Development was approached by incorporating locations distinct from the series' previous entries, with the team deciding on deserts and urban areas, drawing inspiration for the plot from the life of archaeologist T. E. Lawrence.

Naughty Dog sought to upgrade the game's openness and realism, increasing the volume of motion capture and voice acting, and conducting field research for better visual environments and sounds.

The development team also aimed to improve the multiplayer system, introducing new competitive and co-operative modes, while the game is also notable for being one of the first to carry the new online PlayStation Network Pass feature.

Drake is physically adept and can jump, sprint, climb, swim, scale narrow ledges and wall faces to get between points, and perform other acrobatic actions.

The beta features several customization options, such as different character skins, clown masks, ability boosters, skill medals to attain, and a progressive ranking system.

Uncharted 3 will introduce free-for-all modes such as standard deathmatch, character model and weapon modification, and dynamic environmental 'events' within multiplayer maps, similar to the set pieces from the game's campaign – such as a hostile plane flying above shooting all players it catches in its crossfire.

In the event of ties or near-ties, matches enter an elimination mode as they wind down, in which the players are restricted to one life and must compete to wipe out all of the opposing team's members first within the allotted remaining time.

[citation needed] Several new features have been included in the game, including mechanics that create gameplay situations designed to assist the losing team, improves ability enhancements and augmentations that must be purchased for each use, special abilities that are made available when a certain number of medals has been attained within a match, and "Uncharted TV", a small video window that appears throughout the multiplayer menus, creating a video that can be uploaded to Facebook, YouTube or the XMB.

For Uncharted 3, Naughty Dog drew inspiration from Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood and Rockstar's Red Dead Redemption to make their offering the "go-to game for PS3 multiplayer".

[23] Uncharted 3 had officially achieved gold status in October 2011, enabling the video game to enter the manufacturing process for its upcoming release the next month.

[24] Naughty Dog community strategist, Arne Meyer, said that Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception is created like a Hollywood film, especially the motion capture and voice acting procedure.

[28][29][30] Real physics and environment deformation are key in creating a realistic playing experience, according to Naughty Dog's Community Strategist Arne Meyer.

The 30-minute special featured five Uncharted fans from the United States engaged in physical and mental challenges, with the winner receiving an Uncharted-themed prize package including a Sony home theater system.

Participating theaters offered "an inside look from the development team at Naughty Dog", a multiplayer tournament, gameplay shown on the big screen in 3D, as well as raffles, prizes, and giveaways.

All "Insiders" had a copy of the game shipped to their homes on October 25 via FedEx, giving the attendees a full one-week head start over everyone else amidst the general public.

[48] Sony Computer Entertainment UK spent £5 million ($7.82m) on its marketing push for Uncharted 3, a figure that the platform holder claimed made the game its biggest software launch ever.

The campaign included a short documentary produced by Edward Zwick, as well as TV ads, online videos, homepage takeovers, and outdoor posters.

The Hardbound Collector's Edition features 272 pages with an exclusive 16-page Naughty Dog Cast Gallery, access to the Piggyback in-game multiplayer emblem, and a CD with ten tracks from the official Uncharted 3 music score.

Drake's Journal, a 128-page book, which takes a look at the making of Uncharted 3 from the viewpoint of Nolan North, went on sale in November, shortly after the game was released.

The book features over 500 photos from Sony Pictures Sound Stage (where the motion capture for Uncharted 3 was performed) along with plenty of stories of North, which documents the development of the game.

Combining open auditions from Europe through Facebook, Sony chose 10 finalists to compete in the finals in Los Angeles on March 28, where the winner got to meet the Naughty Dog Inc., including Nolan North who plays Nathan Drake.

Uncharted 3: Fortune Hunter was a Total Game Integration event that allowed players to unlock exclusive content in Drake's Deception directly from PlayStation Home.

[70]Naughty Dog released the fourth patch, titled version 1.04 on July 8, which fixed issues related to Facebook, the XP, and cash during the playback of cinema files.

[163] The US edition of the PlayStation Official Magazine wrote: "Viewed strictly as a videogame, Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception represents the height of technical achievement—the state-of-the-art, if you will—for the interactive console experience".

[172]Ars Technica reviewer Ben Kuchera praised the writing and voice acting, saying: "Overall, this is an amazing achievement in design, and it rests comfortably at the top of the heap when it comes to action games.

[174] Dan Silver of Daily Mirror concluded the review: "Overall, Drake's Deception is one of the most spectacular entertainment experiences ever produced, but one you'll enjoy holding a joypad rather than a bucket of popcorn.

[175] The Sydney Morning Herald reviewer said: "It's another thrilling ride with gorgeous presentation, absolutely exhilarating set pieces, well-integrated puzzles and robust combat that is equally satisfying whether you are wielding a gun or bare-knuckle brawling".

[162] Edge gave it 9 out of 10 and concluded with that "just like Machu Picchu, the Pyramids and every other engineering marvel of antiquity, Uncharted 3 will stand as a reminder to future generations of gamers that enough problem-solving imagination can turn any old trowel into a magic wand".

Sony confirmed it shipped 3.8 million copies globally on launch day, making it "one of the best-selling titles of 2011, putting the third installment on a clear course to be the biggest selling game in the trilogy".

[189][190][191] Uncharted 3 also is the fourth fastest selling PlayStation 3 exclusive ever, behind Gran Turismo 5, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots and God of War III.