Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception Remastered (PS4) Review

Finding The Way.

 Uncharted 2: Among Thieves cemented Naughty Dog's reputation as one of the best game developers out there. In 2011, they followed up on that success with the third entry in the series, Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception for the PS3. Like its predecessors, it met positive acclaim from critics and fans alike and was regarded one of 2011's best games. In spirit of Uncharted 4's release, Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection was released in 2015 packing all three of Nathan Drake's adventures before his last one. Since we're only a game away from Uncharted 4, let's get straight into Drake's  third adventure.

STORY- The story primarily focuses on the travels of T.E. Lawrence Two years after Among Thieves, treasure hunter Nathan Drake and his mentor, Victor Sullivan, are in search of the lost city, Iram of the Pillars. Elena Fisher and Chole Frazer return for the ride as well. The story this time around focuses on Drake and Sully and how they originally met. While  a little light on that approach, there are now more mysteries about Nathan Drake that needs to be answered. With that being said, let's not dive into spoiler territory and head for the gameplay.

GAMEPLAY- If you have played an Uncharted game or both games before, you know what to expect at this point. The game is a third-person shooter with platforming elements and puzzle solving. Drake can use one sub-weapon, one main weapon, and four grenades. Upon killing enemies, Drake can up and use their weapons that are laying on the ground. If he's overwhelmed by enemies, Drake can take cover and shoot from there, either with well-aimed shots or just blind firing. The grenade throwback mechanic has finally been implemented. Basically, this let's Drake throw back any oncoming grenades back to its sender. Though not always accurate, it's a big help when up against a pack of armed enemies and even on higher difficulties. The hand to hand combat has been vastly improved over the previous two games. Drake can tackle more than one enemy at the same time with new combos and can use objects in his surroundings to deliver the final blow. 

 When not fighting enemies, Drake will be often be solving puzzles with the help of his journal and doing some platforming. There are more puzzles than the last game, but they feel very easy in comparison. Throughout the adventure, Drake will be climbing, swimming, and shimming to navigate through areas. This time around, he'll be doing heavy platforming like climbing up destroyed ships and trying to climb up a plane. 

Some heavy platforming awaits...

 Treasures once again make their return and like Uncharted 2, there will be 100 of them to collect, including a secret one. This time around they are fully modeled, unlike previous games where they were like glowing orbs, making it easier to spot them during the levels. I found nearly 60 of them at the end of my first playthrough. These treasures unlock extra content such as concept art, behind-the scenes stuff, and cheats. 

 The multiplayer component that was present in the originally present in Uncharted 3 is removed from The Nathan Drake Collection for reasons unknown. Exclusive feature to the collection include Photo Mode and Speed Run. In Photo Mode, you can pause the game to take pictures. Options include changing filters, zooming in and out, panning, and so on. 

PRESENTATION- Visually, Uncharted 3 is the best looking of the PS3 games. The character models, environments, and physics of the game is detailed and improved. The same can be said to the motion capture performances, which are fluid and neatly done. Bluepoint Games did a great job with the remastered version of Drake's Deception. The game runs at a smooth 60 frames per second and 1080p resolution, though with some minor hiccups. But regardless, it's a great effort. The voice work is still amazing, with Nolan North, Elena Fisher, and Richard McGongale once again providing spectacular performances as Drake, Elena, and Sully. The same goes for the soundtrack as well, which provides some neat tracks to listen to.

The presentation has been improved and expanded compared to Uncharted 2.

OVERALL- Personally, Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception is my favorite out of the PS3 games. The story kept me hooked, the gameplay is the most refined to date, and the presentation is just stunning. Naughty Dog once again proved themselves as a capable game developer and I can't wait to see what's in store for them next. As for the PS4 remaster, Bluepoint Games did a fine job cleaning things up and it's the definitive version of the game to play.

OUTSTANDING