Despite the seemingly never-ending fury over the Mass Effect 3 endings, it's easy to forget that (somewhere) gamers are happily still enjoying playing other fan-favorite titles like Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception. Despite mixed reactions to the game's storyline (which also featured an, arguably, underwhelming conclusion), Uncharted 3 delivered plenty of fun for PS3 players and went on to sell over 3.8 million copies on day one alone.
After most people played through the campaign, they quickly found a competent and enjoyable multiplayer as well as co-op components that, due to a lot of post-launch DLC, has managed to stay fresh five months down the road. Recently, it was revealed that Naughty Dog was finalizing the last piece of DLC that would be included in the Fortune Hunters' (season pass) Club offerings. However, along with fresh details on that final piece of DLC, we're now getting word that the developer intends to continue supporting the title with future a la carte DLC offerings as well as bringing back "The Lab" from Uncharted 2.
First off, in a post on the official PlayStation Blog, Naughty Dog lays-out what fans can expect from the last piece of DLC included in the Fortune Hunters' Club package (which will cost non-subscribers $9.99 by itself) - which will arrive in the April 10thPS Store update.
The new DLC offering, entitled the "Drake’s Deception Multiplayer Map Pack," is set to deliver four new maps - environments inspired by areas in Uncharted 3 and feature the online offering's now trademark "dynamic events" - such as the plane vs. caravan section on the "airstrip" map that came standard at launch.
Check out the trailer for the "Drake’s Deception Multiplayer Map Pack" below - followed by a description of each of the new maps:
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UV3xKW2YUjQ
- The Graveyard map sets you in motion as you fight among ships and shipping crates on rolling waves.
- Old Quarter seems like a lovely scene on a cool Yemen night, but it’s full of dangerous alleys and dimly lit rooms.
- The bar, the back alleys and the broadways of the London Streets map offer some prime spots for a knock-down, drag-out turf war, so be sure to stop by the Pelican Inn for some more brawling.
- The Oasis map used to provide respite for a Bedouin camp, but now serves as a sun-drenched battlefield for your multiplayer matches.
The map pack should please Uncharted faithfuls who are ready for some new locales; however, after delivering some slick co-op experiences, another map pack might seem a bit underwhelming to Fortune Hunters' Club members that are getting tired of standard competitive modes - like team deathmatch, etc.
Fortunately, along with the announcement of the "Drake’s Deception Multiplayer Map Pack" Naughty Dog also hinted that, while the Fortune Hunters' Club offerings will have concluded, the team will continue to support the game by producing new multiplayer content. While the developer doesn't specify exactly what players can expect to buy in future a la carte offerings - Naughty Dog indicates that an announcement isn't too far off and that they've been listening carefully to fan feedback:
While the Fortune Hunters’ Club is shutting its doors, this doesn’t mean the DLC for UNCHARTED 3 will stop. For starters, for those of you itching for new play types and experimental modes, The Lab will make its return to UNCHARTED multiplayer. We’ll be talking with and polling you in our forums about various potential ideas we have for the future of UNCHARTED 3 multiplayer, so be sure to join in our community and voice your opinion. And stay hungry, as we will have additional news about future DLC and other plans for UNCHARTED 3 multiplayer in an upcoming blog post.
While many fans have definitely been crossing their fingers for more single player content, Naughty Dog has previously stated that the team didn't intend to produce any stand-alone Uncharted 3 single player DLC - and, based on their mention of future DLC possibilities, there's no reason to think the developer intends to have a change of heart. That said, hopefully they've got good ideas in mind for future content - instead of simply pushing out more and more map packs. Further co-op DLC would be a welcome offering that could provide a good return on investment for players - especially since they'll actually have to pay per content pack from here on out.
It'll also be interesting to see what changes and updates Naughty Dog has planned for "The Lab" - which allows for robust customization (and, obviously, experimentation) in game matches - and became a fan-favorite feature among Uncharted 2 multiplayer die-hards.
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Follow me on Twitter @benkendrick for further updates.
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception is available now for PS3. The "Drake’s Deception Multiplayer Map Pack" will arrive April 10th on the PS Store.
Source: PlayStation Blog