Uncharted 3: Drakes Deception

[rmoxon]

I think my problem with the combat in Uncharted 3 is that I played it as I played Uncharted 2, as a cover based shooter. However There was absolubtly no use for cover in the third game becuase the moment you actualy hid behind anything someone would run up behind you and shoot you in the back.

Compared to the second game, it just feels broken in regard to how the cover mechanic is implemented

[MrMarbles]

Depends, I guess, it's all matter of opinion. For me UC2 did show a huge improvement over 1 but with only 18 months or so to make 3 it wouldn't be likely you'd get much variation on the template as it's just not enough time to make big changes and perfect their implementation.

Didn't both UC2 and UC3 have the same dev time?

I think the issue was that Naughty Dog had split into two teams during development of the third game, leaving a thinner team to get the game out on time. Wouldn't surprise me at all if there was also a smaller tech team at Naughty Dog that was helping Sony out with feedback and support during Vita's initial design phase and doing the same for PS4 right now, what with them being a considerable jewel in Sony's crown right now.

[Neon Ignition]

Possibly was that, with the flaming head guys you can tell where they're going to teleport. The behind cover bits can be annoying but I find it just as annoying in Gears that no one ever appears behind the player at all. Turns it into a simple shooting gallery, I prefer it to keep me on my toes. Then again, I play MW3 online so I'm used to covering all angles. UC3 is definitely easier than UC2

[rmoxon]

Possibly was that, with the flaming head guys you can tell where they're going to teleport. The behind cover bits can be annoying but I find it just as annoying in Gears that no one ever appears behind the player at all. Turns it into a simple shooting gallery, I prefer it to keep me on my toes. Then again, I play MW3 online so I'm used to covering all angles. UC3 is definitely easier than UC2

PI don't find Gears of War to be anything like a shooting gallery, and The environments are designed in a way that it makes sense that the enemies come from in front of you. In my opinion the gears games are a master class in level design, they are both fair and make sense. Uncharted 3's level design was both unfair and made no sense, I mean he clearly knows how to handle himself in a fight so unless Nathan drake is suicidal or just simply insane he wouldn't even contemplate walking into locations where the enemies could flank him so easily.

Its not more realistic, it's just stupidly bad design. For instance, in gears of war you walk into a room and the enemies are usually there (you know, like they would be in real life) so you can see how to attack them. In uncharted 3 certain enemies sometimes don't even appear until you are stood in the middle of the room and then they run directly at you from five different directions. There are also several instances where the game recommends the stealth approach but that's virtually impossible becuase some enemies have eyes in the back of their head and notice you no matter what.

Theres a bit near the end where Nathan goes in an area and says that he better try the stealth approach, I tried about 10 times and got caught every time by people who weren't even looking at me. Then to make matters worse a big firefight bursts out and enemies start poring in the room from WHERE YOU CAME FROM. How does that make sense? Oh right, it doesn't.

Its not more realistic, its not fun, it's badly made and its unfair.

[Neon Ignition]

What you just described sounds far more realistic than Gears

[rmoxon]

What you just described sounds far more realistic than Gears

It would probably be realistic if it was the real life versions of me or you taking on the enemy (or well me at least anyway, I don't know if you have had any SAS training) but when you're suppose to be playing the role of a protagonist with certain skills I personally expect to actually feel like I do have those skills and not be just as useless as I would be in real life.

Videogames are about escapism and with Uncharted 3 I felt like I had escaped into the body of a headless chicken for a large part of my time with it due to the nature of the games combat.

[Dogg Thang]

For instance, in gears of war you walk into a room and the enemies are usually there (you know, like they would be in real life) so you can see how to attack them.

Except when they just pop out of holes that are triggered when you walk to a certain point, which is most of the time.

[rmoxon]

Except when they just pop out of holes that are triggered when you walk to a certain point, which is most of the time.

Well I don't think that's all the time (maybe it was in the first game) but they still jumped out in a way that was fair, which made sense becuase the enemy wouldn't want to be jumping out somewhere it was easy to flank them either. The battlefields in Gears are just well designed and make perfect sense from a combat perspective. In uncharted 3 they don't.

