“Uncharted 2: Among Thieves” is one of my favorite games of this console generation. Taking a cast of indelible characters through a thrilling adventure packed with jaw-dropping set pieces, it is a masterwork of video games as pure entertainment. Sure, BioShock might have more on its mind, but with “Uncharted 2” Naughty Dog delivered a perfect piece of pop fun.

“Uncharted 2” raised the stakes for this franchise, setting an almost impossibly high bar for its successor to live up to. I’m happy to report that it does not disappoint.

As expected, the game takes off like a runaway train though this time we find Drake not dangling from a wrecked train car but fighting a cast of London thugs pulled straight from a Guy Ritchie film. Here we first meet Katherine Marlowe, a cunning English villainess who quickly becomes Drake’s most memorable antagonist. The plot device this time around involves an ancient 16th century artifact that has ties to a lost chapter in the life of Sir Francis Drake, of whom Nathan claims to a descendent. As usual, Drake’s quest takes him across the globe, from France to Syria, while he untangles an increasingly complex conspiracy that involves secret organizations, occult powers, and even Queen Elizabeth.

However, the real story at hand is a more human one. “Uncharted 3” is really about relationships between people. While the on-again off-again romance between Drake and Elena Fisher still resonates, the focus of the game is on Nathan’s longest and most complex relationship: his long, fraught partnership with his father figure Victor “Sully” Sullivan. The two have been through a lot, and longtime fans will be rapt at seeing the origins of their friendship. By the end of the game, you’ll feel even closer to Drake and Sully.

While the plot provides an emotional element to the experience, “Uncharted 3” also delivers several summer blockbusters worth of frenetic action. No one does set piece moments like Naughty Dog. From fleeing swarms of poisonous spiders to assaulting a military convoy on horseback, this game has half a dozen sequences that would be the highlight of most games. The already stunning visuals have been upgraded once again, making for a title that against all odds looks even better than its predecessor.

I don’t think anyone doubts Naughty Dog’s ability to deliver high-octane thrills, but gameplay is still the most important part of any experience. On this front, “Uncharted 3” makes some significant advancements, and a few missteps. Melee combat is vastly improved.

However, the gunplay — never this series’ strong suit — feels like it’s taken a small step back. This is mostly due to the basic character movement. Also of note are a couple of levels that feel poorly designed and messy, particularly a battle that takes place in a graveyard of ruined ships.

“Uncharted 3” still affects me, not only because it’s such sublime fun, but because it’s telling the tale of characters I have a real affection for. In the end, you hope Drake makes it out of his latest impossible predicament, that Sully lives to deliver another wry one-liner, and that maybe, just maybe, Drake and Elena will finally settle down. “Uncharted 3” is one of the biggest, most impressive games ever made, but the scene that stuck with me the most was a small one: a tired Drake resting his head on Elena’s lap and saying, “I’m sorry.”

‘Uncharted 3: drake’s deception’

9.5 (out of 10)

PlayStation 3

Sony Computer Entertainment America, Naughty Dog

ESRB rating: T for Teen

Top 10

ON THE XBOX 360

The editors of Game Informer Magazine rank the top 10 X360 games for November:

1. “Batman: Arkham City” (Warner Bros.)

2. “Battlefield 3” (Electronic Arts)

3. “Forza Motorsport 4” (Microsoft)

4. “Saints Row: The Third” (THQ)

5. “Assassin’s Creed: Revelations” (Ubisoft)

6. “NBA 2K12” (2K Sports)

7. “Dark Souls” (Namco Bandai)

8. “FIFA 12” (EA Sports)

9. “Rage” (Bethesda)

10. “NHL 12” (EA Sports)

McClatchy-Tribune News Service

Weekly download

‘Dungeon Defenders’

For: PlayStation 3 (via PlayStation Network) and Xbox 360 (via Xbox Live Arcade)

From: Trendy Entertainment/D3Publisher Of America

ESRB Rating: Everyone 10+ (alcohol reference, animated blood, fantasy violence)

Price: $15

Don’t let the downloadable size or cheerful presentation fool you. “Dungeon Defenders” is a fiendishly deep blend of dungeon crawling, role playing and tower defense, and if you engage this journey of potentially hundreds of hours, you’d best begin with the tutorial. Superficially, “Defenders” follows the action-meets-tower defense blueprint: At the start of a level, you (and up to three friends via drop-in/drop-out online/offline co-op) strategically decorate your elaborate surroundings with traps, and when you give the green light and enemies rush in from all sides, you’re free to run around and get your hands and weapons dirty fighting anybody who dodges the reach of those traps.

Simple, right? Sure, until you realize straight away how different “Defenders’” four playable classes are. Consequently, while “Defenders” holds up as a single-player game, it absolutely sings as a multiplayer experience.

— Billy O’Keefe, McClatchy-Tribune News Service

New game releases

The following titles were scheduled for release the week of Nov. 6:

• “Air Conflicts: Secret Wars” (PS3)

• “Big League Sports” (X360)

• “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3” (Wii, PC, X360, PS3)

• “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3: Defiance” (DS)

• “Cars 2: The Video Game” (PSP)

• “Champion Jockey: G1 Jockey & Gallop Racer” (Wii, PS3)

• “Deepak Chopra’s Leela” (Wii, X360)

• “Fix It: Home Improvement Challenge” (Wii)

• “Get Up and Dance” (PS3, Wii)

• “JASF: Jane’s Advanced Strike Fighters” (PS3)

• “LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7” (PC, X360, PS3, DS, Wii, PSP, 3DS)

• “Metal Gear Solid HD Collection” (X360, PS3)

• “Self-Defense Training Camp” (X360)

• “The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim” (PC, PS3, X360)

— Gamespot.com