Grumpy Old Nerds

Let me just say that I am sorry about the pun in the title. And by sorry, I mean I am not really, so shut up. I think it is safe to say that in terms of gaming, I am a story first kind of guy (I look forward to your e-mails that I won’t read). That isn’t to say that I don’t appreciate game play, scrutinize every facet of controls, layout, graphics, etc….it just means that if you want to really get me, better make sure your narrative is solid. So when a certain 500 dollar block of plastic and Blu-ray playing fun known as the PS3 first advertised the original Uncharted…I knew that I had to get one just so I could play this game. That’s right….I bought a PS3 just so I could play Uncharted. Honestly? I don’t regret it for a second. Drake’s Fortune was one of the best told stories I have ever experienced, and coupled with game play that wasn’t perfect but had a lot of potential to grow, I was one happy little nerd. The second game was also a hit for me, despite a few little gripes I had with game play and the story gaps between the first and second were a little irritating; but I was still in. And now we have the third installment of the franchise….a franchise that appears to not be going anywhere anytime soon. There is some good and bad in this puppy, which we’ll discuss later. But first…the run down.

The game gets right down to business as we have our intrepid heroes Drake and Victor “Sully” Sullivan entering into a pub that subsequently leads to a bar fight breaking out…well, more aptly a pub brawl. The prize that is being sought after in this installment of the franchise is the lost city of Iram; referred to in the game as the Atlantis of the Sands. The quest to find this city requires Drake and some familiar faces to scour the globe in locations such as London England, southern France, Syria, and Yemen as they trace the steps of not only Francis Drake but also T.E. Lawrence better known as Lawrence of Arabia.

As far as character interaction goes, the main focus is on the relationship with Sully and Drake and their history with the main antagonist, Katherine Marlowe. Through this, we see the first meeting of Drake and Sully, as well as the first encounter with Marlowe that sets the story up as Iram being a bigger find than even El Dorado itself from the first Uncharted. The dynamic and relationship between Nate and Sully is good and compelling, but the problem is the same kind of chemistry and dynamic with other characters seems to suffer. Chloe for instance does not seem at all like the character we experienced in Among Thieves, and we again find Elana Fisher and Drake being estranged from one another again…a trend that I really hope does not continue in any future Drake games.

Another trend that I am a little worried about is the use of gimmicks from the previous games showing up in this one. Escaping from crumbling ruins, while effective, can get old really fast if it shows up in every title. Repackaging the concept would be a good idea. I was also left scratching my head at the use of a quasi-supernatural obstacle in what can only be described as “Arachnophobia level” spiders. There really seemed like they were put in for no logical reason at all, especially when the city itself has no connection to the insects whatsoever…yet here they were at every necessary location in their quest to Iram.

There are some additions to the series that did not show up in the other two, however….and they were great. For instance, new melee finishes like pulling the pin on an enemy’s grenade that is still strapped to their belt. That kind of flourish made you want to engage in hand to hand combat as often as possible just so you could get the satisfaction of blowing a guy up with their own grenade.

For all of the good that we got, there were moments where you had to sit back and scratch your head and figure out in what way did this seem like a good idea…like with camera angles. The camera has been a point of irritation for me in a lot of games, and Uncharted has been no exception there. The camera in the franchise does do things better than most, but when they get things wrong, you really see it…and potentially feel it. Angles like one on the sinking ship part of the game (OMG SPOILERTHHHH!) that must have been pitched by a kid that took one film class/and or dropped out of filmschool but believes themselves to be an artist. The angle is SO ANNOYING you would be hard pressed to beat said kid with a bronzed replica of an Oscar yelling “YOU ARE NOT SCORSESE” with each blow.

Despite my gripes (which you will see more in the Breakdown), Drake’s Deception is a really solid game that is extremely entertaining as well as addicting. I say this because what was intended to be a “first impressions” piece ended up being the full fledged review just because I couldn’t put the damn thing down. It is another winner by Naughty Dog who I hope continues to grow and improve. A great game that demands you play it at least once.

The Breakdown

The Good:

• Epic story we have come to expect from the franchise
• New melee combat “finishes” that give us more than just a “knockout”.
• Art is top notch, doing a phenomenal job in sucking you in to the game.
• The cover system seems to have improved over the course of the three games.
• Top Notch Voice Acting….you once again feel like you are experiencing a film rather than a game.
• The throwing (be it grenade or propane tank) seemed to be a lot smoother this time around.
• AI was a lot meaner this time around.
• Co-Op feature is a nice treat.

The Bad:

• Camera Angles at times were just awkward….like on the ship for instance (yes yes…spoilerth. Go to hell).
• Quick Time Events in melee combat did not seem to work consistently. You could be wailing on triangle all day and still get a face full of fist.
• Too many of the “big guy” minions in combat mode. They were a unique addition to the game, but their continued use took away from the novelty.
• While the game tells a great story, it is once again way too short….a minor gripe here but with something as good as Uncharted, you always want more.
• I know I said the cover system was improved…but there were still moments where it seems off. There were places that one should (if they employ logic) be able to crouch behind or lean against that instead made for some awkward moments where you roll against a wall.
• In the same breath, movement of Drake could be really sloppy at times as well. I noticed times when you wanted Drake to move slowly made him look like he was constipated because the engine felt that for the particular situation, he should be running.

Numbspoon’s Numeric Value: 9.1