Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception

How do you improve on perfection?

Okay, nothing’s perfect. Even when games are given the highest of honor of a 10 out of 10, it doesn’t mean there aren’t a few flaws here and there. Still, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves has come closer to faultlessness than any other game I’ve played. It has a campaign that’s easy to mistake for a high-budget movie, stole a sizable chunk of my senior year with its fast-paced multiplayer and won myriad game of the year awards from top publications. Naughty Dog just got everything right in 2009, but that only made things more difficult for the studio when the dust settled. Everyone clamored for a follow-up, and they expected something just as good (if not better) than Nathan Drake’s last adventure.

Can lightning really strike twice for Naughty Dog? Well, judging from Drake’s Deception, it sure as hell can. From top to bottom, Uncharted 3 is a technical and cinematic masterpiece – blending the high-octane action moments we all know and love with a captivating narrative that knows exactly when to slow down and let the player take in the striking sights. Each piece of the multiplayer has been polished, expanded, and polished again, and there’s a degree of customizability that was entirely absent in the last title. It may not be as much of a surprise as Among Thieves was, but Drake’s Deception is still a brilliant title that even manages to outshine its predecessor in its greatest moments.

If you loved Uncharted 2, it might have been because of the expertly crafted and professionally delivered narrative. The realistic characters have always been expressive and relatable, which makes Uncharted 3’s more personal tale all the more interesting. Nathan Drake is, you guessed it, on the hunt for treasure. Drake and Victor ‘Goddamn’ Sullivan are searching for the mythical “Atlantis of the Sands”- located in the heart of the Arabian Dessert. It’s a site once sought after by Sir Francis Drake himself, and one that’s hidden behind a collage of riddles and cryptic messages. Of course, they aren’t alone in their exploration, as a shadowy occult led by a face from the duo’s past also seek this unlimited power.

I rolled in the sand for about 20 minutes when I first reached the desert. Nathan Drake didn't appreciate that.

It’s a similar story structure to that of both Drake’s Fortune and Among Thieves, but it’s the ever-increasing degree of danger that comes along with each new piece of the puzzle that has Drake’s merry gang questioning the expedition. Drake, Sully, Chloe and Cutter (a new addition to the cast) just barely seem to make it out of each firefight with their lives, and Drake’s intentions come into question quite often. Why risk it all just for wealth? Answers are found as the player has the privilege to take a glimpse into the past of the protagonist – revealing much of both Nathan Drake and his mentor, Sully, that’s been cloudy in the past.

In these revelations and during the more character driven sequences are where the quality of this game becomes the most apparent. Escaping sinking ships and fist fighting bandits on a plane quickly losing altitude is great – actually, these bombastic instances are bigger and better than anything Uncharted 2 had to offer. Yet, digging deeper into Nate and Elena’s bumpy relationship, walking through the busy streets of a city in Syria, listening to the witty one-liners Sully slips in – these are the times when I can’t help but crack a smile. The blend of set-piece and narrative moments is just right, making you feel like you’ve played a substantial, full-bodied game by the time the credits roll. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll probably emulate Drake now and again as he shouts, “shit, shit, shit, shit!” It’s impossible not to find at least one character to latch on to and relate with, if not the entire cast. They’re just plain likeable, and I found myself caring for every single one of them.

While Nathan Drake’s aim hasn’t changed much from his last adventure, he seems to have found some more finesse with his fists. Shooting the trusty AK, quickly switching to a sidearm and then lobbing a grenade all feels similar, but the melee combat is much more involved and satisfying this time around. The game actually wastes no time showing off its crisp new close-quarters animations, as Drake and Sully are forced into an old-fashioned bar brawl before guns can even be drawn. Combos and counters are fun to pull off, and the amusement doesn’t even falter when you’re surrounded by a significant gaggle of meatheads. The targeting is smooth enough to handle more than four enemies at a time – even allowing desired results for environment cues and finishers. I found myself darting to the closest enemy just to cuff him in the kisser, but that’s not to say that the shooting is uninteresting, as I still had grand moments delivering packages of lead like an eccentric mailman.

When ambushes aren't enough, they just burn the building down.

However, it’s not all guns and brutes on the road to the sands. Uncharted always has a fair share of puzzles and platforming, and this title is no exception. Actually, while the amount and nature of platforming is similar, bigger and better puzzles abound. Riddles have barely teased the noggins of players in the past, but Drake has really stumbled upon something well-guarded this time. There are specific sections of the game devoted to a series of puzzles, and I’m not ashamed to admit that I was stumped more than once. Environmental clues and passages from Drake’s notebook help, but sometimes it’s necessary to just stop and piece the whole scene together yourself. Normally I’d protest so many brainteasers, but they‘re just so interesting and well done here that I actually began looking forward to them.

