Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception is awesome, complete with blockbuster action, breathtaking visuals and perilous adventure
Contains: Strong Violence, Intense Action, Adventure and Peril
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Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception is a third-person action adventure with platforming and puzzle elements that draws influence from history to set modern-day fortune hunter Nathan Drake on his latest globetrotting quest for immeasurable wealth and glory.
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STORY - 4/5
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Uncharted 3 sees protagonist Nathan Drake and mentor Victor Sullivan travelling around the world to such places as the Rub' al Khali desert, in search of the legendary lost city, the Iram of the Pillars, and The Atlantis of the Sands. The plot draws heavily from the archaeology days of T. E. Lawrence and upon non-fictional references based on discoveries that bring ideas out of the realm of fable into history, just like previous games were influenced by interesting historical backgrounds that revolve on the mysterious, and occasionally mystical, that even today remain unexplained or founded. The story sees the return of Chloe Frazer and Elena Fisher who unintentionally get caught up in a grand, globetrotting exploration to seek the lost treasure, which has inevitably attracted the attention of power-hungry villains intent on claiming the treasure for themselves and trying to attain possible power which is believed to be deliberately concealed at the source unbeknownst to our trespassing heroes. The plot is enjoyable, and despite the familiar sense of déjà vu you'll likely encounter on Drake's third dangerous quest, it flows at an impeccable pace that justifies what Uncharted games are all about.
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CHARACTERS - 5/5
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An early level goes back 20 years to fill you in on the origin of the small object at the centre of interest of the plot development, while also tying in some nice back-story knowledge on how Nathan Drake came into contact with Victor Sullivan, and subsequently revealing how the latter became a mentor and father-like figure for the young adventurer in his teenage years. What the story does so well is prove a real character-driven experience is at the heart of the game, that gives you multiple reasons to feel closely bound to their struggles and friendships, feel upset should death closely fall upon an unfortunate ally, and persevere with grit and determination should defeat announce a regrettably high probability for everyone involved. Nathan Drake is such a well adept and wisecracking protagonist, Victor Sullivan is such a lovable and loyal sidekick, Elena Fisher is such a worthy love interest of the handsome hero; and so when one of them tangles with danger, your affections become so evident for their survival and dedication for their immediate safety that it feels like you've literally woven into their lives.
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GAMEPLAY - 5/5
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Compiling an entertaining mixture of third-person cover-based shooting, environmental climbing, thoughtful puzzles and edge-of-your-seat stunt set pieces, Uncharted 3 will no doubt feel familiar to fans of this adventure-orientated series that has since reached the status of epic trilogy for it's popularity and top-notch production values.
The campaign gets off to a slow, stealthy start, before building up to the high-octane action scenarios that fill the last half of the game, and from start to finish the pace of the adventure feels just right. You'll be engaging in challenging firefights with a host of new guns at varying stages of the story, and when the gunfire dies down, you'll be bringing out your journal for clues to solve an obstruction in the form of a puzzle to advance the story and then get to sit back and view the highly watchable, movie-like cutscenes that keep you engrossed to the efforts of the characters. Puzzles are creative and provoke careful observation and thought to thwart them, but for those that get stuck, hints show up when the game realises you're taking too long; meanwhile gunplay is fierce and upbeat in tempo with no hints other than the obvious shoot first and ask questions later motto, relying on accuracy, skill and taking cover to overcome the usual, outnumbered odds you and your companions face on the path to your next objective. Hand-to-hand combat plays a bigger part throughout Drake's Deception than in previous titles, and a degree of brutality filters into these well-staged, third-person brawls that can be understood right from the very first gameplay sequence and opportunity to control Drake, where multiple enemies can be taken on at once, and where you'll be pushed to used strength and skill to punch and dodge your way out of difficult dilemmas when you're unequipped to handle the situation quickly and reliably with guns. The environment can prove a key role in these instances of melee combat and they handle very well to convey a sense of realism to Drake's largely improvised array of attacks and defensive manoeuvres.
Interspersed perfectly into gameplay are a few things at opposite sides of the spectrum. Environmental climbing, also known as platforming, causes you to dangerously traverse surroundings with many precarious moments to keep you immersed and maintain your focus for balance. Exploration is mostly optional, but should be taken into consideration given the theme of the adventure, and it's delightful to search each area for well hidden secret treasures available to collect. Then lastly, what defines the Uncharted series completely, are the massive cinematic set pieces that create unbelievable amounts of nerve-wracking tension, breathtaking quantities of adrenaline rushes, and a measure of epicness that tips the scale into memorable territory that few games successfully pull off that ties you in physically as well as emotionally for the characters at the pivotal point of the hazardous stunts performed and film-inspired, blockbuster thrills that provide gripping drama and near-death survival.
As is the typical case for Nathan Drake, a cheap excursion soon turns into an all-out conflict to preserve history's darkest secrets, and this terrific game has gameplay that varies consistently in areas of stealth, gunplay and melee combat, while incorporating subterfuge, fellowship and peril into an exceptional experience that summons each up without exaggerating them (beyond the exception that Nate is unlikely to survive such odds - but like any movie or game there are no restraints but to ensure you are enthralled by the events that trap the stars) and connects them into a set of plausible results that blend into a cohesive format.
