Is Uncharted 3 story mode smaller than the previous Uncharted games?

Question

I just finished Uncharted 3, and my guts are telling me that this game has a way smaller story arch than the other games.

My google skills for gaming are not that good, as I'm asking you guys: What is the official story length of the three Uncharted games ?

In time: I played all three games in normal mode.

Asked by Machado

Answer

Since Sterno didn't actually post it as an answer, I'll do so for the sake of having the question answered.

In truth, it depends on your skill level and play style. I'm sure as you played more of the series you got better at it so that may have also altered your perception of the experience to some degree, making it seem shorter if not easier as well.

While it's not "official length", as Sterno suggests, HowLongToBeat.com is an excellent reference to find out the average length as experienced by other users. Note that results are dependent on the number of users that contributed their results.

According to the referenced data, Uncharted 3's main story mode alone was a marginally shorter experience than Uncharted, but 2-3 hours shorter than Uncharted 2 as an average and as a median for most of the 150-180 players surveyed. It should be noted that the fastest times and completionist times for all 3 games got progressively longer by several minutes so if you were playing as quickly as you could or completing everything available, it would likely be the longest of the 3 if only by a few minutes to an hour.

Answered by skovacs1

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Do you earn more money on harder difficulty levels?

Question

In Uncharted 3 multiplayer (co-op in particular), do you earn more money per kill/medal/objective on the higher difficulty levels, or is it all the same and you just increase difficulty for the challenge?

Asked by Alex

Answer

Yes. While the Easy and Normal modes offer no cash multiplier, playing on Hard and Crushing gives a x1.5 and x2 multiplier respectively, so for example, a normal kill on Easy and Normal is worth $80, on Hard it's worth $120 and $160 on Crushing. Headshot kill is worth $200 on Easy and Normal and $300 and $400 on Hard and Crushing respectively. Same goes for medal rewards.

Answered by JohnoBoy

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What's the difference between “hard” and “crushing” difficulty?

Question

While watching videos of "Crushing" difficulty on Uncharted 3, (see my answer to this question, although beware of spoilers) I noticed that it seemed like there were no button prompts during the QuickTime Events. I've never played an Uncharted game on Crushing. I expected it to take less hits to kill Nathan, but is this lack of QTE prompts also a feature of Crushing difficulty? Are there any other differences between "hard" and "crushing?"

Answer

Increased enemy health and accuracy, decreased health for Drake (or at least he takes a lot more damage!) are the main differences. I don't think spawn rates are affected but they may be.

Treasures, puzzles and general proceedings in the game remain the same, and I'm pretty sure the QTEs are still there (no source though - haven't played it on Crushing myself yet)

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What is the trick to the final boss fight in Uncharted 3?

Question

This may seem like a bit of a weird question, especially considering I beat the game on Crushing last night, but here goes...

What is the trick to winning the final boss fight against Talbot on the Crushing difficulty? While I did finally defeat him last night, it seemed due more to luck than skill. But there must be some pattern to it, or some sequence of events that must happen. However, it took me many, many attempts to finally overcome him, and during all these attempts I seemed to be getting a lot of successful hits, and fending attacks successfully. Some attempts I was fighting him for well over 3 minutes, but when I finally defeated him, it took just over 2.

In summary; I beat him, but I have no idea what the magic formula was that allowed me to do so.

Answer

Talbot's got a limited move set, and most of them involve quick-time events, for example:

• He takes a swing at you, which you dodge and counter
• Talbot pins your arm behind your back, where you bite his arm to get out
• You and he cross arms, but he drops the knife into his other hand for a quick slash (this appears to be the trickiest one - you have to go from mashing the circle button to hitting triangle and you have a very short window in which to do so)
• He knocks you down, and you kick him in the head to break his hold

Screwing up more than one of these in a row on Crushing seems to be a recipe for game over.

There's a particular pattern to when he goes for the final kill (and Sully shows up to take a shot) and I don't see much of a pattern about when this happens. It might just be a function of how much damage you do to him, as most of the videos I've seen where he goes down quickly, Nathan's always on the offensive, punching constantly when not involved in a QTE.

Here's a video of someone beating him on Crushing in about 2 and a half minutes, although there's no commentary or other prompts so it's tough to glean much information from it:

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How does the bonus system work in Uncharted 3?

Question

Does Uncharted 3 simply not have a bonus menu like UC2, or do you have to do beat it on crushing to fully unlock it?

Maybe I misremember things, but it seemed like UC2 had a menu system with lists of trophies won, weapons that could be equipped, and various skins, mirror modes, etc. Initially most of these were locked, but you could see that they existed; even before completing on crushing. I just don't see anything in the main menu system of UC3 that leads to that information. All I can find is player statistics, and the list of treasures found.

