Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsUncharted 3: An In-Depth Review
Reviewed in the United States on May 1, 2015
As an avid fan of the Uncharted series (particularly Among Thieves), I was particularly excited for this new rip-roaring adventure into Drake's Deception; even though the title doesn't make any sense. Drake is never deceived nor does he ever deceive anyone. Sure there are twists, but then that would just mean that this would mean that Uncharted 2 would be "Deception Among Thieves" and this one would be "More Deception than you can shake a stick at"!
Regardless of the title, this game really stands out and makes a really good effort in trying to live up to the action-packed masterpiece that was U3's predecessor. Though it doesn't improve on as many aspects as U2 did to Drake's Fortune, it still does manage to do a better job on a few of it's aspects, from gameplay to graphics.
Starting off this review, let's touch base on the gameplay, which of course should be the most important aspect in any video game. By god does it do the job. Absolutely every single thing that could be done in U2 is improved upon in this game. The jumping and platforming feels smoother and more refined and the gunplay feels more natural and has more weight to it. Melee deserves a special mention since, though everything was worked upon, and effort seems to have been especially made to make the melee feel more involving then it did in the previous games. The fist combat includes many more animations and interestingly now has you using the environment and tools around you (for example you can pick up a bottle if near you and smash it on an enemies head). This gives the melee much more variety, meaning that I didn't mind as much when I was thrown into it, noticeably more often then previous Uncharted titles. Overall, in terms of all you could do in gameplay, everything feels much sharper and a end result of several things that Uncharted 2 was very close to reaching.
How's the story? This would probably have to be the game's weakest point, though by no means of the word is it bad. More so it's really just confusing. After playing it for a second time and reading more about the game online, I found that there were just many plotholes that demanded attention, though I won't spoil them here. They do raise a couple of questions, not only in the story, but also about the characters and Drake himself, reminding us that he really isn't as great of a guy we always think he is. Writing this, it actually feels darker than it really is, though it's probably just me. Overall, the story nonetheless provides great writing, acting, and characters that feel, if possible, more fleshed out this time around. We also have a few newcomers such as the comedic Cutter, and the enigmatic Marlowe. When ignoring the few missteps that occur in the story, it's hard not to get sucked into the globe-trotting adventure that you have the luck to be a part of, and it is very fun.
The only other aspect before I get to another issue are the puzzles; there are more than U2, but they are actually of a greater variety resulting in me not just being tired of them.
Now, it would seem that Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception should be as good as Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, having improved gameplay, graphics, set pieces, and a story almost reaching it's heights. So why isn't it as good?
For one, it feels like i've seen it before. That's not to say it's a rehash, which it certainly isn't. Instead, I felt that I wanted something other than a city we had to find in a perilous setting with natives to help me, a mystical element thrown in and ultimately a fight amidst a crumbling city. It feels exactly like Uncharted 2 in that way, only prettier. That feels like i'm putting Uncharted 3 in a very negative light, which I certainly don't mean to. Every story element that they touch upon is well executed, and I fully enjoyed my experiences.
Not to mention that these set pieces, though incredibly well-done and the most memorable of the set pieces, felt put into the game simply because there had to be exciting set pieces, rather than allowing for it to be more going with the flow. I still thought they were marvelous, but I did notice it, particularly a scene with a ship that everyone mentions shouldn't have been there, at least not in such a drastic manner; it takes place over several chapters.
So, in conclusion, is Uncharted 3 a good game? Yes. Is it a wonder to behold? Yes. If you want to push your Playstation to the limit, and you want to see all the refinement of an explosive and awe-inspiring action game, then you have to pick this up. It's not an improvement over it's predecessor, but it does a bang up job of representing Naughty Dog and the Uncharted name.
9.5/10
