Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception is easily one of the most anticipated games announced for the PlayStation 3 this year. Seemingly just like clockwork the third instalment of the Uncharted franchise comes just two years after the last game like it came two years after the original game. This continues adventures of Nathan Drake and friends bringing back all your favourite characters for yet another treasure hunting adventure of searching ancient ruins, looking for lost cities and fighting against yet another evil organization out for their own evil purposes. Now is this third outing as amazing as the second game was or has this franchise gotten stagnant? Find out in this Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception review for the PlayStation 3.

Uncharted 3 uses the same basic game engine that been around since the first Uncharted but this time around Naughty Dog has introduced a few additions to the game engine. For one there are more chases than any other Uncharted before it as a means to break from the gun fighting and puzzle solving. They are fun to have and give a sense of urgency to what’s happening with the story which I like. Now the most touted new addition to the engine though would have to be a revamped melee combat system. This engine is full of quick time actions which it uses as a way of moving the combat forward where you are constantly prompted to press a specific button. This new element definitely adds some variety to the game… for a little while. Sure it’s nice to have a new layer to the formula but the combat starts to repeat itself really just after the first melee fight at the start of the game which afterwards you’ll be seeing the same animation over and over again. There isn’t that much variety to keep this interesting nor does it have enough depth to make this a truly interesting game mechanic it comes down to attack and block their attacks when prompted. You’ve got the occasional bad guy that’s a lot bigger and tougher than all the other’s that’ll take some extra effort to beat, but just like melee in general once you’ve done it once you find the next time not all that impressive. What makes this disappointing is that the melee is one the most touted addition to the game.

Outside of that this is for better or worse is a by the books Uncharted game where if you’ve played Uncharted 2: Among Thieves then you have a really have a good idea what to expect from it. I had moment of déjà vu more than once where I could swear that a scene in this game really reminded me of a game that I played two years ago. The gameplay can be divided into three distinct sections: action sequences puzzle segments, and platforming portions much like with Uncharted 2. A major issue I have with a lot games released in 2011 is there are few that are truly original and Uncharted 3 continues that trend of just giving more of the same instead trying to shake up the series. Uncharted 3’s core gameplay while is still as good like Uncharted 2 though I just wish something could have been to make it feel fresher and different.

The story is a mixed bag in my humble opinion. While there are some definite cool scenes like the box art’s advertised plane crash for instance but the problem with the story is how some of it just feels plain predictable. There are points in the game where you just know exactly where the story is heading and so the supposed shocking moments are just not all that shocking. Some of that lack of shock has somewhat to do with the game following the Uncharted 2 formula just a bit too closely where you can really just look back at what happened in that game to predict the next big twist in this one not to mention there’s just some plain predictable writing where twists are so heavily telegraphed that a dunce could tell you what’s about to happen. It’s still a fun story with plenty of explosions to give any action movie fan enough gun-candy to go home happy but it just doesn’t live up to the high standards that were set with Uncharted 2.

The multiplayer is probably the one area that has gotten the most revamp out of any other portion of the game though since the single player felt a re-tread that isn’t saying all that much. There are more game modes than ever before that might keep your attention for a good while. The biggest standout would have be the story based coop mode that lets you team up with one your friend for some main story like action. Each of the five chapters follow a side-story relating to this and other Uncharted games which while not as grandiose as the main single player is way better than the equivalent coop given in Uncharted 2. Along with that you can also play a Horde-like mode where you and some friends face off against multiple waves of bad guys waves coming at you as seen in most other multiplayer games out in the last two years. There is also a mode that has a twist on this called Hunter where you have both these waves of enemies and also an opposing team to contend with also giving this multiplayer some unpredictability that’s drastically needed to make it interesting again. Other than that you’ve got all your staple multiplayer modes including Free for All, Team Deathmatch and Plunder (Capture the Flag).Hardcore mode is the same as Deathmatch save you don’t get to use any boosters. Boosters are just such things as faster recovery times and more ammunition which is much like other multiplayer games out there. Also much like other multiplayer games is the fact it uses a levelling system that uses XP you gain from your online performance. The game has power plays that try to giving failing team the chances to come back by giving them some extra advantage, like making a marked man that’s worth extra points or making the opposing team a lot more visible than they would otherwise. Overall it’s a solid improvement from the offering in Uncharted 2 but it still might not win over multiplayer fanatics who buy Call of Duty every year just because it still doesn’t give an overwhelming reason to play this over Call of Duty.

The graphics haven’t really gotten a giant upgrade since Uncharted 2 came out two years ago. It’s a slight refinement where characters and the environments look a little better but you’d probably only really notice if you looked at them both side by side. So while they look pretty good there are definitely plenty of games that have come out during that span of time that look better. The variety of environments isn’t all spectacular where game takes place in a few handfuls of locals where the big finish to the game feels like a re-tread to the one you saw in Uncharted 2. Overall I wasn’t all that impressed with the visual package compared to the wow factor I had with Uncharted 2. The soundtrack remains a strong point of the game where you’re left with beautifully composed musical pieces that fit the action well. The tone of the action is set by the music which done very with Uncharted 3. This is the type of stuff you’d hear in a Hollywood blockbuster and exquisitely sets the tone for the game. The voice acting is still top notch with some the best voices in a video game being found within Uncharted 3.

Uncharted 3 has me gripping over a lot but I enjoyed my time with the game. The main problem is that it doesn’t do much to distinguish itself from its predecessors instead just being happy to give me more of the same. The story isn’t quite as strong as Uncharted 2 and the gameplay stays the same with the new additions falling flat for me. So while there’s definitely plenty to gripe over and this does feel like a slight step below Uncharted 2 it is overall a really good game. You’ve got a revamped multiplayer that’s better than the one found in Uncharted 2 to play with that helps offset some of the single player’s failing. If you liked Uncharted 2 and was left wanting more of the same then Uncharted 3 is a good way to go but if you’re looking for something different then continue your search as this isn’t it.

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