Uncharted 3: Drakes Deception... OH! I Play This Game!

Uncharted has been a series to follow since the beginning. In the first game, "Drake's Fortune", the story was very compelling but the gameplay was somewhat lacking. The following game, "Among Thieves", did a very good job at keeping the story interesting while working the kinks out of the prior game. But how does the third installment in this trilogy measure up? Very well, but not nearly as I had hoped.

Visual-9.5

Drake's deception definitely makes use of current generation's graphics. The graphics are crisp and and defined. During my play through of the game I noticed very few problems with the graphics. On one or two occasions there were terrain pieces in the distance that weren't completely rendered. Sometimes an enemy or even yourself when killed would land in such a way that parts of their body would be inside terrain fixtures. Though these are easily overlooked.

Cut-scenes are very well animated, as is the overall gameplay. Uncharted 3 has really mastered making a character look real, not just by making them look realistic, but making them move realistic. Here's some gameplay supplied by game trailers, enjoy.

Editing Note: Sorry for the lack of audio in this video, it isn't uploading well for some reason.

Audio-10

The voice acting for the Uncharted franchise has always been superb. With Nolan North (Deadpool in Marvel vs Capcom 3, Desmond in Assassin's Creed) leading as Drake himself, there's not much that can go wrong. But no talent was spared selecting the rest of the cast. Other main voices are played by Richard McGonagle, Emily Rose, Claudia Black, and Graham McTavish.

The voice acting talent is not the only thing that makes the sounds of Uncharted 3 stand out for me. The sound effects and soundtrack is also very well done. The music adds to the game significantly. It amplifies the intensity of shoot outs, and raises the emotions of touching or trying moments within the game. The sound effects are extremely realistic and add a feel of immersion to the gameplay. Where there's fire you hear fire. Where there's raging waters, you can definitely tell. All around Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception is not lacking in the sound department.

Story-9

Uncharted has always had a good storyline. Similar to movies like Indiana Jones, it is a treasure hunting adventure. The story starts out with Scully and Drake meeting with a new character about selling Sir Francis Drake's ring, a personal treasure of Drake's. Their buyer tries to cheat them using counterfeit bills and a fight breaks out. After fighting through thugs and running into an ally only to fall into the hands of the game's main antagonist, Kathleen Marlowe. Apparently Marlowe, Scully, and Drake have a bit of a history. Kathleen reveals that Drake may not be who he is, then shoots them both and takes Drake's ring.

How do they make it out of this one? Well, You'll just have to play the game to find out. The story focuses on finding the lost city of Ubar, the "Atlantis of the Sands". Through out the game you experience flashbacks to Drake's childhood to help provide some backstory to his relationship with Scully and Marlowe, and help his character development. Drake's Deception features a lot of development in Drake's personal relationships, specifically between Scully, and Elena (Drake's love interest). It seems that through the game he learns that his relationships with who he considers his family are more valuable than any treasure in the world.

Sappy comment aside, the storyline is well rounded, but falls short compared to the other games. Where the previous games have used the story to keep the player on the edge of their seat, and leaving your jaw hanging wide open as you watch the death defying stunts and twists unfold before your eyes, Uncharted 3 seems to piggyback off of them. The story is not bad, but it wasn't as good as I had hoped.

Gameplay-9.5

A game can have better visuals, audio, and story than anything else in the industry, but without gameplay, it's just a movie. Uncharted supplies good gameplay, but like its story, it is lacking in new developments. Overall the game hasn't changed much since Uncharted 2. The only new improvements are an update to the melee system to streamline hand to hand combat more efficiently, and a better stealth system. Other than that there wasn't much done to freshen up the game.

However, Drake's Deception does offer a better multiplayer experience than its predecessor. It adds a new buddy system allowing you to spawn with a friend or other player and use him as a spawn point. It also allows for treasures to be collected by either you or your buddy and it still counts for both of you. If that's not enough, it gives you a nice buddy taunt option, like a fist bump, or secret handshake when you take down an opponent. The multiplayer also allows you to create and customize your own character and load out to allow each player to have their own personalized online experience. Finally, the multiplayer allows for two players to participate in the same online match, on the same console, using split screen. This split screen function is often lost in current generation games and it is nice to see it return.

Uncharted 3 also provides built in co-op missions, unlike in Uncharted 2 where they were only available as downloadable content. I myself have not played the co-op missions, so I don't have much to comment on it. I will say how once again, split screen is allowed for co-op allowing 2 players to play without needing an internet connection.

In conclusion, the gameplay for Uncharted 3: Drakes Deception is still good, but it didn't get any fresh new changes. The multiplayer however received the most attention and is definitely a highlight of the game.

Drake's Deception is a great game, though it did disappoint me a little. I had hoped and expected for something better then Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, but I found that this 3rd game was about the same. There were a few intense moments in it, but nothing that had me almost falling off my chair like climbing across the top of a train or jumping out of a building that was crumbling to the ground. Even the ending of Uncharted 3 felt a little lacking. Overall it's still a great game, I had just hoped for more. Personally, I'd give it an 8, but that's just based on my own expectations and disappointments with the game. Overall I'd give the real quality of the game a 9.5.

I hope you found my review helpful. Would you like to see the series continue with an Uncharted 4, or do you think it should stop before it ends up beating a dead horse? Did you find yourself somewhat disappointed like I did, or do you think this is the best Uncharted yet? Leave your answers, questions, or overall comments below!

NEXT TIME ON: OH! I Play This Game! - Street Fighter X Tekken, will it measure up or get Ultra K.O.ed?