However, to refer to the games as a trilogy would be unfair. While cliffhangers and continuity are all the rage, all the Uncharted titles have cohesive stand alone stories that would be ruined if Naughty Dog went back and tried to tie them directly together. It would be just like calling the first three Indiana Jones movies (a clear and huge influence on Uncharted) a trilogy. Drake’s Deception happens four years after the quest for El Dorado in Drake’s Fortune and a further two after following Marco Polo’s trail to Shambhala… where protagonist Nathan Drake picked up another one of his (supposed) ancestor’s trails, which ties in with the archaeological days of T.E. Lawrence (a.k.a Lawrence of Arabia), in order to find the legendary Iram of the Pillars (or ‘The Atlantis of the Sands).
Guys! Now's not the time to see if I'm ticklish!
It’s not the story itself that has made the Uncharted titles so successful in capturing the attention of the gaming public. It’s the mix of the journey, the action twists, the relatable history, stunning locations, and the relationships between the characters that make the whole narrative so compelling - the thrill of the whole ride. And Drake’s Deception does well to fit the established archetype, though by this point there is more examination into the just who is Nathan Drake; some of this past, the qualities that make him human, his relationship with Victor ‘Sully’ Sullivan and the price he pays for his ambitious pursuits.
Naughty Dog has freely admitted that a lot of the development of Uncharted has the same direction as film production. And Drake’s Deception continues this establishment of ‘movie games’. So the graphics, presentation and gameplay are all tied in together to try and create a joy ride like no other. From a technical and graphical stand point, Drake’s Deception is as marquee as it gets on a console. Everything to the attention to detail, the raw technical prowess, the variety of locations, the choreography and direction, the vibrance, the use of colour all come together to make Drake’s Deception a unique and pumping visual feast (a few blatant mo-cap idiosyncrasies aside) in complete real time. You only have to closely examine the facial expression to realise the leap across two years. Couple this with an amazing sound track that captures the action, the moods of the story and a sense of adventure, as well as sublime voicing performances from the entire cast, and you have amongst the best presentations of 2011.
Geez... What on Earth did I do last night...
Gameplay and continuity hold a tenuous relationship with such a presentation though. Drake’s Deception isn’t the same rollercoaster that Among Thieves was, as it settles for a slower cooking narrative with a more gradual crescendo. It’s still thoroughly enjoyable, especially for the fans of the series, and an amazingly well paced ride. Overall though, the title isn’t quite as well realised as Among Thieves. The main enemy tries to play smarter, praying more on questioning Drake mentally, which leads to a more reverent use of the supernatural (assuming one particular bit was a weird glitch) but as a compromise it asks too many questions and starts leaving too many unanswered. While the story lives by its twists, some are borderline predictable, and players will come to expect Drake to fall on every third climbing obstacle… Still, those enjoying the ride are unlikely to notice the rush and lack of grandeur in what’s meant to crescendo of the game.
Gameplay wise, there have been some good additions to the otherwise familiar fare. Melee combat is now fun, pragmatic and dynamic, thanks to having the extra dimension of counters, context sensitive environmental attacks and the ability to fight multiple enemies at once. Flipping between gunplay and melee is now a must to survive, rather than veneered suggestion. Throwing back grenades is just about the best idea ever, lending more chaos into the set pieces while adding balance to the accuracy of enemies. Furthermore, there have been a couple vehicular style additions which work pretty well and some of the best puzzles in the series to date. Unfortunately, given the additional focus of Drake the individual and the haste of the game’s back end, it seemed like there weren’t enough of them.
Red Dead Uncharted.
Just how much control you have when you’re playing will be an issue for some. Visually and thrillingly, the chase and platforming sequences are as good as ever. It seems that an effort’s been made to have less incidental point A to B stuff, in favour of the thrill, but this is a double edge sword. If everything is a thrill, then it stops being a thrill; is thrill in the journey enough to know that it will end when it wants you to and not before? Enemies are still contentious though. Their sponging has gotten softer over time, and the ones that to take a lot of hits are actually well armoured, but the hit detection and reactions are still frustratingly erratic and not always reflective of what’s happened. The AI is noticeably erratic too. Sometimes they are very accurate from long distances, sometimes acutely alert that you’ve silently killed someone and sometimes ruthless at a close quarter. And other times they’ll run into your face, go off and take cover somewhere unknown or forget that they’re in the middle of a fire fight.
Less discriminating players and those enthralled by the spectacle won’t mind the deficiencies in the gameplay (or lack of it), but it’s very hard to stay mad when you have the unique set pieces that only Uncharted can provide. Naughty Dog has outdone themselves across the eight to ten hours that the story lasts, with set pieces now spanning vertically, environmentally and vehicularly, to create one memorable experience after the other. Previously, you felt that you were being challenged by the controls, but most set pieces now are genuine challenges with your environment as well as your enemies. You’ve probably seen a lot of these in videos, but you’re best off going and experiencing them for yourselves, rather than having it explained to you here. The only issue was the lack of a grand finale, which seems like a decision to avoid the criticism levelled at the artificial padding on the back end of Among Thieves. In hindsight, this criticism was invalid and Drake’s Deception really could have used it.
So, where now?
Multiplayer has actually seen some very worthwhile improvements. The ‘Buddy’ system is flexible and rewarding, allowing you to form impromptu teams, back out of terrible ones and work together to amplify your rewards and unlocks. There is as much a treasure hunting experience in the multiplayer as there is in the story, though these work towards experience increasing and unlocking customisable items, ‘boosters’ and ‘kickbacks’. Struggling players will now have ‘Power Plays’ to try and get them back in the game. And finally, some of the dynamic environments will provide scenarios like you’ve never seen before. With a story much more focused on Drake this time, the co-op breaks away from the confines of the story to provide the player with five separate and unique levels that take a lighter approach, but still make you feel like you’re playing something that could have been part of the story. Some will find it a shame that the PlayStation pass is being implemented for this title (namely those buying second hand).
Are you a fan of the Uncharted series? The review and the score below are irrelevant to you then. You will get exactly what you want out of Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception. It’s the rollicking ride that you all know and love, with amazing set pieces, some good improvements and a compelling cast. Nathan Drake is a highly likable and relatable protagonist, and now we get to know more about him. If anything though, it isn’t as well realised as its predecessor, primarily through the rushed, underutilised finale and slightly excessive trimming. Multiplayer, both competitive and co-operative, has been genuinely improved and provides an exciting alternative for PlayStation 3 owners. At the end of the day, for what it lacks in complexity, Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception makes up for it in spades in delivering thrill and adventure.
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, i could buy it and put it aside for a week or two. But i am swamped with games at the moment and can't afford to add another to the rotation for this week at least.
Mind you, I wasn't really looking out for such things... 
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