Not as good as the second, but better than mostly anything else.

User Rating: 8 | Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception PS3
There is a shadow looming over Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception. It's a
shadow of a juggernaut often revered, often envied; the level of par
excellence. It's the shadow of Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, released two
years ago to unanimous acclaim. It's been two years of high expectations for
Naughty Dog to take the next sequel to the next level, and what we've been
given is a great experience that's unfortunately undercut by a brilliant older
brother.

The game takes place sometime after the events of "Among Thieves", in a
little London pub where Drake and Sully arrange a deal with a shady
businessman. No sooner does either party reveal their true intentions, does
an all out fist-fight ensues. It's here where Uncharted 3 showcases its
emphasis on bare-knuckle brawling, Drake being able to duck, weave, hook
and counter as good as any seasoned boxer. Contextual attacks, such as
Nate grabbing a nearby frying pan to whack a guy's face in, serve to highlight
Naughty Dog's lofty ambitions to take the threequel into even greater
cinematic heights.

If it's the epic blockbuster story you're after, you may be a little disappointed.
Where Uncharted 2 told a fine tale of treasure hunting, myth-busting, and
skullduggery replete with a solid cast of characters, Drake's Deception
strangely eschews a lot of what made the first two games enjoyable in favour
of a more introspective outing. Digging into Drake's inner turmoil though
appears to be a sleight of hand, as the plot is similar to Uncharted 2 with just
the locations, bad guys, and grand treasure getting a name change.

Another thing that remains the same is the gameplay. It's not the most cutting
edge out there anymore; where Gears 3 perfected third person shooter
gunplay, and Batman: Arkham City sets the bar for stealth action combat,
Uncharted 3 is a happy compromise of both. What it lacks in depth and
technicality of its contemporaries it makes up for in sheer passion, character,
and set-piece bravado. While other games are still trying to catch up to
Uncharted 2 in dazzling spectacle, Uncharted 3 effortlessly meets it in
execution and surpasses it in number. It's all the more commendable that
more than a few of these set-pieces truly impact the gameplay, making you
rethink and retool the options at your disposal. It's annoying though, that the
A.I falters occasionally, and it's unhelpful that they've increased in number this
time around. And it's getting a little peculiar that Drake can take on half the
world and still act like a vulnerable, fragile everyman.

There's a few more puzzles and platforming than in Uncharted 2, and while
the puzzles are a little more ingenious this time around, the platforming remains as limited as ever. You quickly learn to condition yourself into not
trying to branch out further than Naughty Dog allows you to, because any
naughty experimentation is meet with either digital apathy or digital instadeath. Such rigidity culminates in an insulting section in which you run around hopelessly trying to find an exit, only for the helpful hint to tell you to blow up the gate with the RPG launcher. Since when did the environment care to react to our wanton destruction? Only when Naughty Dog allows it, it seems.

The flipside to the controlled experience is a fantastic presentation throughout
the entire campaign experience. Sights and sounds excite the senses like no
other game. Character models look a little better (except Chloe, who's
disappointingly... slimmer.), and the brand spanking new lighting engine has
an incredible dynamic range. More than once, you'll find Drake clipping into
the scenery, or the camera will swing around a cave to expose a black void on
the other side, but it won't be long before you're swept into the adventure once
again.

It's a valiant effort, and no other game this year does what Uncharted 3 does.
But with noble blood running through its veins, you'd expect Uncharted 3 to
probably do a little better than it has. Nonetheless, Naughty Dog can finally
rest on its laurels. There's no doubt now that they are among the best
currently in the biz.