*NOTE #1: While this doesn’t affect the overall outcome of any score, I will be cataloguing the GOTY additions in Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception.*
*NOTE #2: There are bigger story spoilers present in order to talk about certain qualities of the game I liked and disliked—more a mixture of both this time. Viewer discretion is advised.*
Second opinions can be a great or terrible thing. It’s something that has made me look at certain films, games, paintings, and more through a different lens and a different appreciation due to either someone’s explanation or a more-developed understanding of my own over time. When looking at Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception from a distance the first time, the excellence underlying its ambitions in storytelling, gameplay, and value was something that seemed to promise it would challenge its 200+ GOTY award-winning forebear. But through the perspective of being fresh off of replaying Uncharted 2, that grandeur has revealed to be a mirage. Strange to say because in spite of admitting that I can still notice the building blocks here which could’ve lead to a more respectable outcome. The narrative treads new ground with a darker approach and the design avoids repeat mistakes; but in the end, fundamental inconsistencies continually aggravate, like sand stuck in your shoes.
The story of Drake’s Deception draws upon T.E. Lawrence, also known as “Lawrence of Arabia,” and his archaeological days for inspiration. After fifteen years lying in wait, old enemies have appeared which causes Drake and his crew members, both old and new, to seek out the fabled Atlantis of the Sands.
What’s become an expectancy for the series at this point, the plot imitates both its predecessor and Indiana Jones, ‘The Last Crusade’ in particular. This time though, the similarities are what I’d call a mirror image at times. This will probably sound familiar: flashback prompted after tutorial level, loosely-connected clues disinterred by Drake and co. only to be thwarted by their adversaries which leads to a runaway sequence, secret hidden away underneath a culturally-specific city, Drake’s displayed athleticism of jumping from a moving jeep to a larger moving vehicle, narrow escape of that larger moving vehicle’s destruction, attempting to survive against nature’s harshest elements, assistance from natives of the land, MacGuffin with a mystical result, and on and on. While this isn’t to suggest these are the ONLY plot points present, it’s tough not to notice that sort of template—exciting as it may be—to feel replicated too much here.
Though the point-for-point plot developments noted and locations may mirror past works, its own or its inspiration, Drake’s third outing still caused me to hanker over the subtle details more because of how willing it was to question Drake’s motives about this adventure and what he tries to accomplish altogether. Even from the lead antagonist, Marlowe, early on she’s quick to point out the pleasure he gets out of it all. “Cerebral” would be the fitting term to use for what kind of a threat she’s meant to pose for Drake, as well as the secondary antagonist, Talbot, to a certain extent.
What punctuates this heavier topic is in the likable duo’s camaraderie and origin story. Part of Drake’s Deception details Nathan and Sully’s past and what significance Sir Francis Drake had in shaping them today. Whereas past titles did present those subtleties about its tropes and questioning its character, that incorporation here is more powerful due to the character growth specifically for these two. From what was once just a cigar-chomping treasure-hunter without much of a history, Sully’s now portrayed as an adoptive father figure here. By having that sort of a center within this globe-trotting adventure, all the moments of admonition contain a greater emotional weight.
With this sort of darker motif inching towards a different thematic direction it’s easy to understand what flaws can be overshadowed. And certain aspects are a bit easier to ignore and be left up to the audience's interpretation, but there’s oftentimes a sensation of hankering for a better story as time passes. This narrative can just seem desultory with its material at times and what they’re trying to go for with some characters, friends and villains. While the focus on Sully adds more dimension for him, it acts like tunnel vision to the rest of Drake's gang that's only there for the time being. They're still endearing side characters, but also one-dimensional with the script dropping some out on a whim. And despite the well-paced buildup, there are many small plot points or random pieces of information extolled here about the mystical qualities of Marlowe, Talbot, and their group that’s tossed out and just ignored. Part of why no development happens is because their presence is missed for a sizable part of the game. The reason Marlowe could be considered a more “cerebral” villain is because she only makes an appearance via voiceover narration in Drake’s head—which didn’t really make any sense—for that span of the narrative. While there is another antagonist encountered, this also greatly disrupts the story’s pacing and purpose.
