A new option lets new players try out the extensive and highly praised Uncharted 3 multiplayer component without the need to buy the base game.
The new downloadable free-to-play option lets players advance up to level 15, playing in the same player pool as the base game. Once you hit level 15, you can continue to play with no time limit, but cease progress on your upgrades. That said, the game keeps track of your XP progress, and if you ever choose to purchase the full game, you retroactively gain access to the levels you would have progressed through for your time played. In the free-to-play version, players experience all of the base maps from the original retail release of Uncharted 3, but won’t immediately have access to any of the DLC maps.
If you’re never interested in buying the full game, the new free-to-play version supports microtransactions in various forms to affect your gameplay and progress options. Players can pay to unlock higher tiers of levels (up to 25 for $4.99), or pay a larger fee to unlock play all the way to level cap ($19.99). In addition, while the free-to-play game initially includes only competitive play, you can pay to unlock other modes like cooperative adventure ($11.99) and arena play ($9.99). All the DLC map packs are also available for purchase, along with individual guns and character skins.
Have you been a part of the Uncharted 3 multiplayer community prior to this announcement? Sony is thanking you for your patronage by offering a number of special free items to anyone who played multiplayer prior to today. In our conversation with the team in advance of the free-to-play launch, specifics about these special items had not been nailed down.
Alongside the new free-to-play option, Naughty Dog and Sony today are releasing the Game of the Year digital edition of the full game, which can be yours for $39.99. This new downloadable version of the game includes all of the multiplayer DLC along with the single-player campaign.
The new free-to-play option is a great opportunity to dig into Naughty Dog's innovative approach to multiplayer if you haven't already tried the game. Moreover, this move is an intriguing one for Sony, and may indicate the shape of things to come. Could we see more games in the coming months offering parts of larger games as free-to-play options, in the hope of enticing new players into the mix?
