BUT NOT NATHAN DRAKE! Oh no, no, no. Not the great Nathan Drake. After hitching a ride on a plane via the front landing gear (Which is extremely crazy, by the way!), exchanging bullets with thugs while hanging outside the open cargo doors 30, 000 feet above ground, destroyed the plane in mid-air while inside it, parachuting via a large crate box, walking across the desert for days without food or water and STILL has enough strength to obliterate a small army. WOW! He really had me up to my toenails there! And that's just a small part of the game! His actions would put James Bond's and Indiana Jones' adventures to shame.
When I found out that Uncharted 3 was under development and Naughty Dog was still spearheading the project, I knew the game would be epic. For me, no other game could surpass the action adventure movie experience only the Uncharted series could deliver. Unforgettable. Unique and literally an edge-of-your-seat experience. The hardest thing for me to do to these games was to put the controller down.
I know, I know. This review is a bit late (we're talking months here). Been pretty busy lately that I haven't got time to write reviews for the games I've finished. And I was busy doing some old school gaming like finishing Shenmue (fancy that!). But as they say, better late than never and I want to make a review of this game because this one is special, so there!
Now, enough of that crap and let's get on with the fun!
STORY
As always I won't go into details so as to not spoil it for those who haven't played this game yet. Is there any gamer who hasn't played this game? What the hell is wrong with you? Get your ass off the friggin' couch and go get this game now! As in NOW! (though you may have to buy a PS3 first if you don't have one yet. Just a thought).
Anyways…
The story begins on a rainy day in London, England (why does it always rain in London?). Our protagonists--Nathan Drake and Victor Sullivan--are making their way to a meeting in a local pub. The meeting was actually a trade off for Nathan's ring. The ring, as we all know, belonged to Nathan's great ancestor, Sir Francis Drake, and a certain Katherine Marlowe would like to pay a hefty price for the said ring. The ring was actually a key for a mechanism used by Sir Francis Drake to help him find the legendary lost city, the Iram of the Pillars. That was what Katherine Marlowe was after. Nathan Drake and Victor Sullivan with the help of some friends--old and new--must beat her to it because immeasurable treasures await inside the legendary city (or so they thought). And that is where the adventure begins.
Now let's meet the characters:
Nathan Drake - Our main man! The protagonist in the whole Uncharted series. Confident, cocky, stubborn as a mule yet with a heart of gold and would gladly sacrifice any treasure to save the world (or save the ones he love). He is voiced by the ever talented Nolan North who has been described as "the nearest thing the games industry has to a bonafide leading man" (got that from Wikipedia).
Victor "Sully" Sullivan - American senior treasure hunter and Nathan Drake's good friend and mentor. He's interested in anything that has "treasure" written on it but still helps Nate in saving the world or doing something for the greater good. He sees Nathan as more of son than a friend which was made clear in the series' 3rd installment. He is voiced by Richard McGonagle.
Elena Fisher - Nathan Drake's love interest throughout the series (She seems to be his wife now). An American journalist, TV personality, and foreign correspondent. Tomboyish, confident, and compassionate. Cares deeply for Nathan and Sully. She can actually hold her own in combat and is sort of like Nathan's logical, think-it-over-before-rushing-head-on side. She is voiced by the beautiful and talented Emily Rose.
Chloe Frazer - Nate's old friend and one-time lover even before the events of Uncharted Drake's fortune. An Australian treasure hunter who was first seen in Uncharted 2 Among Thieves. This time around she helps Nate in finding clues to Sir Francis Drake's mission from the queen. There is no romantic relationship between her and Nate this time around, probably because she already knows who Nate really loves and the fact that he's already married. She helps Nate both professionally and as a friend. She is voiced by actress Claudia Black.
Charlie Cutter - A new character in this story. A British fortune hunter. Little is known about him except that he's Nathan and Sully's old friend as well as Chloe Frazer's. Don't be fooled by his rugged exterior though. He's almost as well-informed about ancient civilizations and languages as Nate (well, ALMOST). Though he's a lot useful in combat than finding clues. He is voiced by Graham McTavish (wonder if he's related to "Soap").
