Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception Review

Jeremy

Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception Review by Jeremy

PS3 Review: It's good, and that's no deception!

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Benza · Posted: Mon Oct 31, 2011 4:42 pm�� Post subject:

Cyph · Posted: Mon Oct 31, 2011 6:10 pm�� Post subject:

Day one purchase. In my opinion, the best new franchise of the modern age (franchise in my opinion is 3 games or more

).

XtremeXfactor · Posted: Mon Oct 31, 2011 6:35 pm�� Post subject:

fatpizza · Posted: Mon Oct 31, 2011 6:55 pm�� Post subject:

Definitely day one. Looking forward to finally having the Level 35 cap removed in multiplayer...
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arbok · Posted: Tue Nov 01, 2011 12:07 am�� Post subject:

Jeremy - so I'm assuming U2 is your favourite in the series?

For me I just really love the simplicity of U1. I really liked how it stayed on the island and fully explored the idea of an island setting.

Loved U2 as well, but the story was better in U1.
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Jarrod · Posted: Tue Nov 01, 2011 12:14 am�� Post subject:

I agree with arbok that Uncharted's story was better than the sequel, though I did like the new characters and more varied locations. As a game though Uncharted is clumsy as hell. Its ripe with hit box issues, fiddly aiming, and a botchy cover system that, coupled with half arsed encounter design, makes the combat too much of a chore for me to lavish.

I recently replayed it (in preparation for Uncharted 3) and for me its a good example of a game where the sum total of parts make it worth playing, but when stripped back it exposes huge flaws. As a third person shooter Uncharted is a wholly average game in my opinion that cannot hold a candle to pure third person shooters.

That being said, I'm a fan of the series enough to be picking up Uncharted 3 at launch. I'm not crazy over the games, as they don't possess the qualities that drive me towards the medium, but they're good, pretty blockbuster fun, and given how significantly improved the core mechanics of Uncharted 2 were over Uncharted, I'm looking forward to the third and for the time being final chapter of the Uncharted series.
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Karai Pantsu · Posted: Tue Nov 01, 2011 12:19 am�� Post subject:

I got my shipping confirmation this afternoon - should arrive smack-bang on Thursday, leaving me all evening to throw aside the staggering pile of recent releases that I've collected, and dive straight back into some Dake action.

Interesting to read that the much lamented, drawn-out end section of Among Thieves is being given hindsight treatment in reference to this... having only recently played through AT, it's still rather fresh in my mind as a bit of a drudge (albeit a very beautiful one). I do wonder if I'll have the same reaction as you with such little time between playthroughs.

Regardless, and as you say, I am a fan and I have pretty solidly formed expectations that I'm pretty sure will be delivered upon

Cannot wait.
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fatpizza · Posted: Tue Nov 01, 2011 2:05 am�� Post subject:

I don't quite agree with the sentiments about Uncharted 2 being clunky. How enjoyable the multiplayer aspect was is a testament to that as far as I'm concerned. I was quite amazed at how well the core mechanics transferred to the online arena. Different strokes for different folks I guess...
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Jeremy · Posted: Tue Nov 01, 2011 8:45 am�� Post subject:

@Benza: There are potential spoilers for me revealing that, but suffice to say, an enemy appeared at a point where it was very out of place. I'd like to replay that bit to see if was somehow meant to fit in...

@arbok: Out the three, U2 is definitely my favourite, though U3 deserves a lot of credit too. For me they're not far apart, with U2 getting the nod for it's superior progression and improvement over U1 (and I love Nepal). I enjoyed U1 until the supernatural twist... (back at the time, the zombie proliferation was really kicking off)

@Karai: I've read that a lot, but personally, I never found this an issue. Maybe I was in a good mood? However, players who did find it extreme might find that with U3, it's an extreme in the other direction...
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Bev · Posted: Tue Nov 01, 2011 10:51 am�� Post subject:

Great review Jeremy! I have no doubt that this will be my finest Day One purchase this year.

But after seeing a particular post on Facebook, I need to ask... is Nate topless in this one?

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GooberMan · Posted: Tue Nov 01, 2011 10:52 am�� Post subject:

Jeremy · Posted: Tue Nov 01, 2011 11:33 am�� Post subject:

THEMAN · Posted: Wed Nov 02, 2011 4:01 am�� Post subject:

why don't australia get the treasure hunter DLC bonus saver option? I tried to find it on PSN just then it was nowhere to be found. Tempted to get from the US but if it don't work - I guess I can just sell the AU disc... still. kind of lame. Its a substantial savings.
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fatpizza · Posted: Wed Nov 02, 2011 10:49 am�� Post subject:

As I said in the other thread, the preorder option probably isn't going to appear until the game is actually released. So wait for the store update this week to see what happens.
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Jarrod · Posted: Thu Nov 03, 2011 4:20 am�� Post subject:

Finished Uncharted 2 before work. Good lord the entire Shambhala is half arsed. Bad boss fight, crappy monster battles, and lazy encounters. It really highlights the problems I have with Naughty Dog's shooter design. Also, Chloe is fucking annoying.

