The Middle Way is the ninth chapter in Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception.
Plot[]
Nate, Sully, Cutter, and Chloe make their way to find the other half of the amulet.
Walkthrough[]
I. Go down the secret passage. Once you have squeezed through the narrow tunnel, an unusual fist-fight begins. You can launch a few counterattacks, but your main priority is to evade blows with triangle and escape grabs with O.
II. After the cutscenes end, drop down into the hole, enter the next chamber and collect Treasure #40. Run up the staircase to the left of the empty channel. On the balcony, use your torch to light the braziers behind each statue with triangle, then enter the corridor situated between the final two. At the end of this passageway, Nate and Cutter will arrive in a large chamber. When the prompt appears, hold L2 to aim the torch at the brazier on the next platform along, then release it to make the throw. Should you miss, you can collect another torch from the fire beside you.
III. Jump to the platform when the fire disperses the insects, then turn to your left to espy another brazier on a platform above your position. Throw the torch over to light this, then follow the route - swinging via the two chains to reach the stairway to the side, then running over to the beam - to reach the next oasis of safety. On arrival, throw another torch at the next brazier, and you can then make the easy swing over to that position. One final brazier awaits in the area below. Once the insects have dispersed, leap down to safety.
IV. Approach either side of the lock, and Cutter will automatically run to the other part of the mechanism; once they are in position, press triangle to open the sluice gate. Swim over to where Sully and Chloe are waiting. Open the second sluice gate to allow water to flow along a channel into the center of the room. Collect Treasure #41, then approach the globe and press triangle to reach out and halt its movement. You can now rotate the globe horizontally and vertically with L and R respectively. The braziers you lit behind the statue earlier shine three irregular shapes on the globe's surface, each marked with a small sun symbol. It's fair to speculate, then, that they might correspond with particular nations.
Globe Puzzle Solution[]
The first step is to align the globe in order to easily recognize individual nations. Turn it until you can see Europe and the Middle East; now rotate the globe so that the underlying and projected symbols and borders match. The outlines are, should you be curious, France in Europe, the approximate location of Syria, and a new locale: the Arabian Peninsula.
V. With the globe correctly aligned, return to the upper balcony and climb the spiral staircase. Collect Treasure #42 when you reach the crypt above then, after the cutscene ends, examine the wall to the left of the blocked passageway where Nate's companions stand. As you emerge into the dawn light, assailants will fire from the roofs and the walkway opposite you. Rush to the tower, constantly rolling to evade sniper beams, and run up the staircase to trigger a major battle. On harder difficulties this scene is particularly difficult, and you may need to depend on luck in order to survive the enemy's gunfire and get inside the tower.
Major Battle: Syria Escape[]
VI:
- When the cutscene ends, dispatch the first henchman with a quick melee takedown and use the appropriated G-MAL to snipe his allies in the area below. You need to clear the area to protect Sully and Cutter as they walk towards the exit.
- Sprint over to the cover position, then concentrate on eliminating the two opponents behind the railings. You should then turn your attention to the adversaries carrying Riot Shields as they approach over the drawbridge. Should other opponents kindly oblige you with the opportunity, grenade throwbacks can help here. You can also run back up the steps to gain a height advantage over the opponents with Riot Shields and score lethal headshots using the G-MAL.
- Approaching the drawbridge triggers the arrival of another wave, including an armored shotgunner. Withdraw to cover and pick these opponents off from range. Pick up a Riot Shield in order to protect yourself when moving back to cover, blind fire while backpedaling and throw some grenades if you can. Collect ammunition (or replacement weapons if you wish), then press triangle to open the gate once the room is clear. Take cover at the barrier ahead. Two adversaries carrying Riot Shields and an armored shotgunner will head down the stairs to engage you, in addition to generic enemies firing from cover. Use grenades (or timely grenade throwbacks) to deal with the former opponents before you press forward to mop up.
VII:
- Deal with the marksmen on the next tower along. As you move through the entrance to reach the stairwell, be ready to fire on the three opponents who attack. One is carrying a shotgun, so be vigilant.
- Walking through the gate at the bottom of the stairwell triggers the arrival of a final group of opponents. This is the last engagement, so conserve neither grenades nor ammunition. When you reach the gate, wait for Chloe to arrive, then press triangle to bring the chapter to a close.