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.
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