Uncharted 3: Drake's deception

GAME OF THE WEEK:16 Cert, Sony/Naughty Dog, Playstation 3 * * * * *

Considering how much time we gamers spend with digital characters, it’s a shame how dull most of them are – with the honourable exception of Nathan Drake.

Personality, perhaps, is the main reason for the critical and popular success of the Uncharted games. Yes, they’re lively and cinematic, but more importantly, the central character is terrific company: likeable, funny, even vulnerable, and the surrogate father/son relationship he has with an older treasure hunter, Sully, is very well drawn. Unlike most video games – most drama for that matter – the dialogue in the Uncharted games is witty and warm.

Once again Drake is in search of lost treasure – Iram of the Pillars. And again, the game mixes fact with fiction, as it refers to Middle Eastern folklore and TE Lawrence. We get a glimpse of Drake as a teenager (perhaps a nod to the River Phoenix scene in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade?), and we learn a little about his Dickensian upbringing.

Admittedly, the punch-ups and shooting sequences are relatively low on complexity. But they’re effective – the duck-and-cover shooting, the hand-to-hand combat and especially the climbing and chasing are engaging and fast. There are new stylistic trimmings too, like the moments when Drake unpins an enemy’s grenade and kicks him away. This instalment also introduces a reasonably fun multiplayer, either competitive or split-screen co-op.

Technically the game can’t be faulted, from the energetic character animation to the vivid, glorious locations, from London to the Middle East. It’s all done with great panache; the vertigo-inducing shots of Drake hanging from great heights, the seamless blend of cut scenes and action scenes, the swivelling of the camera for big reveals and heightened peril. The cinematic graphics elevate the drama and excitement for every moment.

Uncharted 3is a rousing, spirited adventure, beautiful-looking and abundant in charm and humour.