Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception - Game of the Year Edition

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I recently upgraded my original release day copy of Uncharted 3 to a new copy of the Game of the Year Edition, as it was much more affordable than buying all the dlc online by itself. I'm not going to comment much on the game itself, other than to echo others affinity for the Uncharted series. But, I thought it relevant to warn people that while all of the dlc (basically everything that makes the GotY version different/better than the original release) is on the disc, it requires an online access code to activate. If you already bought the original release, the codes are interchangeable, you're previous code will allow access to all the dlc on this disc itself. However, for those who aren't upgrading or aren't buying the GotY version brand new, without a valid (unused) code, you're essentially paying more for a disc that only has the functionality of the standard edition. Whether Naughty Dog will sell or somehow provide buyers of used copies of the GotY edition a working code remains to be seen, but is probably very unlikely. At present, all dlc that comes with new copies of the GotY edition will cost you another 30 to 40 bucks to download from PSN.

So, if you just want the single-player, the original release is a much better value. If you want everything specifically the map packs which are required for most multi-player trophies and bonus skins, but also multiplayer access in general the GotY edition is clearly the way to go, but ONLY when buying brand new (except when you already have a valid code from the previous edition) or if the reseller has confirmed that the online access code hasn't been redeemed.

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For those of you who are fans of the previous versions, you get the following extras:

Multiplayer maps (Graveyard, Old Quarter, London Streets, Oasis)

"Flashback maps" which are 8 remade maps from versions 1 and 2

25 multiplayer skins, and Killzone 3 skins

Fort Co-Op (this happens in the fortress from 'Drake's Fortune')

Rogue skins pack (from 14 enemies)

Game will hook you, especially if you haven't played it before. Lots of recognizable faces from the previous games, fluid fighting, more weapons, good range of settings and action sequences.

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In 2011, Uncharted 3 hit the ground running and quickly became one of the most well received games in the Playstation 3's library. This is an impressive feat considering the game was the sequel to. Uncharted 3 manage to live up to much of the hype which surrounded it and continues to be a popular treat. As with most games that do well in the market as well as with the fans, Uncharted 3 was given a game of the year edition. For those who've yet to experience Uncharted 3 this is most definitely the edition you'll want to buy. The original game can still be find for a cheap price, but you'll wind up having to pay a lot of extra money for all the DLC. If you don't really care much for the DLC then there's no real reason not to buy the original game. This review is for those who have not played Uncharted 3 as well as for those who have so it's a rather long one.

Uncharted 3 is a much more character driven story than the previous two. The game focuses pretty strongly on Nate's relationship with Sully and just how far back it goes. This time Nathan is looking for the Atlantis of the Sands. Apparently Francis Drake found something, and Nathan Drake wants in on the action. Of course he's not the only one after it. A secret agency headed by a woman named Marlowe is also searching for Francis Drake's secret and they'll stop it nothing to get it. In order for Nate to survive this one he's going to have to use all his cunning and wit, as well as face some of his biggest fears to date. The story is actually pretty simple. And while there are some nice twists and turns, what really makes it good are the characters withing it. It's a character driven story through and through.

The Uncharted series is pretty well known for it's good characters, sharp writing and easy to follow narrative. This is perhaps the most true in the third game. The characters here have an established narrative that the game is willing to fill you in on, but one does not need to play Uncharted: Drake's Fortune or Uncharted 2: Among Thieves to really understand the game in and of itself. The characters introduced have such natural exchanges with one another that even if this is your first outing with Nate and his allies you'll grow to like them and know them without having played the previous games. Uncharted simply doesn't slouch on the character development. Even when simply walking around the characters carry on with jokes, conversation and banter. It really makes for an enjoyable experience.

The movie like quality is what helps the game along. Uncharted isn't known for being a non-linear experience. Players will always know where to go next and there isn't much off the beaten path. There are treasures to find, but they're usually not too far out of the way. On the other hand, Uncharted never makes you backtrack, always carefully guiding the player through its scripted sequences. Normally this might be a deterrent for a game, but with so much focus on story and narrative, it helps keep the story pacing at a decent speed without getting too distracted from it. Most of the gameplay segments are easily divided into three types of moments. First there are the platforming elements which usually involve Drake scaling walls and jumping from hanging ledge to another to reach a destination. The second are the puzzles he'll have to solve to progress further in the areas he's exploring and the last is the gunplay. Because the game alternates so well between all these elements you'll rarely feel like you're being bogged down for too long. After a long gunfight, for instance, the game slows down a little from the action by giving you some platforming to do or a puzzle to solve so that you can have a respite from the gunplay. Likewise the story is pretty good at keeping things in focus. The puzzles don't feel like they're just there to keep you busy, but because they actually add something to the story, while the platforming is worked in elegantly that it feels natural.

