Uncharted 3 Walkthrough: Why Most People Fail the Desert Chapters

You've probably been there. You are sweating in the Rub' al Khali, staring at a screen that just won't stop turning grey. Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception is a weird beast. It’s flashier than the second game but arguably much more punishing if you try to play it like a standard cover shooter. Honestly, most players treat this like a movie they can just breeze through. They’re wrong.

If you're looking for a drake uncharted 3 walkthrough that actually saves your sanity, you have to stop playing "properly." The game cheats. The AI flanks like they’ve got GPS trackers on Nate’s boots. You need to cheat back.

The Secret to Not Dying Every Five Seconds

Most people think the "O" button for cover is their best friend. It’s actually a trap. When you snap to a wall, your movement is locked. In the higher difficulties—we’re talking Crushing and the nightmare-inducing Brutal—staying glued to a wall is a death sentence. The grenades start flying the moment you stay still for more than three seconds.

Instead, try the "shoulder swap" trick. Walk up to a corner, but don't press the cover button. Just stand there. Aim your gun and use the R3 stick to swap shoulders. You can literally shoot through the edge of the wall while Nate’s entire body remains hidden. It’s a bit of a glitchy exploit, but when you're facing three armored chumps in a sinking ship, you won’t care about "immersion."

Stop Conserving Ammo

Seriously. Stop it. The game is surprisingly generous with weapon drops, but only if you’re actually using what you have. If you see a Tau Sniper or a M32-Hammer, pick it up immediately. Don't "save it for the boss." There are no traditional bosses in this game—just waves of increasingly irritated mercenaries in suits.

Sorting Out the Chapter 11 Mess

Chapter 11, "As Above, So Below," is where the casual fans usually drop off. The puzzles here aren't just hard; they're confusing because the game barely gives you a hint.

The Gear Puzzle
Basically, you’re in a room with a bunch of cogs and a giant crank. You need to place them so the designs match up. It's not about size; it's about the symbols.

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• Look for the gears with the cross and the four circles.
• The pattern must alternate.
• The big cross gear is hidden up on a pillar—you have to climb the broken stairs and monkey-bar your way across to find it.
• The final order from left to right: Big-Circles, Small-Cross, Big-Circles, Big-Cross, Small-Circles, and Small-Cross.

The Body Parts Shadow Puzzle
This one is cool but annoying. You’ve got a staff and a bunch of lights. You need to stand in a specific spot so the shadows of the hanging body parts form a complete man on the wall.

1. Grab the staff.
2. Walk to the right side of the room.
3. Look for the floor tile with the symbol that matches Nate’s journal.
4. Hold L1 to aim the light.
5. If you’re in the right spot, the shadows snap together like a macabre Lego set.

Surviving the Ship Graveyard

This is the hardest part of any drake uncharted 3 walkthrough. Period. Chapter 12 and 13 are a gauntlet of snipers and "Ubers"—those big guys with the SAS-12 shotguns who refuse to die.

The ballroom fight on the cruise ship is a nightmare because there is almost zero "safe" cover. The moment you spawn, run. Don't shoot. Just run to the right, under the balcony where the snipers are. If you stay in the middle, you’re Swiss cheese. From under the balcony, you can pick off the guys on the floor one by one.

When the armored guy shows up, don't waste your pistol ammo. You need grenades. Throw one to stun him, then rush in for a melee prompt if you’re feeling brave, or just dump a full AK-47 mag into his head. Headshots are the only thing that register on Crushing. Anything else is just a waste of lead.

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The Djinn: What Really Happened in Iram

By the time you reach the "Atlantis of the Sands," you’re exhausted. Then the game throws the Fire Demons (Djinn) at you. These guys teleport. They throw fireballs that tracking you. It feels unfair.

Here is the trick: The Djinn aren't actually demons. They're just Marlowe's guys seen through the lens of hallucinogenic water. But they still hit like trucks.

• Use the Tau Sniper. It’s a one-shot kill if you hit them in the head while they’re "human."
• Don't wait for them to teleport. If you see one charging up a fireball, shoot him immediately to interrupt the animation.
• Run-and-gun. This is one of the few times where staying still is 100% fatal. Use the "blindfire" mechanic (shooting without aiming) while sprinting between covers.

A Few Realities About the Platinum Trophy

If you're hunting the Platinum, you have to beat the game on Crushing. If you're playing the Nathan Drake Collection on PS4/PS5, there’s an even higher "Brutal" difficulty. Honestly? Brutal is broken. The checkpoints are sometimes placed in spots where you die before the screen even fades in.

If you get stuck, take a break. The combat encounters in Uncharted 3 are designed to be "dynamic," which is dev-speak for "the enemies spawn behind you at random intervals." Sometimes you just need a lucky run where the AI decides to be stupid for five minutes.

Essential Gear You Should Always Keep

1. The KAL-7: Fast fire rate, great for blindfiring.
2. The Mag 5: Basically a hand-cannon. It deletes armored enemies.
3. Grenades: Always keep two. Always. Use them to flush out snipers you can’t see.

Actionable Next Steps for Your Run

Stop trying to be a hero. This isn't a movie when the difficulty is turned up; it’s a tactical puzzle.

• Practice the "Wall-Peek": Go into an early chapter (like the London Underground) and practice shooting around corners without "connecting" to the wall with the Circle button.
• Check the Ceiling: In Chapter 11, people always miss the "Silver Filigree Bracelet" because it's literally on the ceiling. Look up.
• Abuse the Melee: If an enemy gets close, spam Square and Triangle. The melee system in 3 is much more "counter-heavy" than Uncharted 2. Don't just mash Square; wait for the Triangle prompt to dodge.

You've got this. Just remember: when in doubt, throw a grenade and run the other way.

Next Step: You should head into Chapter 6 (The Chateau) to practice your stealth takedowns; if you can clear the courtyard without being seen, you'll save enough ammo to make the upcoming boss fight a breeze.