Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception

Gameplay

Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception is an action-adventure platform video game played from a third-person perspective, with the player in control of Nathan Drake. Drake has a large number of different animation sets, enabling him to react according to his surroundings. Drake is physically adept and is able to jump, sprint, climb, swim, scale narrow ledges and wall-faces to get between points, and perform other acrobatic actions. Drake can now take on opponents in more ways than before: hand-to-hand combat with multiple opponents, contextual melee attacks, and new stealth options. Uncharted 3 also features expanded and diverse traversal moves with deep gunplay. Drake can be equipped with up to two firearms – one single-handed and one two-handed – and four grenades. Drake can pick up weapons, automatically replacing the existing weapon he was using, and additional ammunition from downed enemies.

The player can direct Drake to take cover behind corners or low walls using either aimed or blind-fire to kill his enemies. The player can also have Drake fire while moving. If Drake is undetected by his enemies, the player can attempt to use stealth to take them out, such as by sneaking up behind them and killing them with one hit, or by dropping down onto an enemy whilst Drake is hanging from a ledge. The stealth mechanic has been simplified and improved. Some areas of the game will require the player to solve puzzles with the use of Drake's journal, which provides clues towards the puzzles' solutions. When enabled, a hint system provides gameplay clues, such as the direction of the next objective.

Multiplayer

Similar to Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, Uncharted 3 includes a separate multiplayer component with network play, featuring competitive and cooperative modes of play. The beta features several customization options, such as different character skins, clown masks, ability boosters, skill medals to attain, and a progressive ranking system. Uncharted 3 will introduce free-for-all modes such as standard deathmatch, character model and weapon modification, and dynamic environmental 'events' within multiplayer maps, similar to the set pieces from the game's campaign - such as a hostile plane flying above shooting all players it catches in its crossfire. Collectible treasures are also said to be available within the multiplayer maps, which can be used as in-game currency for unlocking new characters, customization equipment and boosters. Unlocked customizations can either allow for changes to be made in character appearance, such as clothing and skin tone, or upgrading weapon attributes.

A Buddy System has also been implemented into multiplayer. At the beginning of each match, the player may be joined with a random partner or a friend if joining their game. The buddy's emblem remains displayed as part of the player's HUD to indicate their location relative to the player's own on the map. With your Buddy, you can do a cooperative taunt over dead enemies you defeated together, and can also collect each other's earned treasures for them. The player is able to spawn next to his buddy so long as the buddy remains alive and out of combat. With the aim of making the multiplayer more flexible and accessible, several logistical improvements have been added, such as the capability to join games in progress or for two different PlayStation Network accounts to play together in split-screen multiplayer on a single console. In the event of ties or near-ties, matches enter an elimination mode as they wind down, in which the players are restricted to one life and must compete to wipe out all of the opposing team's members first within the allotted remaining time.

Several new features have been included in the game, including mechanics that create gameplay situations designed to assist the losing team, improves ability enhancements and augmentations that must be purchased for each use, special abilities that are made available when a certain amount of medals has been attained within a match, and "Uncharted TV", a small video window that appears throughout the multiplayer menus, creating a video that can be uploaded to Facebook, YouTube or the XMB. Multiplayer also includes a character creation system, allowing a user to extensively customise their in-game character. Cooperative multiplayer also returns from Uncharted 2.

Plot

Two years after the previous game, Nathan "Nate" Drake (Nolan North) and Victor "Sully" Sullivan (Richard McGonagle) enter a pub in London to meet with a man named Talbot (Robin Atkin Downes), who is interested in purchasing Nate's ring belonging to his ancestor Sir Francis Drake. The duo accuse Talbot of offering them counterfeit banknotes, and a fight ensues. Outside the pub, they are subdued by Charlie Cutter (Graham McTavish), Talbot's cohort. Talbot's employer, Katherine Marlowe (Rosalind Ayres), appears and steals Drake's ring. Cutter then shoots Sully and Nate. A flashback 20 years earlier finds a 14-year-old Nate (Billy Unger) exploring a museum in Cartagena, Colombia, in search of the ring, and seeing a younger Sully, unknown to him at this point, who is working with Marlowe to retrieve the ring. Nate is caught by Marlowe and her henchmen, but Sully rescues him from the agents and takes the boy on as his protege.

Returning to the present day, it is revealed that the meeting was an elaborate set-up by Nate and Sully to track down Marlowe, with Cutter being a friend of theirs. With the help of Chloe Frazer (Claudia Black), they trace Marlowe's car to an underground library, where they manage to retrieve T. E. Lawrence's notebook and a map showing Francis Drake's secret voyage to Arabia, where he was commissioned by Queen Elizabeth I and the infamous John Dee to search for the lost city of Ubar. Using these items, Nate works out that clues to the city's location lie in Crusader crypts in a French chateau and a Syrian citadel. He and Sully head to eastern France and locate the long-abandoned chateau in a dense forest. They find one half of an amulet inside the crypt, but are ambushed by Talbot, who takes the amulet. Suddenly, flesh-eating spiders appear and kill one of Talbot's men, but Nate and Sully narrowly escape them. Talbot and his men then set the chateau on fire. Nate and Sully escape and quickly head to Syria.

In Syria, Nate and Sully meet up with Chloe and Cutter, who have learned that Marlowe is the head of the same order to which Francis Drake belonged, which seeks to gain power by exploiting the fears of their enemies. The group finds the second crypt and the other half of the amulet (encountering more spiders), revealing the location of the next clue in Yemen. As they escape Marlowe's men and the citadel, Cutter breaks his leg. Chloe and he both decide they can't continue the quest further, though Nate promises to do so for them.

