Uncharted 3: Drakes Deception Review

I have mixed feelings about this game.  On the one hand, had I never played the first two Uncharted games I probably would have considered this a pretty decent offering from Naughty Dog.   But since I have played those first two games, and I saw how far they came with the second game, I don't think the third game lived up to them. 

The game begins in the rough and dirty streets of London, where Nathan Drake and his vigilant companion Victor "Sully" Sullivan, are double-crossed in a pub over the ring Drake wears round his neck.  Things go sour, and Nathan and Sully are both shot--cut to flashback of Nathan as a much younger man, and his introduction to Sully.

From that flashback we learn not only how the two met, but how Nathan acquired the ring in the first place, and the key to a treasure Sir Francis Drake has hidden not only from his Queen, but also from the world.  So it's up to our adventurers to go find it, chased doggedly (and providentially) by their foes. 

Other reviewers have commented on the game's lackluster graphics and characterizations compared to the second game, and I tend to agree with them.  I've stated elsewhere that I have no fondness for third-person shooters.  I find them clunky.  But while I could countenance those flaws in the second game because of its phenomenal story-telling--using the third-person as part of the story--the third game simply fell flat.  Yeah, each set felt wonderful, and the game was relatively immersive; nonetheless, it still felt a little underwhelming.  Because this was released as 3D compatible, I have to wonder if Naughty Dog diverted some of its energy from making a great game, and invested it in implementing new technologies.  I haven't seen the game in 3D, so my opinion is colored, but from what I have seen I wish they'd put their eggs in a different basket.

So, while I think it was fun to see Nathan Drake fight never-ending hordes of baddies, and uncover centuries old secrets, it wasn't that much fun.  From the initial chapters, I expected this to be more character driven, offering a sense of why Nathan is who he is.  The danger never felt real, I never expected to have to sacrifice to win, and the threat to the world bit was just . . . not that threatening.  Besides that, the two climaxes are fought via cut-scene, and when you do get to fight, it's an anticlimax that leaves you feeling cheated. 

In the final analysis, I'd recommend this game if you've already played the first two, but I wouldn't recommend buying it (unless you really dig on the multiplayer, which I don't care for). 

As an aside, I really hate how they modeled Elena in this game.