Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception - Part 1

[Havok83]

Wait, which one is from Uncharted 1? So far i've played Borneo, London, Syria, Airport, all of which are from UC 2 & 3. Are you talking about Monastery? I just assumed that was the one from UC 2 as well.

Yes Monastery and its definetly UC1. Its this level right here

[YT]SHGY_sNGiho[/YT]

 

[SpideyVille]

I'm all for people saying they prefer Uncharted 2 to Uncharted 3. People saying that 2 blows 3 out of the water really confuse me though. The game is easily on par with Among Thieves, and I think it bests it. It's my favorite game on PS3.

Yeah, I think that's the thing that confuses me too because even though I know most people don't mean it this way, it almost sounds like they don't think this is a great game compared to U2, which is just a silly thing to think. U3 is easily one of the best game out there, better than probabaly 99% of everything else out there. But since it is the third game in the series there are easily going to be comparisons made and it really comes down to personal preference.

I know for me, I played U2 last year when I first got my POs3 and I knew nothing about it aside from what I knew about the characters from the first one. So I was really surprised by everything. But with U3, I had been following it since it was announced and I saw all the previews and spoilers and stuff, so I wasn't as impressed by some of the set pieces, but I was expecting to be amazed and the game as a whole certainly did that and it did it by taking some of the things I thought I knew about the story, and flipping them around so that what seemed obvious wasn't and was actually surprising to some extent.

 

[Wolvieboy17]

You raise an interesting point... The Uncharted series is definitely a game series where it would be much better to know nothing about... Imagine the cruise ship level or the aeroplane/desert level if we weren't expecting them? By the time I actually played them, It already felt too familiar just from all the promotional art.

In U2 it was just the train crash pretty much, but all the other epic set pieces were still a nice surprise! :P

Also, I think

Spoiler

There could have been a much better twist for the lost city at the end. It was too much like Shambala, a splendid, wonderful, intact city..... It would have been an awesome twist if when those big doors first open, after expecting something beautiful like in U2, instead we see something dark, twisted and foul, something foreboding and evil. That could have been an awesome twist, and would have played off nicely as a cruel payback for Nate's obsessive curiosity and lust for treasure. That also would have worked better with the whole 'Scarecrow gas water' thing.

 

[SpideyVille]

You raise an interesting point... The Uncharted series is definitely a game series where it would be much better to know nothing about... Imagine the cruise ship level or the aeroplane/desert level if we weren't expecting them? By the time I actually played them, It already felt too familiar just from all the promotional art.

In U2 it was just the train crash pretty much, but all the other epic set pieces were still a nice surprise! :P

Also, I think

Spoiler

There could have been a much better twist for the lost city at the end. It was too much like Shambala, a splendid, wonderful, intact city..... It would have been an awesome twist if when those big doors first open, after expecting something beautiful like in U2, instead we see something dark, twisted and foul, something foreboding and evil. That could have been an awesome twist, and would have played off nicely as a cruel payback for Nate's obsessive curiosity and lust for treasure. That also would have worked better with the whole 'Scarecrow gas water' thing.

Yeah, I remember being blown away when I was crossing over rooftops on a piece of wood and suddenly a helicopter appeared out of nowhere. And then having the tank chase after me in the village. Those were very huge moments in U2 because they were so unexpected and crazy. But with this one, I didn't have the same shock and awe with the plane or the ship because both were shown in great detail as demos. But they were still awesome nonetheless when I first saw them.

But yeah

Spoiler

I though it was a little weird too how there was this random beautiful city in the middle of a desert that had raging sandstorms all around it.

And something I noticed is that Drake pretty much ends up empty handed in each game because it turns out the treasure he was looking for so badly was either cursed or was too dangerous, hence why the explorer he was following stopped looking for it. Though, it did make sense with the title in this one, being Francis Drake's deception with Queen Elizabeth and how he made it seem like he never found anything.

 

[Havok83]

I never saw the [blackout] cruise boat[/blackout] before I played the game so that might be why its one of my favorite sections

 

[Wolvieboy17]

Fair enough Havok, although having seen the demo, that portion still blew me away and topped everything in U2 for me...

Spoiler

When you're going sideways down the glass front elevator and you see the water through the ballroom's glass ceiling, that was truly terrifying. I freaking loved that!

 

[Havok83]

Fair enough Havok, although having seen the demo, that portion still blew me away and topped everything in U2 for me...

Spoiler

When you're going sideways down the glass front elevator and you see the water through the ballroom's glass ceiling, that was truly terrifying. I freaking loved that!

That reminded me of

Spoiler

Poseidon Adventure and Im always fascinated by the effects of a capsized cruise ship.

 

[The Squirrel]

Yeah, I think that's the thing that confuses me too because even though I know most people don't mean it this way, it almost sounds like they don't think this is a great game compared to U2, which is just a silly thing to think. U3 is easily one of the best game out there, better than probabaly 99% of everything else out there. But since it is the third game in the series there are easily going to be comparisons made and it really comes down to personal preference.

