Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception

 

Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception

 

Product Details

• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B004EQCCI4
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches ; 4.8 ounces
• Media: Video Game
• Release Date: November 1, 2011
  

By : Sony
List Price : $59.99
Price : $53.99
You Save : $6.00 (10%)

Product Description

Edition: Standard

Amazon.com Product Description

Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception is a unique third-person Action-Adventure game for play exclusively on PlayStation 3 that incorporates significant Shooter and Platformer gameplay mechanics resulting in another must-have game for PS3 players. The third game in the Uncharted franchise, Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception continues the adventures of the swashbuckling treasure hunter Nathan Drake, this as he finds himself in a new variety of challenging environments. Features include: interactive cinematic experience, stereoscopic 3D, an epic single player campaign and multiplayer support online as well as offline.

Story

In Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception a search for the fabled "Atlantis of the Sands" propels fortune hunter Nathan Drake on a trek into the heart of the Arabian Desert. When the terrible secrets of this lost city are unearthed, Drake's quest descends into a desperate bid for survival that strains the limits of his endurance and forces him to confront his deepest fears.

Key Game Features

• An interactive cinematic experience that blurs the lines between games and Hollywood films


• Nathan Drake's journey will put you through new challenges and take you to stunning locations around the world, from a derelict chateau in France, to the merciless Arabian Desert


• Epic single player campaign with evolved signature Uncharted gameplay


• A new breed of Action-Adventure multiplayer that brings the exciting cinematic elements of the single-player campaign, into the multiplayer


• Experience the thrill of Uncharted in stereoscopic 3D

Additional Screenshots

A search for the fabled "Atlantis of the Sands" propels fortune hunter Nathan Drake on a trek into the heart of the Arabian Desert. When the terrible secrets of this lost city are unearthed, Drake’s quest descends into a desperate bid for survival that strains the limits of his endurance and forces him to confront his deepest fears.

Product Features

• An interactive cinematic experience that blurs the lines between games and Hollywood films.
• Nathan Drake's journey will put you through new challenges and take you to stunning locations around the world.
• Epic single player campaign with evolved signature UNCHARTED gameplay.
• A new breed of Action Adventure Multiplayer that brings the exciting cinematic elements of the single-player campaign, into the multiplayer.
• Experience the thrill of UNCHARTED in stereoscopic 3D

Customer Reviews

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.

I'll start by saying Drake's Fortune is my favorite of the series even though Among Thieves improved on everything except story in my opinion (I just liked Drake's Fortune much better). Also I'm not into online gaming all that much I play multiplayer once out of every few months depending on the game and for Uncharted I just play multiplayer to get the 2 quick trophies then never return to that section of the game again.

Uncharted 3: The Good

-Graphics are not that much better than Uncharted 2 no surprise really

-Controls are pretty much the same with a few new small additions

-Story for the most part was good, not great but good

Uncharted 3: The Bad ; Supremely Disappointing

-Wasn't this game supposed to reveal Nate's biggest fear(s)? Nate's fear of losing Sully and Elena has already been done in 1;2, which for me seems to be the thing he is most afraid of more so than the main villian in Deception, I don't remember her name since she didn't really seem that important after completing the game.

-Most of the game you have 1-3 Characters following you and they get pretty aggrivating when they move in front of you and just stop causing you to cease walking in that direction and literally taking a few steps back and walk around them if they dont move, plus when going to take cover during gunfights they can totally screw you when you go to hide behind something and they go to the exact spot you are going for. These arent huge problems but its enough to annoy you or possibly get you shot up

-Even though the game is good it feels like a crappy Michael Bay or Jerry Bruckheimer movie

-Aiming guns can be a pain but if you go into the options you can fix that

-Maybe its just me but Drake's Deception was pretty repetitive, it felt like 1/4 of the game was a chase either running from or after someone or something. 1/4 being hand to hand combat although upgraded got boring real quick shouldve just left it the way it was in Among Thieves. Another 1/4 being collapsing enviroments and the final 1/4 being tedious climbing + shoot outs.

-It seems my fear of multiplayer affecting the single player came true after all. The game is considerably shorter than the first 2 games but it has a bunch more content in the multiplayer than Uncharted 2 had. It took me about 12-15 hrs to beat Uncharted 1 ; 2's story on normal, Drake's Deception took me a solid 7.5 hrs on normal slightly faster than the 8hrs most reviewers say it will take and in crushing it took about a hour longer than normal difficulty.

-Now the main reason I dont give this 5 stars. Remember the singleplayer unlockable items from the first 2 games where you get medals for doing set goals while playing which leads to you being able to buy things to unlock on later playthroughs? Examples are: costumes, weapons, slow mo, diferent filters (like playing in black and white or whatever else there was), mirror world, gravity,and anyhting else I missed. There are no single player unlockables which for me severely lowers any chance of playing through it after I 100% the game.

Naughty Dog really lowered my expectations with Drake's Deception, future Uncharted games will require a rent or a greatest hits price drop, i'm not making another what I like to call a "Final Fantasy mistake" and wasting 60 dollars on something that ultimatley makes me hate the series.

Hopefully Naughty Dog reads bad reviews not just the 8-10/10's to see what they screwed up on for possible future entries in Uncharted, I really don't want to end up hating this series in the future. Naughty Dog has a chance to make up for this disaster with The Last Of Us but not holding my breathe.

If youre mainly a single player gamer like me wait until the price drops before buying this.