[MrMarbles]

The biggest problem I had with UC3's combat is how the hand-to-hand stuff was integrated - in the run up to release, there were indications that the designers wanted the player to get stuck in with their fists, and the intro to the game certainly reinforced this.

However, from the ship onwards, if you ever got locked into fisticuffs you'd almost certainly get shot to death by some dude with a shotgun who was able to casually stroll up and KABLAM you to black-and-white sax. All the while, you could see him approaching but were unable to do anything about it because there's no way to cancel out of the fist-fight.

I wasn't keen on the psychic ability of enemies to know exactly where you are at all times once the stealth option has failed either. Something line-of-sight based is far fairer and more satisfying for the player.

It was still a great game on the whole, though - just had the worst combat out of the three in my opinion.

[ItsThere]

Some very brief impressions from me...

I was underwhelmed by Unchartered 2 but for whatever reason this one resonates with me a lot better. Really enjoying it so far and haven't had any problems with the gunplay or combat yet.

Spectacular set pieces and lovely graphics make for a nice relaxing journey (on normal).

[Dogg Thang]

I've been playing it the last couple of days. It looks beautiful. Like, really amazing. And the acting and characters are absolutely top notch as always. Finding combat a bit sticky but it works fine. Doesn't feel as smooth as I remember it from the last couple but at least I don't have to put 67 bullets into an enemy's chest before they drop. Like some of the second one, I find the set pieces that bit too set, if you know what I mean. There are a few Dragon's Lairish bits and some that really don't feel like I'm playing at all. And, third game in, the sequence of relaxed Tomb Raider entry and, oh, here come the bad guys feels all a bit routine but then I guess it did even by the second one.

But, like the last one, it is those Tomb Raidery bits I like the best. Gunplay just fills some space (although loving the hand to hand so far) and the set pieces may as well be cut scenes but it's in the making my way in and solving the odd little puzzle that I can really appreciate the setting and the beauty they have created here. And the locations really are stunning. The amount of work is immense. I know I may be alone here but, coming from the first (which was a real surprise treat for me), I find myself wishing they didn't feel the need to make it all action movie because, personally, more movie feels like less game.

Great work though and I'm looking forward to making my way through it all.

I love how hundreds of blokes travel to Syria dressed for a funeral.

[Dogg Thang]

That Yemen city looks amazing, and so full of life. The amount of work in that section alone must have been immense.

Seriously though, why are these guys wearing suits?

[JU!]

I've been playing it the last couple of days. It looks beautiful. Like, really amazing. And the acting and characters are absolutely top notch as always. Finding combat a bit sticky but it works fine. Doesn't feel as smooth as I remember it from the last couple but at least I don't have to put 67 bullets into an enemy's chest before they drop. Like some of the second one, I find the set pieces that bit too set, if you know what I mean. There are a few Dragon's Lairish bits and some that really don't feel like I'm playing at all. And, third game in, the sequence of relaxed Tomb Raider entry and, oh, here come the bad guys feels all a bit routine but then I guess it did even by the second one.

But, like the last one, it is those Tomb Raidery bits I like the best. Gunplay just fills some space (although loving the hand to hand so far) and the set pieces may as well be cut scenes but it's in the making my way in and solving the odd little puzzle that I can really appreciate the setting and the beauty they have created here. And the locations really are stunning. The amount of work is immense. I know I may be alone here but, coming from the first (which was a real surprise treat for me), I find myself wishing they didn't feel the need to make it all action movie because, personally, more movie feels like less game.

Great work though and I'm looking forward to making my way through it all.

I love how hundreds of blokes travel to Syria dressed for a funeral.

Agreed each Uncharted 1-3 has it`s good and bad points. I also thought all of them had strangely weird/hard enemies towards the end, so I expect 3 to be no different when I get there.

[superkully]

I got the game for 'three kings day' this morning. I haven't put it in the PS3 yet, but - bloody hell - they could have put a bit more effort in to the manual. I barely sat down on the bog and I'd read it all

[koopatroopa90]

You just put me off touching a 2nd hand games manual ever again!