UNCHARTED 3 Lights Up GDC With 3D, Villainess Katherine Marlowe

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Last week, Naughty Dog and SCEA held a packed-to-the-rafters press event at the PlayStation.Blog lounge at GDC 2011 focusing on UNCHARTED 3: Drake’s Deception. The anticipation from the invited press was palpable as they all filtered into the PlayStation.Blog Lounge – afterwards, word on the street was that we delivered.

Evan Wells, Christophe Balestra, Richard Lemarchand and yours truly were to give the demo and speak with the press – the embargo just lifted this morning, so be sure to visit your favorite gaming media outlet for their take on the event and the reveals.

UNCHARTED 3: Drake's Deception: Marlowe and Drake's awkward reunion


We kicked off the press event with the first-ever demo outside of Naughty Dog halls of UNCHARTED 3: Drake’s Deception in stereoscopic 3D. We chose to present a portion of the burning chateau sequence we premiered in late December. Since most people would already be familiar with the way the sequence looked and played, we thought it would make all the more evident the stellar work the Naughty Dog team has put into making the 3D presentation part of the core Naughty Dog Engine. In my opinion, with this small snippet of gameplay we’ve proven that we’re able to perfectly retain all of the spectacular visuals and effects that you’ve come to expect from an UNCHARTED game into the 3D presentation. Playing in 3D gives you some added benefits to gameplay as well, such as improved aiming around corners and an excellent read on depth for all traversal sequences, no matter how tricky. Unfortunately, until you get to see UNCHARTED 3 running in 3D at an event or in your home this November, you’ll have to rely on impressions from our attending media for how good it looked and played.

The real meat of the press event was the unveiling of the central antagonist that will try to foil Nathan Drake and Victor Sullivan at every opportunity – meet Katherine Marlowe in the video above.

UNCHARTED 3: Drake's Deception: Katherine Marlowe

Marlowe is definitely not one you want to get in the way of, or worse, double cross! To give you some background, Katherine Marlowe is the coldly calculating leader of a secret society whose roots date back over four hundred years to the court of Queen Elizabeth I. She has a long-standing rivalry with Nathan Drake over Sir Francis Drake’s ring – something they both contend is rightfully theirs and is also the key to an ancient mystery. As you can tell from the cutscene above, Marlowe is a much more cerebral enemy than Drake has confronted in the past, using both psychological and physical tactics to get what she is after. Marlowe also has the assistance of her team of highly trained agents in this secret society – they are far more elusive and dangerous than the hired guns Nathan Drake and Victor Sullivan have faced in the past.

Additionally, we’ve uploaded a set of stills from the cutscene, a high-resolution render of Katherine Marlowe and concept art of the agents and thugs Nathan Drake and Victor Sullivan will face in UNCHARTED 3: Drake’s Deception.

UNCHARTED 3: Drake's Deception UNCHARTED 3: Drake's Deception UNCHARTED 3: Drake's Deception

We hope you’ve all enjoyed meeting Katherine Marlowe in our GDC 2011 reveal. Stay tuned as we still have a ton of information we want to reveal – with little to no spoilers! – over the next eight months leading up to UNCHARTED 3’s PS3 release on 11-1-11.

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168 Comments

17 Author Replies

  • Good Job Naughty Dog.. Keep up the Good Work.

  • @47 I agree lol they’re vicious…Can’t wait until 11-1-11.

    BTW since when did thunder and snow happen simultaneously? weird

  • I know this is early in the development, but I honestly think Uncharted 2 looked way better. Not a bit impressed. Superb voice acting as always, though.

    • You said it right at the start – given how far out we’re from completing development on Uncharted 3, it’s actually looking better than Uncharted 2 did at about the same length out. There’s a really great example comparing Schaffer from an early trailer to the final version that shows how far we can get given a few months.

  • Another rich British villian?

    For U4 how about Pinkerton’s brother?

  • so why can’t you guys upload a 3D gameplay video to PSN for us to see :(

  • Remember, Remember the 1st of November, Gunpowder, Treason and Plot.

