Naughty Dog’s own Indiana Jones returns once more…
The Uncharted games have been superb; especially Uncharted 2 which picked up numerous awards for its visuals and gameplay, but it stands out for more than that because of one person, Nathan Drake, who is obviously a modern Indy. So, where does Drake’s Deception take us?
The story begins in a pub in London where Nate and Sully try to exchange a ring for cash, the deal goes sour and tragedy ensues, or it would have if Naughty Dog didn’t pull the biggest middle finger up to the audience with the dupe. The plot surrounds Sir Francis Drake and his secret mission to Yemen, why did he go and why did he try and cover it up? The answer is obvious, it’s bound to be something bad and powerful. There are some truly memorable moments in the story and as always, great banter between Nate and his companions/enemies.
Having said that, I do feel that the story is a bit on the safe side. It doesn’t take any major risks apart from the mind games that will leave you cursing Naughty Dog for fooling you. It was also nice to see a back-story to Nate’s childhood where he first met Sully. You’ll go across some great locations in Uncharted 3, all of which are stunning to look at. Although, the shipyard area felt a little tacked on and didn’t hold any relevance to the overall story.
The gameplay remains as it did in past games, Nathan climbs up buildings and the like, while shooting and fighting along the way. There are a number of puzzles to solve that are quite tricky and at times it isn’t always clear what it is you have to do. One puzzle requires you to step on specific tiles in order, kind of like The Last Crusade, but without the pitfall below. Enemies aren’t the smartest, but they do like to punch you if they get too close…which can cause problems when you are in a big gun battle.
I died quite a few times as a result of some lucky enemy with a rocket launcher at the worst possible moment, but it’s still a breeze and I got through the game in around 8 hours. Of course there are collectables to find and trophies to earn, plus you can go through the game in co-op if you desire. Multiplayer modes aren’t a huge surprise, there are competitive modes like Deathmatch and CTF like you would expect. There are also co-operative missions where you work together to deliver treasure and so on, add in perks and a XP levelling system and you have a compelling multiplayer.
Visually, Uncharted 3 is a joy to behold. The locations are stunning, the characters are realistic to look at and the effects are unlike any other, yet there are a few issues with animation and it’s a shame to see similar enemy types reappear over and over. The voice-acting is simply incredible and believable, while the soundtrack feels like it’s been taken from a blockbuster.
The Verdict
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception is a brilliant third instalment into the series, with truly epic moments that you have to see to believe. It may play it a bit safe in the story, but it is memorable nonetheless and an addictive multiplayer makes it all the better. Go and see what Drake’s been hiding!