First thing you always have to remember when you are playing beta trials is that they are in their beta phase so you got to expect a few bugs. These are from titles that are still in development so you got to have the patience of a zealot monk when dealing with then and it's for this reason why I've laid off popping up a post on the Uncharted 3 beta as the first day or so were far from enjoyable. However, the issues with connecting and staying connected to matches have been resolved and I can dive right into the fray with Naughty Dog's latest entry.
Naughty Dog have claimed that they want to bring the cinematic feel of the single player into the multiplayer and it really shows in the beta. Two maps are currently on offer at the time of righting this, chateau and airstrip, which will be familiar settings for those of us who have been following and watching Uncharted's development, each displaying it's own unique insight into Uncharted's cinematic multiplayer.
Airstrip is by far the most impressive as it covers two seperate settings as whilst chateau is an extremely varied and more interesting map to play on, airstrip offers a higher sense of drama and cinema. You start off travelling at breakneck speed on an airstrip with a huge cargo plane and a number of jeeps. It's amazing to view and the general idea of the level is to get on the plane before it takes off. Jeeps move very intelligently towards one another as you try to leap from vehicle to vehicle and not make a red smear of yourself across the speeding tarmac. After a couple minutes, a cinematic shows the plane taking off and the action moves towards a more traditional enclosed box map and start playing Uncharted's actual multiplayer. The gametypes are the same as those in the previous game although the newer gametypes will probably make an appearance whilst the beta is on so let's focus on how it all plays out in competitively.
The actual gameplay of the multiplayer itself has changed up notably since the first offering from Among Thieves. Taking note of both Call of Duty and Killzone, killstreaks and interchangable match types are on offer, albeit they are referred to as kickbacks and power plays respectively. Kickbacks are little pick me up for players who do well collecting medals through good gameplay. they rarely benefit the team as a unit but are good for giving you an edge on the enemy. Power plays change what the objective of the match is and offer cash incentives to players for completing them. You could be asked to take down a particular player, protect one of your own or even, more interestingly, be cursed with viewing both friend and foe as one in the same , resulting in a mad blood lust as you scamble to build up your cash.
The cash system is back and sticking to the same formula of buying boosters and gun mods that we all know and love although character customisation is not dependant on how much cash you are willing to part with. This aspect is now down what treasure you pick up. By completing sets of treasure, you will be able to unlock various items that will make you version of Nathan Drake/Sully/Genero treasure man/whoever, unique. Uncharted's buddy system kicks in particularly well here where if you and your partner in crime take down a player, a treasure will appear to you both, a system which will no doubt encourage good team play.
So, thus far, the beta is a brief promising glimpse to what we can look forward to in November. Lots to look forward to as it tries to set itself apart from the other big hitters that are coming in the winter, particularly in battle of the multiplayer that Modern Warfare 3 and Battlefield 3 are leading the charge on.
