[Kazuma Kiryu]

even mgs rising looks like a ps2 game, gaf told me so.

[gadwn]

Also, as some people mentioned, the multiplayer is fantastic and painfully overlooked. Seems like most journalists doesn't even know it exist. I'm not fancy with the shooter genre online usually, but the vertical levels and the climbing really make it feel unique. Uncharted 3 is easily my favorite mp-shooter ever (didn't play online that much in UC2).

2V2V2 is the best game mode ever, have probably spent around 30 hours with that awesomeness.

You really can spend some crazy amount of time with Uncharted 2 or 3, I have played the third one for approximately 70 hours or so (single player around 30 hours). It's pretty insane.

[Forceatowulf]

hmm, maybe I'll check out the multiplayer later today. Taking a quick look wont hurt.

[Pranay_]

After seeing the screenshots from nd artist i wish they port the games to ps4

They had to downgrade a lot from the these screen to run on the ps3 it seems

The texturework in this game is really astounding.

[DieH@rd]

Those HQ pics are amazing.

Anyway, for me is U2>>>U3>U1, but all three games are in the 9.5/10 and above range. The best IP of this generation.

Golden Abyss will have to wait for the time i get mu hands on the Vita.

[Eideka]

Those screens. <3

PS4 can't come soon enough.

[JB1981]

Such a great series, loved your post

[DjRoomba]

that is how it looks on ps3..

[Forceatowulf]

that is how it looks on ps3..

Ehh.. as someone who just got through playing it yesterday I can assure you that it doesn't quite look that good. It's not far off at all, mind you. But it isn't an entirely accurate representation of what the game looks like.

Again, it is not far off though, for sure.

[Pranay_]

Ehh.. as someone who just got through playing it yesterday I can assure you that it doesn't quite look that good. It's not far off at all, mind you. But it isn't an entirely accurate representation of what the game looks like. Again, it is not far off though, for sure.

Slight texture degrade + 720p + jaggies

[Neff]

I will ALWAYS be baffled by the "Drake is a sociopathic mass-murderer" comments.

In UC2 at least, it contradicts the character in what most people seem to argue is a character-driven game (And having played through all three, I'd agree. The gameplay is is a chore, and the visuals and story, such as it is, are the only reward). He strongly takes issue with the idea of killing the museum guards, and then... well, you know what happens next. And during the denouement, he has a sudden and absurdly deus ex machina guilt trip, deciding to spare a sadistic war-criminal who is arguably more dangerous and dislikable than anyone he's killed during the game.

So don't be baffled. Suspension of disbelief is the issue. Bar a few witty ad libs, there simply isn't enough reason to where Drake's characterisation is concerned.

[dralla]

UC2 is probably my favorite game of this generation. I've put about 80 hours into the single player alone. 3 was still a really good game but disappointing for sure, I wish they would've taken a few more months to finish it. And how could you forget the music...UC2's OST is friggin incredible.

[Mxrz]

I can't praise Uncharted 2 enough. Simply an incredible experience all around, and I can't help but compare it to other games--all of which come up lacking. I just haven't enjoyed any other game nearly as much as I did UC2. When I loaded up UC3 for the first time, I was grinning from ear to ear at the title screen alone, something I've not done since I was a child. And while the game might not have been a huge jump forward like 2 was, it certainly didn't disappoint either. The last few levels in particular blow everything else away.

As a fan, I wanted Uncharted 4 as soon as possible, but I can understand wanting to hold off too out of fear of a quality drop. But If they could pump out sequels at least as good as UC3, I think I'd be okay having a new one every 2-3 years. I really don't think Naughty Dog could make a bad game at this point.

Nolan North deserves huge praise for Drake. Not sure he would've worked under anyone else. I doubt I could ever take a Uncharted movie seriously without North as Drake somehow.

The MP is worth checking out. I'm not usually crazy about shooters outside of UT, but Uncharted is fun with all the running, jumping, climbing, and stuff. The Co-op is surprisingly good too.

[eXistor]

Decent series but I only really liked U2.

