The Arabian desert, a plane going down, and Nathan Drake chasing a legend.

First read: on gut instinct, Uncharted 3 lands ahead of 73% of games, solid. But criterion by criterion, it climbs higher still. Attachment puts it ahead of 98% of titles, the feel in your hands brushes the very top on early votes, to confirm but striking. Art style ahead of 92%, fun and desert island ahead of nearly 9 games out of 10. Everything is high, very high. The only slight tension is that the immediate pull sits a notch below what the detailed profile reveals: people admire it a little more than they reach for it on reflex.

In the cinematic action-adventure genre it stands for a whole school, the big scripted spectacle where every sequence plays like a film. Few games keep that promise this well.

So, who is it for? For you if you love spectacular set-pieces, characters you grow fond of and a controller that answers instantly. Much less if you prefer open freedom over tightly staged direction.