That belongs in a museum!

Yes, I have finally played Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception, and what a ride it was. Uncharted is probably one of the biggest new IPs for this current generation, alongside others of course, but, it is the icing on the cake if I am honest. I like the whole treasure hunting and searching for myths i.e. – films like Indiana Jones and other games like Tomb Raider. Uncharted is very unique and has set a new genre for this adventure alone. (Will contain spoilers, so read at your own discretion)

So, my love affair with Uncharted begins at Uncharted: Drakes Fortune. I knew from the get go that I will enjoy this game, as it has the elements which will get people glued to the screens. Not only about searching for the lost city of gold, El ‘god-damn’ Dorado. (Victor Sullivan who is brilliant throughout) Having a protagonist like Nathan Drake,  who is supposed to be a descendant of the explorer Sir Francis Drake, as he seeks the lost treasure of El Dorado, with the help of journalist Elena Fisher and mentor Victor “Sully” Sullivan.

This of course made the narrative very interesting, as Drake wears Sir Francis Drake’s ring, and throughout the course of the game. As you would expect, you will be exploring ruins, solving puzzles, and battle through intense gun fights. Drake’s Fortune set the ball in motion, even if it did get a bit tedious towards the end. Using Drake’s handbook to solve puzzles is a great idea, and the climbing is no doubt one of the benchmark features in Uncharted. Drake is quite the climber, as he’ll literally climb anything to reach areas on where he needs to go.

I like how Naughty Dog uses historical figures such as Francis Drake, Marco Polo and Lawrence of Arabia. I now move onto Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, which blows Uncharted Drake’s Fortune out of the water in every aspect. Visuals, cinematic, gameplay and the set pieces were brilliant. Uncharted 2 Among Thieves has you going across Borneo, Nepal and into the Himalayan mountains in search of Shambhala.

Among Thieves of course adding multiplayer to the mix such as the norm of team deathmatches and even up to 3 player co-op against Lazarevic’s men. Lazarevic is the villain in Among Thieves 2, a lot better than the villains in Drake’s Fortune, Gabriel Roman & Atoq Navarro. Lazarevic is a warlord who is hell-bent on gaining power, as he even mentions Hitler, Stalin as great men, showing how determined Lazarevic is and his character, regardless of the persistent Nathan Drake biting at his heels, and always one step ahead of him. Drake’s Fortune only gave us a couple of characters, though Among Thieves gives us three new additions, former associate Harry Flynn and old girlfriend Chloe Frazer, voiced by the lovely Claudia Black, and finally our Tibetan friend, Tenzin.

Uncharted 2 had the more wow factor as well, because of the massive set pieces we had. The falling building whilst still in it in Nepal, the whole train segment which was brilliant, and finally the whole entire part of Shambhala before taking on Lazarevic. The game did win loads of rewards and I knew when going through Nepal, that Uncharted 2 is mighty superior than that of Drake’s Fortune. Drake’s Fortune is still a very good game, no doubt about it, though Uncharted 2 did lack the old roots of exploring and digging deeper in my opinion. Uncharted 2 did have it, though more action oriented is clearly shown.

Uncharted 3 went down a more personal route with the characters this time. I like this approach, as it shows a different perspective of Drake & Sullivan, and the relationship between Drake & Elena.

Not only does Uncharted 3 go down that route, but it ups the ante of the set pieces which we encountered with Uncharted 2. Uncharted 3 will have you escaping a sinking crusier, to hanging for dear life on a plane. The ending is also a big set piece finale, as the whole place is heading into the abyss below, because of the sand drawing everything in like a sinkhole. Platforms break up and you’ll be smashing the X button into an oblivion to make sure you make it to the other side.

Uncharted 2 & Drake’s Fortune had us fending off against creatures, well, Drake’s Fortune did. Some people say it ruined both Drake’s Fortune and Among Thieves because of it, just like Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, why aliens, why! I see their point and I do agree. Among Thieves wasn’t entirely like that to be honest. The Cintamani Stone or the resin to be precise turn those into crazed savages, who can withstand punishment and dish it out in huge quantities which gave Among Thieves horrendous difficulty spikes/flaws.

Uncharted 3 isn’t like the previous two, but playing on the fear. Fear is the main attribute which our new villain likes to poke out of people. Marlowe, an old woman who has history with Sullivan, makes things even more interesting. You even get to play as young Nathan Drake on how he got Sir Francis Drake’s ring. Yes, Drake’s Deception goes back to Francis Drake, as there is more than meets the eye with Francis Drake. It is a nice return to delve more into his voyage’s, as I feel as if Uncharted 3 got the balance right between action and puzzles, though leaning heavily on the action front more.

I really enjoy the Uncharted series and hopefully they will make Uncharted Golden Abyss playable on PS3 like Motorstorm RC. I would welcome that with open arms if they did, as it’s the only game I haven’t played out of the franchise.