Two years ago Uncharted 2 was a game that provided a Hollywood-style Indiana Jones-like story with some of the most amazing graphics we had ever seen. Combine that with some pretty good gameplay and the PS3 had an exclusive that was undeniably special. Now Naughty Dog is aiming to do the same with Uncharted 3. But does it live up to the original and make some improvements or is this virtually the same game?

As with the previous game, Uncharted 3 has an adventure globe-trotting story. In my opinion the story in Uncharted 3 is far better than Uncharted 2 with some twists and turns that you won’t see coming. Rather than simply throwing you into these amazing set-pieces, there’s always a reason for you to be there. It also helps that characters have now been established. Without giving much away, Drake is back and this time he’s in search of the lost city Atlantis of the Sands; and this time around the search is personal. Nathan Drake is still a likable guy who is very relatable despite the fact he’s incredibly smart, athletic and skilled with a variety of firearms. Perhaps you could call him the common-man’s James Bond. Like Uncharted 2 you’ll end up in a variety of different areas and climates throughout the globe such as the city of London, a rainforest in France and the Arabian Desert. The single player game will probably take you about 8 to 10 hours to complete.

Areas are varied, colorful and look simply amazing! I’m almost certain Uncharted 3 uses the same engine as Uncharted 2 (which is no surprise considering that at the time that game came out, it was the best looking thing anyone had ever seen). Graphically, Uncharted 3 is one of best looking games you will ever play. The situations Drake is put into really do make you feel like you’re in control of an action movie. To see the gameplay and graphics come together is really something to behold.

The music is epic and matches the mood of the various locations you’ll visit. But much like the last game, the voice work and acting is what really makes the audio in the game shine. Digitally motion-capturing live actors along with their dialog has again been proven to be the way to go for telling stories within video games. While facial animations aren’t on the level of L.A. Noire the characters movements certainly are.

Gameplay is really the only thing that hinders Uncharted 3. To me, the controls don’t feel as tight as they did in Uncharted 2. This is true for both the third-person shooting and platforming. Also like Uncharted 2 there are instances where you’ll simply have NO clue what to do and so unless you’ve forked over the money for a guide you’re going to have to consult YouTube or a good FAQ if you hope to progress. Some of the puzzles have helpful clues that will appear if you can’t figure out what to do. But others simply leave you stranded. I appreciate puzzle solving but some of these puzzles seem unreasonable and simply thrown in to extend the game. I still wish that the developers had given a bit more in the way of options when climbing rather than having one set path. There are times when things will be in front of you that you SHOULD be able to grab and climb up, but you can’t because that’s simply not the way Naughty Dog programmed the game. As with Uncharted 2, I feel this is a huge over-sight in Uncharted 3. While some of these issues have slightly been addressed the fact of the matter is that they are still there.

Multiplayer is another area where Uncharted 3 really shines. The action is fast-paced with very little lag and there are a variety of match-types including co-op modes that will keep players coming back again and again. We had no problems getting connected and we were up and running pretty quickly for each match. I’m not a huge fan of online multiplayer but those who are should really enjoy this aspect of the game. It should be noted though that like most games now-a-days you’re going to need an online pass so if you rent the game like we did you’re going to have to buy a pass. “If you wanna play you gotta pay” as they say.

So, does Uncharted 3 surpass Uncharted 2? Though some issues I had from the previous game still exist you come away with a truly great experience that certainly should not be missed. The single-player campaign is outstanding and is sure to be something players will not soon forget. Combine that with the multiplayer that is sure to keep many players coming back and you have a game that is in fact well worth $60.00.

STORY: 10 / 10
GRAPHICS: 10 / 10
SOUND: 10 / 10
GAMEPLAY: 8 / 10
OVERALL: 9 / 10