In Yemen, Nate reluctantly seeks the aid of his estranged wife Elena Fisher (Emily Rose), who, despite multiple vain attempts to get them to abandon their quest, helps them locate an underground tomb where they discover the location of the lost city within the vast Rub' al Khali desert (once again encountering spiders). Back above ground, Nate is shot with a hallucinogenic dart and wanders off on his own. He wakes up outside a café with Marlowe and Talbot, where Marlowe is shown to have accumulated documents concerning Nate's childhood, revealing that Nate started using the name Drake after growing up in the St Francis orphanage upon his mother's suicide and being abandoned by his father. She threatens Nate to reveal the location of Ubar. When Talbot gets news of Sully's location, Nate breaks free and gives chase to Talbot throughout the city, but is knocked out and kidnapped by Rameses, a pirate working for Marlowe, who interrogates him for information about Iram of the Pillars and who claims to have captured Sully. Nate escapes captivity and searches for Sully on the pirates' captured cruise ship. However, he discovers that Rameses lied about having Sully and detonates a grenade, causing the ship to start sinking. Before Nate can escape, Rameses shoots the ship's glass ceiling causing the tipped-over ship to flood and killing himself, but Nate manages to escape.

Nate is washed ashore back in Yemen. He is reunited with Elena, who informs him that Sully was indeed captured by Marlowe's men and taken on a convoy into the Rub 'al Khali with Sully being forced to lead them to Ubar. They decide to attempt a rescue by sneaking onto a cargo plane due to airdrop supplies to Marlowe's convoy. Nate successfully infiltrates the plane but is discovered on board by Marlowe's men and a shoot-out ensues. A large explosion occurs on the plane resulting in a massive decompression which tears the plane apart. Falling through the sky, Nate is able to land safely on the desert floor by grabbing hold of a cargo pallet and deploying its parachute. After wandering the desert hopelessly, without water, Nate encounters Marlowe's men before being rescued by a troop of men on horseback led by a Bedouin named Salim (TJ Ramini). At the Bedouin's encampment, Salim tells Nate that the city of Ubar was doomed thousands of years ago by King Solomon when he imprisoned evil Djinn within a brass vessel and cast it into the heart of the city. Salim agrees to help Nate and leads him to the convoy, which they destroy while rescuing Sully. They ride into a nearby sand storm, but Nate and Sully lose Salim amidst the dust as they arrive at the gates of Ubar.

Upon entering Ubar, Nate and Sully come across a water fountain that Nate drinks from. Suddenly Talbot appears with Marlowe and shoots Sully, killing him. Overcome with rage and vengeance, Nate gives chase and encounters more of Marlowe's men, who seem to have been possessed by the Djinn. He experiences vivid hallucinations of his past and of Sully, before eventually coming to his senses and finding his mentor alive. The true mystery of what happened to the people of Ubar thousands of years ago becomes apparent: when King Solomon cast the brass vessel that had the minerals that caused hallucinations, into the depths of the well beneath the city, it tainted the water with a powerful hallucinogenic agent, which caused Nate to imagine Sully was shot and killed. Nate realizes that the vessel is what Queen Elizabeth had sent Francis Drake to find, but after learning the consequences of his quest, Drake abandoned his mission. Thus the two figure the brass jar and the drug within is what Marlowe is really after. Nate and Sully search the city and locate Marlowe, who is using a winch to pull the brass vessel from the waters. Sully is nearly killed by Talbot, but Nate destroys the winch and accidentally blows up the central cistern of Iram, causing the city to begin to collapse around them. Marlowe and Talbot corner Nate and Sully but the floor gives way, throwing Marlowe into a sinkhole. Despite Nate's attempt to save her, Marlowe sinks to her death, taking Drake's ring with her. As Ubar collapses, Nate and Sully fight Talbot, who is shot and falls into the sinkhole. Salim rides in to rescue them as the city is engulfed by the desert sands.

Nate and Sully return to the airport in Yemen where Sully gives back Nate's wedding ring, which he secretly kept safe when Nate and Elena separated. Elena joins them and Nate offers her his wedding ring again. The two embrace with the promise of a fresh start, and the three fly back home on Sully's new sea plane (similar to the one from the first installment).

Development

The game was first revealed by Entertainment Weekly on December 9, 2010. Officially it was announced at the 2010 Spike Video Game Awards on December 11, 2010, the first teaser trailer showed a table covered in Arabia-related paraphernalia. The worldwide demo of the game was premiered on the American late-night talk show, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on December 14, 2010. A second demo was shown at Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on June 15, 2011. At Gamescom 2011, another demo was shown. On August 31, 2011, Naughty Dog released another direct-feed. At the Eurogamer Expo 2011, a new demo was shown. Creative director Amy Hennig explained that the desire for a desert-themed Uncharted stemmed from wanting to push the team creatively and technologically, as "organic" elements such as sand, water, and fire are "technically difficult to credibly render with animation".

Game director Justin Richmond explained that the game feels more open than other Uncharted games mainly due to the great new character creation feature. "We're not an open-world game, we're never going to be an open-world game but; we can try. It's still up in the air how much gameplay we're going to let you wander around. But we aim to let you just ride a thousand miles off into the middle of nowhere and still find action and adventure as you go." Ultimately the feel we want to get is, yeah, your character is lost in the desert. So it needs to feel like that. We aim to make it feel open-world." In regards to whether or not PlayStation Move would be supported in Uncharted 3, Naughty Dog explained that "A great Move game is a game made around Move and we started Uncharted long before that. It would be very difficult for us to adjust it. We tried a couple of things but it wasn't making a lot of sense."

