Perhaps the most understated of the series, but also perhaps the best.
The core gameplay of Uncharted 3 is largely unchanged from previous instalments, though there have been some tweaks and changes. The meat and potatoes gun combat now has a feature to let you throw back enemy grenades, opening up new tactics, whereas there is very little repetition within the context that battles take place in- whether you find yourself pinned down in a deserted settlement with gunfire coming from all directions, fighting on the deck of a cruise liner being battered by huge waves that knocks you off balance, or shooting up at enemies as you scale up sheer cliffs. There are also some new weapons added into the mix, from the Tau Sniper revolver which acts as a pistol version of a sniper rifle, to the new KAL 7 and M9 assault rifles, both of which are different enough in feel and use to be noticeable. Snapping in and out of cover to avoid gunfire and explosives, and to flank enemies remains as smooth and snappy as ever, though the base aiming mechanics works of an 8-point movement rather than the analogue system of Uncharted 2, and therefore can feel somewhat stiff at first- though Naught Dog has recently released a patch that lets you change the aim settings for those who prefer the old system. Also, having to still use the triangle button to switch weapons and pick up extra ammo can still be a bit fiddly at times, especially under heavy fire or when you happen to be standing on top of a little pile of weapons. The stealth sections also raise more issues, particularly in that you're often let into wide open areas that could conceivably be cleared through stealth, but more often than not you'll be spotted as enemies appear to have eyes on the back of their heads or a sixth sense, suddenly realising where you are, and summoning in waves of reinforcements that spikes up the difficultly considerably. Such areas will likely take several tries to complete, especially on harder difficulties.
Perhaps the most noticeable change is the expansion of Nate's melee combat- there are some segments where he is engaged in a brawl with several other enemies, forced to use whatever he can find to fight back. You can now fight more than one enemy at a time, countering a blow from behind, throwing enemies into one another or off of ledges, and even using context-sensitive actions depending on the objects in the environment- from smashing an enemy's face onto a crate, or smacking them in the face with a glass bottle or some other blunt object to knock them out in a single hit. Though these instances are few and far between, they make a nice change from the rest of the core gameplay and it can be pretty fun knocking out a foe by smacking them in the face with a giant frozen fish.
All of these changes are well granted, but despite Uncharted 3's somewhat understated first half, throughout the second half you still encounter the massive set pieces so beloved of Uncharted 2- including a cruise liner that gradually tips over as its hold fills with water, and then capsizes fully in real time, and of course the cargo plane that catastrophically comes apart in mid-air above the desert. There are more thrilling set pieces littered throughout the entire game of course, including a chase through the streets of Yemen, fleeing underground tombs from a horde of spiders, and more besides. The pace falters near the end though, and as a result the last few chapters feel a little rushed.
Graphically, the leap between Uncharted 2 and 3 is not as massive as it was between 1 and 2, but this is easily still one of the best looking modern video games on the market. There is a big variety in environments, from the rain-lashed streets and shadowy back alleys and tunnels of London at night, to overgrown, crumbling chateaus in the French wilderness and of course, the endless, sprawling dunes of the Rub' Al Khali desert in the Arabian Peninsula, which acts as the backdrop for one of the game's more slower-paced highlights. There are some pretty impressive effects in there too, from horribly-realistic fire that spreads through your environment, destroying walls and taking over cover positions you were hiding behind seconds beforehand, and a rolling, frothing sea in a ferocious storm, that rolls and brackets the vessels you occupy upon it. And of course, Uncharted's cast are so detailed they could easily pass as real people- from the tiny cuts and the beard stubble that marks Nate's face to the wrinkles on Sully's brow and countless other small details such as sweat stains on clothing and sand that clings to Nate's hair as he tumbles down a sand dune. The animations have been given a significant overhaul as well- Nate has a large number of idle animations if you make him stand still now, and even making his way through the environment makes him feel more grounded in reality, as he stumbles and stalls on uneven ground, puts his hand out to push off nearby walls, and even slips and slides on the wet deck of the aforementioned cruise liner. The strong motion-capture works its way into the interactions between the cast as well, further adding to the belief that these could be living, breathing humans rather than just computer game characters.
Once Uncharted 3's story mode has wound down, there is always the multiplayer to jump into. Building on the foundations set down by Uncharted 2's MP, this time there is a whole deluge of new additions for you to get your teeth into. For one, you can now create and customise up to four separate load-outs before each match, switching long guns, pistols and various weapon attachments, as well as various boosters that give you bonuses, and medal kickbacks- which act as a kill streak that can spawn an RPG into your hands, turn you into a swarm of spiders, or even give you special grenades- which you earn by collecting the various medals from in-game achievements. However, your boosters upgrade by earning enough medals of a particular kind, further increasing the bonuses you receive, and there is also the buddy system, that pairs you up with another player in the game, which offers a number of benefits- including being able to spawn on your buddy's position if you get killed, and being able to get a special medal by high-fiving over the bodies of opponents you've defeated together. The cash you earn through playing can be used to purchase a myriad of upgrades, new boosters, kickbacks, and more, while treasures sometimes dropped by your fresh kills can be collected in sets to unlock new weapons and clothing items for some of the character skins.
Most match modes are fairly familiar form Uncharted 2- Team Deathmatch, Free for All, Plunder, Team Objective, and more, but some new modes have been dropped in as well. Three Team Deathmatch takes full advantage of the new buddy system as three teams of two go at it, whereas three co-op modes offers highly compelling gameplay between three players, from covering one another as well as saving one another when you're down or being grappled by another enemy. Co-op Arena is similar to the last time, though new modes including siege and gold rush are added into the basic survival rounds, while Co-op Adventure acts as an expanded upgrade of the previous Co-op missions from Uncharted 2- the five levels each have their own separate story connecting them, and with the option to play through them on harder difficulties for extra cash. There is also another new mode in Co-op Hunter, where one pair of players act as the heroes and try to return a number of treasure idols to a chest a la Plunder, but the other team acts with a band of AI-controlled pirate sin an effort to thwart their efforts- if the villain team collects enough medals, they can use these to spawn with better weapons and equipment on their next life.
In all, Uncharted 3 is perhaps the best game in the series thus far. Of course, this is an entirely subjective view. Many have complained of the fact that the last few chapters of the game feel rushed, the new aiming mechanics sucked, and that the removal all of the tweaks/cheats/weapon spawns that once could be used in Uncharted 2's single-player campaign has seriously reduced the single player's replay value. But again, this is all subjective. I thoroughly enjoyed this game, and anyone who considers themselves a fan of the series will do as well. Naughty Dog has once again set the bar ridiculously high for any others that proceeds in the wake of Uncharted 3, and proves there is still a place for linear action-adventure games in the current generation.