In both interviews and within a behind-the-scenes video, Naughty Dog’s been adamant in admitting they construct their set pieces first and then wrap the story around them. This has never been more apparent than in the cruise ship level and the chapters leading up to it. What seems like a simple mission turns out to be a non-sequitur capped off with an eye-rolling dues ex machina. From the minor villain (with the silliest reasoning for motivation in this series yet) to its futility, the entire sequence is akin to a lengthy, spectacular detour after driving several hours down a road leading you to where you want to go. What hurts the worst is that the set piece moments stringed together there could be my favorite in the series thus far. And to see such an obvious example of a narrative framework that’s totally in service of the action is rather disappointing.
Admittedly, it would be unfair to pour out this much negativiy without admitting other good qualities of the story. As it’s been since the beginning, the developer’s yearning of encapsulating the zeal of old pulp magazines like Thrilling Wonder Stories is still here. Even within the inconsistent material, that sort of passion is never lost. There’s also a new friendly side character (voiced by Graham McTavish) that has a good sense of humor and a set of unique flaws. Finally, something that’s continually bothered me with the series and its endings is handled much better and is more contextually fascinating when looking at the main villains and their deceptiveness.
Overall, Drake’s Deception plots out this middle ground between slinking away from its past structural faults to make something more ambitious while also makes a few new problems of its own. With that considered, it’s still able to retain Naughty Dog’s avidity for this kind of storytelling. This is the most genuinely funny script so far, yet there’s also more to ponder; there’s heavier material, yet it never detracts from the enthusiastic adventuring. This narrative is possibly the farthest removed from consistent in comparison, but that doesn’t necessarily stop it from leaving indelible marks of excitement.
Encompassing that sense of adventure with such realized locales from Uncharted 2 has been reincorporated again with similar success. It’s in those captured moments on the game cover causing anyone to ask “how in the world did he get in such a situation?” that so encapsulates the excitement in these tales. And Naughty Dog, acting gleefully as ever, jumps to whip out one of Lawrence’s parchment maps and pound their fingers on various locations saying here, here, and here. Since we’re talking about a desert theme this time around, it’s natural to expect more of that sort of architecture and means of crossing these terrains to appear. Despite that, there's still a ship graveyard, a chateau, and even an English pub throughout the journey. Just as it has been with ND’s previous, the punctiliousness of the visual artists have in bringing these vistas to life is remarkable.
Building upon the technology of its predecessor, Drake’s Deception has some jaw-dropping visuals. Whether contesting against the forces of natures or being chased across rooftops, the action sequences can show great technical assiduity from the designers. Just as water and snow got their chance to show off the plethora of animations, the endless sandbanks are the character this time around. If there’s a takeaway on the side of the production that annoyed me it would be the sense of overproduction when considering the cut scenes. Since the team’s—unsurprisingly—going to push in-engine tech at all times, the difference between the characters’ details in cut scenes and gameplay is rather jarring this time around.
Audio design has definitely been another penchant for the series that remains one of its best qualities again. The most noted improvement is the satisfying sounds for guns. There’s a greater variety and they carry a greater heft. Greg Edmonson is back to once again compose the original soundtrack, but doesn’t quite reach what was accomplished in Uncharted 2. Of course, there are those euphonious Middle Eastern-inspired tunes that segue into the game at the right moments, but I suppose it didn’t hit me quite as well here. Still, the variety is great in capturing all the various locales, one score in particular remixing one of Uncharted 1’s tracks when on the cruise ship. It would only be apropos of me to sound like a broken record and praise the solid acting work in main and supporting characters. It’s a shame the script doesn’t give her the treatment a villain of her caliber deserves, but Rosalind Ayres’ performance of Marlowe captures her wickedness so well.
There’s also one annoyance tied between visual and audio that also resonates with certain aspects of gameplay: polish. One addition to animations is context-sensitive moments by Drake when close to walls or other objects (like Assassin’s Creed did with crowds). While this does fit in naturally quite often, there’s sometimes an impression of instability or it can just act wonky at times during combat with Drake reaching out and touching invisible walls. Audio bugs seem more consistent with even one portion, in gameplay and cutscene, which seemed to keep cutting out. These problems aren’t intended to say this is an unpolished game, only to say there is a notable disparity between how meticulous the predecessor was to this one.
