though, and strangely, one of the games best sections contains none of those segments.
*SPOILER ALERT*
In a heart-wrenching section where Drake is by himself and completely lost. He's fell from a plane, using only a parachuted cargo crate to land safely, he finds himself lost in a desert. Literally on his own, battered and bruised, he's as good as dead. He becomes desperate. And although the sands and textures look phenomenal, it's horrible. After mirages of water, and some of his lost friend, Sully, appear, he seeks shelter and loses hope. And as he does, my heart breaks.
It's a very slow process, with day/night sequences, but it never gets old or boring because it's so well done, and shows us a side of Drake we've never seen before. Drake slowly begins to give up, until he finds a a derelict city, with a small puddle of water, he give sin to his despair and drinks it, after which, finds himself at odds with armed bad guys, and the pace picks up again.
It's a brilliant addition to the gameplay, and it was an enjoyable, and moving part of the story, even though it made me want to reach out and hug Drake, just to tell him he wasn't alone, but that's a different story...
What Naughty Dog has done with Drake's Deception, is created a living world. We all know the cast, the relationships between Drake, Sully, Elena, Chloe and the witty banter each has, as well as the one liners Drake spews out through the game, but what's changed here, is that we're given backstories, broken bonds and characters fears. It's beautiful and engaging, and at times, glorious nightmares.
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| Sully, like your Dad, only much cooler. |
Speaking of the cast, yet again, the acting is tremendous, the actors record their lines along with their movements, which leads to their characters feeling incredibly real, they all bring glittering chemistry. The games score adds more atmospheric feeling, beautifully orchestrated, and memorable. The games own "best in the industry" graphics go up and over what we all thought was possible, making the whole thing gorgeous, with sand clinging to Drakes hair, fire that almost burns through your TV screen and sunlight that breaks through holes in ceilings and walls.
But what about when it's all over? Then there's the multiplayer. Not really anything new over the Beta that we were all playing over the summer, but it stands on it's own, with several game modes, and the fact it's always a fresh experience each time you play, the multiplayer will be host to many a frustrating and enjoyable time.
Overall
Drake's Deception is a truly unique and incredibly special game, but that's the problem; it's not just a game, it's an experience.
From start to finish, single player to multiplayer, Uncharted 3 is one of games finest moments, and you better experience it, otherwise you'll miss out on one of the best games ever made.
A true masterpiece.
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| Exclusively on: PlayStation 3 Suitable for ages: 16 and overGenre: Third-Person Action Adventure Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment Developer: Naughty Dog Software |
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