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142 of 175 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars GREATNESS from small beginnings..., November 1, 2011

Reconnecting To My Childhood "Time Won't Let ... - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars

This review is from: Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception (Video Game)

Greatness is a word I want to stress regarding this game. Drake's Fortune was great fun, a welcome departure from the end of the world/futuristic shooters predominating at the time. Among Thieves was the ultimate sequel and built wonderfully on all aspects of the first. Drake's Deception, the third entry in the series, is something else altogether. This game sets a new precedent for how inclusive and engaging video games can be. There will be some who won't feel so strongly but most anybody who loved the first two is going to LOVE this.

>Graphics 5/5 - As always, fantastic! They have managed to improve on the sequel. While the game still looks the same overall it is the details that ND continues to add that makes each game an improvement over the previous one. This entry specifically seems to push the already present cinematic feel - as evidenced brilliantly by its opening scene and chapter as well as numerous times during the game in cutscenes and gameplay.

They show off their abilities by purposely trying to show us different settings than the previous games. The London Underground is wonderfully designed, the Colombia streets are populated and lively, a temple found in Syria has a wonderfully cinematic design, etc. They also show off their ability to render fire, sand, some excitingly trippy hallucination style sequences where everything is warped, and a fantastic (if slightly out of place in the overarching story) swaying environment on a ship. Another nice touch is some levels occurring during day and others at night.

Character acting has again improved as much between this and the last game as the last game did over the original. Faces are fuller and more expressive (Chloe's face is major evidence of this). This game looks so good family members will stop to see what I am watching and so entertaining they then wind up sitting down to watch me play.

>Gameplay 4.5/5 - Drake's Deception has everything you loved about the first two games, only more finessed and perfected. Enemies are now slightly smarter and diverge on your position quicker (though in some ways I'd argue this makes them easier to take down, no more pin downs). The weapons system has been updated and tweaked (anyone who played the beta knows aiming is more particular, but you quickly adapt). Drake now grabs weapons automatically when out of ammo, another nice added detail.

The best new feature seems to be the updated brawling system. In what reminds me of the recent Batman Arkham games, Nate can now evade, counter and take on multiple opponents. It's all great fun and plays well. The ability to dive underwater becomes well utilized in later chapters. The new ability to ride a horse is simple but works well, think of the jet ski from the first game only updated, you sort of just steer and shoot. Another nifty new detail is the ability to throw back grenades, though you have to time it well.

Having finished the game I will say objectively that any faults to be found are in gameplay pacing/mechanics. All games I've experienced have a sometimes clumsy quality to gameplay. On occasion you press a button and it doesn't do what you want, that's just part of gaming. In Uncharted this manifests itself when sometimes trying to reach for a specific ledge, it can look like Drake is doing calisthenics.

The other issue is more subjective but this game seems to have less prolonged gun fights (which I always enjoyed) and more of the game plays itself in a sense. Another reviewer said it best noting that the game holds the players hand more this go around (press square now, circle now, etc), this may please some but will definitely aggravate others looking for more challenge. Though this may be due to my having a better handle on the gameplay by this third installment it would still be nice if some new/larger challenges were added to compensate for those who have learned from the previous entries.

>The story 5/5 - I won't give anything away but well crafted stories are a key reason for the popularity of this franchise, this entry doesn't disappoint in that regard. The actors perform great as always, so many nuances brought to the characters. This game takes the world of the previous games and expands on it. If the second game was a continuation of the story from the first then this game is an opening up of the characters, their world and the story being told.

A wonderful backstory for Nate and Sully is crafted and played out and a flashback of sorts is handled in a respectful way when it could've felt cheap or forced. There is a very Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade feeling here. This game has the mix of action, humor and romance that previous games had with strong emphasis on emotion in some key scenes (and for those concerned I felt Elena and Chloe's respective returns were well handled and logical continuations).

Another possible criticism though, the villain in this entry is formidable and compelling but when you finally reach the ending I don't feel she is as well utilized a final boss as either Navaro or Lazarvic. The villains overall are also not well explained, not that they have to be, some mystery is always nice, but how this one guy appears and vanishes almost magically at several points I'll never know. Then there is no real boss showdown. There is also a character, Charlie, who is fun but severly underdeveloped and largely used only for story purposes. These don't detract from the game at large but I mention them as I hope they aren't issues that will magnify as further installments are released.