Katherine Marlowe - The main antagonist in the story. Threatening and manipulative. The British leader of the Hermetic order, a secret organization formed by Queen Elizabeth 400 years ago. She has been looking for the lost city--Iram of the Pillars--for 20 years ever since Nate was a kid. Nathan and Sully is always one step ahead of her that's why she's after them. She has an uncanny resemblance to actress Helen Mirren but that's probably just me. She is voiced by Rosalind Ayres.
Talbot - Katherine Marlowe's right-hand man and overall asshole. He's British, he's confident, and he's an absolute jerk. Fiercely loyal to Marlowe like a dog to his master. Uses a dart gun with a drug that lets him manipulate anyone he hits it with including Charlie Cutter and Nate. He's basically useless in a fight and would rather let you chase him than stand his ground. I really hated this guy from the very beginning and hated him even more when I was chasing him. It really felt good to beat him up in the last part of the game. I actually hated him more than I hated Katherine Marlowe which means that the mocap and voice actor Robin Atkin Downes really did a great job in bringing this character to life.
GRAPHICS
Since this is an Uncharted game we're talking about, I expected it to have excellent visuals. And Uncharted 3 delivered it in spades. The graphics in the game are superb! It's as good as Uncharted 2. NAY, it was even better! When I saw what Naughty Dog did with the snow back in Uncharted 2 I knew they could pull off a desert sand visual. Sand was the main theme and visual in U3 and did not disappoint. The desert seemed so vast that you were afraid you might actually get lost. There was a time that I thought I was going the wrong way but the camera would angle itself to show you where you need to go so it's a bit impossible to get lost. The wind blown sand seemed so real that I was actually itching to cover my eyes.
The landscape is extremely detailed. I love it when the sunlight passes through the trees and leaves, and through the broken roof of a mansion or castle. From the walls and furniture of a broken-down Victorian mansion in France to the busy streets of Yemen and the ruins of a castle in Syria, the visuals were absolutely breathtaking. I spent a lot of time just standing on a roof of a warehouse in London and just looking down at the cityscape. I also did that on top of the stone walls of a ruined castle in Syria and just looked down at a distant town and again when dawn came and watched the sun come up. It was so beautiful that I didn't notice the thugs shooting at me from atop a ruined tower.
I really find it believable when a game can accurately capture the time of day like in Chapter 5 where Sully and Nate were traversing a jungle in France and I actually knew that it was midday because of how bright the sun was and the direction of the casted shadows. I did not encounter a single slowdown from the game even in combat in the middle of a sandstorm. The game ran smoothly without tearings or pop-ups. I also love small details like whenever Nate ran close to a wall and he would put one hand against it and push himself away or when he covers his face with his arm whenever he gets too close to a large flame. Small details like these make us believe that the character is actually a living, breathing person that can feel heat or cold or pain.
Oh and let's not forget the ship graveyard chapter. The graphics was absolutely amazing! The details on the broken down ships were staggering. The rusted hulls, the metal beams sticking out of the water (looked so real it made me want to have a tetanus shot)--you can even see barnacles and corals where the metal beams and the sea waters meet. It looks so real even if you swim up close. And the sea water, my goodness, it seemed so real you can actually taste the salty texture. But the water did not end there. When I went out into the ocean in the middle of a storm, the waves were so big that I felt it might capsize the boat I was in.
Plus all cutscenes were done with in-game graphics which was extremely amazing! The facial expressions and the details on the characters' faces were superbly done. Though some characters need a bit more texture like Salim which I found a bit lacking in skin imperfections and dirt. But overall, the graphics in Uncharted 3 will actually make you stop and gawk at everything around you. Even in the middle of a burning mansion.
Player:"But, it's beautiful!"
GAMEPLAY
OK, everyone knows that the Uncharted series is a third-person action adventure game. The action and puzzle solving is still as exciting as ever though not much has changed. You still need to take cover when being shot at. Pressing L2 will let you aim your weapon and then fire by pressing R2. Pressing R2 without pressing L2 will let Nate do blind firing behind cover. Tapping L1 will make Nate throw a grenade. On the other hand, when you press L1, Nate will aim the grenade resulting in a more precise throw. The thugs in Uncharted 3 though are harder to kill than in the previous game even in easy difficulty. You still have your normal thugs which are cannon fodder but as you progress, the enemies will become smarter and start to flank you. They will even wear body armor and shields which makes them even harder to kill. Nate still has his trusty melee but now he can dodge an enemies' attacks by pressing the triangle button when the game prompts you to. When an enemy attacks you, the game will go into a very short bullet time and a QTE will occur prompting you to press either the circle or the triangle button depending on the enemies' manner of attack. Those who have played the previous installments will feel right at home with the controls.
