The Settlement is the nineteenth chapter of Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception.
Plot[]
After wandering the Rub' al Khali desert for days, Nathan Drake eventually sees a settlement. When he makes his way toward it, he discovers that it is nothing but a ghost town. Still hopeful, Nate searches for anything.
He eventually finds a well, and although there is a small puddle of water, it's undrinkable. Nate presses on, and makes his way through the settlement. He finds a door, but its stuck. With all his might, he breaks the door down, only to discover a regiment of Marlowe's men. After taking cover, a massive gun fight begins, but Nate mows down all of Marlowe's men unscathed before moving on, despite suffering from dehydration and extreme temperatures,
He continues on through the settlement, killing many more of Marlowe's men along the way, but is, at one point, caught off-guard and attacked by an agent. He manages to kill his attacker, but he is ambushed by a large brigand of snipers. He manages to take cover, but there are too many agents for him to take out without coming into a line of fire. Nate realizes that he can't win, and for a moment, he is sure that he is going to die.
However, a group of Bedouins arrive on horseback, led by Salim, who prepares to kill Nate upon assuming that he is with Marlowe. However, Nate pleads for Salim to spare him, and he complies. Nate works with the Bedouins to eliminate the rest of Marlowe's crew, and after one of the Bedouins is killed by a sniper, they escape the Settlement.
Later that night at Salim's camp, Salim questions Nate about why he and Marlowe's men are in the desert. Nate explains to him that Marlowe is after Iram of the Pillars, and Victor Sullivan is the only one who knows where it is. Once Marlowe arrives at Iram, Nate is certain she'll have Sullivan killed.
Salim explains to Nate that King Solomon captured the spirits of the Djin, imprisoned them in a vessel of brass, and cast it into the depths of the city. According to Salim, Iram then became cursed by the vengeful spirits of the Djinn, and unleashing those spirits will mean death for everyone. Nate and Salim decide to work together to go after Marlowe's convoy and rescue Sullivan in the canyons, thus ending the chapter.
Walkthrough[]
I. Run towards the gate at the front of the abandoned settlement, using a slight detour to grab Treasure #83 when you draw close. This entrance is blocked, so follow the wall to the right to find an improvised ladder. Climb up, then vault over the gap in the wall. When Nate lands, collect Treasure #84.
II. Leave the building, then climb into the well and use the ledges to safely descend to the bottom. Squeeze through the tight gap in the rocks to trigger a cutscene. When this ends, climb the ledges to return to the surface. Collect Treasure #85, then follow the path forward until you reach a closed wooden door. Press triangle to break it down - and steel yourself for the ensuing battle.
Major Battle: Village Streets[]
III:
- As was the case in Abducted, Nate begins this battle without a weapon, so there's an immediate need to procure one. A shotgunner will run to engage you; dispatch him with a melee attack from cover. Alternatively, wait behind the low wall for a few seconds until a M9-brandishing enemy runs to a pillar to your left, then snap into cover beside him and take him down with a contextual one-hit kill.
- Fighting from your starting position is a reasonable tactic, and certainly makes it easier to perform grenade throwbacks, but some enemies are insistent on running to the pillar to your left. If you're happy to fight from here, you can generally kill them with blindfire when they emerge from cover. Regard grenades tossed to Nate's position not as a threat, but as a bonus: attempt to identify a target and align your intended return throw before they even land.
- Killing the rooftop marksman at any early point in this opening attack wave makes it much easier to deal with the other assailants. He wears armor, so you'll need to hit him with a few headshots to neutralize him; a precision grenade throwback will weaken him sufficiently for a quick kill.
IV:
- Collect ammunition for the M9 (including the gun dropped by the rooftop marksman), then pick up a suitable pistol. The next wave appears in the lower area directly behind the open well, at the bottom of the steps. Move to the left-hand side of the ruins above the steps and inch out from behind cover to launch a surprise attack. You should be able to kill all currently active hostiles from this position of safety.
V:
- Proceed down the steps and turn to your right to kill the soldiers hiding behind the ruined walls, and an additional four who burst through the gate. If Nate is in any danger, remember that you can easily retreat via the steps to give him time to recuperate, and to potentially lure individual enemies away from their allies for easy kills.
