ZTGD | Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception Review

Michael Futter writes: It’s no secret that I’m a big Uncharted fan and that Nathan Drake is one of my favorite characters in all of gaming. There’s just something about the ensemble of characters that Naughty Dog has assembled that feels authentic, even amidst the far-fetched scenarios that the Nate, Sully and friends find themselves in.

[majiebeast]

So mw3 is the better game in the reviewers eye's dont make me laugh. Everyone can become a reviewer i guess, prob as easy as getting hired in a fastfood joint.

[_Aarix_]

Yea, the bias in most of them is pretty pathetic reviewing.

[Ducky]

Anybody can be a critic.

Anybody can also criticize critics.

[Laxman]

Anyone can be a reviewer becuase Wordpress is free. Dont fail to understand what a reviewers job is though; to give thier opinion on a game. You may not agree with thier opinions, and a lot of bad reviewers give no good reasons for some of thier unusually high/low scores, but if he presents reasons to support his opinion, he has not only done his job, but done it well.

[PaladinXII]

Actually, I wrestled with the scores for a long time. I think it's hard to compare MW3 and Uncharted 3. They are different types of games offering different play experiences.

The reason I ended up putting forward the scores I did was because of one simple question, "How well does the game achieve what it is trying to do?"

Right now, the shooting is so sluggish in Uncharted 3 that it harmed the game experience *for me*. I loved the game. The story was masterful. The voice acting is the best in the industry. However, the actual game play, right now, is not optimal.

When I finished Uncharted 2, I immediately wanted to play it again. I didn't get that same feeling with Uncharted 3. Instead, my reaction was, "i'll play it again when they patch the shooting."

If you really, really want to compare that to MW3 (and I do not think that is a fair comparison because of how different they are in intent), fine. All I'll say about MW3 is this: I keep wanting to go back to the game, even after I've finished the campaign and played hours of the MP.

Take that for what you will.

Either way, to assume that I haven't thoroughly considered the ramifications of the scores (the least important part of the review, in my opinion), is absurd and insulting. I take my work very seriously and hate when a .2 difference in scores (I gave MW3 a 9.0) erupts in this kind of ridiculous ire.

[fei-hung]

Although IMO UC3 was better than MW3...

********spoilers ****************

I'm not too happy about the lack of a boss fight or boss fights as a whole.

To me, although many things make UC3 superior to UC2, the ending was a bit of a let down comapred to UC1 and UC2. I just wish they was more to it than there is.

As for MW3, you are wrong. You said you would score a game for what it is. The title suggests it is MW3, but we all know in reality it is MW2.5. Does this mean you will score it down now :p lol

[PaladinXII]

You are entitled to your opinion about MW3. Why on Earth would I change my score to reflect your opinion, though?

[Aery]

"the shooting is so sluggish in Uncharted 3"

If you really consider the controls so sluggish probably you need a bit more gaming experience to enjoy a game, even if have different approach to some mechanics.

Adapt a bit and enjoy more, because some masterpiece (like uncharted 3) need a more open view.

Ps totally agree about the score difference though. It's ridiculous crying on a 0.2 difference.

[PaladinXII]

So... how many of you actually read the content of the review? I'm just curious, because you are making it seem like I panned the game.

An 8.8 isn't a bad score. Hell, it's not even a "good" score. It's a GREAT score.

You want to know why a lot of reviewers don't use the full scale? Just read a few of these comments. In my opinion, there is something wrong with the shooting and aiming in the game, even with the sensitivity turned up.

I'm not the only one who has detected this problem. I managed to compensate about 3/4 of the way through the game, but that doesn't' mean there isn't a problem, just that I was able to adapt to it. Even Naughty Dog has finally admitted that there is an issue and brought in gamers to help test it.

Sure, they originally bristled at the criticism, but even they couldn't deny that the shooting in the SP doesn't match the aiming experience in the co-op/mp. They are different.

I loved the game, as is reflected in my review (and, yes, even the score). I didn't think it was the best game this year, this month or even in the Uncharted series. I pointed out where I thought it innovated and where it stumbled.

Of course, none of that matters because there's a number attached to it. If you want real, critical reviewing, don't look at the scores. Read the content. Weigh each point. Don't be sheep.

[saint_seya]

If u really think what u did its rigth, why u come here to justify your opinion?
Besides, i can enjoy more pac-man than uncharted for what it is... but that doesnt make i will give a better score to pac-man, cuase im reviewing something, i need to do an objetive look at it, else i will call it an opinion piece, without using a score system.
As a whole, mw3 can even stand close to uncharted 3, and im playing mw3, so not a hater here, and i have it for pc, isnt bad on graphics, sound (but can even reach an 8.5 in those 2 sections. Not talking of gameplay cause i feel a bit boring the claustrofobic maps, really small, but thats an opinion, so might be not good for me, but may be the best for others.