Like the story complaints, gameplay is the other aspect where second opinions invaded so much of the experience. The lasting impression just hit me like a truck. When considering the awesome potential it almost doesn’t make sense why the final result ended up this way. Were I to see the entire setup, beginning to end, of the campaign’s structure on paper it would feel like a proper step up from its predecessor: the waves of enemies mentality is pared down for the most part, proper emphasis on each individual element, and more. Sadly, it doesn’t quite come together.
The culprit on where it went wrong would be the greatest facet in its panoply of mechanics: shooting. When looking solely at the kinaesthetics of aiming down sight and movement, it feels so jagged—even with sensitivity cranked up. Unbelievable to see the previous template that felt taut and perfectly fine of being replicated here uses a different set of systems that aren’t nearly as satisfying. This coupled with the less-sentient enemy AI makes the ebb-‘n-flow of combat scenarios feel inconsistent. There are moments of such erratic behavior that I was left saying “wow…how were these things not addressed?” when enemies would make absurd, suicidal decisions in attempting to flank. Even a small cadre of pirates in this one combat arena were completely unresponsive until I shot them a couple of times. Even the placement of various well-armed enemies can be rather drastic at times, resulting in up-and-down spikes of difficulty.
These problems are a shame to admit because other elements do bolster the enjoyment of shooting. For starters, the unsurprisingly new set of enemies towards the end feel like a quick in-and-out affair. While the mystical aspects never really seem like the highest points in the campaigns, their presence to the story and gameplay felt appropriate enough here to seem like a good threat but also quick enough to get the action back on track. The other compliment is tied to the technology. Combat arenas based on floating water platforms are some of the most exciting parts of the game. Since the ocean is thrashing waves every which way, there are momentary instances of sneaking in shots at enemies behind cover. It’s a small touch but one that’s catches my attention because it’s finding another way for technology to go beyond the looks and make the gameplay more engaging. Other minor improvements such as Drake being able to throw back grenades were nice changes as well.
Complementing Drake’s arsenal of weapons during combat is his fists and intuition. When it comes to hand-to-hand combat, the stronger emphasis and added abilities bolster the variety. These fun bouts of action are shown off in the most-fitting incipient stage. From the slow, perfectly-edited build up in the cut scene (even the damn inclusion of a red telephone booth!) to the atmosphere, the brawling at a London pub felt like a great way to open the game. Uncharted 2’s in medias res opening may never be topped, but this is still a great way to communicate the newfound emphasis in this particular mechanic. While the mechanic in isolation doesn’t stand up to titles like the Arkham games, the expanded amount of counters and surprising amount of environmental background to use against enemies only furthers Uncharted’s Hollywood-style kineticism.
Stealth gameplay is still present to the same degree, only without a lackluster mission dedicated to it. What makes it more engaging, or less annoying I should say, is that the setup feels nonchalant. While it’s still encouraged, there are never any moments that artificially feel as if the game’s systems now demand me to start shooting. No, you just use it to find an advantageous position, soften up the number of guards, and there’s nothing else to it.
Platforming is in keeping with what’s been accomplished already. The specificity of color subtly pointing out climbable objects, the distanced camera angles creating excitement of what lies at the top and the plethora of vicarious walls to climb all remain intact. One interesting nuance here is the combination of platforming and vertical cover shooting a la Dark Void. Like with the platforming improvements in Uncharted 2, the vertical shooting does actually blend well with the architecture.
The collection of puzzles in Drake’s Deception is the best in the series thus far. The reason these were more interesting was their lesser dependency of having to be grand in scale every time and never came off as feeling like filler. There’s no getting around the “Press Select for answers” complaint but these cases simply felt more inspired. Even the best puzzle presents only part of the answer in a clever way. In fact, I’d implore any new players to turn off the hint system for the chateau section just to see how the environmental design is used in tandem with Drake’s journal. A solid appetizer all around this time.