Even if you do manage to grow tired of shooting and punching through waves of thugs (though I doubt you will due to the variety of things being thrown your way), there’s always the option of taking a breather and getting a good look at this beautiful game. Water flows like it should during severe weather and I swear that there’s real sand inside of that Blu-ray. Magnificent green vistas that stretch for miles plus expansive, sandy villages make you question if we really need a Playstation 4, and the realistic animations are consistent throughout. L.A Noire may be the closest comparison in terms of motion capture, but while it was Team Bondi’s representation of an individual character’s face that garnered so much attention earlier this year, every inch of Naughty Dog’s characters move like they should. It’s just a fine looking piece of software that rarely falters in its execution.

Most people know of Uncharted’s extraordinary campaign and breathtaking visuals, but Naughty Dog has also been fine-tuning one of most exciting multiplayer experiences on Sony’s console. Among Thieves was their first foray into the online space, and while there were plenty of updates and tweaks that were needed, it was a wildly successful experiment. Now, after a full beta and an extended multiplayer demo sponsored by Subway (Eat Fresh™), Uncharted 3’s competitive modes are full of polish and bottomless customization. Free For All, Team Deathmatch, Plunder, Three Team Deathmatch – there are plenty of both old and new modes to compete in. The verticality that made this multiplayer feel so unique is still central to the more than a dozen maps currently available, but the character and weapon customization is where Uncharted 3 really takes a step forward. Power weapons can still be found in specific areas of each map, but there’s no more starting with just a plain-ass AK. Well, if you really want to do that, it’s your choice. New weapons and attachments are unlocked with higher ranks and money (the game’s experience points), as well as fresh skins and clothing. It really gives you a sense of identity in a sea of daring adventurers.

Even the boosters that give slight perks in combat are upgradeable. Each new ability level reached (up to three) brings on new advances that build on the foundation of the booster. Yet, I should stress that these boosters are only slightly helpful. Gone are great choices like Down the Irons and Launch Man from the last game, which could greatly increase long gun accuracy and explosive ammo. Now, it makes sense to supply a wider range of lesser perks so that higher level players don’t have an unfair advantage, but it’s also disappointing not to find a single standout. There are kickbacks, similar to killstreaks, which can change your luck in an instant, but the boosters still feel like a missed opportunity.

Constant movement is crucial online.

If you don’t have a single competitive bone in your body, there are always the five unique co-op missions waiting in the wings for all to enjoy. Each scenario supports up to three players, and does well to mix the fast-paced shelling with the dizzying traversal that makes the single player so successful. While there may be a touch of narrative in-between the gun fights, don’t think of this as a second campaign. It’s all about overcoming insurmountable odds and witnessing unbelievable moments with good friends. Even the small story arc, which pits you against three villains that never made it out of the first two games, is borderline ridiculous. The graphics are slightly muddy and the sound can be spotty at times, but it’s still a fun piece of this unbelievable package.

If I was forced to say something negative about Drake’s Deception (and trust me, it’s actually pretty tricky), I did find that there were a few sporadic difficulty spikes. I consider myself a veteran Uncharted player, but even on the medium difficulty, I found myself crumpled up in a heap after a hurricane of bullets blew by. Nathan Drake is rarely faced with anything less than an ambush, but a few of the action sequences were asking just a little too much. Marlowe, the antagonist, may also have benefitted from some more character development. Including a much more cerebral villain is exactly what this franchise needed, but I wish I could have gotten to know both she and her right-hand man Talbot a little better. Digging deeper into the mind of an enemy could have been fascinating.

The lighting is fantastic.

To be honest, though, these are hardly flaws. Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception is everything you want it to be. The campaign is wonderfully varied and surprisingly personal, giving the player a much-appreciated view into the characters we’ve all grown to love. Multiplayer expands everywhere it needed to, and knowing Naughty Dog’s sensitivity to the community’s voice, will only mature over time. Even the visuals and musical score, which have astounded in the past, seem to have been taken up a notch. It’s easy to say that this is just more of what we had in 2009, but to be able to produce another can’t-miss classic in just two years is astounding.

So, how do you improve on perfection? I suppose, if you really think about it, you can’t. Instead, Naughty Dog just created a sequel to one of this generation’s greatest games and did almost everything a little better. Maybe next time, guys.

Josiah Renaudin

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