Uncharted 3 is the pinnacle of video games, it’s one of the main reasons I play video games, the complete package that leaves a warm sensation inside. It’s gorgeous and ticks every box that a video game should. It’s a roller-coaster of emotions from start to finish. So strap yourselves in for the ride of your life.

The flame effects are simply stunning

Step back into the shoes of Nathan Drake, our fun loving, cocky, arrogant, lovable and downright ludicrous treasure hunter as he and his dependable sidekick Sully embark on an adventure of a lifetime to discover the secrets of Francis Drake and his hidden voyage into the Arabian Desert. Fighting new enemies from a strange mythical group; making new friends and cementing old relationships.

Naughty Dog showed us what they could do with deep forests and snow peaked mountains before and now they try their hand with everlasting deserts. Uncharted 3 like the previous two before is a spectacular graphical achievement. You can expect to see rotten mansions in the middle of a lusciously green forest with spectacular drops and waterfalls and Arabian cities which bustle with life to the sunburnt golden desert sands of Arabia. It may not be as outstanding as Uncharted 2 was over the original but it’s extravagant nevertheless.

Combine the breathless visuals with the triple A set pieces and you’ll have the closest thing to a film without being one. The Uncharted series is full of massive over the top events, such as climbing a train over the side of a sheer mountain drop, or shelling a helicopter in a tank while riding on a train. Uncharted 3 is no different, you can expect to be flung out of an aeroplane, chased across rooftops and running across colossal sink-holes, the scale is once again epic.

The interaction between characters is heart warming and believable

The trusty combat system is retained but also improved, much like the previous two cover is your best friend, stay being rocks, walls, boxes and peek over to take out the npc’s which are now much more lifelike. Enemies will no longer just hide and wait they now hunt you down like a lion after its prey. Staying in one place is no longer safe; you’ll need to keep moving to survive.

Thankfully the shoddy sneak system from Uncharted 2 has been dropped for a faster paced and fun melee system. I found myself using melee much more than previously mainly because it felt natural. If an enemy hasn’t noticed you then naturally it’s better to take them out silently rather than blowing their head off and alerting other enemies.

Nate can now throw grenades back at his enemies thankfully; no longer will you need to run around like a headless chicken in order to avoid the explosion. This makes the crushing difficulty slightly easier too, even if you’re spammed by grenades you can throw them back to get a kill saving ammo as well. Fans can expect to see some of the favourite weapons make a comeback such as the AK47, Dragon Sniper, Pistole and M5 as well as some nice new weapons to dispatch your adversaries with.

However the gun wielding and shooting seem to have been changed in what some feel a negative way, you’ll need to be much more accurate and the majority of the guns feel sluggish and heavy, it’s more realistic but fans will take a while to adjust. Punch the difficulty up to Crushing and you can expect the realism to simply disappear, enemies are like sponges and for the most part react to being shot in the face like you would if someone had thrown some grass in your face. Thankfully Naughty Dog has listened and a patch will be released to change the gun wielding controls and feelings back to Uncharted 2 if you feel this is necessary.

Burning planes Uncharted 3 has got it all!

If it’s one aspect of the Uncharted series that is unmatched it’s the way the characters interact with each other, the voice acting is truly inspiring and the emotional connection between one person to another is life like. Uncharted 3 is full of tear jerking moments that will pull on your heartstrings and leave you feeling vulnerable as you watch Drake come so close to losing hope and losing the will to continue. But on the other hand it’s full of lovable moments that will leave you smiling and most importantly will leave you talking about it for months. Uncharted 3 is the most unforgettable game when it comes to character and story interaction; no other game comes close.

When you’ve completed your fast paced adventure you’ll have the luxury of an improved multiplayer to explore. Much like the previous game you’ll have competitive death matches and team based matches. You’ll also be able to change your load out and appearance as well as kill streaks and bonuses. These bonuses can make or break a match, nice little kick backs and team based bonuses can help turn a match in your favour.  It’s a nice little add on to a game which personally I feel doesn’t need multiplayer but it’s there and thankfully doesn’t feel tagged on, It’s deep, rewarding  and easily addictive which if you’re a big multiplayer fan will keep you coming back for more.

However the real thing to do once you’ve completed the story is to dive straight back in. No doubt you’ll have missed something in the story or a few treasures that are hidden around the world. Much like a top rated film Uncharted 3 deserves a few playthroughs in order to enjoy everything that’s on offer in here. It’s such the complete package that playing through the game again never feels like a chore but an experience that keeps on giving.

If there was one thing that I feel needs to be improved, its that for the next game Naughty Dog should definitely innovate the series a little more, the series hasn’t changed dramatically from its core vales that were laid down with the original. Yes the it’s not broken don’t fix it argument arises here but every gamer knows that eventually the same thing gets boring and I don’t want to see an Uncharted game that I don’t want to play because I’ve done that four or five times before. Uncharted is the pinnacle of video games and video games change so dramatically that in order to stay at the top Uncharted will need to innovate eventually. Something that Naughty Dog I’m sure will understand and continue to do.

Cover is your best ally, use it wisely or get a face full of death

Uncharted 3 is the complete package, its’ enjoyable, beautifully crafted, gorgeous to look at and conveys all the emotions that the Human race can convey. It makes you cry from sadness and laughter; it makes you angry and will put a smile on your face. It’s a privilege to play and above all its fun, something that games today seem to be forgetting. Uncharted 3 is right up there with the best of the gaming world and deserves all the credit it receives. It’s the best game on the PlayStation 3 and possibly one of the greatest games ever to be released.

Simply Masterful.

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