Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception

When Uncharted 2 saw the light of day back in 2009 I don’t think anybody expected it to become as big as it actually did. But it did make quite an impression on the gaming world and suddenly the stakes were higher than ever before. Could Naughty Dog do it again? Could they make another masterpiece in the action/adventure genre? In 2011 Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception was released.

Nathan Drake and the gang are back and this time they are searching for the lost city of Ubar. A city which none other than Sir Francis Drake once were sent looking for on a secret mission for Queen Elizabeth I. Only problem are Katherine Marlowe, who shares a past with both Sully and Drake, and her right-hand man Talbot. Marlowe has the means and determination to find the city and if she does a lot of bad stuff would happen. So once again Nathan must embark on an epic journey to save the day.

Let me make this clear from the get go: Uncharted 3 is an absolutely fantastic game and one of the few reasons why I don’t give it a full 5 out of 5 is because the bar is set so high by its predecessor. If you liked Uncharted 2 chances are you will like the third installment too. Naughty Dog more or less perfected the formula with the second game and they are sticking to that formula with the third game. That’s also fine seeing as I’m a big believer of not fixing something that isn’t broken. But it also means that it doesn’t quite have the same wow factor as the previous game. That being said, this is still a great game and another worthy entry in the Uncharted series.

There has been made a few changes to the gunplay and combat. The best change is the ability to throw back enemy grenades, other than that the shooting plays and feels pretty much as you would expect from a Uncharted game which is good. Then there is the new combat system that honestly fells a bit too mechanical and stiff. I liked the combat in Uncharted 2, yes it was simple but it worked. This time around the combat fells slow and clunky; you have to wait for certain button prompts to appear in order to pull of moves like dodging or getting out of grapples. For some reason that aspect of the game felt liked it wasn’t quite done, like it had been rushed through development or something.

This shouldn’t come as a surprise for anyone but Uncharted 3 is a gorgeous game. It might be the prettiest console game released, so far, in this generation. Everything from the different environments to the little details like the sand in Drake’s hair or the way he touches a wall with one hand when running to take of a bit of the momentum is perfect.

This game also features one of my all-time favorite moments in gaming. Well it’s actually a bit more than just a moment, it’s an entire sequence: The Rub’ al Khali desert. Everything from the harsh sun lighting, the sand and camera angles are unlike anything I have ever seen before in a videogame. It’s also brave in a way for a big blockbuster game like this is to include a 20 minute long sequence, where you are essentially just walking around the desert. But it works goddammit! Speaking of amazing sequences the horseback chase where you are constantly jumping of the horse and on to different trucks was beyond awesome. Naughty Dog clearly wanted to see it they could make an even better version of the truck jumping sequence from the second game and they did.

I also have to give Graham McTavish some credit. McTavish plays a new ally of Drake’s called Charlie Cutter. Cutter is a great addition to the cast of Uncharted characters and the only downside is we don’t see enough of him in this game. But there is always next time right? Riiight?

As you can see I still thoroughly enjoyed this game and if this were to be the last Uncharted game we saw from Naughty Dog I guess I would be okay with that. But I do really love this series and if they were to make a new one for Playstation 4 for example, well let's just say that I totally wouldn’t be against that.