What makes the gameplay’s outcome so disappointing is in the wasted potential. Throughout each complimentary aspect to this multifarious collection, there’s more nuance or an annoyance pared down. It shows signs of the team asking what few things didn’t quite work as before. Replaced by that, however, the basis of the combat simply feeling inferior and uneven.
One of the best qualities in the last Uncharted was the greatly increased value for the sixty-dollar product—not to suggest single-player should only be considered a degrade by default. Here, the same energy has remained mostly intact. The campaign drops back down to the eight-hour mark, but being mindful of the smoother gameplay pacing and muted necessity of waves of enemies makes it understandable, appreciated even. What is strange is how the extras for the campaign are handled. Concepts and developer videos are tied to progress instead of in-game purchases. And there are oddly no silly extras like Doughnut Drake, No Gravity, Next Gen Filters, and the like to be unlocked from the now-missing in-game campaign store. It’s just the single-player mode and the collectibles to find for trophies.
Of course, those kinds of superfluous extras don’t make or break the main course meal. It’s about that value within the action and character-driven moments. But even then, absolute recommendation is a bit wavering here. Speaking solely from the technological and creative perspective, I would’ve hated to have missed everything involved with the cruise ship segment. Yet when looking at the whole and the stumbling blocks from both a gameplay and contextual mindset, it can feel lacking.
Whereas Uncharted 2’s multiplayer felt like a very beefy attachment with the campaign, it’s apparent much more was spent on providing a more impressive collection of options—for better or worse. Naughty Dog themselves even mentioned wanting this to be the “go-to multiplayer game” for the PS3. While it certainly has a multitudinous amount of features to back up that claim, its desperation of emulating so many other reward-based systems out there doesn’t always work out.
Co-op would be the better of the bunch since it’s been well-expanded. The expected Horde Mode variant returns, but with an interesting twist. Rather than selecting which type of Arena game style to choose from, Siege, Survival, or Gold Rush, this time all are mixed together and alternate after rounds. That sort of inspiration from Killzone 2 does a lot to keep your interest rather than being disappointed when your teammates may have voted for the Survival gametype again in Uncharted 2. Added on top of that is a new mode called Co-op Hunter Arena. Here, two teams of two fights to score three different treasures in three different chests, one team as heroes and one as villains. The catch is Villains mimic AI enemies and their arsenal while Heroes can use medals (through kills, pickups, etc.) to acquire better weapon classes. It’s one of the best surprises to the multiplayer overall. On top of those, Co-op Adventure, previously called Objective, makes its return and bolsters the amount of raw content.
In regards to DLC, there are two additions: an extra Fort Adventure challenge, which brings a bit of nostalgia, and Co-op Shade Survival. The new Shade Survival mode operates like Arena but the objectives are centered on these mystical enemies. This would be the least enjoyable of the bunch because the enemies’ health is ridiculously high and they’re annoying combatants. Avoid extra purchase of that particular mode.
The competitive has, unfortunately, dipped down when it comes to consistent quality. Yes, all the different deathmatch and objective variants are here and the connectivity runs just as smoothly as Uncharted 2. While a good portion of my whole playing time has been spent with the most recent version (1.19.115), I don’t recall many technical problems first playing in ’11 either. Disregarding all later-released DLC maps, Drake’s Deception shipped with eight maps. What made the number absolutely no big deal in UC2 to me was the awesome quality in three-fourths of those maps. Sure, I didn’t care for two of them. But in this case? There’s not that same level of fervor for them altogether. That isn’t to say that they’re “dreadful” just that it’s rather telling how my votes typically strayed towards the UC2 remade and flashback maps instead. There is one thing to say about the potential of the included cinematics for certain maps. Take Airstrip for instance: beginning on a runway with one team spawning inside a carrier jet and the other on large trucks surrounding it on three sides and then a cinematic cutscene happens to place both teams on a typical map. This sort of yearning for that dynamism Uncharted 2 harnessed so well and were given a taste of with dynamic events in its competitive multiplayer really has potential to wow in the same way as the campaigns.