Drake's Fortune was a good entry point that had many many problems that really brought the game down to "solid" instead of "classic". The story absolutely fell apart at the end. I rarely had fun fighting enemies, it's just wave after boring wave, that really got old soon. It sure was pretty though and had enough charm to make me want to see a sequel.
7.5/10

Among Thieves was by far the best, they pretty much fixed everything that was bad about the first (even if I still don't like the combat). This really felt like an interactive Hollywood blockbuster in the best sense. It looked spectacular, had some fun puzzles (too bad they really don't seem to want the player thinking too much), cool story and likeable cast of characters. This has a right to be called a classic.
9/10

Drake's Deception was okay. The combat felt way off and I was back to just not having any fun with it at all. It was basically just more of the same, but with clearly diminished returns. The story wasn't as good as 2, the combat wasn't as good as 2, the cast wasn't as fun as 2 and the worst part was I always felt the game was controlling me instead of the other way around. U2 did a great job making the player feel in control of all the awesomeness, 3 for some reason failed a lot of the times and I was always aware of this. I have played U2 at launch only so if I replay it I might have the same criticism, but it was just really noticable in 3.
7.5/10

Golden Abyss was just...there. Not a bad game, just a complete rehash of what went before. Again way too much focus on combat that I don't like. Very little interaction, dumb puzzles that the game solves for you if you stand still for 2 seconds, boring cast of characters, not enough variation in levels...it was all basic Uncharted. Again not bad per se, just unremarkable in every way.
6.5/10

[LastNac]

I liked UC3 more than UC2, there I said it. Hell, I would venture to say that UC2 is the better "game" where UC3 is the better experience.

I love Uncharted and in particular, Uncharted 3. One of the reasons was the "whole cinematic thing". I just take ND at their word on what they want to change about the medium as well as the trepidation to steer away from the term "game" and all the connotations that come with it.

When first discussed in an early Entertainment Weekly article, Amy Hennig declared that Uncharted 3 aspires to be an “interactive cinematic experience” in it's own right. Something I think it did.

http://popwatch.ew.com/2010...

Hell, with the announcement of The Last of Us, Christophe Balestra was quoted as saying, "We're trying to move the medium of video games into an area elevated in the same manner of respect of film. We want to redefine what our medium is even called. 'Video game' is not an accurate name anymore. It is not necessarily a game with rules and a winner and a loser. It's an experience."

http://www.usatoday.com/tec...

Uncharted 3 is less objective then its predecessors. Maybe not in full, but certainly within the constraint of Chapter 18, The Rub' al Khali. There is no score keeping in the desert, no prompt to tell you what the objective is, ammo count on screen, map, inventory list, hell there is no objective at all. Just a man wondering the wastes as much as he is wondering himself. That chapter alone make UC3 my favorite UC as well as my favorite interactive experience. Sure, someone might counter by indicating that at a fundmental level, it is just someone walking. But in truth, it's so much more than that. The action itself is not key, it's the concept and drive. Chapter 18 is powerful because so many roles are filled within it, YOU are with Drake, witnessing Drake, and pushing Drake forward. YOU work as his motivation. During the second night, having YOU be the only thing keeping him walking by pushing forward was brilliant. YOU do not "beat" Chapter 18, you finish it. There is something really new, innovative, and special to that, to have all of these things plus contextual sensitivity and cinematic dynamic camera work.

That is why I don't call it a game, I personally am not "playing," I am experiencing something. Maybe some might not find Chapter 18 enjoyable, maybe it is not "fun". I would counter by saving not everything needs to be "fun" to be a fantastic experience. Afterall, there was nothing fun about looking for Jason in the mall or watching a man almost lose everything in the desert. Despite that, it was still extraordinary. Maybe it makes me "pretentious," I don't care. My "pretension" shows nothing but passion for an experience that blew away all expectations and a group of developers who want to defy all that have come before by creating experiences that are not necessarily traditional. I love it, I get defensive when I hear people criticize UC3 or anything that seems to steer towards this kind of approach and experience. All in all, when it comes down to it I think we all love Uncharted, just in different ways and for different reasons.

If and when they do an Uncharted 4 I hope it takes the design and philosophy of UC3 and continues to carry it forward. Let the UC2 guys have TLoU. Let the UC3 team continue with the series, they were after all the devs who loved it enough to stick with it.

[Cyberia]

Best new ip this gen, easily.