Does UC3 just not have that menu system? If that's the case, how do you even know which trophies you have and don't have?

Answer

No, unfortunately Uncharted 3 does not feature the same kind of unlock system that Uncharted 2 did, or any other single-player unlock/cheat system.

There are still plenty of (in fact, a lot more) unlocks for multiplayer games, including skins, guns, attachments, boosters, etc.

I'd cite a source, but guides that don't mention an unlockables menu that doesn't exist isn't very helpful. GameFAQs, which is usually fairly reliable, has this page for cheats and unlockables. Nothing on guns or single-player.

As for trophies - how do you check for any other game? Using the PS3 Trophies menu. There aren't separate PS3 Trophies/Uncharted medals in this one, it's just the Trophy list.

Edit - just a few other questions on other websites, all saying the same thing. Nothing concrete, just additional info:

• Gamespot forum thread
• IGN forum thread

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Tactics for fighting enemies in Iram of the Pillars

Question

Are there any good tactics for fighting the "fire" enemies in Iram of the Pillars? I'm having a lot of trouble with them, particularly in the first fight after you get drugged.

Answer

There are a few "heavy" weapons scattered about in these areas that will make the fights easier. After the area with the elevator, there is a RPG you can grab near the cover directly in front of you.

In the last area that's quite large, it can be challenging to avoid being killed over and over as you aren't afforded much cover initially. However, there is a RPG on the left side that you can quickly run to which will help you dispatch some enemies, as well as a M32-Hammer right in front of the door that will open after you clear this area.

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What is with the decrepit body in the French Chateau?

Question

At one point during the French Chateau chapter, Nate & Sully come across a body of one of Talbot's men that is heavily decayed. Sully questions how it was possible for the body to be so decayed as Talbot and his men "just got there".

While I was hoping this would be explained as the game went on, no references were ever made back to it.

Answer

According to the Uncharted Wiki, Talbot's man was killed by the spiders. As there is no direct reference to the cause of death in the game, I think you're just supposed to infer it.

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Is there any way to replay a cutscene?

Question

In Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception, I missed a few cutscenes for various reasons and feel like I've missed a few key plot points. Since there's no shortage of cutscenes, I'm hoping there is some method of watching them again. Is there any method to replay a cutscene without reloading from a save and playing through again?

Answer

In game. No.

After playing through and defeating the game, I was hopeful it would be some sort of unlock or bonus content. It is not. There are no options to replay cutscenes within the game or the game menus.

As mentioned by @JohnoBoy, you can find them on YouTube if you're willing to dig through and find the pieces you want to watch.

This playlist has 4 parts (over 1 hour), and is not complete, but hopefully will be completed.

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How do I defeat the guy in the armor in Stuck on Crushing?

Question

I'm in chapter 14 Stuck on Crushing in Uncharted 3 and I have to defeat this guy in an armor while we're on a boat.

It doesn't matter how I try to hit him, nothing seems to hurt him: headshots, shooting while he's throwing a grenade, throwing grenades at him. When you get close enough to fight him, he simply kicks you away so that's no good either.

So how do I defeat this guy?

Answer

Evade him for awhile and fight some of the other men who jump down eventually. Most of them are easy one shot kills with any gun just to occupy your time. Keep running from the big man until a goon with a grenade launcher shows up just above the red door. Kill him and the grenade launcher will fall to the ground intentionally for you. Use it on the big man, 3 or 4 shots will kill him.

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How do you get to the tower in Chaper 12 (“Abducted”) of Uncharted 3?

Question

In the Abducted chapter (the shipyard area) you get to a big area of water surrounded by large ships and containing a few small boats. I killed all the enemies but have circled the area many times and can't figure out where to go next. Where am I supposed to go?

Answer

Head towards the far right corner by the mounted gun. You can climb up the ship to the side of the mounted gun, look to climb a ladder up the ship's mast, you will have to take out some bad guys and can then make your way backwards over the wall.

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Where did Chloe and Charlie go in Uncharted 3?

Question

Around the middle point of Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception

Chloe and Charlie seem to just not be there anymore.

What happened to them? Where did they go?

Answer

Chloe and Charlie are gone after Chapter 9 in Syira, about halfway through the game. You can watch the final cutscene in the video below.

Chloe tries to talk Nate out of continuining on and Cutter urges him to continue, but no specific reference is made after that as to what happens to them.

They just don't show up anymore. Cutter did break his leg, so it's understandable he doesn't continue on. Chloe obviously doesn't believe it's worth it to continue on, that's about all you can assume I think.