The persistent reward system has received a number of tweaks now. Along with gaining experience points to attain a higher level, money is also given for you to select new character customization options, mods for weapons, boosters, and medal kickbacks. Kickbacks act as CoD's killstreaks based on collecting a certain number of medals in a match, whether it’s a random pickup, objective based, or whatnot. Some abilities are just simple rewards like an RPG or instantly teleporting to another part of the map. Character customization gets a grand overhaul with being able to change colors of clothing, get random accessories (like Jak’s goggles), and more.
There’s other miscellanea added to the mix like emblem editors, expanded cinema mode, and Uncharted TV. Anyone who’s messed with emblems before will be familiar with this setup: having a plethora of decals and a couple layers to rotate and such. A fluffy extra but pretty interesting to see them splashed on various walls throughout the match. Cinema mode is easier to use and enables direct uploads to players’ Facebook and/or Youtube accounts. The Youtube dedicated channel Uncharted TV is also a very neat extra that filters good user videos (typically) and has them playing at the bottom right of the multiplayer menu. It’s a really great extra that will oftentimes show off tips for new players or great montages.
With all this considered one could ask where it goes wrong. The answer: the very fundamentals don’t quite sit well with me. It makes sense: if the shooting mechanics are disappointing in the campaign they won’t feel much better here. But instead of the typical agents and pirates that go down easily, players here take an absurd amount of ammo to kill with anything other than snipers or shotguns. The balance of how effective each weapon works doesn’t make sense. In also trying to replicate Call of Duty's ideas with many boosters having levels now and more, it all feels very cliched. The simpler route in Uncharted 2 felt more fluid and exciting whereas here it’s bloated and crafted to give newer players a rough time. Like the maps, it's rather telling when 'Classic' was my go-to mode. And we haven’t even touched on the microtransactions! I’m sorry but when you have that stupid shopping cart logo blinking for all the various icons, backgrounds, etc. that have yet to be unlocked it can become too much. Not to forget, various purchasable headwear that grants ability boosters.
It stinks to be a bit underwhelmed by the online as a whole because there’s truly a tremendous amount of new ideas shown here. Some of the ideas with co-op are very interesting; extras like Uncharted TV seem like a solid community-oriented novelty; and furthering that movie feeling into multiplayer continues to improve. Despite complaints, the amount of stuff that kept me engaged still makes these multiplayer offerings good fun.
“Deception” seems like a fitting word when revisiting the Rub ‘al Khali in the campaign. What once held firm as an incremental improvement over Uncharted 2 to me, it's now more noticable to see this forerunner falters on many of its own mistakes. When solely looking at what it was capable of accomplishing, this would’ve been the better game. Focusing on Drake’s past and questioning what drives him, a more evenly-distributed focus on mechanics, and even more exciting blockbuster moments are just some of the ways it may have added more substance to Among Thieves’ flash. But alas it doesn’t always go according to plan. It goes to show that exciting the player in this series is equally built upon the idea of making these scenes flow naturally with good character dynamics all-around and proper context, instead of only feeling like prerequisites.
coolbeans’ *FresH* Badge
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception has a lot to live up to as Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is an incredible and near-perfect game.
I cant even say what the point was its easily the worst story in the series. The online was a whole lot of fun though but overall doesn't come even close to 2
It was a step back for sure. Personally, I thought even the MP was way better in U2. Solid game, glad I played it. I just think they didn't push as hard as they did with U2.
The "young Drake" portion was pretty top notch, story-wise. But yeah, everything outside of that I felt was inferior.
Villains were all over the place in this… one second they wanted Drake dead, the next they needed him, then they want him dead again, then they coulda killed him, but poisoned his friend instead, then coulda shot him again, but had brunch with him, then needed him alive, then coulda mowed him down, but decided to kill him by fire and let him escape… Uncharted 2 was way better. 😅😅
=D Sounds crazy. I don't remember any of that. Played it on ps3 and I remember thinking that why was this game so bashed compared to second one. I liked it.
Another thing that annoyed me about UC3 events was the agent Talbot teleporting around Turkey. It just felt off to me, and made no sense.
Also, for about one third of the game, you go on a wild goose chase to rescue Sully, who wasn't even there to be rescued, and you end up back where you started again. There was simply no pay off for all the events you go through, so it fell flat in that regard as if they couldn't figure out how to make the game longer, so they decided to side-track you to do something with no pay off, hoping you wouldn't notice due to all the incredible action set pieces they made.
