Game of the Year 2011: #2 - Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception

24 Dec 2011 at 13:30:00 by John Robertson

• Read our original Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception review
• Keep track of our Game of the Year 2011 Countdown 

Describe the elements that make the Uncharted series so appealing and it sounds as though you’re describing a movie. Storytelling, dialogue, acting, production values, pacing and cinematography – these are the things that make Uncharted is so engaging.

Anyone that thinks a cinematic direction gets in the way of crafting a decent game need think again.

Uncharted: Drake’s Deception pulls off the aforementioned filmic qualities with a flair and precision that few (perhaps none) games have managed. The scene in the desert alone (you’ll know what I’m talking about if you’ve played the game) pushes the boundaries of what was previously thought acceptable in an action/adventure game. As a result, that section is probably the single stand out moment of the year for me.

The isolation, the lost sense of time and the feeling of impending doom are transferred directly from protagonist Nathan Drake to player with an intensity that games-as-emotion-conveyor naysayers claim is impossible. Combine that with photography that is at once majestic and claustrophobic and you’ve got a sequence of grand beauty, both from a character and aesthetic perspective.

Whether it’s so impressive because it does represent genuine quality, or because it’s simply fresh and new for a game, is another conversation already.

Of course, it’s moments such as this that have been attacked by games journalist as an example of how Drake’s Deception is barely even a game at all. However, to attack the game (the series, in fact) on such a level merely represents an outdated ideal on what a ‘videogame’ should, and can, be. As a visual medium capable of telling stories, it’s entirely natural that games should attempt to emulate the techniques of movies when it comes to telling a story.

That’s not to say that games shouldn’t tread their own path and make use of their unique properties (mainly interactivity) when it comes to narration, but that route needn’t come at the total expense of filmic techniques either. If you don’t agree with that, you’ve not played Drake’s Deception.

At some point, however, you’re going to need to interact with the thing. No matter how you look at it, this is a game. Gunplay is much improved from previous titles but still not perfect, lacking the intensity and AI sophistication of something like Gears of War. And while enemies have undergone an upgrade from the second game that sees them act more dynamically, repeated playthroughs reveal their relative simplicity.

Where it makes up for it is in its climbing and puzzle elements. If you’re someone that likes their games to pack a difficultly akin to being blindfolded and seeking a stick insect in a twig forest then you’re not going to be impressed. On the other hand, if you’re concerned with enjoyment through ‘mere’ interaction and a game’s ability to retain a sense of drama during actual gameplay then you’ve found your new home.

By taking much of the control away from you when it comes to decision making, Drake Deception is able to make every moment slick and precise. Admittedly, this approach to game design creates a problem when it comes to replaying sections, as you know exactly what’s going to happen and what the ‘proper’ cause of action is. Still, it’s a small price to pay for the quality of that initial playthrough.

Its technical elements are enough to make most developers (no matter what the platform) weep out of jealousy and inability. Battlefield 3 is the best looking game on console? Give me a break.

Sands prints in the desert are perfect in that they react organically with one another (rather than simply being a texture effect). The same praise can be heaped upon the wind that blows past Drake’s scarf, the way the cruise ship bobs and dips among the waves and the detail of the burning wooden beams in the chateau.

This may sound like a pointless exercise in precision, but when you’re creating a game that relies on plot and character every visual element must be perfect for the player not to give up their suspension of disbelief. Because Uncharted opts for a realistic aesthetic approach, it must look realistic all the time.

And that’s it, that’s why Uncharted: Drake’s Deception is the second best game of 2011. There are other components aside from the single player (competitive and co-op multiplayer) but let’s not kid ourselves, Uncharted is great because of the single player. The other elements are nice extras but nothing more.

You get the idea… if you’ve yet to play Drake’s Deception, you’re missing out. Big time.

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