While speaking with GamePro, Naughty Dog admitted that Uncharted 2's multiplayer could have been much better if they were given more time to perfect it. So for Uncharted 3, Naughty Dog drew inspiration from Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood and Rockstar's Red Dead Redemption to make their offering the "go-to game for PS3 multiplayer." Naughty Dog also told the magazine that one thing they learned through all their multiplayer testing is that damage and health in multiplayer should be "the same or similar to single player." Naughty Dog announced that Uncharted 3 wouldn't feature a dedicated server, because Naughty Dog looks for a potential four-year lifespan instead.

Juan Jimenez, software manager for Sony Spain, told Spanish gaming site The Vault that Uncharted 3 would make use of the PlayStation Network Pass, making it the second game to carry the feature following Resistance 3. As is standard, a one-time code will be provided with copies of Uncharted 3 for first time buyers giving them immediate access to online multiplayer features, whereas second-hand purchasers of the title will have to pay extra for online play. When asked why the developers implemented the pass system, game director Justin Richmond replied, that without the money from Sony's PSN Pass it wouldn't be able to afford to include as much online content as it has with Uncharted 3, and would possibly have to separate the online and offline content into separate products.

On October 6, 2011, Naughty Dog's community strategist Arne Meyer, confirmed that developer Naughty Dog's work on Uncharted 3 was done and had sent the game to be certified at Sony. According to lead designer, Richard Lemarchand, Naughty Dog had worked on “the biggest and most epic and jaw dropping game” with Uncharted 3. On October 10, 2011, Uncharted 3 had officially achieved gold status, enabling the video game to enter the manufacturing process for its upcoming release next month. It was also confirmed that the Uncharted 3 disc will also contain four behind-the-scenes videos detailing the development and production of the video game, including exclusive material from Naughty Dog. Sony announced that Uncharted 3 will come with codes for early access to the Starhawk multiplayer beta.

Motion capture

Naughty Dog community strategist, Arne Meyer, said that Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception is created like a Hollywood film, especially the motion capture and voice acting procedure. The Uncharted series has received praise for its movie-like sections, which Naughty Dog was keen to take to the next level in Uncharted 3.

"We have two motion capture spaces - a smaller one in the studio that lets us pick up smaller pieces, like idles, and then we have a dedicated stage at Sony Studios, and that's where we get both the motion capture and the audio - because we do all of the dialogue at the same time - for both gameplay and cinematics. It's big enough for us to set up and perform everything from rehearsals to the final performances, and that approach, which is basically the same as producing a major motion picture, is what makes the performances so fluid and realistic in our games. When we're in full swing, we're doing new motion capture every week."

Graphics and technology

Naughty Dog said that Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception uses an "evolved" version of the same engine they used in Uncharted: Drake's Fortune and Uncharted 2: Among Thieves that has allowed the game to have better physics, visuals, and environmental effects. The game features new innovations in sand, fire, smoke, and water dynamics and effects, also it adds to the movement of the characters, more realistic textures and animations. According to Naughty Dog Uncharted 3 is graphically superior to Uncharted 2. "We're at full speed, optimizing code specifically for the SPUs," Naughty Dog co-president (and former technical director) Christophe Balestra told Edge. "We were, at any given point, using 100% [of the PlayStation 3's power]. We were using everything we possibly could. There is always room where you find something where you can do the processing in some different way to find more power. There are all of these different ways to squeeze more power out of the box," Justin Richmond, game director, told VentureBeat.

Real physics and environment deformation are key in creating a realistic playing experience, according to Naughty Dog's Community Strategist Arne Meyer. Game director, Justin Richmond, said that Uncharted 3 pushed the PlayStation 3's graphical capabilities to its limits, but Uncharted 3 doesn't manage the same graphical advance seen between the first two games because the PlayStation 3 simply can't handle it, "We pushed it really hard. Uncharted 2 to 3 is still a jump, but it's a narrower jump. And going forward, it depends on what we do."

In an interview at GamesCon 2011, Senior Manager of Marketing Communications Arne Meyer spoke of the unprecedented size of Uncharted 3 stating "Uncharted 2 barely made it to 25GB, while Naughty Dog is going over 50GB this time, for Uncharted 3. But in the end we'll be under 50. We’ll be one disc." Meyer also spoke of what it is like to work with the PlayStation platform stating "I think it really helps. It's not even about sales. It's about what we can push on the platform and how far we can take it. I'm sure you'll hear this from every other Sony developer but you know, I can't tell you how much we've been able to optimise Cell and you know, the amount of content we can put on Blu-ray."

On September 27, 2011, Naughty Dog's Co-President, Christophe Balestra, posted a picture via his Twitter account, which showed Uncharted 3 assets taking nearly 24.2 Terabytes consumed while stating, "We'd better finish this game soon...". It was not clear if this network drive is for general use or for Uncharted 3 game assets and data. However, Balestra's comment seems to allude to the former, indicating that the purpose of the drive is for the game. A larger game typically translates into mo-cap and art assets, high-res textures, music, voice audio, more environments, more content, and as a result a more fulfilling game to play. Uncharted 3 will probably be the largest game to-date. According to Mick Hocking, the director of Sony WorldWide Studios' 3D team, Uncharted 3 "will show a new level in 3D gaming". He went on "Uncharted 3 in 3D will really convince people of our full-screen HD 3D solution... Genuinely, Uncharted 3 looks phenomenal in 3D."

Multiplayer mode free to play model

On February 26, 2013 Naughty Dog announced that multiplayer would be in free-to-play mode up to Level 15; after this in free mode the level counter stops while still allowing those to play. To this date over 3.5 million people have played over 37 million matches of multiplayer. About over a half a million players actively play monthly (probably also the amount of multiplayer players).Probably a little less than a million.