Overall though, even with its flaws, I still enjoy the game.
This was actually my least favorite in the series. Didn't have that same impact that part 2 set.
Uncharted 2 is the pinnacle of the series (to me).
Granted, 4 had the best story in my opinion, but 2 was the overall best game.
A decade after its release, how does Uncharted 3 fare today? Does its story still work? Was its precursor’s legacy a bedrock or quicksand for its own aspirations?
Replies(2)When arguably the weakest game in the series is still awesome and more fun than most games today, you know you're onto a winner!
I'd extend "arguably" before awesome too. Many technically demanding scenes were jaw-dropping for the time, but it's tough to ignore the sub-par context propelling the action forward.
Tough for you, perhaps, and that's fine. I enjoyed it very much. Perhaps a little less than the others in the series, but then the bar is extremely high.
I remember being blown away by the water and sand tech in U3 for the time too. It certainly was a visual treat!
It is very good, but when I originally played Uncharted 3 it was the most disappointed I'd ever been in a video-game because Uncharted 2 was just that good. I enjoyed 3 much more when I replayed it in the Nathan Drake Collection though. I could just enjoy it for what it is and accept that it's not Uncharted 2 - it's not a roller coaster, and it doesn't balance and rotate between action, puzzles, platforming and set-pieces in the same way.
Uncharted 3's gameplay is a bit more compartmentalized and focused on one thing at a time. I'm not surprised the scrapped version of Uncharted 4 was going to have no gunplay for the first half. It's also paced much differently - it takes a long time to get to the notable set-pieces. Uncharted 2 is insane from Nepal onwards which is about an hour into the game. haha.
I did like the introduction of chase sequences, and I love first hour (bar fight, young Drake) and from the airplane sequence onwards but I just think the rest of it just sort of meanders along without as much purpose as 2.
When it comes to the script, you can feel the absence of Neil Druckmann and Josh Scherr (writer on every other console Uncharted game). Drake gets hit in the face, and the game goes on a random side plot for an hour to give you some boat set-pieces. He then washes up on a beach close to where Elena is staying to get you back to the real plot. Drake just says "How convenient" to try make you laugh off how sloppy the plot got.
In retrospect, I'm not sure if Naughty Dog were ready to work on 2 different games at once. 3 clearly had production issues that 1 and 2 didn't have, and Hennig's version of 4 didn't work out. They had to crunch so hard to get the rebooted version done on time that Bruce Straley gave up making video-games.
I'll give you some props for the extra analysis. I remember Druckmann climbing his way to a writer spot in UC2, but wasn't aware of Josh Scherr. I didn't know that was the reason for Straley's departure either. That's pretty damn rough.
They had to make some weird choices as far as story went because the actor for Cutter had to bail which left a few holes in the story.
Uncharted is one of my favourite series and while the leap from 2 to 3 was not nearly as big as the leap from 1 to 2, I think it was an amazing experience none the less.
Graham McTavish's departure wasn't easy, but I don't think that would fix many holes tbh. Because the main issue to consider is the precarious mindset Naughty Dog was operating on: an increased emphasis in set pieces that HAD to go in and worrying about the context later.
I really liked part 3 ( Among Thieves is still the best in my opinion) My only complaint was the interactions with the villains and how they were a missed opportunity, Linda MacMahon (Marlowe) was an interesting antagonist due to the history with Sully and Nate but it fails basically flat especially with her ending. And I couldn't care about Navaro 2.0.
What I did love and made me care was Cutter, in the short time he was in the game you could feel that the guy was a good treasure hunter for example when he pulled his own notebook with the clues he founds so the team can escape a room.
It was a small touch that add a lot to the character.
I have mixed feelings on the series. I still own all of them on the PS3, and the collection for PS4, but I didn't truly "love" any of the games until 4.
They're good games, but they always stumble on some element.
The first is good, but the climbing mechanics weren't exactly fine tuned with the first showing. Not to mention the spongey enemies if you played on anything past normal; but you're then faced with a fairly unchallenging game experience.