Hey don't get me wrong. Uncharted 3 is a great game, and a technical marvel. It deserves all the praise it is getting. I agree. Drake's Deception is in no way a bad, or sub-par game. But on a simply personal level, I had a more satisfying experience with Uncharted 2. It really is just a personal preference.

 

[Wolvieboy17]

@Havok, funny you say that because the Chateau level reminded me of the Towering Inferno :P

 

[Wolvieboy17]

Hey don't get me wrong. Uncharted 3 is a great game, and a technical marvel. It deserves all the praise it is getting. I agree. Drake's Deception is in no way a bad, or sub-par game. But on a simply personal level, I had a more satisfying experience with Uncharted 2. It really is just a personal preference.

I think that's purely because the leap from UC 1 to UC 2 was so drastic, that it's less noticeable between 2 and 3.

And for all the 'wow' factor we thought that U2 had over U3, I still think U3 has a vastly superior script when it comes to characters and their development. The way they cross examine the main protagonist was awesome... It had me realising he isn't just unlucky, all these situations that are life and death like collapsing buildings or sinking ships are exactly what he actually wants, he gets off on cheating death and this game is about him being forced to see how it affects those around him, who he cares about.

Such a great idea, I haven't seen anything close to that done from a character standpoint since GTA IV (and that was pretty heavy handed and overt, no subtlety to it, which can come off as just forced angst).

Really sterling script. My GF who is as much of a non gamer as you could ever see has become hooked on watching me play it simply for the story and characters. Great stuff.

 

[SpideyVille]

I think that's purely because the leap from UC 1 to UC 2 was so drastic, that it's less noticeable between 2 and 3.

And for all the 'wow' factor we thought that U2 had over U3, I still think U3 has a vastly superior script when it comes to characters and their development. The way they cross examine the main protagonist was awesome... It had me realising he isn't just unlucky, all these situations that are life and death like collapsing buildings or sinking ships are exactly what he actually wants, he gets off on cheating death and this game is about him being forced to see how it affects those around him, who he cares about.

Such a great idea, I haven't seen anything close to that done from a character standpoint since GTA IV (and that was pretty heavy handed and overt, no subtlety to it, which can come off as just forced angst).

Really sterling script. My GF who is as much of a non gamer as you could ever see has become hooked on watching me play it simply for the story and characters. Great stuff.

I agree. I felt the story was more more compelling in this one from a character standpoint, plus we also some more insight on the background of Nate and Sully, as well as how Elena really felt about Nate's adventure.

Oh, and about your GF, reminds me of this:
[YT]kaVsmnpEtE0[/YT]

 

[The Guardian]

I beat the game on crushing last night, very satisfying getting that trophy, but not as satisfying as playing through it for a third time on very easy and torturing the AI for what I went through on crushing lol!!!

 

[TheBat812]

I agree. I felt the story was more more compelling in this one from a character standpoint, plus we also some more insight on the background of Nate and Sully, as well as how Elena really felt about Nate's adventure.

Oh, and about your GF, reminds me of this:
[YT]kaVsmnpEtE0[/YT]

I agree, this is the only one that actually got me emotionally invested. [BLACKOUT]I was pretty bummed Sully died. Until he came back, haha.[/BLACKOUT]

 

[samsnee]

I'm finally up to Chapter 11. The first 10 have been entertaining, but honestly, it feels too much of a retread of UC2 with the search for another lost city. The only interesting setpiece has been escaping the burning chateau. There seems to be a disconnect from the ending of UC2 with Elena and this one. If anything, Elena feels shoe-horned in. It's an enjoyable game, but honestly, I just want to get through it so I can start Arkham City.

 

[Havok83]

I'm all for people saying they prefer Uncharted 2 to Uncharted 3. People saying that 2 blows 3 out of the water really confuse me though. The game is easily on par with Among Thieves, and I think it bests it. It's my favorite game on PS3.

This is what I wrote to someone that asked why UC3 is a worse game than UC2

Worse is such a negative word. I overall thought UC2 was a better game but I wouldnt say UC3 was a worse game. It was better than UC2 in many regards but UC3 was better in others. Overall I think what pushes UC2 over the edge is the tighter story telling and better developed characters. Drake and Sully are the ones that get the bulk of the character development and the game doesnt really do much with the other characters. This is especially dissapointing for Marlowe who could have been a more menacing force but I dont think as much was done with her. There are also some twists thrown in there which felt like they were there just for the sake of shocking you but they dont really get explained or delved into. That really bothered me. Theres a certain point in the game where the story goes in a completely different direction and there is no explanation for it. There isnt good transition either and the disconnect between the segments is quite jarring actually. All the chapters in UC2 felt like a logical smooth transition into the next. The ending was great for it as it brought everything full circle towards the end. UC3's ending didnt feel quite as satisfying

The game also starts off very slow which might turn some people off initially. UC2 was pretty much nonstop action from beginning to end and there was definetly more downtime in UC3. Some might be bothered by the pacing in the beginning and I know I was. Another thing that bothered me was that the format was very predictable. The ending segments almost felt like a rehash of UC2 and I feel they could have switched things up and gone in a different route.