Marketing

On August 30, 2011, Sony Computer Entertainment America and Spike TV announced a competition, challenging the Uncharted fans to become "a better adventurer than Nathan Drake!". Fans of 21 years of age or older could enter the contest and win a chance to play Uncharted 3 before public release. On October 31, 2011, Spike's GameTrailers TV presented the Uncharted 3: Race to the Ring on Spike TV. The 30-minute special featured five Uncharted fans from the United States engaged in physical and mental challenges, with the winner receiving an Uncharted-themed prize package including a Sony home theater system.

On September 22, 2011, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe announced a competition, challenging the Uncharted fans to win the title "Uncharted Treasure Hunter". Fans of 18 years and older could enter the contest and win a chance to join an action-packed quest treasure hunt through the Arabian Desert inspired by the game and a chance to play Uncharted 3 before public release. The travel was from October 2 through October 6, 2011, with 20 competing adventurers from across Canada, Europe, the Middle East and Australasia. The 20 competing adventurers engaged in physical and mental challenges, with the winner receiving "$10,000 worth of prizes."

From October 18 through October 20, 2011, AMC Theatres hosted an Uncharted 3 "Play it First in 3D" event, showcasing Uncharted 3 at participating theaters across the United States. Participating theaters offered "an inside look from the development team at Naughty Dog", a multiplayer tournament, gameplay shown on the big screen in 3D, as well as raffles, prizes, and giveaways. "General Admission" tickets to the event cost $25 and the "Insider Access" $60, which allowed attendees to not only gain entry into the event, but also get a copy of Uncharted 3 before its release. All "Insiders" had a copy of the game shipped to their homes on October 25 via FedEx, giving the attendees a full one week head start over everyone else amidst the general public.

The first TV spot was released on September 8, 2011, during the 2011 NFL Kickoff game between the Packers and Saints. On October 16, 2011, Naughty Dog released the launch TV spot for the game. The trailer contains around 25 seconds of footage, and features Drake traversing canyons, riding horses, and battling above wrecked airplanes. On October 19, 2011, a Japanese commercial to promote the game was released, which starred actor and producer Harrison Ford, and what Harrison Ford himself thought about a game he inspired. Also on October 19, 2011, Naughty Dog released the launch trailer for the game, which featured deserts, boats, planes, horse-riding and treasure hunting. To promote the game, Sony had several promotional events during October 2011, where the public had a chance to try out the multiplayer and single-player gaming experience, which was accompanied by a Q&A session with Naughty Dog. These events were in several regions, such as the European countries Norway and UK. On October 15, Sony offered gamers "the first ever public sampling" of Uncharted 3's single player campaign at The Pelican Bar, London. Developers from Naughty Dog also turned up at the event, with a subsequent Q&A session.

Sony Computer Entertainment UK has spent £5 million ($7.82m) on its marketing push for Uncharted 3, a figure which the platform holder claims makes the game its biggest software launch ever. The campaign includes a short documentary produced by Edward Zwick, as well as TV ads, online videos, homepage takeovers and outdoor posters.

To celebrate the launch of Uncharted 3, Sony and Media Molecule released a Nathan Drake costume for LittleBigPlanet 2. A selection of Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception themed stickers were also included. The pack was available to download through PlayStation Store from November 1 in North America and November 2 in Europe, which is the same day as Uncharted 3 was released in these territories.

Two Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception Complete Official Guides were released alongside the retail release of the game, both designed by Piggyback. The standard edition is available with a complete game walkthrough, high resolution maps, in-depth extras, and a full 64 pages on the multiplayer mode alone. The Hardbound Collector's Edition features 272 pages with an exclusive 16-page Naughty Dog Cast Gallery, access to the Piggyback in-game multiplayer emblem, and a CD with ten tracks from the official Uncharted 3 music score.

To coincide with the release of Uncharted 3, lead voice performer Nolan North (Nathan Drake) wrote a book detailing the journey during Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception's development. Drake's Journal, a 128-page book, which takes a look at the making of Uncharted 3 from the viewpoint of Nolan North, went on sale in November, shortly after the game was released. The book features over 500 photos from Sony Pictures Sound Stage (where the motion capture for Uncharted 3 was performed) along with plenty of stories of Nolan, which documents the development of the game. Included are also Quick Response codes which link to "50 uncut videos from the mocap stage". If the book had been pre-ordered, the buyer received a 20% discount and entered into the sweepstakes for a signed copy of the Uncharted 3: Explorer Edition.

In March 2012 Sony ran an online marketing campaign, Multiplayer Character Worldwide Auditions, to create a new in-game multiplayer character for game. Combining open auditions from Europe through Facebook, Sony chose 10 finalists to compete in the finals in Los Angeles on 28 March 2012, where the winner got to meet the Naughty Dog Inc., including Nolan North who plays Nathan Drake.

Narrative leader Taylor Kurosaki and stunt movement coordinator Mike Mukatis appeared on an episode of America's Next Top Model: College Edition that aired in September 2012 where the finalists acted a scene from Uncharted: Drake's Fortune and the winner of the challenge would have their signature winning move featured in Uncharted 3.

The Subway Taste for Adventure

In North America during October, a month before the game's full retail release, players who purchased certain items from Subway had access to the entire multiplayer mode of Uncharted 3, as part of a cross-promotion between Sony and sandwich chain Subway. The Subway Taste for Adventure promotion ran from September 29 through October 31, 2011. Buyers were able to enter a code from a specially marked Uncharted 30 oz drink cup before November 1 to get early access to the Uncharted 3 multiplayer. The offer entitled fans to play all of the competitive multiplayer maps and modes a month before the game was released. Subway items, such as a Subway cap and shirt, could be unlocked by picking up Subway treasures. The player's rank and unlockable items were carried over into the main game.

