Sony's 2011 is already shaping up to be an absolute stunner. Inside this issue of Game Console you're holding you'll find the latest on Killzone 3 (now with Move control) as well as a review of LittleBigPlanet 2. But don't flick to them just yet, because the jewel in PS3's crown is splashed out right in front of you. Say hello to Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception.

The story of Drake's third outing revolves around our protagonist stumbling across a centuries-old conspiracy that puts him back on the trail of his infamous ancestor- explorer, Sir Francis Drake. Things aren't always what they seem though, and soon enough Drake finds the scent of what will turn out to be an even greater discovery.

Old pal Victor Sullivan is back again as Drake sets off across Europe and into the Middle East, tracing the footsteps of Lawrence of Arabia. The pair stumbles upon a fresh trail of clues which they hope will lead to a fabled lost city buried for hundreds of years in the heart of Arabia's Rub' al-Khali desert, or "the Atlantis of the Sands” as  Lawrence christened it.

It might sound a little bit Prince of Persia on paper but the third outing – apart from looking utterly incredible – aims to plunder the backstory of Nathan Drake. Developer Naughty Dog says we'll learn more about the events that brought him and Sullivan together. We're also promised bigger set pieces, better storytelling and even better cinematic presentation. The multiplayer side of things will also blend elements of the single-player campaign into multiplayer arena.

Drake now has a roster of new moves to bring down the bad guys with, including hand-to-hand combat with multiple opponents, contextual melee attacks and new stealth options.

It almost sounds too good to be true, but if you've ever played (or just seen) previous games in the Uncharted series, you'll know better than to dismiss Naughty Dog's rhetoric as just PR fluff. And if that wasn't enough, Drake's Deception will also be playable in Stereoscopic 3D. Roll on November.