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is the pinnacle of the series and for me the best game of this generation. Really enjoyed DF and DD too, altough i was a bit dissapointed with the third installment.

[Spring-Loaded]

I honestly found DF to be somewhat medicore, even with playing that one first. All the gun fightsl felt the same; each one took place in cover-filled arenas with extremely obvious waves of enemies. There was never any spin to a given shootout. And the aiming just feels awful to me in that game, like I'm controlling a Wii-pointer reticle with a joystick and Drake is never actually pointing his gun where I aim. The aiming felt sluggish, shooting felt weak and that was most of the game.

I really liked the part where you climb above the submarine wreck though. There's a moment where you can look out above the forest below and the sense of scope is something neither of the following games captured (at least with jungles) in my opinion. I also liked the end-game; rushing for the idol as it's lifted out of its chamber while Descendants are running around was cool. I wonder if I was jsut relieved to be done with it though.

I tried DF out at my gf's house a few months after AT came out since I heard great things about AT and she wanted me to start with 1. I remember feeling almost apprehensive about playing 2 after playing 1. After seeing what happens at the beginning, my fears were relieved.

I played UC2 nonstop all the way to the ice cave since it was time to leave and just as the Yeti moved in the forground, my girlfriend turned the game off. If that didn't happen, I would've probably played through the entire damn game. There was a beautiful flow in the game, something that I felt UC3 didn't achieve, though it was merely ok in that regard.

Combat just felt better; even if all the shootouts were the same monotonous fare from the first game, hit-reactions, aiming and movement were so improved. On top of that, each shootout had some kind of interesting dynamic. There's probably as much shooting in UC2 as in 1, yet I never felt exasperated at entering a new battle. You were fighting while holding onto signs high above a street, while being chased by a helicopter, while on a speeding train... each fight was structured in a fun and fresh way. Just glorious.

I felt that UC2 was both ambitious and safe. Naughty Dog was able to keep the game extremely linear, yet never make you feel restricted, at least if you don't deliberately try to test the limits of the game. The train is extremely narrow, literally and in terms of game design. Yet you feel you can climb almost anywhere on it and take on enemies how you want. Just a brilliant game.

UC3 felt disjointed and lacked flow in comparison to UC2, but even still, it was a blast. It would've easily taken my top spot over UC2 if it managed to achieve the same flow 2 had (in terms of the story making more sense and level cohesion) and if some of the combat situations were improved. As it is though, I place it either slightly above or a bit more below UC2. 3 and 2 certainly blow 1 out of the water for me; I never want to play through UC1 again, which is a shame. The only things I'd want to see again are the view of the forest I mentioned above and listening to Drake's Elegy.

UC3's highs greatly outweighed the lows. I can understand how someone may have been more disappointed with 3 than 1, but I have a hard time seeing how someone can objectively say 1 was better. Even taking into consideration that 1 came out four years before 3, 3 still feels better than 1 to me in every way. I enjoyed UC3's story because of the focus on Drake's reasons for treasure-hunting and his relationships. It wasn't heavy-handed and I found some moments genuinely touching. I was fine with the subtleties in regards to those story dynamics, though I wish the other parts of the story had been fleshed out, like Marlowe's organization and Salim's group of bedouins (Salim's group could've been some ancient order who had been protecting protecting Ubar or something).

And the game's action sequences with the docks/pirate ship, the plane and the convoy blew me away. No other game's have given me quite the same feeling of "what the hell do I do now!?" that getting sucked out of the crashing plane and moving side-to-side in midair that the plane sequence did. Even though that was scripted even more so than most action scenes, I still was at the edge of my seat and when the realization of what I needed to do hit, it was such a rush and it felt refreshing to feel such a memorable moment of excitement in a game. I would've preferred that the plane's cargo bay door got opened on accident since opening it up while flying to throw one guy out of it seems dumb and I would've preferred there to be fewer breaks during the post crash scene (at least let us search the wreckage for water, which should have been there, then head out into the desert), but slowly riding the cargo drop crate as it nears the ground while looking in every direction and not seeing anything but sand was awesome and made up for any nitpicks I had.

But yeah, I can't in good conscience place UC1 above 3. I hope for a UC4 sequel or prequel (with Sully!?) to have a good flow like UC2 with 3's amazing, ambitious set-pieces.