Where UC3 excels is the graphics and tech behind it. This is simply the best looking game on a console without a doubt. The set pieces and what ND has managed to do is absolutely phenomonal. My favorite moments in UC2 were the set pieces such as the terrain moving around you and that happens quite a bit in UC3. The colors, visuals and overlook of the game is simply beautiful. You will be astounded. The multiplayer in UC2 was good and its been improved with this game.

So do I think UC2 was an overall better package? Absolutely but thats not to say UC3 wasnt a phenomonal game. It wasnt "worse"; just different. Id recommend it to anyone with a PS3 as its a must own game.

I'm finally up to Chapter 11. The first 10 have been entertaining, but honestly, it feels too much of a retread of UC2 with the search for another lost city. The only interesting setpiece has been escaping the burning chateau. There seems to be a disconnect from the ending of UC2 with Elena and this one. If anything, Elena feels shoe-horned in. It's an enjoyable game, but honestly, I just want to get through it so I can start Arkham City.

Prepare to be dissapointed bc the [BLACKOUT]final section [/BLACKOUT]seems like a retread of UC2 as well. They dont really switch it up as much as they could have

 

[SpideyVille]

I'm curious to see what someone who hasn't played U2 thins about U3 (although i think it might be hard to find such a person). but it seems like the people who are a little disappointed by the game only feel that way because of comparisons to U2. it's kinda like how some people are disappointed with Arkham City because they keep comparing i to Arkham Asylum.

 

[Spider-Who?]

Uncharted is one of the few games where I care about the story and characters just as much – if not more so than – the game play its self.
I think my biggest problem with the game is that about halfway through, they give you an idea that there is something supernatural/something quite menacing and mysterious about the villains.

[BLACKOUT]Seeing Talbot get shot, and suddenly turn up without a scratch, as well as the “prediction” of the English guy’s fall with the burning tower tarot card, [/BLACKOUT]both of these things were quite interesting and suggested some darker, more villainous antagonists than previous games. It made me really excited to see how that would unravel. Unfortunately, these two things are NEVER mentioned again, nor is any real back story/motivation given, so the villains aren’t as strong as they should be. It seems like they either forgot about this, or some crucial stages where cut from the game.

I also wanted to see/know more about Nathan’s new group. I think that would have been quite fun – almost worthy of its own game – seeing how Nathan and Elena’s relationship fell apart and how Nate’s new group got together.

Really, though, that’s my biggest complaint – Uncharted 3 was a good story that hinted at a great story. As others have said, I still find it to be a fantastic game all around. I think that they just suffered from trying to fit too much in, and ultimately forgot that more doesn’t equal better.

I’ll give the game a 9.5/10. It’s a must own, but I do hope that Naughty Dog takes a step back to really get the story right for the next game.

 

[Sebastos]

What are some locations you guys would like to see for a fourth installment?

 

[KALEL114]

Under water elements seem like a natural evolution. There was some originally planned for Drakes Fortune in the early stages. I'd also like to see another rainforest type setting that has realtime weather changes.

 

[The Amazing Lee]

Let us see:

Going to North America could be interesting, perhaps seeing a plot that involves america maybe? Which sees him uncovering a secret that is to do with the secret of independence.

In terms of locations and set pieces:

- Well, we've been through a variety of different set pieces around vehicles, so why not one on board a jet and / or a helicopter. I can imagine drake grabbing on to one of these and having to try and hold on and take control of it before it crashes, but knowing him, maybe there is more than one and he jumps between them lol

- Perhaps going to a city and having to navigate through a highly populated street system, I suppose like we have seen but using more modern environments maybe even involving skyscrapers.

- There are so many different ideas but I just can't harness them all.

 

[-Arya-]

I never saw the [blackout] cruise boat[/blackout] before I played the game so that might be why its one of my favorite sections

I kept myself completely in the dark with U3. So far it's been a mindblowing experience.

 

[The Amazing Lee]

Maybe we can perhaps see him delve more into a plot that perhaps links to the 'secret society' aspect of the third game that wasn't really developed. Maybe there are more of these people and that Marlowe was only the beginning.

 

[Havok83]

How about something in the US? He travels around the world but it would be interesting to see him in his home country. Canadian wilderness would also seem cool

ETA: Haha, The Amazing Lee, I just saw your post. We are definetly on the same page in terms of seeing North America

 

[The Squirrel]

Russia and Alaska. They are right next to each other. There's got to be some ancient Russian treasure buried in Alaska somewhere.

 

[Havok83]

Russia and Alaska. They are right next to each other. There's got to be some ancient Russian treasure buried in Alaska somewhere.

Depending on where Drake stays in Alaska, he could probably see Russia from his house