Go away 2010. You were rubbish. It’s now all about 2011, and the games we can’t wait to play. That’s why throughout the first couple of weeks of January I’m going to be going through some of the games I’m most looking forward to in the coming year. Anyone excited about Uncharted 3?
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception
The only negative thing we can think of regarding Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception was the fact that Naughty Dog let Jimmy Fallon play it before we did. That, and we’re sort of starting to wonder just how the team will manage to improve upon what was a seamlessly executed blast of a game.
The leap from the original Uncharted to its far superior sequel was tangible. The creases in the experience were ironed out, the pacing was streamlined, and Uncharted 2 became one of the defining games of this generation. But with the core mechanics now set in stone, it’s difficult to see how Naughty Dog will manage to truly surprise us – outside of more spectacular set-pieces moments and twists.
Naughty Dog has promised more variety in close quarters combat – mainly via a new system that allows Drake to duke it out with multiple enemies at once – but we really hope that Naughty Dog finds a way to up-the-ante without resorting to tiresome boss battles and stupidly strong surprise enemies at the end, ala the first two titles. The final boss battle in Uncharted 2 represented my only real complaint with the game, and I’d like to see Naughty Dog find a way to innovate in this area.
The main switch up, of course, will be in the visual design. The first Uncharted focused on its jungle setting, while Uncharted 2 changed it up a bit providing eye-candy with the incredible Nepal setting – but it looks like Drake’s Deception will do for the desert what Amongst Thieves did for snow. Lawrence of Arabia is apparently a big influence, so we’re hoping for some classic cinematography, and some swishy sand effects.
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception will be a humdinger – of that I have no doubt. There are those that criticise the game for being nothing more than a linear series of set-pieces – but that’s like giving a rollercoaster shit for staying on the rails. Uncharted 3 will provide a supremely polished, well-written, brilliantly performed experience and I, for one, can’t wait to experience it.
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