[PaladinXII]

I'm commenting on the piece because commenters often forget that there are real people behind the reviews. I had hoped that giving some insight into my process would help alleviate the concerns.

In short, I had hoped to engage in a conversation about my review, not defend it.

[NeoBasch]

"Don't be sheep."

lol That's rich. I disagree with the shooting mechanics. I think they're fine. Even if they do patch them, I doubt your opinion would honestly change. If you didn't like the game, you didn't like it. Don't hide behind the poor excuse of shooting mechanics to convince you otherwise.

There's no way in hell I'd honestly want to go back to any CoD after MW2. I'll give it a shot some time, but I couldn't see myself actually enjoying myself. Especially since I didn't even think the original was that great to begin with.

Different strokes for different folks I suppose... but, still, how can you honestly expect me to weigh your points when you're playing it safe yourself. You give blanket comments like:
"Varied, beautiful locales
+ Fantastic score
+ Improved melee combat
+ Characters, story and voicing are top notch"

None of which would've been considered moot, if it wasn't for the tidbit you added here:
"While many people play Uncharted for the story and not the shooting, the combat shouldn’t be a barrier to enjoyment and, right now, for many it is."

But later you state:
"Fistfighting takes into account the surroundings like never before. By grappling an enemy up against a wall, you’ll throw them up against it and pummel them. If there is a pan, bottle or other implement, you’ll grab it for a finishing attack. This is context-sensitive scripting, but it flows very well."

Does this not contradict what you were saying earlier? How can you say the combat is not enjoyable and then go onto say the melee system is well-done, which is a big part of the game, especially since you can't even pick up a gun in 2-3 chapters?

[NeoBasch]

Also, this part makes me think you're not being fair:
"There were a couple of times that I felt the game spoiled a puzzle as I was trying to think my way through it."

Those hints were given often 10-15 minutes after a section opens. For example the light puzzle (the one with the horse, lion, and eagle). Yes, they'll give you minor hints after the first 5 minutes or so, but they're nothing big. They just walk around the room and tell you to investigate. After some time, they'll discover what you were supposed to investigate, and tell you to come running. That was the last hint I received before I solved the puzzle, and that was only the first half. The second half included the patterns and applying it to the boards on the wall which was far more difficult.

The other light puzzle I didn't get any hints on, and I spent a good 3-5 minutes on it before solving it. It's obvious they designed these hints with flow in mind. They didn't want people getting frustrated after spending 10-15 minutes on it, which is often what happens in today's games.

It just seems like to me you're coming up with excuses to say that it's merely GREAT instead of outstanding. Which leads me to believe, you really didn't like it and you're just padding the score to try and not come across as a troll, especially since you go onto praise the MP which is a good half of the game, offering no negatives but the mention of a business practice in the form of DLC (skins), which is extremely questionable might I add.

I'd like to hear more about these graphical glitches by the way. I encountered none. Nor would I think it's a problem even if you did. After all the frequent checkpoints you mention later seems to render this point moot. Glitches can happen in every game. It could be extremely rare, but some do manage to crawl through and more often than not for some players. Don't know why, but it shouldn't affect the experience.

I think the pacing was the best part of the game, and the fact that you mention that out of the blue is rather bothersome, especially considering the amount of time you took writing about the shooting mechanics supposed flaws.

There are a couple things I agree with: the story, characters, writing, and music. I agree with most of what you say regarding the platforming save this line here:
"I missed those moments when I needed to really look at my surroundings before taking that first leap."

I thought they did a good job of meshing the footholds with the surroundings. This is easy to notice as early as the second and third chapter. And while you praise the graphics, I do believe they deserve even more credit (best on console--maybe even when taking PC into account). You don't mention the direction or cinematography whatsoever, which were both spectacular and the best I've seen since Heavy Rain (which by the way is also where Naughty Dog might have got their inspiration for Nathan touching walls, as I believe Ethan did this too). The art-style deserves a paragraph all of its own.

If anything you're not critical enough (doesn't mean you should be more negative, just more objective). Who cares about the score, but more time should have been spent honestly evaluating the mechanics (not just the shooting) and presentation.

[PaladinXII]

I'm not sure if any of you noticed my avatar picture. No? It's me in my Nathan Drake costume from last Halloween. I absolutely love the series and very much enjoyed Uncharted 3.

