Long has it been since a PlayStation 3 exclusive title stood over its competition and claimed glory for its console. , the widely well received third-person action-adventure game developed by Naughty Dog, broke that curse on Oct. 13 with its addictive cinematic gameplay and enticing plot developments.
As the game’s protagonist, Nathan “Nate” Drake, players journey across different subregions of Asia in order to pursue Marco Polo’s 14 ships of lost treasures, lost at sea upon his return trip from China under Emperor Kublai Khan.
The historical mystery of Marco Polo’s ships intertwined with the game developer’s fantastic writing provides a strong foundation for an alluring tale of love, betrayal and discovery. The game sets the bar high from the very beginning with its never ending action and suspense. For example, the game opens up with the player as Drake, shot in the abdomen, sitting inside a freezing derailed train carriage barely hanging off a cliff near the snowy ridges of the Himalayas, and it only gets better from there.
To further compliment the amazing script, the game combines it with other aspects to forge an unforgettable cinematic gaming experience.
First is the gamer interface, which completely gets rid of any and all displays such as health bars and mini-maps that usually fill the screen. Instead, the only thing that players will find on their screen while losing themselves in the story will be nothing more than the simple exhibition of the detailed environments presented by the game itself.
Also, like any successful movie, provides a fantastic score composed rightfully to set the mood for anyone wanting to begin the adventures of an explorer.
Using motion capture technology and maximized gaming engines, Naughty Dog developed the game with unbelievably realistic and beautiful graphics that show off PlayStation 3’s capabilities.
The gameplay is a perfect blend of the action-packed shooter experience and the more placid platform adventure or stealth missions. No matter which situation the player is in however, the terrain and its structures become a very important aspect of the game that provide strategy and complexity. The single-player mode is available in four different difficulties.
Aside from the completely satisfying experience offered by the single player mode, the game also provides some multiplayer features.
The co-operative option of the multiplayer mode allows a maximum of three players to complete objectives as a team. The competitive player versus player feature, however, can offer up to ten players in four different game modes. This feature, although not as complex as some of the other leading shooter games, encourages players to use terrains and obstacles to their advantage.
Although both multiplayer options are enjoyable, neither are without flaws. In an age where multiplayer gaming pushes for a more massive player versus player experience, a game of ten people is hardly satisfactory.
Overall, is a fantastic piece of art that truly deserves its acclaimed reputation. The cinematic gaming experience is beyond the scope of the traditional video game template and on par with the future of simulation gaming.
The amount of careful efforts put into this game by the developers, along with PlayStation 3’s powerful abilities, makes the game a must have for any PlayStation 3 users and a very tempting lure for those who are not.