A game as good as Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception is a rare thing indeed. Centred around the escapades of a roguish explorer with a penchant for ancient tombs and dangerous odds, it's every bit the video-game equivalent of a great summer blockbuster movie.
Based around shooting, fist fights and puzzle-solving, it's intensely satisfying and, more significantly, seamlessly blended into the cinematic aesthetic. Whether scrambling across collapsing temples or pummelling your knuckles into enemy flesh, the action is always so stylish, well shot and spectacular that it's sometimes hard to believe that you're actually in control.There's an inescapable air of Indiana Jones here as you embark on a race against an unhinged criminal mastermind to uncover a mythical treasure of incredible value and power, yet this beautiful, ambitious and dramatic game still has more than enough personality to stand out on its own. Thanks to an exceptional effort by the actors and scriptwriting team, Uncharted 3 achieves something all too often absent in gaming, offering a central cast that is both convincing and likable. Nathan Drake, the witty Everyman action hero at the game's heart, has every right to his increasing status as a video-gaming star, radiating a breed of cool in which it's a pleasure to bask. In fact Uncharted 3's performance, plot and visual flair almost outshine the gameplay – although it, too, is exemplary.