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Uncharted 3 Salim cutscene glitch

Question

I purchased Uncharted 3 about four days ago and am experiencing a very strange glitch. In the desert, inside the ghost town when we encounter several people shooting at us including a Sniper and Drake says that he can't do this anymore, right as Salim appears on horseback, the moment the cutscene should trigger, it is not.

The horse that Salim is on is stuck in the running animation in front of the stone that Drake takes cover behind and not moving.

The horses and characters are transparent and I can go through them. I did some exploration and glitched my way outside the settlement, where the map seems to end abruptly and buildings are half complete.

I have not tried jumping off the edge of the map, which shows gray area. The characters are still chanting and Drake is still playable.

Has anybody else experienced this glitch? And if so, is there a way past it?

Answer

Yeah, I had the same thing. Just reboot the whole PS3 and it's fine.

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Is there a technique to hand-to-hand fighting in Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception?

Question

From what I've been through so far, the hand-to-hand fights in Uncharted 3 seem to be pretty random and a lot of button mashing. It seems to be a lot of ☐ to punch, and the occasional Δ to counter, and sometimes randomly mashing ○ to struggle and throw.

Is there a consistent technique to taking down enemies faster? I know that if you can sneak up on someone, you can take them down quickly. And occasionally, some of the fights seem scripted if you're close to an object that you will smash someone into. But for the normal fights, are there moves, or combinations of moves that you can do to take the enemy down quicker?

Answer

As you've gathered, the basic melee combo is pretty weak. Drake will do more damaging combos if you swing at an enemy close to a wall, a drop or an object that Drake can use as a weapon. Alternatively, you can do a 'steel fist' manoeuvre; basically, both punch and shoot.

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What does the ninja icon mean?

Question

In Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception, I jumped onto an enemy from a ledge and killed him quietly. After doing so, i picked up a grenade and a little blue ninja-looking icon popped up along side it. What is the meaning of the icon? Does it only indicate that I made a stealh kill, or does it mean the item I picked up is somehow different than another item?

Answer

It indicates that you got a bonus (or better) pick-up from performing a stealth kill.

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How to cross the room with symbols on the floor

Question

What is the logic behind the room with the symbols on the floor in the French Chateau? I realise I need to follow the directions in the journal, but it seems that even when I take exactly the same path I fail at different points.

Answer

The solution is given in Ashley's answer, but here's the logic: your notes give you how many of each tile design you need to step on, from bottom to top. There's only one path that lets you step on exactly that many of each tile in sequence, which is given in Ashley Nunn's answer.

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Are there any treasures in the first chapter of Uncharted 3, in the English pub?

Question

It's such a short chapter, but there are brief moments of agency; exactly the sort of place unscrupulous treasure hiders would stick a couple of treasures.

Are there any treasures, or is the first treasure in the flashback in Chapter 2?

Answer

I've only found one - behind the bar just before you leave into the kitchen with Sully, walk behind the bar instead of through the door. There's a treasure amongst the bottles there. From what I recall reading in the Chapters menu there is a second one somewhere, but I haven't found it (yet!).

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What's the right position of each of the armors in the chateau?

Question

I'm playing Uncharted 3 and in the chateau at some point you have to rotate all the armor to open some hidden door.

The game directs you to Drake's diary which has the following image:

I tried rotating them so they all face each other, so they all look away from each other, but I think I'm missing some detail.

So how must I rotate the armors to continue?

Answer

According to this walkthough:

Observe the statues and the fireplace. This is a puzzle. Lawrence made a note about something like this. Press select to open Nate's Journal. Four knights, with an axe, a shield, a sword, and a morning star. Just like the ones in this room.

You've got to turn each knight so it's facing the right way. Adjust the knights' position to match the the direction they are facing in the journal. The suit of armor thats holding the shield should face the one holding an axe. The knight holding the axe should face the knight with the shield, and the same for the one holding the mace. The knight holding the sword should face the knight holding the axe.

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How to position the symbols the right way?

Question

I'm stuck at yet another puzzle in the French chateau in Uncharted 3.

This time I have to position several symbols over each other to unlock a door:

The notebook has the following tips, which only tell me what to do with the eagle and the horse, but not the other two symbols:

I tried putting them over the same symbols as the other two, but that doesn't seem right. Mirroring the pattern upside down either, so I really have no idea which should go where.

So what's the solution for this puzzle?

Answer

From this walkthrough:

Get each symbol to its position according to the Journal:

Eagle should be on Bottom row, middle square. Horse should be on Second from bottom row, leftmost square.

For the other two symbols, locate the reflective floor symbols around the room. Look how the light from your torch is reflecting on the floor there. The symbol changes depending on where you're standing. Use that to figure out where the other symbols should go. The solution is:

Bull should be on middle row, fourth square (from the left) Lion should be on fourth row from bottom, second square from left.

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