Uncharted 3 beta unveiled; release date confirmed

Uncharted has grown into one of Sony's most popular franchises on their Playstation 3 console, so it should come as no surprise that the third title in the series is receiving an online beta. Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception, as the new release is titled, is set to release on November 1st, and November 4th, 2011 (in North America and Europe, respectively; Japanese and Australian dates have not yet been confirmed). However, players can get to experience the next title in the flagship franchise a little early, should they complete either of the following criteria:

Subscribe to 'Playstation Plus'.
Purchase inFamous 2, new, and redeem the code included.

The beta will become available to those who have fulfilled either of the two criteria will be able to enjoy the beta from June 28th, 2011. Haven't fulfilled / won't fulfill either? The beta releases publicly on July 5th, meaning that everyone will eventually have a chance to try out the beta, though the earlier players will likely have more experience with the game and how it handles. Naughty Dog were also kind enough to provide two minutes of footage, available below.

In addition to the video footage above, Naughty Dog has also released several promotional images for the game. Thanks to this article at Kotaku, more information has been revealed, including the presence of a 'Perk' system, which appears similar to the established system employed in the Call of Duty franchise. Unsurprisingly, the system does not use the same name, opting to refer to these abilities as 'Boosters'. There are two Booster slots, and the available choices for each of these slots are as follows:

Booster Slot 1

Come Here - See the opponent that killed you up to 15 meters until they die.
Let Me See - Every two deaths allow you to see all opponents for 8 seconds.
Regeneration - Recover from wounds 70% faster.
Beast Mode - Move faster with heavy objects by 10%.
Scoped In - Reduce pain wobble while scoped in.
Fleet Foot - Move faster while aiming.
Retaliation - Spawn with limited ammo when killed with a Power Weapon.
Cloaked - Opponents will not see your player arrow and you are difficult to hear.
Weapon Expert - Add on additional MOD slot to all pistols. (Required Rank: 5)
Explosive Expert - Carry an extra grenade.
Endurance - Decrease sprint recovery time by 20%. (Required Rank: 7)
Booty Buddy - Share what is found in chests.
Stealth Buddy - Fill your Medal Kickback when your buddy gets a stealth kill.
Sugar Buddy - Receive cash when your buddy does.
Thanks Buddy - Shared medals.

Booster Slot 2

Back in the Saddle - Respawn time reduced by two seconds.
Monkey Man - Climb faster.
Lucky Me - Increase the [chance] of getting goods from chest by 10%.
Bargain - Decrease Medal Kickback cost by one.
Deposit - Earn more money for objective medals.
Treasure Hunter - Increase the chance of getting treasures from chest by 10% and see cursed treasures.
Ammo Award - Receive ammo for getting kills in a row.
Daredevil - Taunt over an opponents body to receive ammo. (Required Rank: 5)
Team Safe - Explosives do not knock you down and teammates only receive 1/2 damage from your grenades.
Overstock - Medal Kickback limit increased by 3.
Power Hunter - See the location of Power Weapons within ten meters. (Required Rank: 7)
Kickback Endurance - Increase Medal Kickback times by 10%.
Revenge - Drop live grenade upon death.
Explosive, Buddy - Get a grenade for each of your buddies' explosive kills.
Kill, Buddy - Receive ammo for each kill your buddy gains.
For My Buddy - See the location of the opponent that killed your buddy until they die.

Kickbacks

Militia Man - No reloading for thirty seconds. Costs 5 medals.
Disruption - Nearby enemies cannot see player arrows for 45 seconds. Costs 6 medals.
Smoke Bomb - Vanish in a puff of smoke. Costs 7 medals.
Cursed Idol - Trow an idol that releases a cloud of gas that curses anyone who enters it. Costs 7 medals.
Cash 'em In - Double your cash earnings for thirty seconds. Costs 7 medals.
Carpet Bomb - Throw three grenades at once. Costs 7 medals.

Through playing well with your buddy (a new feature for the franchise, intended to provide incentives for co-operative play), players can cash in Medals for what are known as 'Kickbacks', and are detailed above. These 'Kickbacks' appear to be similar in their usage to the 'Killstreak Rewards' of the Call of Duty franchise, albeit with more emphasis on the player themselves.