Uncharted 3 details: sand, mirages, motorcycles and more

The latest issue of PlayStation: The Official Magazine (issue 57) has an exclusive look at Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception. In it, the developers chat about story, characters and the ever-important sand element.

The majority of Drake’s time in Uncharted 3 is spent exploring the Rub’ al Khali, one of the largest sand deserts in the world. “All the things you’d expect in a desert” can be found in Rub’ al Khali, including mirages and sandstorms. The sand provides Drake a ‘dynamic environment’ with shifting geography.

Drake and mentor Sully are brought to the desert in search of the Iram of the Pillars, constantly dubbed “The Atlantis of the Sands”. That’s not to say that the pair won’t be elsewhere. You’ll be taken all over the world in Uncharted 3, to locations like London and a jungle temple.

Naughty Dog hinted at some sort of motorcycle gameplay. A newspaper cutout in the debut trailer mentioned motorcycles, and Naughty Dog tells the mag, “We have a strong tradition of vehicular gameplay, and we try not to repeat ourselves.”

Katherine Marlowe, revealed last month, is the game’s main villain and is part of a secret order dating back to Queen Elizabeth I.

There’s a new melee system, which allows Drake to perform moves like bashing a bottle over an enemy’s head. New stealth moves and mechanics are also highlighted.

So far, we’ve only seen Drake and Sully, but Naughty Dog confirms there will be “recurring characters from previous games”. You can count Elena in.

Finally, the developer tells the mag that Uncharted 3 is most likely not Drake’s final outing. “The Uncharted franchise was never conceived as a trilogy,” they’re told.

Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception launches exclusively for PlayStation 3 on November 1, 2011 in North America and November 4, 2011 in Europe.

Thanks, Systemlink.