Good news for those of you with PS3's and more anguish for me (who doesn't own one).

 

I don't normally cover games but one exception I'll make is the "Uncharted" series on the PS3. Last year's sequel game "Uncharted 2: Among Thieves" was the most critically acclaimed game of the year, and recently there's been a lot of talk about the proposed film adaptation of the series in the works.

 

Today attention focused back on the game series as developer Naughty Dog released the initial details on the planned third installment in the series via Entertainment Weekly. Entitled "Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception", the story focuses on the hero’s relationship with his mentor and father figure Victor “Sully” Sullivan, along with the search for the lost city of Iram somewhere on the Arabian Peninsula.

 

The first game mostly stuck to jungles and ruins of the Amazon and South Pacific with Francis Drake's voyages used as inspiration. The second was predominantly set against war torn villages and snow-bound ruins in the Himalayas with Marco Polo's travels being a big influence. Here most of the action will take place against the vast sands of the Empty Quarter (the Rub’ al Khali Desert) with T.E. Lawrence's early days as an archaeologist informing on the story.

 

The plan is to make the game even more of an interactive cinematic experience than before, and more expansive use of motion-capture filmmaking techniques will be utilised for this outing. Some minor gameplay enhancements are in store (multiple targeting, better backward climbing) and the only minor criticism the game has generally received, the disappointing multiplayer capability, is said to be getting a good workover for this outing.

 

The first game trailer premieres during the Spike Videogame Awards on Saturday night, while the game itself is expected to be getting a fourth quarter release next year.

Harrison Ford plays Uncharted 3