Should you try out Uncharted 3 Drake’s Deception in 2025?

Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception was released on PlayStation 3 in 2011 and received mixed feelings upon release. Despite having better graphics and visuals, this entry lacked what the previous games had in spades: a consistent plot and mind-blowing action set pieces. However, this doesn't mean Drake's Deception isn't worth trying or revisiting in 2025.

Naughty Dog bit off more than they could chew by working on multiple projects simultaneously and dividing the workforce. The series is renowned for its great narrative, and many felt a massive decline in quality for the third game. Nevertheless, this project reveals plenty about Nate's past and is packed with other things worth admiring.

---

Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception could have been better

Fans expected more from this entry after Naughty Dog set the bar high with the previous game (Image via Sony Interactive Entertainment)

After the events of Among Thieves, Nate returns to the life of a jaded treasure hunter and explorer. Together with Chloe Frazer, Charlie Cutter, and Victor Sullivan, this merry band of treasure hunters is on the cusp of greatness after uncovering a clue to finding the fabled City of the Pillars while being pursued by Marlowe and her secret society.

While this entry isn't a fan favorite, Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception did a great job grounding Nate's character and sharing more about his beginnings. Before taking Nate under his wing, Sully used to work with Marlowe, leader of the Hermetic Order, and had eyes on Sir Francis Drake's ring before Nate stole it in Colombia. Marlowe holds a grudge against the young thief and doesn't let bygones be bygones.

This sequel takes globe-trotting to a new level, but the pacing was all over the place, which became one of its most disliked aspect. A different team took the helm after Neil Druckmann and Bruce Straley were assigned to lead the new IP: The Last of Us. While the efforts of the Uncharted 3 team were admirable, most fans felt like it was a step backward rather than forward.

Characters will be thrown into different parts of the world, and players hardly explore these new biomes, unlike in Drake's Fortune and Among Thieves. The developers learned from their shortcomings and did not repeat the same mistake for A Thief's End.

This story is much more personal to Nate, especially after Marlowe drops a major bombshell revealing that he isn't a true descendant of Sir Francis Drake and gave that name to himself to escape his past. Through this revelation, Nate steps into a different light, not as a regular thief and treasure hunter, but as an orphan afraid of not amounting to anything.

Nate desperately clings to the ring to relieve his anxieties and remind him of his greatness from small beginnings. However, his friends are growing concerned about his addiction to being caught in a firefight while looking for the next archaeological goldmine. This is one of the few reasons why Elena and Nate split up: he has commitment issues and finds it hard to live a normal life.

Uncharted has proven that God has favorites, and Nathan Drake is one of them (Image via Sony Interactive Entertainment)

Things get even more complicated after Marlowe abducts Nate and Sully. Nate wakes up captured by pirates. The moving levels and scenery were impressive, but the random story beats were appalling. Nate tries to save Sully by jumping from the wreckage and defeating enemies only to realize he isn't on board.

Furthermore, Nate conveniently washed ashore at a Yemen hotel and beachfront, and Elena conveniently booked a room there. The duo worked together for Nate to stow away on one of Marlowe's cargo planes to Ubar, leading to another epic sequence.

Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception has its fair share of mystical enemies that can be a pain to fight. The mystical enemies are based on the legend of Ubar, and they can shoot projectiles from their hands and teleport.

This entry continues the running gag of Nate destroying another fabled city; however, in this entry, he learns to stop hiding behind Drake's name and decides to pursue a normal life with Elena by his side.

---

Conclusion

Despite its flaws, Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception is a game worth playing (Image via Sony Interactive Entertainment)

Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception was a product of a different team that tried their best to live up to the series' reputation; however, they gave the fans more of the same high-octane action set pieces paired with bad pacing. Naughty Dog did dial the action sequences to an eleven but compromised the quality of storytelling.

Naughty Dog remastered the original trilogy through the Nathan Drake Collection, which is playable on the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. The gameplay mechanics are solid, and if you are into the action set pieces, this game has that in spades and is worth trying in 2025.