Uncharted 3 is a unique experience.
Level design + lack of polish = the disappointments that reside in the Uncharted series' latest installment, in my opinion.
Yet in the same time, in spite of these stains that noticeably mar the experience for most of the course of the game, the overall, grand impact as a whole was, honestly, like no other.
To start off (*cough* in contrast to the rather, uh, straightforward approach made in the beginning of this review), along with Valve, Naughty Dog is, personally, the video game developer I respect most in the video game industry. While most of my reverence may stem from the fact that their second video game (ie Crash Bandicoot 2) was what lured me into the world of gaming in the first place and Jak 3 has remained its place as my favorite video game since the autumn of '04, it's also because of their undeniable skill in crafting beautiful, charming, and ultimately satisfying video games that any lesser company could probably only dream of developing (in all due respect, that is).
As a gamer, Naughty Dog's evolution as a company and driving force of the industry as a whole was something I, surprisingly enough, didn't fully realize until the departure of Jason Rubin in 2004 and the release of Drake's Fortune 3 years later -- it was then that I discovered that (as corny as this may sound), a lot of the ideals and feelings that I had in regard to what Naughty Dog was in the middle of conducting or doing was, believe it or not, incredibly accurate. Whether it be from my biased appreciation of Naughty Dog's talent being widely joined after the release of U2 to a sudden feeling of grave foreshadowing after the first release of U3 gameplay in 2011, I can honestly say that ND is certainly a company I can relate to, for whatever reason -- and just as I had so unnervingly predicted in early 2011, (not trying to...brag or anything), Uncharted 3 was released to a mixed critical reaction from fans, and was, overall, a somewhat 'underwhelming' product on the long run.
And yet, it's still a good game. In spite of its stumbles and lack of natural charm and polish that seemed to uphold the previous installments, I, ironically, was able to enjoy what the game legitimately tries to be after the controller was put down and I had the time to lie down and simply reflect on what I've just been capable of venturing into. And, in a bittersweet way, this is sometimes more fulfilling than even playing the game itself, at times.
But before we get into that, I guess it would be best to shed some more light on the aspects of the gameplay, 'ey?
Technically, nothing much has changed, and, practically, that's a good thing -- the flow of U2's gameplay was almost flawless, really, and trying to improve on that would've resulted in either being very good, or very bad; however, although Naughty Dog chose to keep most of the game rather fixed to the system initially introduced in the second game, they did implement a slightly modified and much more complex combat/melee system, which also plays a greater, more prominent role in the game than it had in the past two. Honestly, while I thought that they had the idea well-planned, it was executed rather poorly and didn't fit in well with the chaos that endlessly ensued throughout the game's numerous levels (which, in the same time, prompted standalone levels devoted solely to the melee system itself, that, while fun, can feel a tad bit repetitive); on the other hand, if approached properly, combat can be extremely satisfying, and the diverse ways in which you can take down enemies and cross the varied landscape proves to be as enjoyable as it usually is in an Uncharted game. In my opinion, this is one of the greatest strengths of Uncharted's gameplay, which is why the fact that Uncharted 3 occasionally removes such elements of choice in combat and forces you into killing enemies in only one particular way (e.g. getting out of this certain piece of cover almost simultaneously puts you in a position that allows enemies to kill you from several, disproportionately placed angles, using a sniper is, intentionally, the best possible way to eliminate all the enemies standing in your way, etc.) does get pretty disheartening, at times. (Excluding some moments that mix the platforming and shooting aspects of gameplay into a single entity, that is; in events like these, the subtle thrill conjured in seeing the world through a different perspective while taking out your enemies in the process is quite exquisite.)
Yet, the times it gives you free reign and endows you with the freedom to go about the adventure in a personally-preferenced approach, Uncharted 3 undoubtedly shines and makes your grandmother's game of bingo completely pale in comparison.
That terrible reference aside, however, while Drake's Deception's combat is as enjoyable as it is, it's not the only characteristic of gameplay present in the overall game: platforming and puzzle segments are just as consistently constructed into the system, and are equally well-crafted; platforming feels terribly stiff, and may end up leading you to facepalm-worthy falls to your death, but is a comfortable, cinematically satisfying product in the end, and is accompanied by the likes of a tense chasing scene, a heartpounding run across rooftops, and much, much more. On the other side of the coin rests the puzzle sequences, which present a subtle, brain-stimulating turn of events in contrast to the usual mind-blowing jaw-droppers Uncharted is now known for, but makes for a clever, quiet experience that enhances the ultimate impact of your attachment with the game and its characters and rewards with a feeling of well-lit satisfaction when you've finally finished walking yourself through it.
Looking at the description of what makes up most of the gameplay of Uncharted 3 above, you can clearly see that one thing it has that most other games don't these days is variety; in the same time, it's that sense of variety and diversity in which you harness to traverse the worlds of Uncharted that make these games feel as unique as they are, in my opinion, and hurl you into an unforgettable emprise that doesn't just make you shoot for 9 hours straight at a time, but also choose to venture into the complete fullness of what games, as interactive experiences, can achieve, and explore the ways in which we can see how the characters of the story develop and how their choices and actions all come together to a penultimate climax that slowly declines into a bid for survival and a showdown between the games' primary villains and primary protagonist: Nathan Drake.
And that's where Uncharted's strongest point kicks in: its writing. Oh, Amy Hennig, you sickeningly skilled bastard you; from the first line of Elena's enthusiastic voice in the first game to Sully's heartwarming summary of what Drake's internal struggle was all about in the end of the third, the character-driven stories that reside in all of these games have always been topnotch, and in the third installment of the series, we are given the best example of the storytelling mastery that Naughty Dog and Amy Hennig mutually wield; from the singlehandedly symbolic title of the game itself to the disturbingly powerful third act, Drake's Decption provides a story that nails many a thing at once, and in the center of it all is possibly the most compelling, three-dimensional character I have ever witnessed in a video game:
Nathan Drake.
Now I don't want too delve to deeply into this, but the way in which Hennig develops the character of Nathan Drake is, in essence, one of the most elegant and cohesive I've seen in quite a long time, and I know that this may sound utterly ridiculous to some, but if you were to dissect and analyze the overall structure of plot and characterization introduced in all three games, you would probably see why.
Uncharted 3 has a deceptive approach to story: its outward plot revolves around the finding of a lost city, and the inevitable race between Marlowe and Drake to get to it and the treasure it beholds before the other does; yet, the real story is an introspective journey into the character of Drake himself, and an ultimate exploration of his crushing, lifelong fight to find out what it truly means to be 'great', and if any of that truly matters if it costs the lives and trust of not only his friends and loved ones, but his own, lost self, eventually resulting in a game-changing, powerfully thought-provoking conclusion that takes the Drake we all thought we knew and forces him to turn against himself in a desperate struggle of identity, fear, and overcoming.
Whatever the case, I'll...probably stop my ranting there, 'ey -- go further and I might as well spill out the whole plot, which is not exactly something I plan on doing for the rest of my afternoon, mind you; nevertheless, to make a long story short, in the end, Uncharted 3's story is like no other, and is a pristine representation of what it takes to make a character-driven story in the most sincerest sense; on the other hand, however, its shaky yet varied gameplay and phenomenally fantastic visuals are enough to keep it standing on its own two legs, and possibly even match it up with the best of the best of 2011. Overall, it's a beautifully inconsistent game, with a smooth, addictive multiplayer to boot. While not as brilliantly designed as UC2, it's still a profound experience, and worth a single playthrough or rental in spite of the several disappointments and blemishes that may litter its execution.
6.5/10.