UNCHARTED 3: DRAKE'S DECEPTION

If you talk to me about games for any period of time, you'll soon realise that I am a fan of the Uncharted series. If you ask me why, however, you might not get a straight answer. For me, when it comes to games or movies (possibly other types of creative media as well), I usually cannot quantify exactly why I like or dislike it. It's more of a feeling in my gut that I cannot explain. But, I'm here to talk about Uncharted 3 and I want to encourage you to play it - so I'll have a go at it and see how it turns out.

So, why do I think Uncharted is so great? One of the most obvious reasons is that it's different. It's not just a standard platformer, it's not a Gears of War style third person shooter, and it's certainly not another generic cinematic war shooter. Uncharted does take elements from all three - cinematics, platforming, shooting, and so on - but it combines them in a way that no other game series has managed to do previously.

It's a bit sad that it's rare to see games that actually do something different - the game industry is in a slump, with the big corporations "playing it safe" and simply creating clones, sequels and remakes of other games. The Uncharted games are diamonds in the rough that shine as a beacon of hope for anyone wanting games as a medium to mature and grow. That's not to say that all games should be the same as Uncharted - rather, that all games should be more creative, combining new ideas as well as elements from other games in unique and interesting ways.

It's a bit sad that it's rare to see games that actually do something different

Of course, the games themselves need to be mentioned - they are executed superbly. The characters are well designed and interesting, and the plot draws you in and makes you want to keep playing long after you should have stopped for a break. The music, while not something that I'd put on my iPod, is extremely well composed, and fits the mood and theme of the games perfectly. The graphics are crisp and clean, the animation is amazing, the levels are well detailed, and the game engine is an impressive piece of technology. The gameplay is finely tuned and well-paced - combat arenas, dramatic cinematic sequences, and slower-paced puzzle sections are all combined to make the games very satisfying to play.

But all that combined equals a good game, not a great game. Everyone has different opinions on what makes a great game, but in this case, for me, it's Uncharted's camera work. In some areas, the camera moves way out and shows the whole area where your character is - like when you're climbing up a huge stone wall or the hull of a wrecked ship. Uncharted 3 has a particularly memorable one during a scene in the desert. All the while, you still have full control of your character, even if he's a tiny dot in the environment.

It's something that can never be done in a first-person game, and it's a type of cinematic that is not seen in any other game to date that I can recall. It shows an amazing sense of scale and perspective, and it speaks to me in a way that I cannot explain. The camera work in Uncharted combines movie cinematics with game cinematics to form a result that is far better than the sum of the individual parts.