[MoonsaultSlayer]

In UC2 at least, it contradicts the character in what most people seem to argue is a character-driven game (And having played through all three, I'd agree. The gameplay is is a chore, and the visuals and story, such as it is, are the only reward). He strongly takes issue with the idea of killing the museum guards, and then... well, you know what happens next. And during the denouement, he has a sudden and absurdly deus ex machina guilt trip, deciding to spare a sadistic war-criminal who is arguably more dangerous and dislikable than anyone he's killed during the game. So don't be baffled. Suspension of disbelief is the issue. Bar a few witty ad libs, there simply isn't enough reason to where Drake's characterisation is concerned.

Well the guard was the only thing between Drake and Turkish imprisonment. I think everyone needs to accept that Drake knew that it was a survivable fall with-in the game's rule book where everyone has the upperbody and finger strength of a gorilla.

[Cloudy]

I will ALWAYS be baffled by the "Drake is a sociopathic mass-murderer" comments. If this series were a book, movie, or tv show, there would not be as much killing. But this is a videogame with a specific gameplay style and audience in mind. I just get so irritated at other people's ignorance in these topics. No one ever thinks and every LttP brings up the same shit.

MGS and GTA have a lot of killing as well but that doesn't irk me. The protagonists in those games "fit" (for lack of a better word) the bloodshed. Drake doesn't. They could easily have fixed this (for me, at least) by making the character a bit grittier. He is way too happy-go-lucky to be mowing down hundreds of guys without even blinking lol

Again, I've only played UC1 and GA. Maybe the narrative is better in the other 2 games. I hope to start UC2 today so we'll see :)

[SixFourMike]

I was LTTP with Uncharted. I got the 1+2 double pack, in fact.

I played 1 to platinum, and it was good fun. But a short while into 2 I got bored, and I haven't finished it. I'm maybe 4 chapters in. Am I a broken human being?

[SniperHunter]

I think the linearity this series is associated with will go away once PS4 arrives with more RAM. Anyone else disagree? This gen of consoles had trouble running most open world games, so I think ND had to limit the scope of Uncharted.

But imagine an Uncharted game taking place on the initial Crysis island, I guess it would look something like first Uncharted 1 trailer with jeeps and big open environments.

[Snowden's Secret]

Uncharted 3 was among the least enjoyable games I've ever played, for a number of reasons related to personal taste, but it was easy to see that a lot of work went into making it. I hope they keep making sequels because lots of people enjoy playing them, and isn't that what gaming is all about?

EDIT: I programmed 2-3 games in QBASIC back in high school and one for a CASIO graphing calculator, those are probably technically the worst games I've ever played.

[SniperHunter]

Uncharted 3 was easily the worst game I've ever played,

hyperbole statements like these are the worst....

[MoonsaultSlayer]

MGS and GTA have a lot of killing as well but that doesn't irk me. The protagonists in those games "fit" (for lack of a better word) the bloodshed. Drake doesn't. They could easily have fixed this (for me, at least) by making the character a bit grittier. He is way too happy-go-lucky to be mowing down hundreds of guys without even blinking lol Again, I've only played UC1 and GA. Maybe the narrative is better in the other 2 games. I hope to start UC2 today so we'll see :)

He's just like Indy who is a professor who drew his gun and shot a guy swinging a blade ready for a fight. So calm and casual about it and meant to provoke a laugh. This genre goes over so many heads. That, or people learn new philosophical, socialogical, or psychological subjects in class and start over analyzing every fiber of every game here on Gaf. So pathetic. I love analyzation, just not pretentious nit-picking.

[jett]

Uncharted 3 was easily the worst game I've ever played, for a number of reasons, but it was easy to see that a lot of work went into making it. I hope they keep making sequels because lots of people enjoy playing them, and isn't that what gaming is all about?

Is Uncharted 3 also the only game you've ever played?

[Nappuccino]

Uncharted 3 was easily the worst game I've ever played, for a number of reasons, but it was easy to see that a lot of work went into making it. I hope they keep making sequels because lots of people enjoy playing them, and isn't that what gaming is all about?

Yeah... no it wasn't.

