Uncharted 3 Multiplayer Beta Impressions (with Gameplay Video)

The Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception multiplayer beta stage was kicked off last week and is now available for all to enjoy, so it's time we shared our impressions of this experience, complete with a gameplay video.

Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception is shaping up to be one of the most impressive games of the year, as Naughty Dog, its developer, and Sony, its publisher, are promising that all of the top-notch aspects of the previous Uncharted 2: Among Thieves are going to be improved upon, from the story, to the gameplay, animation or the multiplayer mode.

In order to really take the online experience one step further, Naughty Dog has now deployed a multiplayer beta stage for Uncharted 3, in order to showcase to the players just how improved things are over the pretty basic mode in the second title, as well as get feedback from them over the competitive and cooperative modes and the array of options that are at their disposal.

So, is the Uncharted 3 multiplayer beta stage worth your time? Here are some of our impressions.

I didn't get to spend quite a lot of time with the multiplayer in Uncharted 2, but it presented a pretty decent experience after players finished the top-notch story. The gameplay was good, plenty of special things were introduced by Naughty Dog to keep things fresh after the game's release, but it wasn't a Call of Duty killer, so to say.

Now, with Uncharted 3, the developer is trying to really establish the Uncharted franchise not just as a great adventure series, but also as a solid, third-person, multiplayer shooter experience.

There are quite a few gameplay modes available in the beta, ranging from classics like deathmatch (free for all) or team deathmatch, to objective-based variations, going through modes like king of the hill or occupation, as well as plenty of cooperative experiences, which also see players try to complete various objectives, but working together instead of alone.

Basically, if you want to just shoot others indiscriminately, you can, but Naughty Dog piles on various other things that bring more rewards, thus allowing you to level up your character faster, thus unlocking new items, as well as extra cash, which means you can buy special attributes for that extra edge.

Uncharted 3's multiplayer isn't just about playing with others, as a large role, besides the pretty solid blend of shooting and climbing or interacting with the environment, is customizing your character.

You can unlock new weapons and store them in special loadouts, you can get boosters for each weapon that offer things like increased ammo capacity or less recoil. You can earn medal kickbacks, which, when you collect treasures or medals during online matches, allow you to employ special powers. What's more, at the beginning of the match, you can buy boosters that bestow even more special powers, in exchange for the virtual cash you can earn if you play well and complete objectives.

Basically, Uncharted 3's multiplayer has taken the core experience seen in the second game, and threw in a variety of new options and strategies that make the online gameplay that much more rewarding.

Combine this with the pretty impressive maps that change their layout while you play in them, such as the Chateau, which catches fire and sees complete floors be brought down, to the actual airplane from the Airstrip level, that can take off, and quite a lot of people will no doubt be entertained by the online features of Uncharted 3, not just by its single-player campaign.

The Uncharted 3 multiplayer beta is now available for download for all PlayStation Network users. Until the transfer finishes, you can enjoy the video below showcasing the Team Objective Deathmatch mode and the Co-Op Hunter one.



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