The gunfights, however, can be some of the most challenging Uncharted has thrown out yet. There are moments where enemies are all over the place and it's your job to take them out. Much like the previous two games, Uncharted 3 isn't always easy. You may find yourself dying in some gunfights either because you feel overwhelmed or simply can't find cover in time. It's also not unusual for someone to come sneaking up behind you and blasting you away because you were focused on other enemies. The good news is that checkpoints in Uncharted 3 are plentiful. If you screw up a platforming section or bite the dust in a fire fight you're usually not too far away from where you died.

Arguably, there isn't much Uncharted 3 needs to build upon from Uncharted 2. The second one was such a huge step above the first that it didn't leave much of anything for the third to improve upon. There also aren't enormous changes to gameplay. A few things have been added in. The melee combat has been improved a great deal and is now more fun than ever. You can also pick up and toss back grenades that are thrown at you. But by far the biggest reward to Uncharted 3's gameplay are its set piece moments. They are easily some of the best the series as ever had. In the second game players were treated to moments such as running away from a helicopter across roof tops, fighting a tank and doing battle on a moving train just to name a few of the games better moments. Uncharted 3 strives for more. Here you'll find yourself playing set piece moments that have you fighting bad guys as the building around you burns. There's also a moment in which you'll be fighting on a capsizing cruise ship and it's easily one of the greatest things I've ever experienced in a video game. These moments are big and epic. I'd rather not give too much away for people who have yet to play, but Uncharted 3 packs in a lot of adventure in between its narrative, platforming and puzzle solving. It's a game that adventure enthusiasts simply must experience for themselves. It's amazing.

All that being said, Uncharted 3 is a rather huge game. The main campaign itself is rather short, but the multiplayer will more than make up for that. It's enormous, with tons of modes to play and lots of customization options. The reason I highly recommend the Game of the Year Edition for those who enjoy multiplayer is because it's simply that big. You've got your typical deathmatch modes where you can be on teams or free for all. There's also the standard king of the hill type stuff. But there are also tons of maps that really make it special to play. In part because the maps themselves are just a playing field but can also be their own experiences. In one level, for instance, you're on trains jumping from one to the other until they arrive at the train station where the battle will continue. Another has one team defending a plane while another constantly jumps there until they take off and land on another map. It's also nice that some of the previous maps from previous games have been brought back. Some of them look different because Naughty Dog changed the weather... and yes they do feel different as a result. Some of Uncharted 2's better maps are back and they're just as gorgeous as they ever were. Likewise, a lot of classic character skins are here as well. You'll be able to play as your favorite characters from Drake's Fortune or Among Thieves, if you wish.

Other aspects about the multiplayer that really add to the experience is that each game isn't afraid to mix things up. For instance if you're doing team deathmatches the losing team might get random perks to help out such as revealing the winning teams location, or making their shots do more damage. To also add to the variety you can select perks to take into specific maps that might help you reload faster, or collect more cash upon defeating adversaries. But it doesn't end there. In every game you can earn medals that will grant you more cash that you can spend on character skins or accessories to customize your own creation. The medals aren't just used for that, however. In every match each individual has kickbacks that act as temporary perks. For instance getting enough medals might allow you to be granted a sniper rifle for a while, or roam around faster than usual. You're also given the chance to customize weapons as you see fit and make them more powerful or helpful in other ways. All this combined with rankings and clans can make multiplayer feel extremely overwhelming at first. It certainly isn't as simple as Uncharted 2's, but once you get sucked in it can be very difficult to stop playing because it's done so well. I've yet to experience a lot of connection issues. Your mileage will vary. So will your gameplay experiences. The multiplayer is huge and we haven't even begun to talk about co-op yet.

The game excels in the co-op arena as well. There is a campaign complete with cutscenes. Although it isn't much for story, it's lengthy enough that it can keep you satisfied with some exciting gunplay. It's also pretty cool because you'll see some old favorites. You'll get your brand of perks here as well. But there is also the arena in which they mix up the rules when playing with friends. For instance just the arena itself has you fighting ten waves of enemies with things in place. You might be told to survive one round by killing everyone, and then be subjected to gold rush in the next in which you must escort an idol back to the chest with your team before your killed. There is also one that insists you kill enemies from within a specific area on a map. You can play all these modes by mixing and matching in the arena, but you can also opt to play them separately. Simply put, there's quite a bit to keep you busy with the multiplayer. And if you decide to take the dive into it then getting the Game of the Year Edition is a must.

