All men dream: but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dreams with open eyes, to make it possible. This I did.
Seven Pillars of Wisdom, T. E. Lawrence (1922)
Uncharted 3 changes everything.  Your perception of Drake; preordained ideas of what a game should do in terms of story telling and – ultimately – it blurs the line between interactive experience and something you’d normally sit through in a cinema.  There’s no hyperbole when I say that Naughty Dog’s latest action adventure blows everything else out of the water in terms of exposition, drama and pacing, and that’s not even mentioning the sublime visuals, world class voice acting and expansive multiplayer.  If you’re interested in knowing why, stick around – but everyone else can just glance down at the score and pre-order: this is wonderful stuff.
There are no spoilers here, but you’ll need to allow us the grace of mentioning the very first chapter to give this some context.  Things kick off with a bang (or two) with Drake and Sully finding themselves in a dingy London bar, complete with some brilliantly hammy East-end types and a back room meeting that goes – surprisingly unpredictably – the wrong way.  The game uses this meeting (and the subsequent brawl) to drip feed the controls – at least the movement and melee ones: gunfire comes later – in a slick, progressive manner, and the fisticuffs are as weighty as you’d hope, given the protagonists throwing the punches.
The bar also allows the developers to introduce the game’s central focus, Sir Francis Drake’s ring that acts as a cipher for another object, and several key characters before ending with a shock cliffhanger.  The vocal work is outstanding throughout, the controls effortlessly manageable and the visuals, which flick from internal bar scenes to a dark moonlit night, are probably the best we’ve seen on the console.  Textures are crisp, the animation (especially of player character Nathan Drake) improved even from Uncharted 2 and the frame rate, camera and physicality of everything is absolutely top notch.
[drop2]It is, as you’d expect, a pleasure to play through.  Uncharted games always are, of course, but this one seems to have something about it – a spring in its step, a knowing confidence to just push the boundaries a little.  The initial intro sequence lasts but five minutes, but it sets up the player perfectly, re-introducing the lead, his ally (in the shape of Sully) and a few others without ever being overwhelming or confusing.  Naturally, the game doesn’t eschew its rather linear approach – not yet anyway – so the path is preset and regulated, but thankfully that’s not really an issue; it’s ultimately how Naughty Dog control the speed and direction of the action.And then what happens next, at the start of Chapter Two, will prompt the single biggest, knowing smile you’ll make this generation.
But that’s for you to discover.  Much like the efforts of Drake himself, Uncharted 3 will force to you stop and take stock (and check that – often hysterically funny – notebook) at regular intervals just as much as it will challenge you to climb vertiginous walls or take part in deadly shoot-outs.  The balance is better here than it was in the earlier games, the developer less likely to throw endless streams of enemies your way for long periods of time or present massive sections of platforming; instead, there’s a more delicate blend of the puzzle along with the action, and no section (or location) ever feels forced or drawn out.  Indeed, some are practically skipped over – more’s the pity – at times the game whisking you off to another country (with a comical swipe of the screen) before you’ve had time to drink in the atmosphere.
Frequently, though, you’re given chance to pause, explore and solve a puzzle, but occasionally you’re locked into an action sequence (such as escaping from besuited guards) that might take a few retries to nail down – it’s an odd distraction from the flow, but for most of the game the structure is such that you’re led headlong from one area to the next with just enough time to take everything in.  Some areas feel familiar to Uncharted fans even when they’re unique to the game (if you think you’ve seen everything the Chateau section has to offer you’re mistaken, for example) but the majority is new ground, and there’s not a hint of padding apart from the occasional backtrack.
The campaign, as you’ll know from our earlier previews, quickly draws in T. E. Lawrence, wrapping it around the reliable tale of Francis Drake rather cleverly (and at a fair old speed) before the story really starts to take hold – essentially you find yourself searching out Iram of the Pillars, the ‘Atlantis of the sands’.  At the end Nate’s as well travelled as ever, and frequently clocking up air miles in the company of some old (and new) friends.  Naughty Dog haven’t cut any corners with the fan service, that’s for sure, and without really spoiling any of the game’s numerous secrets let’s just say that age-old secret societies are involved along with a particularly regal head, there’s some double (double) crossing and – yes – some wickedly quick roof top chases. Oh, and that recurring gag involving pools? It’s here.
There’s some brave design work in action here too – it won’t be a surprise for you to learn that there’s a chunk of the game set in the desert, but the way this is handled (at first, at least) will likely divide gamers into those that think it’s really clever and those that don’t.  I’m in the former group, it’s a really smart move, albeit one without the payoff I was expecting.  Other sections work flawlessly though – a woozy sequence through crowded streets, a surprisingly tender moment between two desperate people and a massive multi-level set piece that showcases some astonishing water effects.
Oh, and you’d don’t know everything you think you do about Drake.  We’ll just leave that one hanging there, but the clue’s in the title…
This is page one of a two-page review. Click here for page two.
cc_star
What’s not to like?
My wallet hates you & Naughty Dog equally.
