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Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception

Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception

It's easy to forget that Among Thieves had multiplayer.

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Not in any way due to quality issues. Multiplayer was built on the same strong fortifications that made the single player of Naughty Dog's second Uncharted game such a success.

Between marketing and press reaction lauding over the cinematic approach to the story, the highlights of the SP campaign, Uncharted 2's other half simply got lost in the background.

And also: was multiplayer needed? The answer seemed a firm "no". This opinion was strengthened even more when playing the single player game. Like the first iteration it was such a fantastic experience that it really needed no supplements such as a multiplayer.

Uncharted 2 was a great overall package of power, wit and cinematic staging that made most blockbusters from Hollywood look pretty old. The twelve hours of continuous power completely caught us and we couldn't really imagine anything more senseless than a multiplayer added to this. That is, until we played it online.

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Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception

What made the series so great transferred beautifully to multiplayer, with the constant switching between shooting and climbing is simply unique. The game felt fresh in comparison to online competitors. It didn't feel unnecessary fat, but a great addition to an already fantastic game.

There's no fear of forgetfulness with Drake's Deception; multiplayer is heavily emphasised from the off. And here, some five months off Uncharted's third release, we're clambering and shooting our way through the beta.

Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception now adds cinematic feeling into the multiplayer. Catch a game running and without further explanation, you'd assume this was a moment from the single player. It's due to unmistakable level design.

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In one map, for example, a transport aircraft is hurtling down a runway in a vast desert landscape. The plane is surrounded by small trucks and dotted on each is one team waiting to attack the team on the plane. We scramble from truck to truck and with luck make it to the plane, one hand clinging tight to the transport while we hang in mid-air shooting enemies. it doesn't feel like multiplayer. It feels a like a slice from the main campaign.

For anyone who's yet to play Uncharted, you must think of it as a classic third-person shooter with a dash of super-heroism. Nathan Drake and his climbing skills and his enormous jumping skills are anything but realistic, but still move within the realms of Hollywood possibility. Climbing is similar to that in games like Infamous, Assassin's Creed or Prince of Persia and feels pleasantly powerful.

Uncharted 3: Drake's DeceptionUncharted 3: Drake's DeceptionUncharted 3: Drake's Deception
Uncharted 3: Drake's DeceptionUncharted 3: Drake's DeceptionUncharted 3: Drake's Deception

The multiplayer of Uncharted 2 already was very addictive, even though it basically delivered nothing that other games didn't already have (aside from that uniqueness stemming from the gameplay). At times you think you're watching a clip from Planet of the Apes, given the numbers of climbers working their way up and around the maps. Though we never remember apes using hand-grenades.

Besides the usual dingle and team deathmatch, multiplayer offers the already known Loot mode, a modified form of the Capture the Flag principle. An unusual yet funny mode is deathmatch using three teams of two. Why this mode is so much fun is hard to explain, but it may come from the close-knit partnerships that grow from "Us Vs The World" mentality.

New to the series is Power Play in team deathmatch. If during the course of a match one side gets on a prolonged winning streak, the game-AI will step in and attempt to rebalance the system and give the opposing side a chance to catch up; so you'll see the losing team suddenly earning double damage for a short space of time and similar perks. It's to keep the tempo exciting but never one-sided.

Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception

Another, much more gripping form of Power Play is the "Marked Man". Here the leading player of the winning team will be marked with a red cross which is visible through walls to everyone. If the other team catches the highlighted player, they're awarded more points. The leading team is therefore well advised to protect marked comrades.

There's also a small new feature that's a major plus; you can personalize your character. The options in the beta are limited, but of course it's good to diversify the crowd of idenkit-Drakes, and it's a nice optional extra.

The fact that the single player campaign of Uncharted 3 looks set to be as big and sweeping as in the first two games is obvious. The multiplayer, however is a joyous surprise, and promises to tie us even longer to the game, once the solo campaign is over (or if we just want a break from it). From this beta run-through at least, there looks to be yet another reason to look forward to Drake's return come November.

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Uncharted 3: Drake's DeceptionUncharted 3: Drake's DeceptionUncharted 3: Drake's DeceptionUncharted 3: Drake's Deception
Uncharted 3: Drake's DeceptionUncharted 3: Drake's DeceptionUncharted 3: Drake's DeceptionUncharted 3: Drake's Deception
Uncharted 3: Drake's DeceptionUncharted 3: Drake's DeceptionUncharted 3: Drake's DeceptionUncharted 3: Drake's Deception
Uncharted 3: Drake's DeceptionUncharted 3: Drake's DeceptionUncharted 3: Drake's DeceptionUncharted 3: Drake's Deception
Uncharted 3: Drake's DeceptionUncharted 3: Drake's DeceptionUncharted 3: Drake's DeceptionUncharted 3: Drake's Deception

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