One of the things the Uncharted series is known for is having some of the most impressive visuals ever in a video game. Uncharted 3 doesn't disappoint. Every environment is brimming with detail and life. The attention to detail is simply amazing. It's all done so well it's hard not to notice some of the details. For instance, when Nathan banks off a wall you'll notice he actually pushes himself off. The animations are absolutely fantastic in part because of how the motion capture is done by the actors who actually provide the voices. This gives a very human like quality to how the characters move. Other little bits of detail include how well the environment interacts with the characters. When Nathan is in the desert for instance it's hard not to be impressed by how naturally the sand flows. Or looking at the water effects as they hit a ship. The lighting is also done incredibly well. Simply put, Uncharted 3 is a technological beast and there aren't that many words that can be used to describe just how much detail was put into the presentation.

The voice acting and writing is also as sharp as ever. The writing is very clever as the exchanges between characters feel very natural. The voice actors also did the motion control and you can tell that they were disciplined in their work. The acting is great and the emotions are spot on, not to mention the animations. It's also hard to ignore the fantastic sound effects and music score. It all compliments many of the games moments. The music in each environment compliments the environment. But the sound effects are also pretty stellar.

It's hard to really knock the presentation of a Naughty Dog game because there's so much attention put into it. However, it is NOT always perfect. Because of so much put into it, there will be moments in which you may experience a bug or two. It's usually never anything huge. Rather it's things like... when you die Nate might clip through a piece of the environment or something like that. It's usually never going to get you killed but when it happens it's much more noticeable than in other games because of that attention to detail. As I said, I never died because of this... I always noticed this WHEN I died. One time Nate's rag doll corpse went through a wall and into obscurity.

For those wondering, yes, there are making of featurette that shows you how they did some of things they did. It's complete with interviews and trivia, as well as showing you some of the things they did to improve the game. However, there is no New Game+ here. The previous two games managed to squeeze in some nice perks on subsequent playthroughs such as being able to change your character skin or being able to get infinite ammo in your weapons... or even just flat out select a gun to use--even if it wasn't available. This was missing from the original Uncharted 3 and hasn't been restored to the game of the year edition.

With an unquestionable amount of hype surrounding it, Uncharted 3 managed to somehow live up to just about all of it. It's a great adventure and the Game of the Year Edition is even better for multiplayer enthusiasts. There's so much loaded here that it can easily be enjoyed by anyone willing to take some time to play. If you like adventure games and really enjoy multiplayer then Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception is the game for you.

Read Best Reviews of Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception - Game of the Year Edition Here

I haven't played the game yet so if you're looking for a game review I apologize. There are a lot of really good ones here though. My review has to do with the Online Activation Pass Code. I purchased the game brand new, factory sealed from Amazon. It arrived brand new, factory sealed. I then went online to input the included activation code incase there was some expiration date. My included code came back as having been already used. I did a quick search here and elsewhere, and apparently this is an all too common occurrence.

So I contacted Sony via Live Help. They asked some question, gave me an email to contact. Basically, I have to send them pictures of my receipt and the front/back of the Activation Code, because they checked and mine came back as having been redeemed in January. Amazon hasn't sent me paper receipts in a long time so I hope a screen cap of the invoice will do.

Anyway I just wanted to let people know what may happen if you buy this game without any previous activation codes from Uncharted 3. You're going to have to jump through some hoops. I've even read that people have had to contact Sony numerous times because they get no response after the initial email. So I guess I have that to look forward to (hopefully not).

(The game itself may be great. I wish there was a way to rate things besides the game.)

*** Update July 14th, 2013***

Sony actually sent me a replacement code. It only took one (two really) email, which I was surprised at after reading other people's experiences with the same issue. I've adjusted the rating accordingly.

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I havent been addicted to a game in a long time, I generally dont spend too much time playing games, and hour or so a few times a week is a lot for me. But this game... WOW, i couldnt get enough, I found myself sitting at work trying to figure out strategies to get through especially difficult sections. I played the game on hard (crushing is next) and it took a LOT of trial and error... this isnt just an amazingly well written, visually stunning, and completely engrossing game... its HARD. I got down right frustrated at some points... but in the best possible way. If you havent played it... GET IT.