In Europe, South Africa, The Middle East, Australia and New Zealand, only PlayStation Plus members had a chance to get to the full multiplayer suite from October 5. There were other ways to get in for non-PlayStation Plus members (according to Sony), however, noting to keep an eye on local PlayStation Blogs and community forums. Although both multiplayer suites included the same content, interestingly, the Europen, South African, The Middle East, Australian and New Zealand didn't have the Subway items like the US. Other vouchers that purchasers could get access to by picking up a Subway sandwich or chip was an Uncharted 3 dynamic PlayStation 3 theme, an Uncharted 3 Fortune Hunter Bounty ability pack, an Uncharted 3 Drake multiplayer skin, an Uncharted 3 multiplayer weapon skin or a Subway cup and sandwich virtual costume for PlayStation Home.

PlayStation Home

On October 13, 2011, PlayStation Home was updated with a new Uncharted 3-themed space and game. Uncharted 3: Fortune Hunter was a Total Game Integration event that allowed players to unlock exclusive content in Drake's Deception directly from PlayStation Home. Fortune Hunter was a partial recreation of the Yemen level from the Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception multiplayer mode, and a cover-based shooting system complete with weapons and gameplay inspired by the Uncharted series.

Players were pitted against waves of enemies (developed from character models from Drake's Deception), and were able to unlock special PlayStation Home rewards once challenges were complete; for example, players could unlock collectible weapons and even the "Kickback Endurance Booster" for multiplayer gaming in Uncharted 3 if the player completed all ten challenges. If the player pre-ordered Uncharted 3 from PlayStation Home, they also received an exclusive Nathan Drake costume with custom shooting animation for their PlayStation Home avatar. The Uncharted 3: Fortune Hunter Total Game Integration was accessed from the Adventure District in PlayStation Home.

Multiplayer beta

A multiplayer beta for Uncharted 3 began worldwide on June 28, 2011, with early access for PlayStation Plus members and all buyers of specially marked copies of Infamous 2. The beta launched for all PSN members on July 5. The multiplayer beta allow for Team Deathmatch, Three-Team Deathmatch, Team Objective, Free For All, Plunder, Hardcore, Co-op Hunter, Co-op Arena and Co-op Adventure modes. Two maps were accessible first, Chateau and Airstrip, but two more maps were unlocked over the course of the beta, Yemen and Syria. At launch, players were experiencing console freezes, game-breaking glitches, lagging issues and long connecting times. Naughty Dog released the first patch for the multiplayer beta on June 29, 2011, titled version 1.01. However, some gamers still reported that their PlayStation 3 was still getting locked completely and required a hard reboot. Naughty Dog wrote on Twitter:

"We [have] found a problem with matchmaking a couple of hours ago and a fix is on its way. Today will be a better day. Thanks for your support :)"

On July 5, Naughty Dog released the second patch, titled version 1.02, which included some significant improvements and tweaks. In the update, aside from inclusions such as Facebook integration and 1080i upscaling, a number of in-game elements such as medals and power plays were altered for a more balanced online experience. On July 6, Naughty Dog released the third patch 1.03 in Europe and it should have fixed any European connectivity issues. Naughty Dog's Co-President, Christophe Balestra wrote on Twitter:

"Okay... I just pushed #uncharted3 beta patch 1.03 in Europe which should eliminate the matchmaking problems."

Naughty Dog released the fourth patch, titled version 1.04 on July 8, which fixed issues related to the Facebook, the XP and cash during playback of cinema files. On July 8, Naughty Dog revealed that just one day after the beta went fully public on July 5, it passed the one million unique player mark in the Uncharted 3 multiplayer beta and the player count was still growing. Naughty Dog also advised players to reap the rewards from the beta, such as the Uncharted 3 PSN Beta Tester Avatar and Treasure Hunter's Starter Pack, along with in-game cash for the full release of the Uncharted 3 multiplayer component. Naughty Dog confirmed on July 12, that player progress in the Uncharted 3 multiplayer beta has been reset for some, sending them back to level one. User data that keeps track of level, cash and unlocks cannot be retrieved by the studio. However, beta players who were looking forward to rewards in the final version of Uncharted 3 based on their multiplayer beta play history will still get those rewards. Naughty Dog's Christophe Balestra announced on Twitter that the Uncharted 3 beta had reached 1.5 million unique players. On July 14, when the beta actual should have been ended, Naughty Dog extended the beta for an additional 24 hours, to give players a little more time to level up the multiplayer stats. On July 15, Sony announced that the beta for Uncharted 3 is the "LARGEST online beta ever to appear on the PlayStation 3".

Release

Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception was first officially released in North America on November 1, 2011, then November 2 in Europe and Japan, and November 3 in Australia. In the UK, Uncharted 3 was scheduled for release on November 4, but in July 2011 its release was pushed two days forward to November 2, making its release simultaneous with the rest of Europe. On October 22, reports started coming out that a few gamers in Europe and other regions had managed to get their hands on retail copies of Uncharted 3, all thanks to retailers breaking the street release date. Minutes later after confirming that retail copies of Uncharted 3 had been leaked early, more images surfaced on the internet to prove the leak claim. The pictures arrived showing Uncharted 3's title screen. However, the release date was pushed forward to October 28, 2011, in parts of Europe last-minute.

Speaking on the topic of the price of video games, game director, Justin Richmond told VideoGamer.com:

"I don't know what the manufacturing costs are, I don't know what the shipping costs are. I have no concept of that. I do know that for the amount of stuff we're putting in here, it is certainly not a bad deal. There are literally thousands of hours of content in this game. It doesn't seem like a crazy price to me. But again, I have no idea what the proper margins are. If someone is saying 'What am I going to buy this month?' in November, I hope that our game is the one they pick out, because we're offering something that nothing else on the market is. But if they don't, I totally understand. There's a lot of really cool stuff. What I'm hoping is that as time goes on... These things are still going to be on the shelf, it's not like we're taking it away. Maybe they don't buy it day one, but maybe they buy it in February? Maybe they buy it in March? We're not going away, and obviously people want to play things the day they come out, if they possibly can, but sometimes they can't."