>Online Content 5/5- It was adding the online content to the sequel that propelled this series to a new status within the gaming world and here it looks like they aim to keep that status. So far it looks like all the fun of the Beta without most of the bugs or any of the restraints. Everything seems to run smoother and it feels more like playing Uncharted 2's online content, though perhaps this is because I'm more used to the updated mechanics after playing the full campaign? Anyway, you get more customization, more options, more everything.

>Conclusion > Game of the year? You better believe it. Certainly if you are new to PS3 or debating the commitment this game makes it well worth it. You don't have to have played the first two for this to be enjoyable (though I suggest both based on their own merits and to make this story even more enjoyable). While some game studios dream in the recesses of their mind only to wake and find it vanity, Naughty Dog are dreamers of the day. They act their dreams with open eyes to make it possible, and in making Drake's Deception, this they did.

The game is 22 chapters of greatness and should be a good 8-10 hours on the main story depending on player ability. Then there is the treasure hunting/trophies and acclaimed multiplayer to ensure you get well worth the $60 price tag. Overall I'd say this game could be critically rated at the worst 4.5/5 but as a fan I'll say anyone else who enjoys these games is going to rate it 5/5, no doubt.

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37 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Uncharted 3, a glimpse into Drakes past..., November 1, 2011

Angela Streiff "Tea Traveler" (Minnesota) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER) (VINE VOICE) (REAL NAME)

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception (Video Game)

Greatness from small beginnings is the phrase that starts out this story.

Uncharted 3 takes us to a whole new world of treasure hunting like never before. In this game, not only do you play as Drake, but as a young (child version) Drake as well. The story jumps back in time through out the game, where we learn how Drake and Sully met and become friends. A new woman is brought into the picture. This time, she's a former love interest of Sully and not Drake.

Rather than starting out the game in the middle of nowhere like Uncharted 2, this time you're in the heart of Europe in a British pub. But just as in past games, you are quickly jumping from location to location throughout the world. Each scene remarkably done and visually stunning.

On thing I really like that's different in the Uncharted 2 storyline is this time there's less issues with your team mates turning on you. In Uncharted 2, people on your team were often taking off, and you lost your allies as quickly as they joined you. In Uncharted 3, your team of 4 sticks with you and works together. Your not getting abandoned because you partner ran off with the bad guys, even if they were just pretending to be on their side.

The story is just as compelling as it has always been. Uncharted 3 plays out like a blockbuster movie, only you get to control the moves. Climbing, running, fighting and shooting your way through everything you can imagine, Uncharted 3 has managed to even out do their last game. As usual, while playing you also look for treasures throughout the game to collect. You have your journal again to help you solve puzzles as well.

Online game play is set up by using a pass code that's included in the games case. Once set up, you have game play options such as:
Team Deathmatch
Plunder
Team Objective
Three Team Deathmatch
Free-for-All
Hardcore
Co-op Arena
Co-op Hunter Arena
Co-op Adventure

The online game play benefited quite a bit from the open beta testing. The online matches are smoother and have less issues than there were months ago when they first opened the testing. I played quite a bit during that first month and can definitely see much more fluidity in the online game play movement versus how it was during beta.

This is not a game you will want to rush through. There is so much to see, treasure to collect and story behind it all.

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51 of 67 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The first PS4 game... Yes its better then UC2, and yes the critics are lame..., November 2, 2011

I. Walker (Honolulu, HI United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars

This review is from: Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception (Video Game)

UC1: 9/10, UC2: 10/10, UC3:11/10?

****UPDATED****

First off, let me tell you I just finished the game and want to explain why I think this is practically a PS4 title, second, tell you what the other reviewers dont, and third explain what others may perceive as cons of the game and address some of the critics.

