Uncharted 3 : Drakes Deception

By Tristan Tancredi

We have a red hot favourite for Game of the Year. It's the rough-edged, dreamy eyed fortune hunter, Nate Drake that's leading the charge.

Uncharted 3 : Drakes Deception is a beautifully crafted, near perfect video game. A game that makes playing video games all the more worthwhile.

It may not have the freedom of an open-world atmosphere and it might be quite linear (as it follows a direct path from start to finish) yet it does so with spectacular results.

Selling 3.8 million units exclusively for the PS3 on Day One of release, Uncharted 3 is a collection of amazing gaming sequences.

Combine a sensational script, brilliant gameplay, adorable, realistic characters and you have the recipe for Uncharted 3 : Drakes Deception.

Without giving anything away, Nate Drake follows a trail of clues left behind by T.E. Lawrence to acquire a certain "something", all the while trying to stop villains Talbot and Marlowe from acquiring the certain "something" first.

The same lovable characters from Uncharted 2 : Among Thieves return for another perilous, life-threatening adventure, yet, its the relationship between Nate Drake and mentor Victor Sullivan (who sounds an awful lot like Lt. Frank Drebin, Police Squad)  that takes centre stage in Uncharted 3.

Delving deep into Drake and Sullivans relationship, the developers uncover how they met atop the Columbian rooftops years earlier when Drake was a mischievous, adventurous teenager.

The unpredictable storyline weaves this way and that, always linking back to the relationship between the two fortune hunters.

Although following the basic plotline of Uncharted 1 & 2 whereby Drake must traverse different terrain to locate an ancient treasure or uncover a hidden town, Uncharted 3 has enough twists and turns along the journey to keep the game fresh and unpredictable.

Gamers are taken through a variety of new locations. From a barroom brawl in London, to the streets (and rooftops) of Columbia, to a jungle in France and a pirate ship out at sea, Uncharted 3 has set a benchmark for environmental detail.

No location more perfectly defines the detail of the environments then the desert of Rub' al Khali. The harsh environment is created with life-like mirages, heat distortion effects and sand that drifts, displaces and flows realistically.

Naughty Dog has introduced new physics to compliment the stunning new visual and environment effects.

All of the environments are mindblowing. Too often we had to pick our jaws up from the floor, staring in disbelief at the screen, thinking "WOW, this game is gorgeous".

Fast paced action scenes combined with an interactive cinematic experience, brings what seems like an interactive Hollywood blockbuster to the PS3. Sinking ships, crashing airplanes, awesome gun fights, horseback combat, delirious sequences, this game has it all.

An improved combat system allows Nate Drake to take on opponents at close combat better then ever before. Hand-to-hand combat with multiple opponents, contextual melee attacks and new stealth options all make kicking ass even better.

There is nothing really to say about the gameplay and the controlling other then that it is flawless. Enough said.

The introduction of claustrophobic British character "Cutter" (who reminded us of Jason Statham) was fresh, entertaining and humourous. His reactions creeping through dark, confined spaces were priceless.

The humour that is synomous with the Uncharted franchise is back in a big way. The quick comebacks and the sly comments from Drake and Co. keep the laughs flowing.

The initial loading time is quite long. However the game itself runs smoothly with no pauses in between movie cut scenes and chapters, which in the long run, is a positive.

Uncharted 3 takes about 10 challenging hours to play through, yet we did encounter a few things worth mentioning.

A few glitches showed up here and there. For instance Drake got stuck in a box on an ocean-liner level. A restart to the last checkpoint was needed.

The final "boss" stage is quite easy on Normal difficulty. Little strategy is needed as gamers simply have to hit corresponding buttons at the right time, it's hardly rocket science. We were expecting a more challenging finale.

The puzzles throughout the game are also rarely challenging and infrequent.

These minor imperfections take nothing away from the enjoyment of the game. The storyline, gameplay and character development of this game is what makes Uncharted so bloody good.

The middle-eastern themed music set the mood perfectly throughout the game (A soundtrack wouldn't be a stretch, we sure would buy it). 

There are a load of Competitive and Co-Op Multiplayer games available. The usual death match, free for all and treasure hunting scenarios are there and are great fun. 

A variety of maps are included. Although quite small, they are still great fun. But hey, this game isn't built for its multiplayer aspects.

Co-op enables gamers to team up with mates to compete up to 5 levels, so build up your profile, unlock a stack of bonuses and enjoy the brilliance that is Uncharted 3.

Uncharted 3 : Drakes Deception has said to other game developers, this is the standard that needs to be met. This is the benchmark. Good Luck.

Game: Uncharted 3 : Drakes Deception
System: Playstation 3
Developer/Co-Developer: Naughty Dog
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment

Rating: 95%

(Ratings Key/Explanation)