In North America there were several pre-order offers through several retail outlets. Pre-order consisted of multiplayer weapon mods, medal kickbacks and booster. Which of the pre-order bonuses the player received depended upon where they pre-ordered the game. The multiplayer weapon mods, medal kickbacks and booster on offer were Regeneration Booster, Carpet Bomb Kickback and Clip Size Mod for Para 9 and G-MAL, Creepy Crawler Kickback, Callout Mod for AK-47, as well as Uncharted 3 PSN Avatar and Static Theme for PlayStation 3. All of these pre-order bonuses were also available and varied between retailers across Europe. In the Nordic countries, players who pre-ordered the game from GameStop received a bonus pack, which consisted of two exclusive posters, a T-shirt with a print that says "Soon-to-be action hero", and six in-game multiplayer codes (which are the pre-order bonuses). Players who pre-ordered the game from several retail outlets, such as Elkjøp and Game, received another bonus pack, which consisted of the six in-game multiplayer codes, as well as the "Soon-to-be action hero" T-shirt.

Retail editions

Exclusive to Europe, Australia and New Zealand is the Special Edition, which includes a "Steelbook" journal-styled game box case packaging. The Special Edition also includes a PSN voucher that allows the player to download the Multiplayer skin and weapon 'London Drake and Pirate AK-47', Multiplayer 'Upper Cut Taunt', 'Cash Multiplier' and 'Special Edition Decals Pack'. It also includes Drake's Journal with fully illustrated pages, screenshots and sketches from the game .

Exclusive to North America is the Collector's Edition. It comes with a Nathan Drake Statue from Sideshow Collectibles, a replica of Drake's belt buckle, a replica of Drake's ring/necklace, and a "Steelbook" case packaging with exclusive artwork, all packaged in a "Traveling Chest" style package.

Also exclusive to Europe, Australia and New Zealand is the Explorer Edition. It includes the Nathan Drake Statue, belt buckle, and ring/necklace from the North American Collector's Edition. Instead of including the "Steelbook" case packaging from the Collector's Edition, the Explorer Edition includes the Special Edition and its DLC, as well as all the pre-order bonuses. The "Traveling Chest" is replaced by the larger "Uncharted Wooden Travel Case", which has space for 19 PlayStation 3 games. A 3D lenticular image is also included.

Exclusive to Japan is the Uncharted 3-themed tan and brown color scheme DualShock 3 controller. The limited edition controller features a two-tone color scheme, with a map design and a smattering of mountains and coastlines sketched across the control pad. With a high level of detail, the controller also sports a compass drawn behind the directional pad, and Nathan Drake's signature ring on the right hand grip. It was bundled with the game for a collective cost of 9,980 yen ($129) for a limited time.

In the UK and Ireland, to coincide with the game's launch, GameStop exclusively sold the 320GB 'Classic White' PlayStation 3 system in stores across Ireland and the UK, since GameStop obtained the exclusive right to sell the console on September 9, 2011. The console was bundled with two 'Classic White' DualShock 3 controllers, and launched on November 1; one day before the launch of Uncharted 3 in Europe. For mainland UK buyers the console was only available online, while buyers in Ireland could pick it up in their local store. The console was also sold in GameStop stores in Europe, Micromania and EB Games Australia and e-commerce sites from November. In North America, to coincide with the game's launch, a limited edition hardware offering featured a 320GB 'Charcoal Black' PlayStation 3 system, a 'Charcoal Black' DualShock 3 controller, a free month of PlayStation Plus, and a copy of Uncharted 3.

A Game of the Year Edition was released on September 21, 2012, in Europe, with no mention of a release outside of Europe. However, the edition was released in North America on September 25, 2012, as part of a gaming bundle of the 250GB version of the slimmer PlayStation 3. This edition included all previously released DLC (up to 14 pieces of content in total), which was previously available as part of the "Uncharted 3 Fortune Hunters' Club".

Downloadable content

On July 11, 2011, Justin Richmond, creative director at Naughty Dog told NowGamer that the multiplayer for the game is hundreds of hours long, stating "We're going to continue adding new content after launch with downloadable content (DLC) like treasures, new character parts and so on. While we can't talk about DLC right now, I'd say the content easily amounts to hundreds and hundreds of hours. I mean, you can play competitive, co-op, multiple modes", Richmond continued, "I just can't quantify it enough". On October 14, 2011, Justin Richmond, confirmed that it won't be releasing any downloadable content for Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception's single-player mode. "There's a very specific reason," said Richmond. "Whenever we sit down and think we should do some single-player DLC, someone pitches something and we realize - that's a five hour level." "Dialling back our ambition is difficult," added Arne Meyer, Naughty Dog's Community Strategist. "We'd rather build out another game than we would do episodic content," continued Richmond. "We're so small that we can't afford to have a whole team working on DLC."

On October 18, 2011, Sony and Naughty Dog announced the "Uncharted 3 Fortune Hunters' Club" that entitles gamers to the first four multiplayer map packs and the first three multiplayer skin packs installment of downloadable content at a discount (over 45%) that will roll out over the course of the next year, with the first batch of content releasing in November 2011. As each piece of DLC is released for the game, the purchaser will receive a PSN message with a direct link to the content on the PlayStation Store. As an additional bonus for the purchase, Sony will be offering up a free, exclusive Fortune Hunters' Club PlayStation 3 theme. The theme will be given immediately. The "Uncharted 3 Fortune Hunters' Club" was updated on January 17, 2012, to offer 14 total packs, 7 new packs, saving over 60% as a "Fortune Hunters' Club" member. The "Fortune Hunters' Club" came to a close on April 17, 2012, with the release (April 10) of "Drake's Deception Map Pack", but Naughty Dog noted that despite the ending of the "Fortune Hunters' Club", "this doesn't mean the DLC for Uncharted 3 will stop".

