Good but nothing new!!
The first game was great. I actually played Uncharted 2 first & was only the second game i owned on the PS3. The pure scale and feel of the adventure still draws me today and is one of my favourite games ever. Having then played the first game I could see how the second had improved on the first, but this took nothing away from Uncharted 1, but I didn't feel that the 3rd game had really moved on. The scale and overall presentation didn't capture me as much as the second game.
However the new quick time mechanic was a fresh new input. Most QT events detract from the game by removing you from the action, if only for 3 seconds at a time, which then distances you from the whole experience. But here the QT events happen so quick that it really is a QUICK reaction needed to pull of the moves which then seamlessly integrated with the action on screen and can have massive effects. So even when pushing the same buttons in the same order, just a little faster, you really feel like your interacting with the environment and using everything from bar stools to pool que's, and then throwing a bad guy through the Moroccan blinds & out the window in to the market place below. This really gives the game play a real cinematic feel - but unfortunately that's as far as the advancements go. All seems relatively scaled down apart from the shipping graveyard level. With your end goal presented to you early on and then the route mapped out as you stand aloft the cargo ship deck, you really feel overwhelmed and genuine anguish (like Drake would be feeling) of the task presented. But this only makes the reward of completion of this level even more satisfying and worth the massive slug of a journey alone.
The real advancement here is with the multiplayer online which really has moved on from the previous game. The general modes associated with all online game modes these days are well executed here but the Co-op mode really feels like a new adventure which can be enjoyed with your friends. There is also a mode which challenges you to stay alive as long as possible whilst striving to complete ever changing goals such as Treasure hunting, protecting a specific area to just holding back a wave of bad guys coming at you. And the arena's which host these sessions are engaging and big enough to keep you constantly moving and entertained.
For the pure first impact and enjoyment I had with Uncharted 2 I gave it 9.5 an am currently looking to pick both this & the first game up for a cheap as possible, so I have them in my collection to keep and pick up again some rainy day. Uncharted 3 failed with my expectations of being bigger and better than it's previous outing, but it still delivered a great gaming experience which, having only played the campaign mode once through, am looking forward to playing again. So for this reason I have to give it an 8.0 - but I'm just waiting till all my other gaming urges have been filled first before returning to the desert once again.