3.5/5 ★ – peacebrendanp's review of Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception.

There is this sentiment that I have seen online, off-and-on, for the past 14-years, that goes a bit like, "Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is a superior game to Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception." In my memory, it's something that has not made a lot of sense to me. I remember Uncharted 3 as being a technically better game than the second entry. After playing it, I think I feel pretty conflicted; there are some things that the game does better and more effectively than Uncharted 2, some things that feel less compelling, and other things that feel slightly broken. Technically speaking, there is a lot more improved with this entry. Graphically, the game looks more detailed, and has a lot of small touches to things that sell the "immersion." There are some minor tweaks to weapon handling, that help sell the feeling of shoot-outs, and the different handlings of various weaponry. In that same line of thinking, mechanically the game feels like it tries to add even more precision to platforming, and controlling Nathan in general. Regarding characters and story, the game even tries to add more depth by increasing the stakes and complexity of the relationships between various characters. However, there are small caveats to each of those, that make the experience feel less tight, not as well paced as the previous entry, and maybe even a bit less fun in some aspects. The added "precision" of control often feels like too much. I don't know how to explain it, but while I had less inconsistencies in platforming than the last two games, there is something that just feels off. Like, it's going for realism, but still stuck in an arcade-like feeling when it comes to the controls. While combat is improved, with hand-to-hand receiving the most love here (environmental finishers, and being capable to grab enemies), enemy-AI feels broken sometimes. There were way too many instances where enemies would just circle me, or run straight past me, only to just turn around and one-shot me. Even the stealth, which feels like they try and emphasize even more this time around, with characters saying, "we need to do this quietly," a handful of times, feels just as ineffective as the last game. Which is weird, given they added silenced weapons, and aerial takedowns. The added depth to the game's story and characters is intriguing, and ultimately adds to the lore in a mostly effective manner. There still feels something a bit shallow about how these aspects are explored. Regardless, the added depth to the Nathan and Sully relationship, and the Elena and Nathan relationship, is a nice touch. It inadvertently sets up the much more deeply explored, insatiable desires Nathan has in the fourth entry. The villains this time, are setup to be more deeply tied to Nathan and Sully, and kind-of implies this incestuous criminal underground. However, the actual villains ultimately fall flat, with them ending up being terribly undynamic. It feels like an empty promise; they make it seem like there is going to be some grand motive and ties to our main cast. Ultimately, there motives don't go beyond the one-word definition of "power." It's a real shame, because while Lazarevic from the first game wasn't terribly dynamic. His motives for power and world-domination felt believable. It doesn't feel that way this time around. The globe-trotting adventure feels a bit more fully realized here, but poorly paced, and sometimes even less interesting. The settings are definitely varied, starting in London, and going through places like, France, Syria, and Yemen. However, almost every other level is plagued with something. London is cool to see, but feels empty. France has a cool set-piece. Syria feels uninteresting. Yemen has pacing problems, as well as the Rub' al Khali (specifically the drugged sequence and the desert-marooned section). It leaves the game feeling a bit more dis-jointed. The game has no shortage of set-pieces; they feel more like sequences, which is a welcomed change in my eyes. The chateau and boat set-pieces, while feel much more like full-fledged levels compared to the set-pieces in the second entry, are super memorable for me. And, give the player more agency for a longer period of time (or, something like that). However, there are other sequences, that feel like Uncharted 2: Redux. There's a whole vehicle-chase sequence that feels very similar to the vehicle-chase sequence that occurs in the second game. This time, it's vastly improved gameplay-wise. Even the final sequence, has a platforming set-piece that mirrors that of the final events of the second game. Despite certain aspects feeling improved, it telegraphs a sentiment of feeling uninspired. I don't know if there is much more to say. This game, in my opinion, is a weaker entry when compared to the second game. But, it is still a worthwhile entry. Certain mechanics make some of the moment to gameplay more fun; that introductory bar-scene is forever iconic in my mind, due to the added fight mechanics. And, you can tell that the studio made an effort to give more control to the player in the "in-between" moments (squeezing through crevasses and boosting other players to unreachable places). Most essentially is the added depth to the relationships that Nathan has to his comrades. It really strengthens the connections we perceive him to have. However, the poor pacing, uninteresting levels, and uninspired villains really leave something to be desired. And, make this entry feel like a drag at times. The game leans more into a grounded interpretation of the supernatural element this time around, which I appreciated. But, those combat sequences feel pretty annoying to me. I can see some people preferring this entry over the previous two, but in my humble opinion, this game pales slightly in comparison to the second game. It probably isn't super notable, but I noticed that Bruce Straley and Neil Druckmann were not involved in this entry. This is probably due to them working on The Last of Us. I mention this, because I really think these two are instrumental in the future titles of the studio. And, while nothing takes away from Amy Hennig's impact on the industry, sometimes I do feel there is an over-hype surrounding her. I feel that way especially with this title. Either way, this is a solid adventure and entry in the series. Just, not as tight as I remember it being. Console Played On: PS5 (PS4 Remastered via The Nathan Drake Collection) Game Played: 05/2024 - 05/2024 Review Written and Published: 05/18/2025