The second mostly fixed the climbing, but added in a pretty clumsy stealth mechanic.
Three was just two with a new story.
Four got it right though.
I don't remember once getting annoyed by any mechanic had in the game.
I know that everyone has a soft spot for 2, and 3 is sort of the black sheep of the series; but they did, overall, get progressively better. Which doesn't always happen.
KeenGamer: "Which Uncharted game is the best? Uncharted is widely recognized as one of the most groundbreaking and consistently great franchises in gaming. For both long-time fans and newcomers to this action-adventure classic, here’s a ranking of the franchise’s four main games."
No Golden Abyss -_-, otherwise I agree with the order.
UC2: Best overall
UC4: Best graphics, best gameplay, best locations, best environements
UC3: Best set pieces IMO (the boat and desert fights will always be amazing)
UC1: A rough Draft of what was to come
UCGA: Basically UC1 on Vita
Great list and great article nicely writen and explained. Although for me personaly i would put Drakes Fortune above Drake’s Deception and Uncharted 4 is absolutely my favourite of the franchise and number 1 for me.
U2 is the only game playable on crushing without causing a great amount of frustration. Not to mention just how much influence it had that they redid some of U2s set pieces like the caravan twice, and armored truck chase in U4.
I'd rate it as the following.
1.) Uncharted 2
(Close to perfection of any game I've played in years. Single Player/Multiplayer/Co Op all amazing.)
2.) Uncharted 3
(On par with UC2 multiplayer/co op wise minus the kickbacks [aka killstreaks]. I really liked the Lawrence of Arabia story.)
3.) Uncharted 4
(Single player is amazing. Multiplayer was meh. Co Op had potential. Absolutely hated the health revive system it slowed down the game way too much. Always preferred the fast pace action of UC2/UC3. Made it way more fun that way. Recoil was too ridiculous that most people in lobbies would only do hip firing, using power weapons and using that OP grappling hook to melee people after dropping them. Nobody wanted to revive anyone.)
4.) Uncharted
(It's the first in the series so it's hard to judge. Though I loved the story.)
I agree here but it’s also a series you can play from front to back and truly enjoy. Story-wise, they are all great and flow so well. I wish they threw both Golden Abyss and Lost Legacy on this list. Lost Legacy is the best mechanically in my opinion. You can see it’s stepping stone framework for TLOUS2.
uncharted 2 is one of the few games that actually surpassed its pre-release hype.
I am a single player gamer...I barely ever touch a multiplayer component. The only exceptions over the years have been the Mass Effect 3 multiplayer, TLOU factions, and the Uncharted 2 multiplayer. The Uncharted 2 multiplayer saw me spend more time playing it than all my other multiplayer experiences over the years combined. That game really was a masterpiece all around.
I agree completely, those are all stellar MP experiences, coming from another SP gamer who only occasionally gives MP some time.
Come to think of it, the step between Uncharted 1 and Uncharted 2 is huge. It goes from the weakest in the series to one of the best games ever made.
I think I'm going to play all of them again soon.
is multiplayer still up for the remastered trilogy? or did it never have UC2 mp?
Hope everyone enjoyed the review. Please feel free to leave your comments and/or questions below.
It certainly was a shock for me to go back and notice a bunch of things that continually annoyed me. It's not as though they weren't there (especially for gameplay), but rather just conceded to some problems and left feeling enthusiatic over the more Drake-focused story here. Feel free to share any titles you've enjoyed less or more after looking at it with fresh eyes years later.
UC3 is my least favorite in the series. I think once it got past the ship level, things started going down hill. I felt as a whole the plot, characters, gameplay, and writing took a step backwards.
My favorite Uncharted !!!
Well, even the "low" score, your review is really solid and I respect your opinion.
Sorry for the short message, I'm in a rush, but I really appreciated the effort you put in this review.
Well done!
I loved Uncharted 2 so this game was a huge disappointment for me. And IGN gave this game a 10, WTF?! This is an accurate review.
UC2 had best story and UC3 had best multiplayer.Plunder mode have been some of my favorite moments online EVER!its...ONLINE INSANITY👍