  • Oooh…Dramaaa.

    It seems like taking Marlowe and her network down will take some finesse. Can wait till the wicked witch is dead.

  • You guys & gals definitely delivered!!

    Who’s doing the voice for the witch?!

    Just amazing on all levels, superb script!

    My excitement is past 9000, great job!

  • Damn it, Naughty dog, you make me buy a ps3 for UC1, you make me get a HDTV for UC2..and now Ive gotta start saving for a 3D tv for UC3…

    I love and hate that about you guys!

    Just kidding, though, looks freakin amazing! Although I would expect nothing less form you guys!

  • Somebody call the Ambulance please. I’m dying here.

  • I swear to god I was disappointed for 2 seconds “Ohh Damn they made s live action trailer” and then it hit me it was real graphics .
    Naughty Dog, you guys are gods among mortal developers may @thechurchofSony bless you for the bluray is strong in your camp ,do I give you 60$ now or later ?

  • This cutscene is in real time or pre rendered ?

    • It’s pre-recorded. All our cutscenes ever are in-engine, but we don’t play back cutscenes in real time for a long list of reasons.

  • LOVE IT!!!

  • more info to come at PAX and E3 i’m guessing?….So excited!!

    • We’ll be be at PAX East on a panel about our behind the scenes videos that were produced by 2 Player Productions, but don’t expect any announcements. Sorry.

  • Thanks for the reply Arne.

    i know they can be found easily still on Bluray, but i wanna embrace the future you know?

    I buy my Mac games on Steam, all my PSP games on PSN and have a nice growing collection of digital PS3 games now also. The space saving convenience of having my 320gb PS3 HDD filled with great games is as fun as the feeling you get when browsing your music collection on itunes :)

    I’m enjoying digital Mass Effect 2 right now, but it would be awesome if i could enjoy digital Drake’s Fortune when i finish, to get me ready for 11-11-11 :)

  • I think I know why the movie adaptation is being portrayed as a “family” film. I may be wrong, but I bet David O. Russell knows something about this plot that he is putting into his movie. Sully, and Kate may just be family in some sort of twist in this game, and the movie is going to expound on this reality? Maybe? Thoughts?

    Maybe I am just trying to convince myself that David O. Russell is not going to ruin a great game and great plot with his own version of it with Marky Mark.

    To Mark Wahlberg’s credit, his snarky attitude in Four Brothers is the closest he has come to Nathan Drake’s personality.

    Please let the move be as good as the Game(s)!!!

  • This looks AMAZING..cant wait! a few things tho..

    1. If u look at 1:05 there is no necklace around Drake’s neck yet Katherine Marlowe cuts off a necklace with the ring at the end of the video

    2. If this scene takes place in England then why is the driver coming out of the left hand side of the car? (Assuming this scene really takes place in England)

    • #2 – it may be in England or it may not be. If it was, he may not have been the driver – it’s not clear from the vehicle interior.

  • Looking great as always Naughty Dog!

    I was hoping for a female villain. Actually when the first press release came out that said that the villain was of a superior intellect, I knew it was going to be a woman villain, and this clip was excellent!

    She did an awesome job as did Mcgonagle and North. This game is going to be sick!!!!!!!! Day ONE!

    Also, this is just me, but please don’t add load outs for MP, love the classic set up. Or if you do, have a way to play old school! Still play UC2 multiplayer to this day. Also on my third play
    through of UC2! Can’t get enough! Keep up the awesome work ND! You guys rock!

  • It seems so strange seeing Drake and Sully all dressed up and in an actual place that isn’t some kind of ancient ruins or some beautiful jungle, lol. Game is looking great, can’t wait until November!

  • Wow. I already hate that lady and I don’t even know the full story. This game’s been on preorder since it was first announced

  • @4: No it’s not just you and it’s been bugging me since the reveal of U3.

  • Jason Statham’s starting to lose his hair early. That doesn’t seem fair.

  • simply amazing.

  • Arne you guys rock. November needs to hurry up and get here.

  • :(

    Biggest. Tease. Ever. Now I only want more.

