TSA’s Top 100 of 2011 – #3 Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception

November 2007. October 2009. It didn’t take a rocket surgeon to decipher Naughty Dog’s cryptic release pattern to work out we’d be getting a new Drake adventure at the tail-end of 2011. That said, when this list was forged, deep in the labyrinthine bowels of TSA Towers back in the faded lost era of late October, we didn’t know it had the subtitle of Drake’s Deception. We also didn’t know what we do now after scouring over interview after interview, watching new gameplay footage in awe and trying to imagine what Naughty Dog can cram into their next title in a little over eleven months from now.

We did know about the sand, however, that particular aspect something we’ve been hearing rumblings about for a while, and, as a game mechanic, we’re excited. It’s always refreshing to hear about developers pushing themselves; creative people who could easily rest on their laurels and still be successful yet decide instead to follow the harder path, always looking for a new challenge to throw their creative might behind, especially when it’s something that hasn’t been done exceptionally well yet. It won’t be the only game with a sand dynamic in 2011, of course, but you can bet your last gold doubloon it will be the best.

Usually around about this time in our Top 100 series we do one of two things. Sometimes we tell you a little about the game to set the scene; a fluffy introduction in case you weren’t too familiar with the title in question. Or perhaps you had heard of it but wouldn’t mind something of a recap, oodles of data decanted into a pithy, punchy five-hundred word preview. We’re not going to do that here. You already know what you need to know about Uncharted 3.

Other times we talk about why we here at TheSixthAxis are interested in the project in general – a quasi justification or character witness report about the game based on the studio’s pedigree or promise, if you will. We’re also not going to do that here. This is Uncharted 3. This is a game developed by Naughty Dog. This is number three on our list and, if we’re being completely transparent, could easily have been number one, and may actually have been if we had seen the recent footage when we voted back in October.

But the list is what it is. We’re happy with Uncharted 3’s ultimate slot in this compendium, satisfied that despite knowing full well what’s in store for us next November, the franchise still manages to instill a sense of expectancy. We know it will be awesome. We know it will be – somehow – better than Uncharted 2. And maybe that stark realisation has dulled our anticipation levels a mite. Much like why Killzone 3 and LittleBigPlanet 2 only crept into the Top 10 when many thought they should have featured perhaps a little higher, there is a degree of familiarity with Uncharted that, while any new entry in the series should be lauded in its own right, is slightly diminished because of this personal acquaintance with the series. Let’s face it, the hallowed halls of gaming will crack open and crumble in upon themselves if Naughty Dog somehow manage to cock up Uncharted 3.

There’s little risk here. We’re not anticipating Uncharted 3, hoping it will be great. We can’t wait to get our hands on it because we already know it’s going to soar technically while simultaneously delighting us with some of the best story-telling in this – or any for that matter – medium. Uncharted 3 is our banker. We still obviously want it a great deal – it’s number three for a reason – but unlike some other titles on this list that are laced with apprehension due to our genuine curiosity to see if the developer can pull it off, the appeal of Naughty Dog’s third Drake adventure is rooted in its pedigree; the safety that we’ve nothing to worry about.

We’re exceptionally happy with our final three, and, as mentioned before, the difference in their respective accumulated scores is minuscule enough to suggest that any of them could have taken the top spot. We’re sure Drake has no issue coming in third in our list. After all, he’s been here before, saving the day and firing out quips like there’s no tomorrow, and you can be assured that if there is ever a Top 100 Games of 2013 list, he’ll be on it.

Uncharted 3 is easily one of 2011’s big hitters. In fact, many would say 2010 has been a quiet year in terms of gaming greats, the omission of a Naughty Dog title contributing perhaps to this feeling of slight disappointment. 2011 is looking huge, however, and Uncharted 3 is a big part of that mushroom cloud of gaming spectacle just looming on the horizon.