Naughty Dog’s Uncharted series are some of the best games on the PS3, in fact I would go as far as saying Uncharted 2 was my favourite PS3 exclusive, beating off the likes of Metal Gear Solid 4 and God of War 3. The game has a sense of fun, adventure and story that is missing from so many games, giving it a fresh feeling.  I have loved the series to date, so the third installment has a lot to live up to.

 

Uncharted 3 feels the same as its predecessors. The treasure hunting hero, Nathan Drake, is off on another adventure looking for Sir Francis Drake’s long lost treasure. The game has you climbing ancient buildings, fighting onslaughts of armed enemies and solving the occasional puzzle. Everything feels familiar in this third person action-adventure game that is often (rightly) compared to Indiana Jones.

When playing you’ll often have to find your way through the level by traversing various structures. Drake jumps, leaps and climbs around the maps with ease. Most of the time you only need to look for a coloured ledge and you’ve found the correct way to go. It makes for a fun platforming aspect and never feels overused and often adds to the dramatic set pieces.

These set pieces are where Uncharted 3 shines through. It has been hard writing this review without repeating the word cinematic, but the word embodies the game. Temples crumble beneath your feet, ships capsize and lots of things explode. These are amazing and Uncharted 3 is probably the closest thing you will get to a film-game hybrid.  These help to create a sense of immersion in the game that links perfectly with the story.

While Uncharted 3′s story is not likely to win any awards, it is identical to a Summer Blockbuster; cheap and entertaining. Love interests, twists and betrayals are all paced perfectly within the plot, making it one of the most fun games I have played in a while. There are even a few interesting parts that have clearly been designed for their effects on the story rather than for gameplay value, but these never feel out of place and work well.

The characters voice work is good too with the British villains (see just like a film) even sounding genuine, if slightly exaggerated, to this London boy. The script managed to get laughs out of me regularly with Sully and Drake’s banter standing out. At one point Sully was in danger and I found myself frantically trying to get to him as quick as possible, not to complete the mission, but because I was worried about him. It was only when I was reflecting on this that I realised how crazy this seemed, but trust me, these characters will stick with you.

This of course is aided by a beautiful looking game which constantly surprises you with how great it looks and feels. When the action is ramped up everything looks brilliant with huge structures crumbling and tearing in front of you eyes. Uncharted 3 works hard though and pays attention to many minor details, creating a visually pleasing package the whole way through. Several parts of the game have you viewing stunning vistas. When on a rooftop in London I could actually pick out many of the major landmarks and buildings. The scenery in the game always feels alive instead of being an afterthought with a static picture which makes a massive difference.

All of these helps in creating a brilliant game that, like a good adventure film, starts slow and builds up into a brilliant climax, with enthralling characters. It was 1am when I started the last four chapters, but I was engrossed and nothing was going to stop me finishing the game.

Uncharted 3 is far from perfect though. I didn’t like the game’s set pieces as much as the last game. Much of the series’ initial wow factor had gone for me. Admittedly, a lot of this will come down to your personal preference, but I found Drake’s adventure in Nepal from Uncharted 2 far more exciting than his trip on a sinking ship for example. As amazing as the journey is, Naughty Dog may have shot themselves in the foot with making Uncharted 2 so good. Uncharted 3 has a better story and pacing than the others but felt significantly shorter, although I was happy with this trade off.

Uncharted has always had issues with its gunplay and combat systems which lack bite. While they both work well, on the whole they are nothing special, especially hand to hand combat which is extremely shallow, but looks great with context sensitive finishers.

Uncharted 3′s multiplayer and co-op is plagued by the same problems as the single player. These are only emphasised more without the blockbuster moments of single player.  Being able to traverse buildings and flank enemies is brilliant and there are some nice new additions to your custom loadouts, but unless you are a diehard fan of the game you probably wont be playing it for all that long.

Usually the few underdeveloped mechanics of Uncharted would run games into the ground but it more than makes up for its problems. I was absolutely gripped by the ending and the game is unique when compared to others on the market. If you own a PS3 this is a must buy.

 

 

 

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