My GOTY for 2011 is Uncharted 3 (FUCK YESH for Nathan Drake!) Wondering how many of you will agree on this… Why Uncharted 3? The first and second titles were both hailed GOTYs, so might as well continue that it’s third latest installment (and probably the last)! This is like MGS4 and GOW3, where conclusion titles are given a lot of efforts to push through.
As a gamer, I consider 2 factors; first is ‘Gameplay’, second is ‘Storyline’. Well, for you visual buffs out there you’ll also consider ‘Graphics’, which is very satisfactory, considering our latest consoles and video cards nowadays. My third and last factor would be ‘Gameplay’. Naughty Dog did an amazing job on Uncharted 3 for me to check all these three factors.
Superb Graphics are superb. Developers are able to max out the full power of PS3’s graphic chip. Take a look at those detailed sands, waters and skins. If you’re an Uncharted fag you will totally agree on this one. Naughty Dog used all the PS3’s resources to come up with this masterpiece.
Cut scenes are pre-rendered along PS3’s in-game graphics so no questions for that one. Take note that Naughty Dog didn’t do any facial recognition in any Uncharted games but still, the character’s facial expressions are detailed as fuck! (Nathan’s famous smirk, anyone?). So that’s a credit for them.
Next is the storyline. As a trilogy, Uncharted showed us the marvelous adventures of Nathan Drake for the lost treasures and cities. He almost ventured all the uncharted places that you can think of (South America’s deepest Jungle, Himalayan Snowy mountains and Arabian’s merciless deserts).
I consider him as Indiana Jones of this generation and the best rival for Lara Croft. Characters are well fully developed as the series grew. Elena Fisher is always lovely, Sully is always on your side and Chloe is still as your runaway savior. As an Uncharted fan, I can’t fully describe the story in my own words. It’s just simply amazing! Those countless near-death-experience and hanging-on-the-edge-scene of Nathan is just indescribable. And I find it heartwarming when you play Nathan as a kid! (Oh shit, that’s a spoiler)
Finally my favorite, the gameplay. Uncharted3 is not your basic action-adventure-type game. The gameplay is simply outstanding! Gigantic sea waves, falling citadels, burning towers and plane chase, name it; these are just the key scenes that make this game awesome. A one-inch-short jump will lead you to your doom if you’re not attentive enough. Nathan’s movements with the surroundings are improved.If you pressed yourself in a wall, he will touch his arm around it just to show that they are walls and it’s a gap between you and your way. Diving and plunging into water will make your clothes wet. Idle time with Nathan will make him do things that fit in your surroundings.
Treasures are scattered through different heights and levels, so it’s up to you whether you’re gonna collect or leave those precious behind. And for those peeps looking for some challenge, complete the trophies, join the multiplayer and pawn some arses! Puzzle solving is also challenging, thanks to Nathan’s note. Gameplay cannot be described just by these words. That’s why it’s called ‘gameplay’, you need to play it!
So what makes Uncharted 3 different from those other contenders? Simply 2 words, ‘extremely detailed’. Story detailed, gameplay detailed and graphically detailed. It’s not overrated like that ‘arrow-in-the-knee-game’ that will make you spend your night in a jail because you shoplift it. It’s not worldly vast, but simply internally vast. Uncharted 3 is one of the most realistic and detailed game I ever played since I started my gaming career.
Bottomline? This game is top-notched! You will miss ‘that-piece’ in your gaming life if you opt to skip this game. Yeah I know Skyrim is the major pick but still, it lacks ‘something’ for me.
Uncharted 3 is the kind of game that makes us a Gamer!
PS. Finish the game and enjoy the ending!