  • Awesome. Love a strong female lead villan. I can’t wait to see more.

  • Is that one guy voiced by Jason Statham?

  • Is that bad guy Jason Statham…? Looks and sounds like him! Can’t wait for this game!

  • they shouldn’t have done that. now nathe is pist and when he is pist there is no turning back

  • Any chance we can get the 3D video on the PlayStation Store? They’ve been adding a lot of 3D video content lately.

    • The 3D version of our announcement trailer is up on the PSN Store right now. We don’t have any plans to put the gameplay or the Katherine Marlowe cutscene up on the PSN Store. I would expect only to have full trailers or other major pieces of video content placed on the PSN Store.

  • Hey,

    This looks fantastic. Nate in a suit, and Sully as well… they are really looking fancy! And I’m expecting them as skins in the Multiplayer. (and Kate as a Villain, female, skin, a first) Do I smell awesomeness?

    Anyway, great job, Naughty Dog, really looking forward to seeing more about the game, the MP… :)

    Chris

  • Awesome, just preordered Uncharted 3 on Amazon. Naughty Dog and Sony please put the 3D video of game play footage on PSN, I would love to see it in action on my TV. Don’t make me wait until November, pretty please with sugar on top!

  • I Love her already! Man she’s good, and ofcourse, Nolan does an amazing job with his remarks.

    Hey Arne Can i ask a question?

    That Dude who head butted Nate, tottaly looks like a PS3 Rendered Jason Stattahm and he sounds like him. Did Jason score a role in this game? If so, that’s awesome!

    • No and no – we’ll be revealing more of all the folks who helped us play and shape many of the characters and supporting roles later on.

  • I do hope we get to punch that woman in the face at some point.

  • Please post the 3D demo on PSN for download. Would love to see it in 3D.

  • move support?

  • THIS……THIS..is so full of epic win…*Whipes tear from eye*..

  • When’s behind the scenes part 2 coming out?

    • We’re working on it – if you happen to be at PAX East for our Behind the Scenes panel, you may catch a snippet or more there!

  • Drake’s in a suit! Drake’s in a suit! Katherine Marlowe looks like modeled after Amy Henning :) Please Naughty Dog, re-release the original trailer in 3D and this one as well. Thank you! I wish it was November already! Speechless!

  • Man I was so sure one of the guys was Jason Statham… Anyways, I love me some Drake!

    But 2 Player Production? I like those guys, but would have loved if Area 5 was doing the behind the scenes stuff!

  • Will there be a collector’s edition for Uncharted 3? Please say yes!

    • We haven’t made any decisions yet on limited/collectors/etc. versions – we’ll keep you updated if/when we know.

  • Cannot wait for this! I am a huge Uncharted fan! By far some of the best games I have ever played and I’m sure this is going to top the list! Thanks to everyone at Naughty Dog for their hard work and making some of the best games of all time!

  • Ok Victor needs to learn how to throw a punch before the release of this, if he learns a thing or two he might get away of this scene…

  • Hey Arne, is there anyway we could get this and the announcement trailer on the PS Store in 3D?

    Btw, it is looking fantastic :-)

    • The announcement trailer is already up! :)

      I don’t see having this short cutscene by itself up on the PSN Store.

  • Hello Arne

    Are the Uncharted 2 multiplayer maps going to carry over to UC3?

    I’ll really miss the Sanctuary if it’s not there :(

  • Katherine took the Precious, and WE WANTS IT BACK! Can you imagine Drake saying “my precious” when he recovers the ring?

  • Love what you’re doing with the lighting in this. When can we get some techie details on it all?

    There is some colour gradient map on the main light source – from that luminescent green to an orange/red. Really enhances the depth of the light.

    Whether it’s a bit like something in Assassins Creed and Splinter Cell, where they use a projected picture as a light source or a point-light source with a colour gradient, I don’t know.

    Looks great though.

  • Move support?

  • This game looks amazing so far. Great job Naughty Dog! Can’t wait to see more gameplay and info on multiplayer.

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