Having beaten Uncharted 2 over the summer, I only had to wait a few months for the sequel, but it felt like longer; “Among Thieves” surprised me with its quality writing, presentation, and voicework—despite having read several positive reviews and being certain I was buying a good game. I guess the reviews hadn’t prepared me for just how awesomely those elements had been implemented. I am especially fond of the game’s writing in general, and its snappy dialog in particular—particularly when great performers bring it to life. You’ve gotta love this stuff:
Chloe : Seems like I am always saving your ass.
Nate : Well, it is an ass worth saving.
Uncharted 2 is one of my favorite gaming experiences, and I was looking forward to the sequel even as the credits rolled. Having now played into that sequel’s tenth chapter, I’m pleased to say that I haven’t been let down. Uncharted 3 is a great game. I do have some complaints, but they’re minor.
Plusses thus far:
- Great dialog, both in writing and execution
- Story is big in scope, focusing on the ring Nate always wears around his neck, his relationship with Sully (including a flashback of their first meeting and adventure), and some nasty business Francis Drake discovered and covered up.
- Naughty Dog seems to be playing a bit with Nate’s presentation—different sorts of views of him, for example a rather claustrophobic tight shot when moving through crevices. It keeps things visually interesting.
- One character refers to another as “tripping balls”.
- Featurettes and concept art unlockable via story progression.
Minuses thus far:
- Nate seems to look around more than he used to; it feels to me that in looking away, he gets a bit harder to control. Hard to explain.
- Two bugs.
- During a fistfight, clipped through a wall into a “blue nowhere”. No recourse but to restart from last checkpoint.
- Game froze hardware completely. Had to power-cycle the console.
- No more unlock shop. No more rewards (other than trophies) for discovering treasures. By far my biggest disappointment thus far.