Previews

Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception was on display for the general video game audience at the 2011 E3, and received four nominations from the Game Critics Awards for "Best of Show", "Best Console Game", "Best Action/Adventure Game", and "Best Online Multiplayer Game". Uncharted 3 was most notably awarded with "Best PS3 Game" by several media outlets, such as 1UP, X-Play, IGN, Digital Trends, GameSpot, GameSpy, Game Informer and Electric Playground. Uncharted 3 was also awarded "Best Action/Adventure Game" by X-Play, Machinima and Game Rant, "Best Action Game" by Shortlist, "Best Third-Person Shooter" and "Best Visuals" by VGChartz, "Best Graphics" by GameTrailers, as well as "Best 3D Graphics", "Best Multiplayer" and "Best Third-Person Shooter". The Official PlayStation Magazine and Game Revolution awarded Uncharted 3 with "Best Game of E3".

Uncharted 3 was placed at number three on Big Picture Big Sound's "Top 10 Best Games of E3 2011" column, and was included in GamesRadar's and Official PlayStation Magazine's "Most Valuable Game Award". Uncharted 3 was also on display for the general video game audience at the 2011 Gamescom, and received one nomination for "Best Console Game". Numerous gaming websites have called Uncharted 3 one of the most anticipated games of 2011, with 1UP and IGN ranking it number one in their "Top 10 PS3 Games of 2011" column. Metacritic included Uncharted 3 on their "Most Anticipated Games of 2011" column, and stated that "Sony's console has an unusually large lineup of exclusives scheduled for 2011, highlighted by one of the year's biggest titles, Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception." In Japan, gaming magazine Famitsu had it listed as one of the most anticipated games in its periodic reader poll. Many shops around the country had large displays advertising its November 2 launch date.

Reviews

Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception received critical acclaim, receiving numerous "Game of the Year" awards. The first publication to review Uncharted 3 was the Spanish magazine Playmania, which gave it a score of 9.9 out of 10, the highest score that the magazine has ever given a game. The reviewer ignored a request from Naughty Dog co-president Christophe Balestra requesting publishers not to include plot spoilers in their coverage. The second review was published by the Dutch magazine Power Unlimited, which awarded it with 94%, and concluded with "It is jaw-dropping. The whole game has many highlights. One of the best games ever for the PlayStation 3 to date."

The third review was published by the Spanish edition of the Official PlayStation Magazine, which gave it a 9.8 out of 10 score, called it "A masterpiece to remember for many years that will be difficult to overcome." PlayStation Official Magazine (UK) awarded the game a perfect score and a gold award. In their review they stated, "For the second time in succession, Naughty Dog has created a game that can claim to not only be the best on PS3, but also one of the best in gaming history... A visual, technical and narrative tour de force that takes the sky-high expectations of an entire community and blows them out the back of a jumbo jet, replacing them with more show-stopping moments than you could hope to find in a dozen other games combined." The US edition of the PlayStation Official Magazine stated, "Viewed strictly as a videogame, Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception represents the height of technical achievement--the state-of-the-art, if you will--for the interactive console experience."

Several mainstream press reviews praised the game, particularly for its graphics and cinematic quality. Garrett Martin of Paste said:

"Like the previous game's hotel sequence, the cruise ship segment is impressive because of how it exploits our perception of both the game's rules and our character's surroundings. As the boat lurches downward, we have to maneuver Drake upwards through hallways and staterooms that tilt sideways, climbing up through doors and over bed frames. Our horizontal axis turns vertical as a wall of water surges towards us and suicidal pirates continue to attack, forcing us to quickly adapt to this new perspective. Eventually we fall into a grand chamber whose skylight is fully submerged. The art deco decor, underwater lighting, and skewed angles recall both Bioshock and The Poseidon Adventure. Sadly there are no cameos from Red Buttons or Shelley Winters. Moments like that are what make Uncharted 3 great."

Ars Technica reviewer Ben Kuchera praised the writing and voice acting, stating "Overall, this is an amazing achievement in design, and it rests comfortably at the top of the heap when it comes to action games. It's also one of the rare video games where the writing and voice acting aren't just good "for a video game," they're good for a television show or a movie. Joy can be found in the small moments and movements of the characters, and their interactions are always fun to watch." In a review for The Telegraph, Tom Hoggins described it as "If you were to break Drake's Deception down to its base elements, it's the same Uncharted we have grown to love, just a little trimmer, more slick." Dan Silver of Daily Mirror concluded with "Overall, Drake's Deception is one of the most spectacular entertainment experiences ever produced, but one you'll enjoy holding a joypad rather than a bucket of popcorn. And, ultimately, that doesn't really matter at all." The Sydney Morning Herald reviewer said, "It's another thrilling ride with gorgeous presentation, absolutely exhilarating set pieces, well-integrated puzzles and robust combat that is equally satisfying whether you are wielding a gun or bare-knuckle brawling."

Uncharted 3 has a score of 92 out of 100 on Metacritic, making it one of the most critically acclaimed games of 2011. 1UP gave the game a perfect score, and stated "Developer Naughty Dog continues to prove they are masters of their craft, and the third chapter of Uncharted is a fun and rewarding adventure that's easily one of the best games this year." IGN's Greg Miller praised the title by awarding it with a perfect score, and saying that, "From start to finish, single player to multiplayer, this game sings. The characters, the graphics, the sound, the story - they're all top notch. If you're willing to skip Uncharted 3, be prepared to miss one of gaming's finest moments." and calling it "an experience, a complete package."

