Uncharted 3 — weapons and what actually changes a fight

Uncharted 3 — weapons and what actually changes a fight Campaign, not multiplayer damage tables. The important thing with Uncharted's weapons isn't finding one gun and deciding everything else is useless. It's looking at the fight you're actually in. A shotgun can be excellent until the last enemy is halfway across the courtyard. A sniper rifle can solve that problem and become a problem of its own when somebody is already running straight at you. You normally have a sidearm, a long gun and grenades. Use the two gun slots to cover different situations. The heavy weapons can change how you move, and a good weapon with no ammunition is still a weapon with no ammunition. Sidearms - .45 Defender: the straightforward early pistol. Useful for deliberate shots without burning rifle ammunition. It isn't the answer to a whole group of armored enemies rushing you. - Para 9: another conventional semi-automatic pistol, with more sustained shooting than the powerful low-capacity handguns. Useful as a backup when the long gun empties. Don't confuse its steady supply with magnum-level stopping power. - Raffica Pistol: fires bursts. Useful when you can keep the burst on a target, but you spend multiple rounds each time you pull the trigger. Avoid treating it like a single-shot precision pistol. - Arm Micro: rapid automatic fire in the sidearm slot. Useful for close pressure and hip fire while your long gun covers range. Holding the trigger empties ammunition quickly, so stop firing when the target is down. - Wes–44: powerful revolver, with a brief campaign appearance in the Château. Good damage from a small handgun; limited ammunition means it isn't something to waste on scenery. - Mag 5: another heavy-hitting pistol. Useful for removing exposed enemies with few shots. Its small reserve punishes misses, and an armored target is not automatically a one-shot kill. - Tau Sniper: a scoped handgun. It gives you a precision option without occupying the rifle slot. The advantage is that pairing flexibility; the limitation is that it still has a small ammunition supply. - Silenced Pistol: a limited-use stealth weapon, notably during the airfield approach. Take quiet, deliberate shots while enemies are unaware. A suppressor doesn't erase a body somebody else sees or turn an already-alert arena back into stealth. - Pistole: a compact shotgun in the sidearm slot. Useful when somebody closes the gap, especially alongside a ranged long gun. Two shots before reloading means you need somewhere to hide if the first target doesn't go down. Long guns - AK–47: common automatic rifle. Use controlled bursts rather than pretending a full magazine sprayed across the map is precision fire. Naughty Dog specifically changed its range behavior in this game; the M9 and G-MAL suit longer shots better. - KAL–7: an automatic rifle prominent in the pirate sections. Useful for sustained close fighting, but don't let the amount of fire fool you into ignoring spread at distance. Pair it with a more deliberate sidearm if the encounter offers one. - M9: the more flexible automatic-rifle choice for medium and longer sightlines. You still need to control your fire and watch flankers. It doesn't remove the need for a close-range backup. - G-MAL: burst rifle with a zoom option. Good for picking targets across an arena without using a full sniper rifle. The burst has to connect; pulling the trigger faster doesn't fix poor aim. - Dragon Sniper: scoped rifle for distant exposed targets. Clear opposing snipers or enemies overlooking the arena. The narrow view makes it easy to overlook somebody approaching from the side, so come out of the scope between shots. - T-Bolt Sniper: powerful bolt-action rifle. It is useful when a clean shot matters more than a stream of bullets. The slower follow-up and limited ammunition make missed shots costly. Don't import its multiplayer magazine rules into campaign advice; the campaign version can hold multiple rounds. - Sawed Off Shotgun: close-range long gun. Strong when you can meet enemies around cover rather than chase them across open ground. Distance is its main limitation. - SAS–12: faster follow-up shotgun fire. Useful against a close rush, but it can empty quickly if you keep firing after an enemy falls. Keep another weapon ready for range. - PAK–80: heavy machine gun, found in Chapters 14, 19 and 20. It can tear through a fight, but Nathan moves more slowly carrying it and must drop it for climbing that needs his hands. Clear the nearby threats before treating it as a permanent loadout. - M32–Hammer: repeating grenade launcher. Useful against groups and enemies using cover. The grenade arc and limited ammunition matter; check the line above low cover rather than hitting the wall directly in front of you. - RPG–7: rocket launcher. Use it for the encounter's major threat, or a group that justifies the shot. Limited ammunition and the danger of firing into nearby cover make it a poor substitute for an ordinary rifle. Grenades, shields and the things lying around Mk–NDI grenades are useful for dislodging somebody you can't get a clean shot at. Throw them behind cover, not just toward the visible edge. U3 also lets you throw an enemy grenade back: use the on-screen timing window rather than hammering the button from the moment it lands. Propane tanks can become improvised explosives. Place or throw one toward enemies, then shoot it. It's an option for a group, not something to stand beside while you exchange fire. Riot shields protect the front, not every direction. Use a sidearm behind one and stay conscious of flanks and explosives. Against a shield carrier, forcing him out of position is better than spending every round on the shield. Mounted guns provide sustained fire but tie you to one position. Keep checking the edges of the encounter. If a grenade or a flanker makes the position unsafe, leaving the gun is better than dying on it. Skills, melee and editions There is no campaign skill tree. You aren't spending points to unlock Nathan's next combat ability. What improves the run is learning the tools already there: cover transitions, short bursts, stealth takedowns, timed counters, escaping grabs and using the environment during a brawl. Don't try to punch a normal enemy just because you can if the rest of the room still has a clear shot at you. Deal with the angle first. Against brutes, watch the attack animation and counter instead of rushing your own attacks; higher difficulties remove helpful prompts. PS3 multiplayer had its own boosters, weapon modifications, rank progression and medal kickbacks. Those are separate systems, not campaign upgrades. The FAL–SS belongs to that multiplayer arsenal; it is not a missing campaign pickup. Official PS3 online service closed in 2019, and the Nathan Drake Collection does not contain that multiplayer suite. A historical loadout guide isn't a promise that the old matchmaking is available now.