[GrumpyAlien]

I will ALWAYS be baffled by the "Drake is a sociopathic mass-murderer" comments. If this series were a book, movie, or tv show, there would not be as much killing. But this is a videogame with a specific gameplay style and audience in mind. I just get so irritated at other people's ignorance in these topics. No one ever thinks and every LttP brings up the same shit.

Personally the violence isn't really what bothers me. It's more how Drake and others just wisecrack as they go about. Like each headshot needs some kind of clever quip for laughs. That struck me as rather tasteless for some reason.

But either way they are three of the best games I have played this gen so I can't complain too much.

[FantasticMrFoxdie]

[revolverjgw]

I think the linearity this series is associated with will go away once PS4 arrives with more RAM. Anyone else disagree? This gen of consoles had trouble running most open world games, so I think ND had to limit the scope of Uncharted. .

No, the linearity is by design. Why would they open up a game that excels as a standard linear action adventure? It's a straight shooter that needs to stay lean and propulsive. The games offer plenty of opportunity to try various tactics in battle arenas, and that's as open as it should ever get.

[SniperHunter]

Personally the violence isn't really what bothers me. It's more how Drake and others just wisecrack as they go about. Like each headshot needs some kind of clever quip for laughs. That struck me as rather tasteless for some reason. But either way they are three of the best games I have played this gen so I can't complain too much.

I don't recall him laughing at a kill. You are making him sound like one of those Blackwater contractors in Iraq.

[Snowden's Secret]

hyperbole statements like these are the worst....

Why dismiss it as hyperbole? Let's say that I'd only ever played two games in my life, Pac-Man and Uncharted 3, Uncharted would easily be the worst, no? That doesn't make UC3 bad, just the last entry on a list of good games.

What I'm trying to get at is that I don't play a ton of games b/c they are so expensive, so I tend only to buy/rent the ones that have great reviews, good word of mouth, or both. Uncharted 3 fell into that last category, I picked it up enthusiastically, it wasn't my cup of tea.

I even said that I recognized the quaility and hoped they continued making them because they are so highly regarded. Come now, let's ease it on the categorical dismissals!

Is Uncharted 3 also the only game you've ever played?

lol, see above :D

P.S. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade is my favorite movie of all time, and Uncharted 3 was lifted almost scene-for-scene from it, which left a bitter taste in my mouth, lol.

[GrumpyAlien]

I don't recall him laughing at a kill. You are making him sound like one of those Blackwater contractors in Iraq.

Not HIM laughing. I mean saying something like "ooh that's gotta hurt" for the audience to laugh. Not saying he was laughing during a firefight.

[SniperHunter]

No, the linearity is by design. Why would they open up a game that excels as a standard linear action adventure? It's a straight shooter that needs to stay lean and propulsive.

That's why I said the initial island in Crysis, it is linear and propulsive. Naughty Dog already has experience working in open world games like Jak 1,2&3, I think they can pull it off.

[Spring-Loaded]

Uncharted 3 was easily the worst game I've ever played, for a number of reasons, but it was easy to see that a lot of work went into making it. I hope they keep making sequels because lots of people enjoy playing them, and isn't that what gaming is all about?

It's posts like these that keep me from agreeing with the idea that opinions can't be wrong.

What's the point of such hyperbole, save for increasing the possibility of getting a response?

[MoonsaultSlayer]

Personally the violence isn't really what bothers me. It's more how Drake and others just wisecrack as they go about. Like each headshot needs some kind of clever quip for laughs. That struck me as rather tasteless for some reason. But either way they are three of the best games I have played this gen so I can't complain too much.

But that's the VAs ad libbing and having fun with it. Saying stuff that player's might be thinking.

I don't recall him laughing at a kill. You are making him sound like one of those Blackwater contractors in Iraq.

"Boom, that had to hurt" *spoken through a grin* It doesn't bother me because A) what I said above and B) it's the genre.

[MoonsaultSlayer]

Everyone complaining, please watch the Indy movies again. Keep in mind that he's a straight-laces college professor outside of the adventuring. Yeah.

[revolverjgw]

That's why I said the initial island in Crysis, it is linear and propulsive. Naughty Dog already has experience working in open world games like Jak 1,2&3, I think they can pull it off.