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GRAPHICS - 5/5
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Revolutionary environmental lighting effects is arguably the highlight of the graphics this time around, and while the level design and interior visuals are still up to par with brilliance, it's the vibrant colour palette and, more specifically, the lighting and shadows that capture your eye and enhance your perception of the visual design. Many beautiful locations from around the world that connect to the plot are visibly impressive, and the quality of the detail that has gone into recreating various landmarks makes it so amazing to believe. Something extraordinary is implemented into Uncharted 3 that involves very impressive physicality of sand and water. When you splash through water the ripple effect is convincing and looks fantastic, and when you tread in sand when in the desert environment it reacts realistically under each step you take, making a very believable footprint that pushes the sand aside that's really cool to admire. Character facial expressions also make a big, though subtle, impact on the cutscenes and the acting, and certain life-like animations really make you feel like your part of the unfolding drama. Drake's animations are nuanced and realistic, but a minor issue does crop up when platforming and jumping where some animations look a bit disjointed and jerky and can break the immersion because it is noticeable, but not terribly distracting to detract from the experience.
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SOUND - 5/5
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Carried over from it's predecessors, Uncharted 3 has phenomenal voice acting from a cast of likeable actors, and the chemistry between Nathan "Nate" Drake and Victor "Sully" Sullivan is better than ever due to the level where you witness the start of their fortune hunting relationship. The theme in the orchestral score is similar to that of the first and second game's with the familiar instruments used to add something that settles you in during exploration and injects something that captivates you emotionally on the rollercoaster-like experiences in some of the game's memorable scenes that involve a lot of risk. The sound design is just perfect, and augments your interaction with the characters in cutscenes and confines you behind the wall of cover when battling heavily armed foes.
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CONTROLS - 5/5
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During some frantic chase sequences that either see you escaping the clutches of certain death or intently pursuing an assailant to apprehend them, the camera does an admirable job of following your every move while indicating which way to go next so you don't fail accidentally as a result of being unsure which direction to go next. Obviously you aren't ushered a certain way, and early observations of the route ahead aswell as good reactions certainly aid in avoiding possible failure under the pressure you'll feel and the heat of bullets coursing through the air past your head.
At the start of the game, the aiming and shooting may feel slightly more awkward compared to Uncharted 2, but after a while you'll feel comfortable with the sudden change and it won't cause you to be less accurate after practice with the core shooting mechanics. The control scheme is unchanged, and is easy to get used to.
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ATMOSPHERE - 5/5
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The characters you get emotionally attached to, the epic set piece sequences you survive by very fine margins, and the dramatic soundtrack that flushes your mind from thoughts in the real world, all combine magnificently to generate an enthralling atmosphere that gets your blood pumping faster and your inner senses crying out to see Drake and his fellow companions pull through a very unlikely situation every time the perilous circumstances crop up with telltale signs of lost hope and desperation. The environments, especially the lighting effects, contribute tremendously to sucking you into this fictional universe of danger and adventure, and overall Uncharted 3 has an atmosphere that you'll know and love, and feel deeply involved in.
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ENEMY AI - 2/5
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The Uncharted series has been prone to poor enemy AI, and this third instalment is no exception to that unfortunate tradition. Enemies take cover effectively and are skilled shooters; They are challenging to defeat in large numbers aswell which is intentional to keep the action intense, but they are also the prime source for some disappointing frustrations. What enemies do so annoyingly is try to flank you. Not only is it unrealistic, but it's aggravating. Countless times they'll just come straight at you, trying to get within melee distance, and this is concerning because other enemies equipped with snipers, rocket launchers or basic assault rifles can easily hit you when an unintentional melee duel begins and you're forced out of cover with very little chance to shoot them back, but forced to beat them against the low wall you were just taking refuge behind from the hail of bullets coming in your direction. It's behaviour that encourages you to be very aware, but produces segments of action that drift into negative ground purely because enemies can't resist but wander as close to you as possible.
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LENGTH - 3/5
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Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception is a satisfying length of roughly 8 hours for a first playthrough, though later playthroughs will likely be shorter if you remember puzzle solutions and plough through action scenes routinely.
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REPLAY VALUE - 5/5
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Join Nathan Drake on a spectacular search for the lost 'Atlantis of the Sands'. A journey that will take him from the mean streets of London to the mysterious deserts of the Middle East, and is beyond a doubt his most dangerous adventure yet. The game blurs seamlessly between gameplay and cinematics, never becoming repetitive or feeling tiresome, and is a very well made third-person shooter that is worth replaying over and over again. Uncharted 2 raised the bar so high that Uncharted 3 can't surpass it, nor can it quite equate to it, but even so, this well paced action adventure is a revolutionary character-driven game in its own right, and is an experience that grips you tight and pleads you to hang on for the series of blockbuster thrills it exhilaratingly delivers.
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OVERALL SUMMARY - 9/10
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Good Points: Exciting campaign filled with breathtaking action and gripping drama, Jaw dropping environmental lighting effects enhance the quality of the graphics, Satisfying hand-to-hand combat plays a bigger part in gameplay this time, Clever puzzles interspersed within perilous adventure and delightful exploration, Story takes the cast of deeply engaging characters to many beautifully detailed locations around the world, Entertaining platforming that's full of precarious moments, Revolutionary sand physics and water particle effects.
Bad Points: Poor enemy intelligence, Some slightly disjointed animations seem a bit jerky.