Edge gave it 9 out of 10 and concluded with, "Just like Machu Picchu, the Pyramids and every other engineering marvel of antiquity, Uncharted 3 will stand as a reminder to future generations of gamers that enough problem-solving imagination can turn any old trowel into a magic wand." One of the lowest scores was given by Simon Parkin of Eurogamer, which stated "As a slice of one-view entertainment, Uncharted 3 is peerless... As an expression of all that a video game could be, however, Uncharted 3 is narrow, focused and ultimately shallow." The Technique reviewer Hank Whitson was also less impressed by the game, writing "Uncharted 2: Among Thieves was not only one of the best games on the PlayStation 3, but one of the best video games to date. It featured a fun sharply-written script, engaging gameplay, a brilliant soundtrack and the best cinematic pacing ever presented in a videogame. Needless to say, expectations for Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception were extremely high. While Uncharted 3 is a tremendously satisfying game and one of the best releases of 2011, it fails to fully live up to the legacy of its legendary predecessor."

The game was criticised for some negative issues, such as the aiming system in gunplay. The developer had initially countered complaints that the game's aiming was inaccurate in a blog post on its official site. However, after complaints continued on the Naughty Dog forum and NeoGAF, a patch to address concerns about the game's aiming system was impending after developer Naughty Dog invited a couple of fans to its HQ to discuss the problem. On November 27, 2011, Naughty Dog released a patch that offered a fix for those unhappy with the game's refined aiming controls. The update offers the option of toggling between the new controls and a set-up more in line with that found in Uncharted 2. Despite being addressed in the previous games in the series, another minor issue raised was that of the game's linearity. Amy Hennig, in an interview with GameTrailers, defended this aspect by arguing that too little linearity in the series would have affected the game's narrative.

In 2013, Liz Lanier of Game Informer included Marlowe among the top ten female villains in video games, stating that "Marlowe is the definition of a power lady. She runs the Hermetic Order, a secret organization that will do anything to find the Atlantis of the Sands. Marlowe will still take any opportunity to belittle Drake and others that get in her way on a personal level on top of taking violent action."

Sales

According to NPD Group, Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception was the fifth-best selling game in the U.S. in November 2011 at 700,000 copies. During the first week of sales in the United Kingdom, Uncharted 3 became the second-best selling game on the all-format chart, beaten only by EA's Battlefield 3. It became the 11th best ever PS3 launch in the UK, and outperformed its predecessor's launch week sales by 37 percent. Uncharted 3 topped the PS3 and Individual Platforms charts, replacing Battlefield 3. During the first week of sales in Japan, Uncharted 3 became the second-best selling game on the chart and sold 124,989 copies, which is 3x more than Uncharted 2 sold in the region in 2009.

Worldwide, the game broke all records for the Uncharted franchise, in the sales department, firmly ahead of the last game in the franchise. Sony confirmed it shipped 3.8 million copies globally on launch day, making it "one of the best-selling titles of 2011, putting the third installment on a clear course to be the biggest selling game in the trilogy". Uncharted 3 also is the fourth fastest selling PlayStation 3 exclusive ever, behind Gran Turismo 5, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots and God of War III. The Uncharted franchise has sold over 21 million units worldwide, with product marketing manager for Uncharted 3 Asad Quizilbash stating that Uncharted 3′s week one sales were double that of Uncharted 2, "far exceeding" expectations. As of March 2015, Uncharted 3 has sold over 6 million copies.

Awards

Following the critical acclaim it received at its release, Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception has received numerous awards from various magazines, trade shows and gaming websites. Uncharted 3 was nominated for eight awards at the 2011 Spike Video Game Awards, including Game of the Year, and was voted by critics for two wins. In Famitsu Readers' top 50 recommended titles for the PlayStation 3, Uncharted 3 was placed third, making it the second highest western game on the list, only beaten by its predecessor, which took the top spot. Uncharted 3 received 12 nominations at the 15th Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences, one nomination at the Writers Guild of America Awards 2011, and three nominations at the 12th Annual Game Developers Choice Awards. Uncharted 3 also received six nominations at the 8th British Academy Video Games Awards, and a nomination for the UK's only publicly voted award GAME Award of 2011.

Sequel

In Official PlayStation Magazine UK's interview about Uncharted 4, Richmond discusses some of the new directions that the franchise could take in the future, as well as maintaining fan interest and going too far. According to Richmond, Nate still has plenty more to give and the studio would continue to create new Uncharted experiences as long as fans want it. Speaking to VentureBeat, Richmond pointed out that the studio never set out to make a trilogy. Instead it has always "sort have seen it as a stand-alone adventure", with each game existing as a self-sustaining gaming experience. "We have always said that if we think that we can make something new and interesting, if the fans still want them, then we can make another one".

Naughty Dog has said future titles will have to live up to a "really high" quality standard. Speaking to IGN, lead effects artist Keith Guerrette said success has made the studio "a little bit reluctant, actually, if we do sit back and decide to continue with the Uncharted world, because we don't want to "ruin" the series." According to Naughty Dog, it was a mistake to reveal Uncharted 3's release date a year out with the challenges involved with completing a game by its due date. "We will never do that again, not a year out", sighed co-president Christophe Balestra during an interview with Eurogamer. "The minute we saw the date on screen we were like, 'Oh God, I really regret that'", Evan Wells agreed.

On November 14, 2013 at a PlayStation 4 pre-release event in New York, Naughty Dog confirmed in a teaser trailer that an Uncharted installment would be coming to the PlayStation 4. The teaser trailer showed an overview of a map and a voice-over by Todd Stashwick. At E3 2014, a new trailer was revealed. The game, entitled Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, was released on May 10, 2016.