Impressions: Uncharted 3 Footage at GDC

I'll start off this post by making one thing about myself perfectly clear: I love the Uncharted series, and their developer Naughty Dog. For those who have never played either of the two Uncharted titles, I'd describe them as an action/adventure game that applies the Indiana Jones formula to itself: treasure hunting, shootouts, beautiful women, and betrayals (won't link to this one - wouldn't want to spoil it for those of you who haven't played the game!). What results is simply the most fun I've had in a video game in quite some time. The main character, Nathan Drake, is a treasure hunter who, while cheeky, cocky, and arrogant, has a big heart and is fiercely loyal to his friends. Over the course of the first two games, which play much like the plot points of an Indiana Jones or Tomb Raider film, Nathan takes on mercenaries, ex-girlfriends, war criminals, sassy news reporters, and yetis (yes, yetis). Do not take my word for it however; if you have not played either, go out now and buy them.

Yes, right this second. I'll wait.

Okay, good, you're back. Several months ago, Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception was revealed to the public at the Video Game Awards (VGAs), which was followed by a live gameplay demo on Jimmy Fallon shortly thereafter; I've included both of the videos at the end of this post.

The footage featured in this post is a cinematic sequence from the third game, revealing for the first time who the villain will be in Uncharted 3: Katherine Marlowe, the head of a four hundred year-old cabal, one of whose deceased agents is Nathan's ancestor Sir Francis Drake, the subject of the first game.

The Good:
Nemesis: She looks and sounds positively sinister, and reminds me heavily of Helen Mirren. I have a feeling she is going to be a much different nemesis than Lazarevic, the brutal war criminal from the second game; she seems a lot more connected and prone to manipulation.

Graphics: The cutscene, while cool, is even cooler for another reason: all of Uncharted's cutscenes are in-engine. What this means is, all the gameplay looks just as good as the cutscenes (which is a rarity in games). That lighting and those character models? All in-game, friends!

Sully: He's back! While he played a diminished role in the second game, his role will be much more important in this game, and the relationship between himself and Drake will definitely be a focus.

The Bad/ The "Why?":

Marlowe: Her facial animation when seeing the ring seemed... off to me. Anyone else reminded of Gollum in Lord of the Rings?

As promised, here is the debut trailer and the gameplay demonstration: