Uncharted 3 Multiplayer Beta: Verdict So Far

If like myself, you're one of the millions that has been eagerly anticipating the release of the Uncharted 3 Multiplayer Beta; the first chance to sample Uncharted 3 with your own bare hands.

Well, yesterday saw the big launch, so it begs the question— is it any good?

In a nutshell...HELL YEAH!!!!

There are nine modes. Team Deathmatch, 3-Team Deathmatch (three teams of two face off), Team Objective (complete the assigned goals), Free For All (kill everyone), Plunder (capture the treasure), High Stakes (gamble with your XP and cash), and three co-op modes.

Player wise, the modes offer reasonable groups of players- Team Deathmatch, Team Objective and Plunder are 5v5. Three-Team Deathmatch is 2v2v2. Free for All and High Stakes are 8 players, whilst the Co-op modes vary.

What are the maps like?
You get two choices; an airfield one and a French chateau. Both pack plenty of climbing and off real time dynamic events to keep the matches lively, like attacking planes and collapsing structures. All in all, quite nice and entertaining.

Power Plays feature in the demo, granting you a total of 9. Power Plays are 1 minute events that occur to the losing team, just to help you out.

Marked Man - A person on the winning team is marked, and the losing team gets 3 points if they kill him. Meanwhile, the winning team gets double cash for each kill and a special medal if the Marked Man doesn't die.

Cursed - The winning team sees all characters as skeletons and friendly fire is turned on. Each time the losing team gets a kill or the winning team kills one of its own, the losing team gets two points. Meanwhile, the winning team gets double cash for each member of the losing team killed.

Exposed - The winning team's location is revealed to the losing team. The winning team gets double cash for each losing team member killed.

Double Damage - Losing team inflicts double damage. Winning team earns double cash for each kill.


The Uncharted 3 multiplayer beta features eight boosters (equipable abilities that affect gameplay) spread over two slots;

Booster Slot 1 Options
Come Here - See the opponent that killed you on your radar until he or she dies.

Retaliation - Spawn with the Power Weapon you were killed by.

Cloaked - Opponents won't see you on the radar and you can't be heard.

Weapon Expert - Gives you the ability to add additional mods to you weapons.

Booster Slot 2 Options
Back in the Saddle - Reduces your respawn time.

Bargain - Decreases the cost of Medal Kickbacks. (Special powers you set before the game and have to earn in a match.)

Power Hunter - See the location of Power Weapons.

Daredevil - When you taunt over a defeated opponent, you get extra ammo.

Co-op Booster Slot 1
Scoped In – Co-op Reduced pain wobble while scoped in

Regeneration – Co-op Recover from wounds faster

Beast Mode – Co-op Move faster with heavy objects

Co-op Booster Slot 2
Monkey Man – co-op Increase traversal speed

Bargain – Co-op Decrease Medal Kickback cost

Back in the Saddle – Co-op Respawn time reduced by a specified time

Co-op Medal Kickbacks
Militia Man – Co-op No reloading

Team Medic -- Heal yourself and teammates

Speedy G – Co-op Speed Boost

Mega Bomb – Co-op One massive grenade explosion Army of Three Doubles the damage of all players within a specified distance

Gameplay wise, it doesn't feel much different from Uncharted 2, which is no bad thing, as I felt instantly comfortable. Obviously as this is the first Beta, there are a few bugs, but they're perfectly playable.
A few people have cited that the Beta is prone to freezing; which I did encounter. But I realised that just leaving the PS3 (not turning it off), it soon sorts itself out, and I was back into matchmaking in a few minutes.

What worried me the most about the beta, was that ALOT of people are crazy levels ahead. I was doing pretty well (as my "thrust" taunt after every kill will tell), yet I'm only just nearing level 4. But they're are quite a few level 15+ players, and although we here Europe didn't get the beta till around 9:30pm, those crazy Americans must have booked time off school/work to get some serious Uncharted 3 game time in (which if you did, Tech Beever salutes you).

So far I've only been playing for the best part of a day, but over the weekend I'll be getting deeply pulled into the awesome Uncharted 3, all in preparation for that impending November release...

Not got the Uncharted 3 Multiplayer Beta yet? Here's your schedule soldier;

June 28 - July 4
Gametypes: Team Deathmatch, Plunder, Three Team Deathmatch, Co-op Arena
Maps: Airstrip, Chateau

July 4 - July 8
Gametypes: Team Deathmatch, Free For All, Team Objective, Co-op Hunter
Maps: Airstrip, Chateau

July 9 - July 13
Gametypes: Team Deathmatch, Three Team Deathmatch, Co-op Adventure
Maps: Airstrip, Yemen

After the 13th? It ends =(


Game modes, boosters and power play information courtesy of IGN