It doesn't need to be like Crysis (and certainly NOTHING like Jak). Crysis has a very different flow and encounter design that doesn't at all jive with UC's much more focused and directed approach.

Not that I wouldn't want Naughty Dog tackling that kind of thing, they easily could. Just not in this series, it's a different thing entirely.

[H_Prestige]

The shooting was perfect in UC2. I don't understand why they butchered it in UC3. The MP might have actually been fun if it had UC2's shooting.

[The Praiseworthy]

My favorite series in this generation... to me it was like ( 2 > 3 = 1 ).

I can't wait to see Uncharted 4 on the PS4 and how AMAZING it will looks.

[SniperHunter]

It doesn't need to be like Crysis (and certainly NOTHING like Jak). Crysis has a very different flow and encounter design that doesn't at all jive with UC's much more focused and directed approach. Not that I wouldn't want Naughty Dog tackling that kind of thing, they easily could. Just not in this series, it's a different thing entirely.

allright that makes a lot sense :P

Anyway this series turned out to be a lot better than Mass Effect, I just hope Naughty Dog take out the terrible trial and error segments in the future games.

[Snowden's Secret]

Everyone complaining, please watch the Indy movies again. Keep in mind that he's a straight-laces college professor outside of the adventuring. Yeah.

How many people did Indy kill over the course of four movies? How does that compare to Drake in the same number of games?

What was Jones' motivation for seeking artifacts? Drake's? How does that color their actions?

[industrian]

I just bought Uncharted 3. Hopefully I will get to play/complete it next week.

U2 is my PS3 game of the generation so far and whilst I know that GAF has a differing opinion of the 3rd game (8/10 OMGWTFLOL!!11!) but I'm looking forward to playing U3. Especially since I loved Golden Abyss.

[revolverjgw]

How many people did Indy kill over the course of four movies? How does that compare to Drake in the same number of games? What was Jones' motivation for seeking artifacts? Drake's? How does that color their actions?

Not as many as Drake because of the obvious differences of the medium, but if he was in a video game he'd totally get off on it. That dishonorable sociopath casually shoots a humble man with a sword, in a self-consciously casual manner and shows no remorse. It didn't even bother him that if he had missed, he'd have shot an innocent person in the crowd. A disgusting human being with no regard for law abiding citizens, let alone mercenaries trying to help a supervillain take over the world.

[SniperHunter]

Uncharted 2 was the BOMB. The level design in Nepal was so fucking good man, I just loved it! In fact, I kinda made me want to take a vacation to Nepal. SOOOO GOOOD XD

[Mileena]

Uncharted 2 and 3 are the two best games this gen. Such an incredible franchise.

[Combichristoffersen]

I just bought Uncharted 3. Hopefully I will get to play/complete it next week. U2 is my PS3 game of the generation so far and whilst I know that GAF has a differing opinion of the 3rd game (8/10 OMGWTFLOL!!11!) but I'm looking forward to playing U3. Especially since I loved Golden Abyss.

Don't listen to the overreactions on GAF, and that goes for both directions, as it is neither the flaming piece of worthless monkey shit some would lead you to believe, neither is it an 11/10 like the '8/10 means I must kill your entire family' crowd would tell you. UC3 is a very good game, it's just not quite as good as UC2 was.

[Ein Bear]

I just bought Uncharted 3. Hopefully I will get to play/complete it next week. U2 is my PS3 game of the generation so far and whilst I know that GAF has a differing opinion of the 3rd game (8/10 OMGWTFLOL!!11!) but I'm looking forward to playing U3. Especially since I loved Golden Abyss.

Uncharted 3 is great! Ignore the naysayers, on forums it seems like a game has to either be BEST GAME EVER or UGH PIECE OF SHIT.

[HyperBitHero]

U2 > U1 > GA > U3

[Sipowicz]

small world. i've just completed both games.

compared to the demos i found the first to be better than i expected and the second to be worse. i know i'm in the minority, but i didn't feel either game was a classic

although the second was one of the most stunning and cinematic games i've ever played

[Pranay_]

UC3 review was one the best thread on GAF <3.

I think everyone had a great time pre review and post review !

Everyone should go through it.

Its their in GAF forum archive section