*********PROS**********

Load Time - Non-existent. Even faster then UC2. The inital load screen is half the time. And when you die, you start up in about 1 second. If you want to restart a checkpoint, bam, no waiting. Absolutley no load time at all between cut-scenes and live-action. Completely smooth and seamless. I was just playing Battlefield 3 and damn, feels like an eternity to restart after I die (ok 15 seconds is not an eternity, but its LONG)... I'm not a programmer, but it must be the difference between sloppy lazy programming, and brilliant cutting-edge programming. No game loads this fast for having graphics this good.

Cutscene Graphics - Seriously, the best graphics ever. The facial animations, textures, lighting, coloring, - PERFECT. Maybe they are not as bombastic and grand as other games (like MGS4), but the QUALITY is what I'm talking about. Better then God Of War 3 cutscenses with Kratos, better then any MGS4 cutscenes with Solid Snake, better then Killzone 3, and most importantly, BETTER then UC2. The QUALITY of the cutscenes are SERIOUSLY out of a PIXAR film. No joke, all other cutscenes from most other games are just totally pathetic in comparison (except KZ3 was really good). Even UC2 is noticiably dated (but still good) compared to UC3. No game has better graphics on PC, XBOX, or PS3!!

In game Graphics - This is where people are saying "its just a bit better then UC2". Well I agree, BUT its not just "a bit better", its like twice BETTER. How? Environments are more detailed, much more variety. The trees, lighting thru the forest, waterfalls, gorges dropping into streams, the way light reflects off of surfaces... amazing, yes better then UC2. Colors are super vibrant, even more so then UC2, they absolutely LEAP off the screen. The desert. WOW! Your arrival in the desert. WOW! The pirate ship?! Holy shimoly! The way the sun streaks thru the rain and stormy sky and reflects off the drenched rusty ships. The water effects, rain, stormy ocean, geez. You may get seasick! The trailers/commercials honestly do the game NO justice.

Lighting effects - No game offers the "volumetric" lighting this game has. The play of light and shadow is INSANE. WAY better then UC2, and head and shoulders above the field. The beams of light cutting thru the darkness from your enemies flashlights creates suspense and tension as they are hunting you down as you hide just seeing the light beams getting brighter and closer. The "god rays" sifting thru the windows illuminating specks of dust, or anytime a fire is lit in a dark room its just MAGICAL. Amazing lighting and shadowing effects. Adds a WHOLE new dimension to the game which the other one didnt have. Almost adds a 3D effect in and of itself.

Physics - Amazing. UC2 didnt have it. The first time you jump onto a chandolier you'll see what I mean. It looks and feels DAMN REAL. The physics engine seems to be snatched right out of Media Molecules LittleBigPlanet. However, on a massive, epic scale. Adds a whole new dimension of realism to the game. The way he moves in the water is much improved too. Much more realisitc. And how the environments react to the stormy ocean is very dynamic and "real-time", not staged or programmed.

Sound Effects - Better then UC2. More quiet time without music (like the Chateau) where you just hear creaking wood, birds, things falling down, the chateau falling apart. The desert with the wind and sand blowing. Pretty cool.

Story - I popped the game in and basically missed dinner, didnt take a shower, didnt walk to the dog, and went to sleep thinking of playing more. The story is VERY engrossing and much deeper and involved then the other 2 games. 2 other people that dont even play games came and sat down to watch. They were like, "what movie is this"? LOL... yeah, looks like a dreamworks movie though!

Dialouge/Script - Wow, so dynamic and realistic. Free flowing, fun, funny, MATURE, not corny, hokey, cheesy like most action flicks. Not forced, no cursing all over the place, very natural.

Voice acting - Wow, way way more talking in this one though compared to UC2. Lots more dialouge. If you liked the characters before, you will LOVE them more now. Less comic book style and more real. I love it.

Puzzles - A total joy, and A LOT of them. The first part of the game seems to already have more puzzles then all of UC2. This may worry some, but the puzzles are so well integrated into the story and so realistic, that they are fun to do and dont distract from the action/gunplay.

