Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception

Published on October 25, 2011, by Wyk - Posted in PS3 0

8 Overall Score

Graphics: 9/10

Gameplay: 8/10

Story: 8/10

Visually Stunning | Very good combat enhancements | Amazing character response

Loose ends in the story (negligible)

Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception

GAME NAME: Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception

DEVELOPER(S): Naughty Dog

PUBLISHER(S): Sony Computer Entertainment

PLATFORM(S): PlayStation 3

GENRE(S): Action / Adventure

RELEASE DATE(S): November 1, 2011

Naughty Dog has been very impressive with both Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune and then repeated the same feat of success with Uncharted 2: Among Thieves but did they manage to do it again with Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception? Is it so brilliantly made that we will be left with nothing but praise for the game? We could answer that for you right now but we will sideline our opinion a little bit and let you decide by reading through this quick review of what Nathan Drake might have in store for you when the game releases at the start of November.

So what made the Uncharted franchise such a major hit? Was it the ecstatic cinematic presentation of the the game? Was it the gripping story line? Was it the flexible gameplay and combat system? Well, whatever it might have been, we have already judged them in the past. But as we stand at the doors of the third installment of the franchise, we can without a hint of a doubt tell you that Naughty Dog definitely outdone themselves with Drake’s Deception in every aspect of the game when in comparison with it’s predecessor titles.

GRAPHICS AND PRESENTATION

For all those who feel that graphics cannot be boosted anymore on the seventh generation platforms, Drake’s Deception will definitely make you sit quiet. Though the leap between the graphics is not as quite drastic as it was between the first two games of the series, Uncharted 3 in simple words is absolutely stunning both in terms of graphical quality and also the design art of the world.

Neatly designed environments totally add up to the feeling of what a cinematic game telling is all about and Naughty Dog brings it out very well in Uncharted 3. Right from interiors to wide landscapes, all of Uncharted’s realms are accurately represented in theme and style. With neat cut scenes and cinematics, Naughty Dog makes sure you see the beauty of the world they have created.

“Right from interiors to wide landscapes, all of Uncharted’s realms are accurately represented in theme and style.”

Now that we have spoken about graphics, we move on to the more sensitive topic of game presentation. It would be incorrect in our opinion to compare the meta to that of it’s predecessor titles but many game sequences in Drake’s Deception are absolutely fantastic and work absolutely well with the story of the game. Would they top the excitement and anticipation that those in the earlier games brought to us? Hard to say as that is heavily based on the situation but be assured when we say that there’s enough “wow” moments in the game for you at least for your first run.

In this aspect, we would rate Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception with a majectic 9 pointer score.

GAMEPLAY

From a technical point of view, you will find a lot of similarities between the gameplay and combat of Uncharted 2 and 3 but it is an understandable factor that after a near perfection system achieved by Naught Dog in the second game, they still managed to enhance the experience quite a bit. The weapon combat is more or less the same with the target, aim, cover and fire but the melee combat system got some sweet love with creative usage of the surrounding environment added to this installment. Being hardcore fans of the hard punching in Uncharted 2 and playing multiple levels without the usage of guns, seeing variant combos and melee fighting styles in Uncharted 3 was the cherry on top. The game itself calls you to get more in to melee combat so if you’ve always been a fan of Drake beating hard rather than shooting, you are absolutely going to love this game.

“Most of the gameplay is similar to that of the second installment in the franchise but the enhancements to the melee combat system of the game totally makes our day. Punch it hard and punch it good.”

You will also find yourself in some interactive and unique self control moments in the game’s sequences that give you the cinematic feel that the game is so widely known and recognized for. For all the fans of the franchise who loved the gameplay of Uncharted 2, they will be totally in love with what Drake’s Deception has to offer but if you have been someone wanting change, then sorry to be rude but you shouldn’t be playing Uncharted in teh first place.

The game’s motion capture that was much talked about does a very good at job at presenting very natural and realistic movements throughout the game without having to compromise at all on the responsiveness of the character. Uncharted 3′s character control at every point ensures you know and feel the presence of your character and his status with complete accuracy allowing you to immerse in to the story even more.

Special shoutout to Naughty Dog for allowing us to throw enemy grenades back to enemies (Yes, exactly like in the Indian movies and sometimes even better) and that sums up the entire gameplay quotient to an impressive 8 pointer.

STORY

In a cinematic game like Uncharted, the story plays a very pivotal role in determining the overall quality of the game. While we feel that a very good narration of Drake’s and his mindset has been done in the game, it falls a little bit short of the massive story sequel we have been expecting the game to deliver. The elements of story telling from Uncharted 2 are greatly retained in Drake’s Deception too but somehow we felt that Naughty Dog went a little off with maintaining the flow and somehow the aspects that make up a totally gripping story line sort of felt isolated from each other.

Uncharted 3 falls a little bit short on story for a game that is primarily narration centered.

However, we do agree that the core story of the game is the best the franchise has had till date despite some of the loose ends we might have particularly noticed. We get a tad bit dramatic about these things. It’s not much to worry about unless you are a hard picker like us. Right from Drake’s relationship and history with Sully to the game proceedings with Elena and last but not the least, to the antagonist Katherine Marlowe, the story ensures that all of them have been portrayed in the exact correct essence. Some of the characters could have played a larger role in defining the story even more but once again it’s something that we would have personally wanted out of the game that needs a very strong story.

In a little wrap up of the game’s narration that prohibits us from giving away much about the story, all we can say is that the game is fun and the story is worth the “watch” and maybe even more than once. Will it contribute to us replaying the game? Not really. We’d go back to the punching anyway. The story play can walk away with a good 8 pointer.

VERDICT

Uncharted: Drake’s Deception is totally worth the money you would be paying to take it home. Coming as a successor to a much awaited platform specific title, Uncharted 3 stands up to all the expectations and in some cases even deliver more than expected. Irrespective of what mode and style you are playing the game on, you will be constantly reminded that it is the best possible successor a game like Uncharted 2: Among Thieves could have had.

We would also like to remind people that the multiplayer component of the game has been really impressive. Those who have participated in beta testing earlier can vouch for that. It will definitely add to the value of the game.

Uncharted 3 will be one of the bigger titles for all PlayStation 3 users come November. If living a spectacular action movie is what you want, go out and get this game. You will not see better in a long long time to come (unless ofcourse Naughty Dog breaks all barriers with Uncharted 4. We’d love to see how that works out).