Can’t wait.
jonny_bolton
Mine hates them more…I bought the Explorer Edition!
SpikeyMikey23
OH man CHAPTER 2! I want to play chapter 2!!! Just a shame that I have to wait until the 4th (payday) to get this!
bacon_nuts
The 4th? Not too far, I have to wait till the 9th… of DECEMBER. D:
Origami Killer
I have no money but f**k it I’m going to get it next month ;)
moshi
I’m going to have to wait till after xmas so feel sorry for me.
bacon_nuts
That sucks, I wish you luck :P
SpikeyMikey23
suddenly the 4th doesnt seem too bad! ;) plus im only playing £6 cash for it. Got a mates discount and HMV credit. Nice!
Devil2k
Oh man, this game is totally buying a PS3… again!
Devil2k
worth* damn you overexcitement!
Lewis Murray
You sold a PS3? What you been doing instead? Don’t tell me that you have been putting up with inferior substitute games and online fees?
Devil2k
After Ps2 I guess I just burnt out. The new generation of gaming doesn’t really do it for me. I actually owned 3 PS3’s which I sold. I bought one when MGS4 came out, then KZ2 and KZ3.
Sympozium
yeah I found the PS2 dull in its last years before PS3, same again with PS3 and sometimes with pc, you do feel burned out, nothing to really play.
All the industry needs is something exciting… like what Monster hunter did for PSP and Japan. If there was a open-world RPG – expansive as Skyrim or Cyrodil where friends could go on quests together like a band of heros on a might quest to prevent evil. Shooters to little to provide such dreams…. since not everyone wants to kill random human..
bunimomike
Awesome review, fella. I’m sitting here stunned at your superlatives dripping from every paragraph.
For me, Uncharted 2 was the pinnacle of interactive entertainment and for Drake’s Deception to come along and trump that so conclusively is a lesson to the entire industry.
Naughty Dog… you are incredible.
3shirts
All I can say is thank Odin for that!
I was genuinely concerned some crushing game breaker was going to spoil the game I’ve looked forward to more than any other this generation.
This sounds like everything I hoped for and more! Great review Alex. You sound the way I felt after U2 which fills me with joy!
BTW, do you have to complete Hard to unlock Crushing or does Normal do it?
colossalblue
so… fairly average then?
:D
bunimomike
Like your face.
3shirts
@Colossalblue – Did you hear, bunimomike likes your face.
bunimomike
If there was a lick button I’d so hit that.
3shirts
He wants to lick it
Klart
And hit (on?) you.
The Lone Steven
He is very tame then. Usually he drugs his victims and i can’t finish this sentence as it would get me banned for saying it. :p
citizeninsane45
My ban on not buying new games and saving money will be lifted for this. Loved the other 2 Uncharted’s and this sounds evem better. Not arsed about the online multiplayer at all but the single player campaign will keep me entertained.
SpikeyMikey23
Cracking review just makes me want this game right now, dare I say it more than BF3 & MW3 (only reason I say this is because I get more replayability (is that even a word?) out of the FPS’s)
Anyone else feel the need to run through U1 & 2 before they get this?
3shirts
I know what you mean but I actually don’t, purely because the stories are so good that I can still vividly remember the details of both games from the few playthroughs I have done on them. I don’t think that is true of any other game series.
Forrest_01
Is it because you have to run through each of the games at least twice for the platinum? :)
3shirts
Three times each. Once to unlock Crushing, once on crushing and once on easy just pissing about and finding treasures.
I never got bored of them though which says it all.
Forrest_01
I played the first one three times (once pre-trophy patch, once again when the trophies were patched in, & one final time on hard to unlock crushing), but crushing was owning me on the fourth run through, so I gave up. Figured 3 times through a game was enough for me & sod the platinum! So I know where you are coming from.
Interestingly enough though, I am yet to finish the second one. I know it’s a much better, much more rounded experience, but for some reason I just don’t get the urge to play it.
I know, I don’t understand it myself.
AG2297
Yep, I feel like I want to go through UC2 again to refresh my memory. Really excited for Uncharted 3.
Origami Killer
same here. Feel like going through 1 and 2 again right now. Well at least “Desperate times” chapter on UC2. Best level I have ever played on a game.
SpikeyMikey23
remind me what happens in that chapter? I cant remember
Origami Killer
When they are on the rooftops and the helicopter is chasing them down. The building starts to collapse and tilt in the middle of a gun fight :) Just after the Marco….Polo swimming pool gag.
SpikeyMikey23
oh yes, what a section. My face is the train though! Epic
SpikeyMikey23
my fave, MY FAVE!, not my face :S
Origami Killer
lol, “my face is the train”. Equally as good a section.
Toby M [Dexter17]
Yes, definitely. I haven’t tried the hard difficulties on the others yet, so this seems like the perfect time to do so.
MICKY17
Next week can’t come soon enough. Brilliant review and congrats to Naughty Dog once again.
gtaman7
Fantastic review! I don’t think i’ve been this excited for a game in a very long time.
Crocadillian
This’ll make me question my Online Pass boycott, grrr…