WAY MORE VARIETY THEN UC2 - I've counted twice, maybe 3 times the puzzles. Vertical fighting with dudes falling from the sky. More fun climbing sequences. More dark caves. Many chase scenes, one long one in particular that is AMAZING. Twice the number of environments. Twice as many charcters both good and bad. More in depth story. Drake in differnt states of mind. Drake pushed to the edge of his ability. Drake put into a hallucegenic state. So when critics or people say this is the same as UC2, I ask them how?! It isnt more of the same. And if it was totally different then UC2 it probably would be a BAD thing.

FYI did you know this game is almost 50GB?!? Killzone 3 was 40 GB, God of War 3 was 35 GB, UC2 was 25 GB. Why? Graphics, graphics, graphics!

*******CONS*********

Okay, so some critics have given this game a 8/10 (eurogamer), 9/10 (gamespot), and some DORKS on Amazon gave it a 1 star (just write these xbox fanboys off, they are 14-year old freaks that will be lucky to graduate high school). Here's my thinking of why the game hasnt received the acclaim that UC2 did.

Story - Be warned the first few hours of the game, the story is pretty heavy. Lots of story, very deep, way more then UC2, but super engrossing. Lots of hand-holding the first part of the game teaching you the new melee. Sometimes you dont know when its a cut scene, or your playing, they go hand in hand. Lots of talking and back story. SULLY IS THE MAN! His younger years... what a stud he was. This however causes the game to seem a little slower then UC2. You dont pick up a gun till maybe the 2nd hour of the game. So I guess to some this is a "problem"?! Same type of people that want to just see mind-numbing explosion after explosion after explosion with no story, shoddy graphics, aliens or zombies or something. But dont we have like a milllion of those games already?!? This game is a POLISHED GEM compared to those. Much more mature and sophisticated. So anyone that gives it a bad review is like a 12-year old that doesnt like wine or beer! Does that make wine or beer bad? Or does it just mean they are not mature enough to appreciate it?!?!

"Its too linear"... - The most common complaint. Well, honestly, its quality over quantity with this game. The graphical achievement could not have been met had it been watered down by being open-world. Do you want Red Dead or Batman? Well then go play Red Dead or Batman! Dont complain about this game being and doing what it does so well, and that is to tell a fascinating story the way it wants to with cutting edge cutscenes, graphics, and set pieces!! Maybe only with a PS4 will you have your cake and eat it too.... On the PS3 it is physically impossible though.

"UC2 is better..." - Honestly, they are 2 totally differnt games in my book. UC2 didnt really need to have much of a backstory. It, in a way, is better then UC3 in that it gets right into the action and story without having the responsibility of really explaining the characters, their actions, their stories. Its kind of like a snippet in time from one point to another. UC3 is not just trying to tell a whole new story/adventure but ALSO give us a peek into the characters we love and explain who they are. The backstory on Sully and Nate, the backstory on the Villian, on the ring, on Sir Francis Drake, etc. LOTS more to talk about so of course this seems to kind of "bog" down the action. So yes, UC2 to me was a little more light and fluffy and could do whatever it pleased and got into the action quicker. This one feels more weighty, more heavy, more serious. Both different, both GREAT!

"Its more of the same..." - Lamest argument I've EVER heard!!! So UC2 is considered by most people and critics alike to be one of THE BEST GAMES OF ALL TIME!!! Most of which say "I WISH UC2 NEVER ENDED!", and then some criticize UC3 for being like UC2.5? Like its not "different" enough and they "played it safe" and that its "more of the same"?! WTF?!? Since when is more of a good thing a BAD THING?! If I received a diamond today I dont think I would think a diamond I received a year from now would be "worse"? "Ahhh, this sucks, I wanted a BIGGER BETTER DIAMOND!?!?"... A diamond is a diamond is a diamond. An incredible game with a spectacular story and amazing graphics is not good enough? It has to be "different" then UC2?!? Like what? How? Geez, they tried that with the new Indiana Jones with the Aliens and damn, that was a horrible move! They should have "played it safe" and kept with the original type of story! Sorry guys, Indiana Jones, Goonies, hunting for burried treasure DOESNT GET OLD, YOU DO!

Whats with these critics these days? They expect the MOON and the STARS?! I dont get it.

Alright, thats my review/rant for now. To sum it up BUY THIS GAME... Read more ›

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