Not worth $60 + tax...wait for the price drop or rent. The main focus seems to be on multiplayer this time around.
Drake and Sully are the main protagonists this time around and you get to explore their friendship including how they first met to why Drake is searching for this mysterious artifact that has spanned 3 installments. Other familiar faces make a return to season the predictable, but somewhat fun, Indiana Jones hotplate fiasco, with multiplayer hot sauce included.
There are 2 ways to view this game. The 1st way, being a newcomer to the series, you may be in awe from the glitzy and sparkly graphics that awe you with rich, colorful textures and great detail that breathes life into the Uncharted world. You will be punching, climbing, shooting and puzzle solving your way into a 'aw man, this is the GOTY right here!' If the single player campaign doesn't blow you away, the multiplayer mode will have you leveling up and stacking trophies while you run and gun with other hardcore and casual gamers on various maps perfecting your kills and moving up in rank.
The 2nd way to view Uncharted 3 is from a long fan standpoint who has experienced an incredible predecessor with plenty of 'holy s***' moments that kept you on your toes and wanting to tough it out till the final credits. Guess what viewpoint I fall in?
In a nutshell, the 1st half of the game moves slow as hell, gameplay wise consisting of back to back puzzle and platforming with a little gun-play and pop up cut scenes sprinkled in. Things start to heat during the 2nd half of the game but the shortcoming mechanics and 'what the hell' just happened moments keep Uncharted 3 from being a true sequel it's incredible predecessor. Just when you start to enjoy the 'holy s***' moments in the later half of the game, a lousy ending will leave you expecting more.
Melee attacks play a much bigger role this time around but the stick and move, perfect aiming enemy AI will have you resorting to hopes, punches, and getting shot from behind plenty of times while Sully and the rest of your allies provide useless cover fire. A few new guns have been added to your arsenal, but the off balance aiming, (worse than Uncharted 2) will have you resorting to your trusty shotgun or grenades which you can now toss back at enemies if you time your button press correctly. Most enemies are walking sponges who eat bullets for breakfast so be ready to fire plenty of pistols or automatic weapons at them while trying to get that 'headshot trophy'.
The story tries to get sentimental but ends up all over the place, being a tacky soap opera that leaves you with more questions than answers. A few of those questions might be 'how the hell did we end up in different parts of the world so fast?' or 'so what happened with Chloe and Cutter'? Nate's overall character was way more believable in Uncharted 2 than this time around. Though Uncharted 2 was cliche after cliche storywise, Nate took quite the bruising physically and mentally and had an average guy against impossible odds vibe. In Uncharted 3, Nate is a part Street Fighter, part Assassin's Creed, part Rambo action hero with guns galore and money to travel all around the world on a whim.
The puzzles are somewhat easier than Uncharted 2 (not nearly as massive) but a lot less clues in Drake's journal, or the puzzle room itself on how to solve them. Drake's journal is tilted at a better angle this time so you can clearly make out what's written in it. You have an option or waiting around long enough for the puzzle answer to be revealed, or you can go the Scooby-Doo route and figure it out.
Expect a few 'oohs and ahhs' here and there, (mostly towards the end of the game) and a seesaw difficulty that spikes up and down depending on what chapter you are on. Even when I started my 1st play on Hard difficulty, I was breezing through chapters like nothing and out of nowhere, the difficulty spikes up to where everyone has perfect aim except you.
All in all, single play is a short, decent ride with no real payoff and the ending will leave you unsatisfied. Naughty Dog's focus seems to be geared toward multiplayer mode this time around which is a shame since Uncharted gained notoriety for its single play campaign. Plus with all future DLC being geared towards character skins, recycled Uncharted 2 maps and this new 'Season Pass' bandwagon developers seem to be milking fanboys with, the least you can do is save your money and wait for the price drop since you can't get that precious multilayer pass for free with a used copy. If you decide to buy new, spend no more than $20 on this.