Uncharted 3 Beaten in 3 Hours 8 Minutes

These days, blockbuster titles are expected to have a significant price-to-enjoyment time ratio. From start to finish, games can last anywhere in the range of 1 to 300 hours, depending on what kind of content is available. So what does it say when Uncharted 3, one of the biggest upcoming titles of the fall, can be completed in just over three hours?

It doesn’t mean anything, really. This run-through, completed by an unnamed tester at Naughty Dog, was for the sole purpose of polishing the heck out of the game. Other developers do the exact same thing before they ship a game for release, just to make sure everything works as it should. A tester at Bethesda even completed Skyrim in just over two hours.

The testers at Naughty Dog have a slew of items on their checklist to watch out for as they play at warp speed. While the game is on very easy, they’re looking for shortcuts or glitches in maps and puzzles. They play in all the different languages, making sure sequences happen on cue. The trophies have to unlock according to plan, and the credits at the end must definitely roll.

This has no true correlation to average completion time for the campaign though. Uncharted 2 was beaten in five hours under similar conditions, while my last play-through took about eight. It all depends on how much time you spend just looking at the graphics in awe, or getting Chloe to go up yet another ladder first, or looking for that next piece of treasure.

Uncharted 3 releases on November 1st, and the bar for speed runs has already been set. Three hours eight minutes is the time to beat, but I’d recommend playing through at your own pace first, as the game looks like it will be absolutely stunning.