Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception
Preview
Be careful what you wish for...
by Chris Davis
previewed on PS3
A Rock and a Hard Place
Save for a hands-off demo shown at a press event back in December much of the singleplayer story is being kept under wraps. Recently though, the press was given access to the multiplayer at a Los Angeles event. Those who expect to see minor improvements on Uncharted 2’s multiplayer scene should stand up and take notice as tweaks are only a small part of the new package.
Naughty Dog promises that all the gameplay modes featured in Among Thieves will be returning with a swell of new ones as well. The first of these, and probably what is going to be one of the most popular, is called Three Team Deathmatch. Instead of pitting two teams of five players each against one another, this new mode pits three teams of two players against one another for the top prize. Players will be able to perform context-sensitive taunts and the like for bonus experience points and the Buddy System will allow players to spawn next to their partner should they not be in combat ala games like Halo Reach.
Going around and trying to make the distinction between players in Uncharted 2 was a bit of a hassle because, for better or worse, you only had a set amount of skins to play as. Drake’s Deception is looking to step away from that thanks to a new character customization system. Players will be able to take base skins and customize them anyway they see fit, changing colors to emblems and logos, to even clothing and hats (if you are a Team Fortress 2 player your ears just perked up at that last item).
Race to the Rescue
Multiplayer stages ripped straight from the single player experience is a growing trend these days (albeit a disturbing one in this writer’s opinion), but if the level of presentation is as strong as it is in Uncharted 3 then it certainly is a good thing. One such stage, Airstrip, takes the trend to the next level by starting off the match with teams racing down a runway in trucks behind a cargo plane. Players will trade fire as they attempt to jump between trucks in an effort to actually climb into the bay of the plane. After a set amount of time the plane’s bay door closes and it takes off at which the stage shifts to a more traditional static battlefield where players fight amongst hangers with vintage World War II fighters. Long sightlines make for a good sniping map but there’s plenty of cover to be had everywhere you look.
Players will find a significant game changer for the main gameplay modes in the form of Power Plays. Towards the end of a match a Power Play event will activate that alters the course of a match by either giving the losing team a gameplay advantage or by changing the stakes of the game. Sudden Death can activate should the score be close at the end of a match and limits players to only one respawn. Overtime, on the other hand, extends the match’s time limit by an extra minute. Some, such as Elimination, give the losing team a direct advantage by making it so the winning team cannot respawn for a set amount of time. The winning team isn’t completely powerless in these events however, as they can gain bonus experience points for surviving a Power Play.
Along with these nice additions comes a bunch of refinements to the overall experience. Splitscreen for two players is now available and you can have two PSN accounts playing at one time instead of one account and a guest. Players can now, in addition to posting gameplay updates on Twitter, also update their Facebook and even full match videos directly to Youtube. If you needed a way to update your friends as to that sweet 23-3 match you just played Naughty Dog is enabling you to do so more than any other game to date.
Path of Light
Uncharted 3 may be a while out but it looks to be progressing nicely toward its November 1st release date. Gamers that are interested in playing the game early though are in luck as a multiplayer beta will be available in early July. If you are a Playstation Plus subscriber or purchase a new copy of Infamous 2 you will be able to gain access to the beta on June 28th while players who opt not to will have to wait for it to open up for everyone on July 5th. The summer gaming drought may still be over the horizon but Naughty Dog looks to be ready to give you an excellent weapon to stave off the dreaded boredom monster right when we need it most.
