For the last game in the Collection, Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception takes the series even further with its cinematic style story-telling and lifelike movements. You're put into the shoes of Nathan Drake again as he and Sully try to scam out a deal for selling a treasured ring of Sir Frances Drake. Course, the deal goes south and the two of you end up shot dead on the ground. Well, I mean that's what you see anyways. You're then put into flashback mode with Drake as a young boy wandering around Colombia looking for the ring that got them in this mess. This also leads to him meeting Sully for the first time and thus, their partnership is born. Uncharted 3 takes the series back to the premise of hunting down after something related to the late explorer. As Drake, you and Sully try to solve this mystery before Marlowe and Talbot (your conspirators this time around) are able to.
The fabled area this time around is what's known as The Atlantis of the Sands. Course it wouldn't be an Uncharted game without the heart pounding scenes and stand offs between the dozens of enemies you will encounter. Much like the previous entries, I had my fair share of frustrations in some of the shootouts as well as the puzzles. I found as I got closer to the end of the game, my frustrations grew so I guess that's a good indicator right? Some of the puzzles I admit took me way longer to solve, especially the earlier ones. It was to a point where the game offered to solve it for me (luckily by then I managed to piece everything together). Certain sections had me in so much rage that I was overjoyed to be done with them (the entire ship section, LOOKING AT YOU PIRATES).
I've mentioned above that one of the distinct features of the Uncharted series is how real Drake's movements are. They're pushed even further here, some scenes involve drug trips so you're moving around very sluggishly as your entire surroundings become warped. You end up wandering in the desert late in the game and really feel a sense of hopelessness. Crawling in the sand, seeing mirages, going in circles, it's all there.
Some of the sequences are downright incredible such as the plane crash which was shown off when Uncharted 3 was first announced. I managed to point out what I dubbed "the money shot" in the whole scene. Gameplay is pretty much the same as Among Thieves, cover shooter with platforming and puzzle solving. I can't recall if new weapons were added to the game but I generally stuck with the same pistol/assault rifle combo I recognized. Seriously the 9mm is pretty dang fast with its firing capabilities. Stealth also makes a return but this time I feel it was fair. There weren't any stages where if you got caught then instant game over. More like it's an opportunity to take out as many enemies as possible before the eventual shootout.
This being the HD port, Uncharted 3 looks even better (ever so slightly) than it did when it was released during the tail-end of the PS3's lifespan. The voice acting is spot on as ever and I found myself chuckling at some of the back and forth quips between the main cast of characters. Marlowe was sinister for her age, Talbot is an all around jerk, and Charlie threw in some humor at the early points. I have to give Naughty Dog major credit for being able to create three entries during a console generation. To have each game improve upon its predecessor further is definitely a feat for them, and it just makes the wait for the conclusion much more anticipated for me. While there were some puzzles I wish were more clear in its explanation, overall this was a thrill ride that I enjoyed very much. Also, I hate scorpions now 0_0.
Should you Play this Game?
Yes! Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception is an achievement in story telling with moments that I'll have your heart pounding. Not knowing when you'll be ambushed, temple solving puzzles and a stellar cast to back it up. This was the game that made me want to get the Uncharted Collection in the first place and overall I'm glad I picked this up.