VI. As you run through the gate, Nate falls into a pit. Kill the assailant above your position and collect Treasure #86 just below him. You can then shoot the pillar, with the consequent collapse of the platform it supports revealing a way to climb out. Dispatch the enemy appearing as you climb the wall. You will encounter another one further ahead as you reach the top of the stairs - he drops a T-Bolt Sniper rifle. This powerful weapon may certainly be tempting, but consider carefully before casting your M9 aside. You should have plenty of ammunition for the latter now, so trading it for a sniper rifle with a relatively small capacity may be unwise - especially if an unforeseen death means that you can never retrieve the carbine. Collect Treasure #87 and the nearby Mag 5 before approaching the broken wall section.
VII. As you climb onto the rooftops, numerous hostiles will arrive to engage Nate. While the low wall directly ahead offers cover from those firing from distance, you will find that some enemies will attempt to flank you to the right. Even worse, with your concentration fractured by following such movements, a Riot Shield bearer, shotgunners, and an armored behemoth will rush your position, with an RPG-7 wielder soon entering the fray. A perfectly acceptable strategy is to stay resolutely in cover until enemies draw near after the opening moments, relying on explosives and blindfire to kill adversaries, without actually exposing Nate to attack from multiple positions. If you desire, you can wait for a SAS - 12 toting opponent to arrive at Nate's position before peppering them with blindfire, then appropriate their firearm for this precise purpose.
VIII. An alternative strategy for the rooftop battle - and one that is much safer on higher difficulty settings - is to take a few potshots at your opponents as they arrive, then drop back into the ruined building. Collect the T-Bolt Sniper, then take up position at the top of the staircase. You can then wait for the shield bearer and the shotgunners, killing them as they appear above your vantage point. The staircase offers an easy avenue of retreat should you be confronted by multiple opponents at once. When hostiles stop arriving at your position, return to the rooftops to dispatch the remaining members of the attack force.
IX. With the rooftop battle over, grab an M9 and as much ammunition as you can find (you can bring neither the RPG-7 nor the Riot Shield into the next area), then collect Treasure #88. Squeeze through the gap on the other side of the crumbling arch, then hop over the ledge; turn right to collect Treasure #89 before continuing along the road and triggering a major battle.
Major Battle: Courtyard[]
X.
- Following the rocket attack that kickstarts the battle and precludes any possibility of retreat, Nate automatically snaps into cover in the required position. The key feature of this encounter is a truck with a powerful turret positioned on the roof of a building in the center of the area. This will mow Nate down in seconds should you leave him in the open. The pillars that support the surface that the vehicle rests on, however, can be destroyed with gunfire or explosions. In addition to maintaining control over other foes, damaging these supports is your principle objective for the early stages of the battle.
XI.
- Immediately move to the required position and take cover behind the low wooden fence (or the small shard that remains should it be destroyed). This position enables you to kill foot soldiers while protected from the relentless turret barrage. Though this location offers protection from the enemies who attack from the covered area directly ahead, you are vulnerable to periodic attacks from the right - indeed, there is generally a soldier stationed there when you arrive. Be watchful of this blind spot, and get ready to deal with threats as they arise.
- Once you have reduced the number of guns directed at Nate, you can concentrate on destroying the support pillars beneath the armored vehicle. If you are short on ammunition, make short dashes between cover positions to collect it from weapons dropped by vanquished foes. You can even find a PAK-80 in the small tunnel beneath the turret truck.
XII:
- Once the turret has been silenced, an RPG-7 wielding individual will appear above the gate, accompanied by a final wave including armored opponents who arrive below his position and filter into the area. Kill the rocket launcher enemy as fast as possible, so that you can train your sights on his allies before they fan out. Ammunition conservation is not an issue here, so don't feel obliged to be frugal. Another strategy is to grab the RPG-7 lying in the middle of the courtyard and use it to destroy the wooden gate. This will kill the rocket launcher adversary on top of the hill, and possible some of the enemies standing beside the gate.
XIII. Pick up Treasure #90, then collect an RPG-7 (if you have not already) and use it to destroy the gate. At the top of the slope, climb the ladder. Approach the wall directly ahead to trigger a short cutscene. The following battle pits Nate against numerous opponents (including snipers) firing from the building opposite. Help is imminent, though, so don't bother fighting back.
XIV. Once Nate mounts the horse, there is a brief "on rails" sequence where you can shoot opponents as you ride by. When Nate's companion is killed, gallop through the streets - hold L to move forward, and sideways to steer - and then follow Nate's allies until you espy an RPG-7 brandishing agent on a walkway above. Nate will automatically reach up to grab the rocket launcher as you pass beneath. Fire this at the gate directly ahead to open an escape route, then ride through to safety - and the end of the chapter.