The lovable everyman of the authored narrative becomes a sociopath during the gameplay. In the single-player stories, Drake and his crew ponder these questions, but their intellects and human frailties (both physical and emotional) are discarded when the player takes control. Uncharted‘s single-player stories often explore issues of trust and betrayal, but the multiplayer lets players discover first hand whether there is such a thing as “honor among thieves.” What is worth more: a team victory or individual advancement? Can your teammates really handle the enemy on their own, or are you just saying that to justify your greed as you scramble to be the first to the treasure? Moving as a team and cooperating on objectives is often the safest way to play, but the promise of riches serves to lure players into dangerous situations. In Uncharted, the best players usually still win, but medals ensure a greater sense of parity throughout the match, which is a welcome thing to people lacking the hours needed to fully master the game.Ĭollecting the treasure that spawns on the map during matches boosts players’ medal counts and cash reserves and also explores the themes of Uncharted‘s world of treasure hunters. The result is the softening of the “piling on” dynamic that arises in Modern Warfare in which the best players are rewarded by a positive feedback loop that furthers their dominance. In addition to being a superhuman warrior, players can gain medals for surviving a close call, helping a friend, or being fragged by an unlucky shot.
Gaining “medals” in a match eventually activates combat bonuses, but these medals are given out for a wide variety of actions. However, getting to use these abilities is about more than simply being a killing machine. New guns and special killstreak-style bonuses are still unlocked through attrition: play for long enough, and you’ll earn the ability to instantly gain a rocket launcher or turn into a horde of murderous spiders. Uncharted 3 incorporates these things, but it does so in a way less punishing to new or unskilled players. In a post- Modern Warfare world, shooters are almost obligated to have persistent progression systems, unlockable special skills, and weapon modifications. Not only does the game incorporate and iterate on the competitive modes and rules of other shooters, it turns many of the aspects I see as weaknesses in the single-player game into strengths. What is the cause of my sudden enthusiasm, you ask? Even though the game is almost universally renowned as the epitome of single-player games, it was the Uncharted 3 multiplayer beta that has turned me into a believer.
I say all of this not as attempt to demonstrate my sophistication or elitism, but rather to emphasize the unlikelihood of my next statement: I can’t wait to play Uncharted 3. I’ve even criticized them as potentially dangerous to the medium’s long term health. I’ve complained that the Uncharted games afford players frustratingly inconsistent levels of freedom. I’ve derided Nathan Drake as a more generic, murderous version of Indiana Jones.
When it comes to the Uncharted series, I’m a bit of a wet blanket.