Review: Uncharted 3

There are some games that make you just stop playing and stare. There are some games that make you fall in love with the characters. There are some games that keep you constantly on edge, waiting for the next adrenalin-inducing thing to happen. Uncharted 3 does all of those things.

The third chapter in the Uncharted story begins with our protagonist, Indiana Jo... er, I mean Nathan Drake, preparing to give up the ring he has worn around his neck for about twenty years. The ring is the key to a device that holds a clue to the location of a very, very valuable treasure, and a Helen Mirren-like character from Drake's past wants it. Not surprisingly, the trade doesn't go well, and sets off a chain of events that takes Drake all over the world.



The Uncharted series has always had that 'wow' factor, and in Uncharted 3 it's clearer than ever before. The set pieces are unbelievable, particularly in the second half of the game. It's hard to talk about without spoiling your fun as you play through, but there is a sequence where our protagonist, Nathan Drake, spends a period of time walking through the desert. The whole environment looks massive, intimidating, and despite being one of the most featureless set pieces, really stuck in my mind. On the opposite end of the spectrum, detail wise, there's a scene where you fight you way through a graveyard for container ships and cruise liners. Both are amazing to look at and made me stop to stare at everything around me.

While you don't have to have played an Uncharted game before playing Uncharted 3, you're rewarded with extra laughs and extra insight into Drake's motivations if you do. I played through the first two games quite recently, and grew very attached to most of the characters. The developer, Naughty Dog, has done a great job of making all of the major characters well-written and likeable. By the end of Uncharted 2, Nathan Drake was one of my favourite video game characters ever, and Uncharted 3 cemented his place in my top three.

Okay, that's enough gushing. Uncharted 3 is a great game, but it's not perfect. The cover-based combat has been an issue in the franchise, in particular because the enemies are total bullet sponges. For a console game, Uncharted 3 is too heavy reliant on you getting headshots. Sometimes even that won't save you - if an enemy with a riot shield approaches, you're going to need grenades. There is almost no other solution, particularly in close quarters, so you have to keep a stockpile handy at all times.

The shooting mechanics just don't feel that great, and the guns don't feel powerful at all. It got to the point where I was almost resentful of combat, because I just wanted to run around and climb things, take part in chase sequences, do puzzles, and uncover more of the story.



The online multiplayer function in Uncharted 3 essentially has the same effect, as it's primarily about killing other players. Even when there's an objective to complete, there's a whole lot of combat involved. That said, Uncharted 3 probably has the best third-person shooter multiplayer on the PlayStation 3, so it will suit some people better than first-person games like Killzone or Call of Duty.

The Uncharted franchise is, hands down, my favourite franchise on the PS3. Yes, it's linear, and yes, the combat can at times be frustrating. But between the characterisation, the graphics, the story and the puzzles, it's one of the best action adventure games out there and the closest you'll ever get to being a globe-trotting, death-defying treasure hunter.