Treasure hunting has never been so epic... both in games and in films.
I'll spare you the story of Uncharted 3, as many of you already know what it's about: Nate trying to find the 'Atlantis of the Sands', a place where there's supposed to be lots of treasure for the taking. So I'll talk about the things I liked in this game and the things I didn't like about it instead.
Pros -
1. Fantastic Graphics
You thought Uncharted 2 was good-looking, just take a gander at some Uncharted 3 screenshots and videos. There's an obvious upgrade in the terms of environments, character models, animations, everything. Although I thought that the horses in U3 looked rather plastic-like compared to the direction Naughty Dog was going with the 'photo-realistic' approach, but that's a minor complaint. The shadows also have jagged edges to them if you look real close, but again, not a big deal. Overall, U3 looks very believable and realistic and it's easy to find yourself stopping just to take in the scenery before you.
2. Superb Animation
Once again, Naughty Dog captures our hearts with their excellent facial and body animations, both in-game and during cut-scenes. It's easy to get wrapped up in the story just because the animation and voice acting is top notch, and you actually end up caring about the characters and liking them, something that has to be accomplished successfully for any video game. My only complaint as far as the animation goes is when Nate is holding a torch during certain chapters and the way he runs comes across like he's 'gliding' across the floor rather than actually running. Even when he goes up the stairs while holding a torch, he 'glides'. This is, however, a minor complaint. After all, it is a video game.
3. Great Combat
This time around, Nathan Drake can actually block and escape enemies during hand-to-hand combat, sort of like Batman in Arkham City, but more believable I think. Nate can now grab stuff off of counters like bottles and wrenches and use them to smack enemy heads, or he can simply punch and kick, whichever comes first. He can also escape lethal parts of a fight when a thug has him in his clutches or is trying to push a knife into his chest by quickly tapping the O button. Overall, this is the best hand-to-hand combat in any of the Uncharted games. Oh, and you get to toss back enemy grenades if you time it right. Another plus.
4. An Intriguing Story
Again, I'll let you find out what the story is all about on your own, but I will say that I liked how Nate and Sully were together more often this time around. Let's face it, Sully only appeared in a couple chapters in Uncharted 2, so in U3, his and Nate's back-stories are revealed in-depth and thus it builds a strong sense of companionship and loyalty between the two, like a father & son thing. It was fun to be able to play as teen Nate in the beginning, too. And the thing about the Uncharted games is that they feel very long, thanks to the diverse level designs and plot twists, and that's a good thing. Although I would have liked to have seen Elena play a bigger role in U3.
Now for the Cons -
1. Brutal Enemy Presence
You thought Uncharted 1 had tough enemies, well you'll be in for a surprise in U3. The enemies here are tougher, come at you in seemingly endless waves, and you will find yourself falling prey to a killing bullet that came from a guy standing behind you when you thought that there was no one behind you in the first place! At times I felt like the enemies just surrounded me from every possible angle and thus there was no where to run to. Heck, it's bad enough that enemies take a dozen or so bullets before finally dying, unless you have a powerful weapon at your disposal. Trust me, when you get to the ship graveyard levels, that's only the beginning of Nate's troubles. So take note: always check your surroundings and take your time. Nothing worse than firing a whole clip of ammo at an enemy while they fire back and take you out first. So don't be surprised if you find Nathan Drake dying more than a dozen times in one checkpoint.
2. No Bonus Stuff
That's right, there are no player skins, no render modes, no one-shot kills, no unlimited ammo, nothin'. You just collect treasures and get to look at your stats. So there's no point in collecting treasure this time around, people. What's the point if you can't even unlock bonus content? The treasure collecting is just for kicks. I think this is one major reason why lots of gamers say they prefer U2 to U3. Of course, the multi-player has those things, but it would have been just as fun to be able to play as Sully or an enemy soldier in Campaign Mode. Heck, I would have settled for just an unlimited ammo option. Oh well.
3. Elena Looks Different
.... I know, but I just don't get why Naughty Dog decided to change Elena's face around? What was wrong with her U1 and U2 look? She looks good in U3, but still... Whatever, it's not like I can play as Elena in Campaign Mode anyway >:(
4. Minor Game Glitches
Texture pop-in, game freezing, characters shaking, it's all here. Of course, each gamer will experience something different, but the technical issues still linger. These are seldom seen glitches, mind you, so no need to get anxious, but it would have been nice to have these things ironed out.
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For the most part, I enjoyed Uncharted 3. It's a fun, cinematic game that builds upon it's prequels and then adds some new stuff to the mix. Action, adventure, platforming, shooting, combat, puzzle solving, epic story, likable characters, awesome graphics, it's all here. I was frustrated, though, at the tough gunfight sections and the lack of bonus content in single player mode, but overall, Uncharted 3 delivers and it's a gaming experience that will last the test of time for years to come.
P.S. - On a final note, I personally like Uncharted 2 over Uncharted 3 by a few hairs, but each game is unique in its own right, so I say play them both for they are too good a games to pass up.