I'm glad to explain my comment about combat being a barrier. There were many times in the game where, rather than shoot an enemy, I would risk closing the distance to engage in a fistfight rather than deal with the shooting mechanics. This never happened to me in Uncharted 2. I had a problem with the shooting that I didn't have in Co-op or MP or the SP of any other Uncharted game. Now that Naughty Dog has come out and said they're working on fixing it, it's clear that they see an issue, too, even if that's because so many members of the community have drawn attention to it. Again, it's great that you didn't have an issue with it, but that doesn't diminish the concerns that others have.

Certainly, part of it is the fantastic improvements made to the melee. A large part of it, though, is the imprecision of the shooting. The game does not interpret diagonal movements of the analog stick properly. If you make a circle with your analog stick, the on-screen cursor makes a rectangle. This indicates a problem with how the game deals with the 360 degree movement of the analog stick. This is NOT present in Uncharted 2.

The graphics are certainly stunning, but, in my opinion, they aren't the best on console and certainly not on PC. Have you seen screenshots of Battlefield, Skyrim or, heck, even Witcher 2 on PC? Uncharted doesn't measure up. They are near the top, certainly, and the character models, water and sand are all absolutely gorgeous.

I know it would make it easier for you to think that I just don't want to admit that I didn't like the game, but it isn't true. I enjoyed most of it and I most certainly will play it again once the shooting is patched.

Re graphical glitches: There were times I got stuck in the wall/floor. Again, they weren't terribly frequent, but I felt it important to mention them, as I do in any game that has issues requiring restarts because of technical issues.

Re looking at my surroundings, etc. You misunderstand what I mean. There were many times in Uncharted 2 (the large Himalayan machine platforming puzzle comes to mind), where you really need to spend time looking at where you are, where you are going and what's in between. That happened far less in Uncharted 3. Often the game leads you to simply jump with set pieces and scripted events providing the excitement. I've got no problem with those scripted moments. I love them. I just would have loved one or two large brain-teasing platforming sections.

With regard to hints, I often felt that the character dialog and even the HINT prompt were offered too soon. Maybe it's because I learned how to play games without any hint system whatsoever, but I appreciate a game not holding my hand. The internet is there if I get stuck and want a hint. I don't need the game to spoil the puzzle for me while I'm working it out. That's just me, though.

I appreciate your comments, but reject the assertion that I didn't like the game but want to hide that from the world. I've never shied away from calling out games I dislike and lord knows I've taken some heat for it (my review of LIMBO comes to mind).

[NeoBasch]

That's cool. I'm not going to lie, I still find it hard to believe that you actually liked the game. Part of me believes it's because of the sheer amount of time you spent covering the shooting mechanic when it was equal parts platforming and melee. In that sense, it would be easier, as your writing here doesn't convince me that the overall gameplay was enjoyable, which is a big part of the game (I mean, a good games has to have first and foremost good gameplay).

And yes, I've seen each of the PC games you mention (Battlefield 3, Skyrim, and The Witcher 2) on some pretty expensive rigs. Yes, they're stunning. Textures are extremely detailed... at least in Battlefield and the Witcher (not too impressed with Skyrim yet). However, Uncharted has a better art direction, better animation, better set design, and better aesthetics in terms of textures (water/light/fire/sand looks more real: most of which are dynamic, character models are better, scope is greater--except Skyrim). I really don't know how people can honestly believe Battlefield or The Witcher look better than Uncharted. I have a hard time believing that.

I honestly don't think glitches should ever be mentioned in a review unless it is extremely recurrent and has been already reported as wide-spread as most people probably won't even encounter a single one. I encountered two in my third playthrough of Among Thieves last week, both of which were my fault. Most people will not be as stupid as me and decide to climb up ladders backwards up against a wall. Nor did it affect my enjoyment.

I knew what you meant by the larger platforming/puzzle sections (my favorite in U2 was the giant phurba dagger), which I agree with. U3 had too many small puzzles. However, I disagree with the hint system. Hints should always be provided by default. Such hints should be given as option to turn off by default, but that's it. Most people will not want to spend more than 10-15 minutes on a puzzle, nor would they look it up on the Internet if they got stuck. They'll probably just stop playing.

[Oldman100]

From what i'm experiencing of the games current state, as of right now the score seems about right. Things are going to change for the better though once that patch is released.

[kikizoo]

the score ? most of them are 10/10.

best graphics (console, easily, and even pc for the same kind of game), best action/adventure games (story, music, etc)

[Laxman]

Wow, I just keep seeing your silly fanboy comments tonight :/

I love Uncharted as much as the next guy (more so than a lot of them im willing to wager), but you're comments are getting rediculous now. Stop accusing others of being 'Fanboyz' when you are being the worst of them and grow up.

[ssb3173]

This is such a great game, a must have for anyone with a ps3