Buuut now I can grab Uncharted 3 after work and dig right in, with the two previous games fresh in mind. Wee!
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RhysDeschain · Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2011 1:51 am�� Post subject:

I'm gonna put it right out there and say I'm probably the biggest Uncharted fan ever (the fact that I'm taking my holidays at the moment and picked up my Explorers Edition at 9am sharp pretty much confirms this). That said, the whole time I've been playing 3 there's been something off about it that I couldn't quite put my finger on. The graphics are phenomenal, the writing is superb and it's definitely the Uncharted I know and dearly love.
However, yesterday I just finished playing Batman Arkham City (well the main story anyway), a game that also boasts the aforementioned qualities (except being Uncharted, obviously), but differs in one major and far superior way; the gameplay. Batman controls and moves perfectly; Drake kinda floats and jitters around. Taking out thugs as Batman was precise and easy; shooting agents as Drake is fiddly and imprecise. Maybe these facets have always been part of the Uncharted franchise; I have played the previous two countless times and never noticed them (and now I'm almost loathe to again in case I notice the same flaws and tarnish their memories).
I'm not trying to make a direct comparison of these games, as they're totally different, but with Batman still so fresh in my mind it's brought the flaws in Uncharted into stark contrast.
But hey. I completely agree with the review; it's an outstanding experience visually and storywise, and I would also probably give it the same score (although if Batman hadn't have broken my rose tinted glasses I more than likely would have rated it a 10). I don't really know what I'm trying to say with all this rambling; I think more than anything it's just a way for me to deal with my realization that I haven't been playing the perfect game I thought I would be.

Benza · Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2011 9:16 am�� Post subject:

GooberMan · Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2011 9:39 am�� Post subject:

And yet Assassin's Creed still doesn't control anywhere near as well. I'm really hoping to see some attention paid to them in reviews, as they always nearly make me turn the game/s off for good.
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Benza · Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2011 10:27 am�� Post subject:

See I've never had a problem with the controls in AC. When I miss a jump and die in those games it always feels like it's my fault for miss judging a distance.

The first Uncharted made me feel like I was constantly fighting the controls to get Drake to do what I wanted him to.
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RageLeppard · Status: Offline Joined: 18 Oct 2010 Posts: 23 $poons: 1.40

why don't australia get the treasure hunter DLC bonus saver option? I tried to find it on PSN just then it was nowhere to be found. Tempted to get from the US but if it don't work - I guess I can just sell the AU disc... still. kind of lame. Its a substantial savings.

To make us all happy its now on the store for $39.95. Price accordingly to the Aussie Exchange Rip-Off Dictum, lol

GooberMan · Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2011 12:12 pm�� Post subject:

Benza · Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2011 12:23 pm�� Post subject:

see I've heard that complaint a lot with AC so there has to be something to it. But honestly I never had that problem. I just recently played through AC 1 through to Brotherhood a couple of months ago doing all the tombs and everything but never had any problems with that kind of stuff.

Sometimes I hit the wrong direction and fuck up a jump, but it always feels like it's cause I actually hit the wrong direction and I'm more cursing myself for it then the game.
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Jarrod · Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2011 3:37 pm�� Post subject:

I definitely gotta agree with Benza on this one, even if I'm not a crazy huge fan of either series.

Even though I do have issues with AC's platforming controls, I think there's a great level of consistency and control over the assassin's movement and climbing. Yes sometimes it borks, but as a whole when I jump I know how far I'll jump, I know how high I can grab, and I know the multilayered platforming design allows me to grab multiple points. I can make a leap of faith and be confident in the payoff, and there's rarely a right/wrong path for platforming.

Uncharted, on the other hand, has very little consistency in my opinion. Sometimes Drake can make a huge leap, sometimes he cant. Sometimes he can climb on top of one obstacle, yet cannot on another of equal height. He'll grab one ledge, but not another. In terms of fluid, free form platforming sections (of which are few and pretty bare bones), I've had countless moments across both games where Drake simply hasn't responded the way I predicted, either by not grabbing a ledge, or grabbing when I expect to drop, or being unable to make a jump that seems the same distance as many others.

The tighter platforming sections of both games I wouldn't even call platforming, as they're so rigidly linear in design that they're literally 'connect the dots' level progression. In these sequences you literally just hold the direction you have to go and mash X. Rarely will you fail, or make a bad jump, as the game offers practically no divergence from the set path.

The clumsiness of Drake's controls is significantly lessoned in Uncharted 2 from Uncharted, so I can agree with Goober there, but as a whole I don't think its at all any better than AC, and the only times I'd argue it's 'better' its because the level itself is so tightly structured and linear that its near impossible to fuck up the utterly basic climbing controls, and these I don't think are a fair comparison to AC's climbing, as even at it's most linear and structured (the tombs for example) AC always offers a far greater degree of control over the player characters.

And that's my 2c.
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