In short
The Uncharted series is renowned for its intuitive gameplay and technical brilliance that is coupled with interesting and involving storylines that will make you fall in love with the characters and their makers. Drake’s Deception is the best in the accomplished series and so is not to be missed.
Developer: Naughty Dog
Publisher: Sony
For fans of: Platforming, adventure, story driven games, the Uncharted series
Reviewed on: Playstation 3
Also available on: N/A
If we had to give it a numerical score: 9.5 out of 10
Overview
Uncharted 3 Drake’s Deception is the third instalment in the much loved and critically acclaimed in Uncharted series and this time the story revolves around an ancient city and the search for the fabled ‘Atlantis of the Sands’. Nathan Drake unearths the terrible secrets of this lost city and as usual Drake and partner need to survive the adverse conditions that only a fortune hunter could experience. Uncharted 3 delves further into the rich characters’ stories and histories in the classic Naughty Dog story-telling manor.
What I liked
- Gameplay
- Visuals
- Sound
- Dialogue
- Storyline
Not so much
- A few graphics issues
Gameplay and Features
Uncharted 3 Drake’s Deception continues with the strong story-telling that the series is known for. Drake’s Deception is definitely the most interesting story yet and in the series, revealing more about the main characters’ pasts and how their relationships were formed. Drake’s Deception is again a very story driven game and because the story is so gripping, it keeps you wanting to play on – to watch the story unfold. There are very few titles that I can think of that have such interesting stories than that of the Uncharted series, and Drake’s Deception is where the story absolutely peaks. Newcomers needn’t worry if you have not played any of the titles in the series as it in an interesting story on its own that does not necessarily need to have been followed to be enjoyed on its own.
Uncharted followers will know that one of the series’ main attractions is the technical gameplay. The gameplay is an absolute delight thanks to the exceptional design and the intuitive actions – one of the very best third-person titles I have come across. It’s a linear experience but Naughty Dog has used the same wonderful platforming that gives you the feeling of an open-world game. But it’s a linear one so there is generally a ‘correct’ path to follow. For that realistic touch, the platforming paths are not highlighted as is the case with most games in this genre. So at first there may be some ‘trial and error’ moments but soon enough you learn what to look for to find the more obvious paths, despite many of them not being that obvious. If you are totally stuck then you can press up on the d-pad for a clue.
The brawling mechanics have evolved and you’re quickly introduced to the new system, simple in design but a pleasure to watch unfold, especially when Nate surprises you by using objects in the environment in the fight. Nate’s new found brutality took me by surprise on a few occasion, I would never have figured him as the “smash your head in the wall type” – more the counter and floor you using little force. I would best describe the new brawling system as similar to that in the modern Batman titles with a few differences. There is more fighting to look forward to thanks to Naughty Dog showing off the new system.
Uncharted 3 fully justifies its price-tag with the singleplayer experience alone. But you can add some mates to the experience in co-operative mode and there are some nice online mutiplayer modes, more so than with Uncharted 2. The online modes are not the norm and I think on that factor alone, should gain an even bigger following than the rich on the previous title enjoyed. The online modes, thanks to the rich Uncharted gaming world, are unique and even dynamic – a breath of fresh air in an otherwise stale arena. You can also customise the settings for an even more unique experience. There is plenty of rewards to collect to keep you interested beyond the win or loss.
Visuals and Sound
Drake’s Deception is undoubtedly one of the best looking games available, but it’s not perfect. The gaming world is detailed, lush and spans across the various picturesque settings, all complimenting the platforming aspect perfectly. The characters are well detailed and their animations of are of the highest quality. The story-telling experience needs great cinematic scenes and Naughty Dog does not disappoint here – the story is well driven by the timely cut-scenes filled with drama, humour and adventure, all perfectly complimenting the engaging storyline. The cinematic scenes are very big-budget ‘Spielberg like’ for plenty of those jaw-dropping, edge-of-your-seat moments.
The only visual aspects that let me down a bit were some less than convincing animations, some shimmering graphics, especially in the opening hours. I also found some parts where I could put body-parts through the stationary objects. But because the overall graphic level is of the highest quality, these very few quibbles were quickly forgotten and do very little to detract from Drake’s Deception.
The evocative soundtrack further raises the bar and again could be straight out of a Spielberg flick. The scoring is dramatic when it needs to be, suspenseful when it needs to be and suits the ‘Indiana Jones’ like adventure that is Drake’s Deception.
Nathan Drake’s slightly clean-cut persona which is further portrayed in his playful banter is not usually to my taste when it comes to protagonists – I usually prefer the gruff, smug and rough characters. I think its Nolan North’s voice-acting that warmed me up to Nathan Drake and ultimately won me over. There has been some really outstanding voice-acting this year, but few did their characters as much justice as North as Drake and Richard McGonagle as Victor Sullivan. Both characters suit their characters and charm you with the heroes, with the excellently written lines and the two voice-actors depicting the emotion in the scenes so well. The entire cast did an admirable job, but Sullivan and Drake stole the show.
The sound-effects are near flawless, from the sound of running on the ceramic rooftops to the thudding sounds in the fighting scenes – all super realistic and it is very apparent that great care was taken in not only the design, but putting it all together.
The overall sound quality had to be of the highest quality to go with the adventure and the drama. The game could easily have slipped the experience down a few notches, but certainly does not disappoint and matches the very high visual quality.
Conclusion
Drake’s Deception is the crown jewel in this quintessential console-selling series. It’s story-driven adventure at its best due to the brilliant design and execution in all areas. The gameplay design that is not the norm is so strong and interludes the various components so perfectly to keep you engaged. The story design is so engrossing and further enriched by the characters and their dialogue. And then to top it all off, the visual and sound design is of the highest calibre to execute the package with such charm
The sum of the parts that makes up Drake’s Deception all combine to deliver one of the best gaming experiences you can have.
Zombiegamer rating:
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