Nate still needs to use his climbing and jumping abilities especially when solving puzzles. Some puzzles require him to scale walls or jump over chasms or shimmy across ledges. The puzzles in Uncharted 3 Drake's Deception aren't that hard but not that easy either. In some cases, you'll probably spend an hour trying to figure out what to do (I'm looking at you, Water Globe). Fortunately this is where Nate's trusty notebook comes in handy, and every now and then your companions will give helpful suggestions. I never got into a situation where I didn't know where to go because the camera usually position itself to show you where you are and where you're suppose to be. There are exceptions of course. There are times where you have to move quickly to escape a certain situation and the game doesn't usually show you the way (those are one of the exciting parts of the game. Really intense!). There was also an instance wherein you have to look at the stars in first-person view to find clues. These kind of approach makes the game interesting and non-repetitive.
The gameplay is still as exciting and as cinematic as ever which is what the Uncharted series were known for. There are times where you'll get frustrated because you either can't figure out what to do with a certain puzzle or the game sends wave after wave of enemies at you (especially in the later parts of the game where you'll have to kill the enemies twice!) without giving you time to breath but it does not hamper the overall experience of the game.
MUSIC/VOICE/SOUND
The Uncharted series were also known for its orchestral soundtrack and excellent voice acting. The opening music is still the same theme we've come to know and love (it was called Nathan's Theme, I believe). The music is appropriately played depending on where you're actually at. In Yemen, the soundtrack was Arab ethnic music. In London, it was more modern jazz and orchestral action music. Syria was different as well. The music made the places believable and lets you know that you've arrived at a different place and this place has a different culture. The music also added the feeling of danger and is appropriately used in intense situations like combat and escape scenes. There are times where you'll only hear the rustling of leaves, the sweet chirping of birds, or the fall of rain which adds realism to an already believable world.
The Uncharted 3's cast of voice actors were really incredible. They breathe life into the characters and made them real. Nolan North really made Nathan Drake a very unique and memorable character. He was so good that Nathan Drake was nominated for Best Character in the 2011 Video Game awards (though he didn't win. Still it was something to be proud of. Way to go Nolan!). The supporting characters were memorable as well. Emily Rose made Elena Fisher a very likable and solid character. Richard McGonagle made Victor Sullivan believable and real. Katherine Marlowe was very sinister and powerful thanks to Rosalind Ayres. These people made the characters really interesting and unforgettable and really helped in the development of the story. Never have I encountered an awkward dialogue or a corny line (much less a corny joke). It was as if you were watching actual people talking to each other naturally. And the best thing about it is that the voice actors were also the mocap actors which means that they were really the ones acting as their characters, just like what Andy Serkis did with other video games (you know who Andy Serkis is, don't you? HOBBITSES!) Which means that Richard McGonagle IS Victor Sullivan and Emily Rose IS Elena Fisher and …(GASP!) Nolan North IS Nathan Drake! WOOOOW!!! I would also like to commend the extra voices who lend their talents to make the pain grunts and terrified screams of the thugs I shot and also the guys who made the sounds of the ocean tides and the chirping birds and the gunshot sounds and rustling leaves. Very, very believable!
OVERALL EXPERIENCE
You really can't go wrong with Uncharted 3 Drake's Deception. Those who have played the previous installments will feel right at home. The game still gives satisfying challenges and will still surpass expectations. Newcomers to the series will have a very unforgettable and exciting ride (But I still recommend playing the previous games so you'll have a better understanding of what's going on). The anticipation and suspense will literally keep you on the edge of you seat. You'll have a hard time putting the controller down once you start playing. It's like reading a good book (if you guys do read books). The story alone will have you hooked plus the cinematic experience will leave you playing for months. And then there's also online multiplayer and co-op (which I won't go into details because unfortunately I don't play online multiplayer).
Anyways, if you're looking for a high production, excellent quality game with top-notch story telling and awesome gameplay that'll keep you glued to your PS3 for months on end then put on your adventure gear and action boots and step into uncharted territory! (Oh and don't forget to put on your goggles lest you fancy rubbing sand in your eye.)
