If you’ve been following this video series we’ve been running around the launch of Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception then you may have picked up on a thread that has been running through them, touching on how Naughty Dog have made the game such a ‘believable’ experience.

First we looked at their performance capture techniques and how human acting and technology combine to tell a story. Then, we heard about Drake and Elena from the actors who play them, and discussed how the relationships between the characters add emotional weight to the story. This week, we’re looking at how the Uncharted games use historical events as jumping off points into the story, whether its Sir Francis Drake’s circumnavigation of the globe or T.E. Lawrence’s research into the Crusades as a teenager.

Now that many of you have now played Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception (dare I say, some of you may even have the Platinum), how are you finding it?

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To support the retail release on Uncharted 3 this week, we wanted to let you know that three classic skin packs featuring a total of 25 character skins from UNCHARTED: Drake’s Fortune and UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves are available to purchase from the PlayStation Store as downloadable items for your UNCHARTED 3multiplayer experience. Each pack is yours for €2.99/2.39.

If you are a fan of the Uncharted Multiplayer content than I would recommend joining the Uncharted 3: Fortune Hunters’ Club for €24.99/£19.99. This enables you to get your hands on with all three multiplayer skin packs plus all four future multiplayer map packs when they become available. You will also receive an exclusive Fortune Hunters’ Club theme for your PS3 XMB, all for one great price!

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Last week we went behind the scenes of Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception to look at how Naughty Dog captures the performances of their actors to create the interactive experience that has gripped PS3 players this generation. As we enter launch week and your copies of the game are just fingertips and fresh air away, let’s dig deeper and look at one of the charms of the Uncharted narrative: the relationship between Drake and Elena, discussed by their respective actors, Nolan North and Emily Rose.

Uncharted 3: Drakes Deception is available across PAL from 2 November. Which is your favourite Drake and Elena moment?

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I don’t need to remind you that the release of Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception is less than a week away and you may have seen that the reviews are rolling in, including perfect scores from IGN, PlayStation Official Magazine UK, Destructoid, The Guardian and more.

These critics have all highlighted narrative and, in particular, the actors’ performances as particular strengths. It’s unusual, when you think about it, to be talking about performances in the context of a game, but it’s that marriage of technology and human acting, along with a great script and a skilled team of animators, that brings Drake, Sully and co. to life in such a believable way.

While we were in Jordan a few weeks ago – you may have seen our Treasure Hunt video here on the blog – we spoke with Nolan North and Emily Rose, the actors behind Nathan Drake and Elena Fisher, as well as Taylor Kurosaki and Arne Meyer from Naughty Dog, about how this performance capture process works.

We’ll have more behind the scenes videos for you in the run-up to the release of Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception. On a scale of one to ten, how much are you looking forward to it?

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You may remember last week I showed you photos from our Uncharted 3 Treasure Hunt in Jordan, where we took 20 competition winners from across the globe deep into the desert to compete in a series of challenges. Here is a short film we shot following their progress:

Congratulations to the winners and thanks to everyone that made such a fantastic trip happen. Here’s hoping all that sand has whetted your appetite for Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception, which launches from November 2nd, only on PlayStation 3.

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