Uncharted 4 is a near perfect end to the series. The three games before it all led to this, and its a very satisfying conclusion. The story is great and it is very fun to play, there's not really much more you could ask from a game.
Firstly I really love the story in this. There are a lot of parallels between Nate, his brother Sam and the antagonist Rafe as well as the story of Libertalia - a long lost pirate utopia - and how obsession and greed can cause you to lose sight of what's really important. Uncharted has never been known for great villains, but I think Rafe is undeniably the most compelling one, even if in the end he's a bit underused. Nadine is also quite the badass, and I look forward to seeing more of her again when I replay Lost Legacy. Sully makes yet another return, and while I wish he was in the games more than he is, he's still one of the most lovable old bastards in gaming. The addition of Sam is great, it does lead to a few inconsistencies from previous games but him and Nate play off of each other very well. But what really sells this game for me is the relationship between Nate and Elena. Its been a budding on again off again thing across the series, but now they're married and attempting to lead a simple life. The interactions between them are fantastic, and the exploration of who they are, through their highs and lows is what makes this game so good for me as well as such a fitting conclusion especially with its wholesome ending. This is all brought together because of the really incredible performances by the entire cast across the board. The attention to detail and facial expressions add so much. The graphics are beautiful and help bring each character to life, while still sticking to the charm of the older games. Naughty dog is always great at writing banter and I think the dialogue in this is their best work yet, even moreso than The Last of Us, but some times when characters don't say a thing at all is when they say the most, which again is just another testament to the quality and care put in by everyone involved. Impressive all around, zero complaints in this department.
The gameplay is a big improvement too. I never had any problems with the shooting in this series but most can agree its a step up from the original trilogy. The melee combat in this compared to what they tried to introduce in 3 is like comparing getting fucked in the ass to getting fucked in the ass with lube. Its a night and day difference, and even if its not always viable it just feels so much better. They also do what every good sequel should do, and add in a grappling hook which adds both to standard traversal and combat. There's also a lot less linearity in this game that the others. There's a lot to explore, and quite a few open ended levels that are a good change of pace. There's also the return of the outright fantastic set-pieces the series is known for, and In my opinion the entirety of Chapter 12 is the absolute best part of the series. It showcases all of Uncharted's strengths and is a joy to play the whole way through, even ending with a fantastic story beat contrasting all the fun you just had. Anyone wants to know what this series is all about, show them that sequence.
Alas, as every game goes, it is not perfect. There are a few things that drag this game down. The climbing is fun for the most part, but there are a few chapters, namely the one taking place in Scotland that just go on way too fucking long. There's always great banter between characters, and the long segments are usually rewarded with a fun action set piece, but there is at least 3 or 4 sections in this game where you do nothing but climbing or puzzling for entirely too long, and instead of helping the pacing like it should it destroys it. I don't know why these sections are so long, it's one of the only things that stops this game from being perfect in my eyes. Adding onto this is just the sheer abundance of collectibles. If you like getting trophies like I do, I implore you to not bother looking at the trophy list until you've finished your first playthrough. This game has a legitimately absurd amount of collectibles that if you go out of your way for will make the slow moments of this feel like an eternity.
Despite a few complaints, I hope this review gives a good idea bout the overall quality of everything about this. No game is without its flaws, but Uncharted 4 more than makes up for that.
Playthrough Time - 12 hours 4 minutes
Nancymeter - 95/100
Game Completion #101 of 2022
August completion #21
Firstly I really love the story in this. There are a lot of parallels between Nate, his brother Sam and the antagonist Rafe as well as the story of Libertalia - a long lost pirate utopia - and how obsession and greed can cause you to lose sight of what's really important. Uncharted has never been known for great villains, but I think Rafe is undeniably the most compelling one, even if in the end he's a bit underused. Nadine is also quite the badass, and I look forward to seeing more of her again when I replay Lost Legacy. Sully makes yet another return, and while I wish he was in the games more than he is, he's still one of the most lovable old bastards in gaming. The addition of Sam is great, it does lead to a few inconsistencies from previous games but him and Nate play off of each other very well. But what really sells this game for me is the relationship between Nate and Elena. Its been a budding on again off again thing across the series, but now they're married and attempting to lead a simple life. The interactions between them are fantastic, and the exploration of who they are, through their highs and lows is what makes this game so good for me as well as such a fitting conclusion especially with its wholesome ending. This is all brought together because of the really incredible performances by the entire cast across the board. The attention to detail and facial expressions add so much. The graphics are beautiful and help bring each character to life, while still sticking to the charm of the older games. Naughty dog is always great at writing banter and I think the dialogue in this is their best work yet, even moreso than The Last of Us, but some times when characters don't say a thing at all is when they say the most, which again is just another testament to the quality and care put in by everyone involved. Impressive all around, zero complaints in this department.
The gameplay is a big improvement too. I never had any problems with the shooting in this series but most can agree its a step up from the original trilogy. The melee combat in this compared to what they tried to introduce in 3 is like comparing getting fucked in the ass to getting fucked in the ass with lube. Its a night and day difference, and even if its not always viable it just feels so much better. They also do what every good sequel should do, and add in a grappling hook which adds both to standard traversal and combat. There's also a lot less linearity in this game that the others. There's a lot to explore, and quite a few open ended levels that are a good change of pace. There's also the return of the outright fantastic set-pieces the series is known for, and In my opinion the entirety of Chapter 12 is the absolute best part of the series. It showcases all of Uncharted's strengths and is a joy to play the whole way through, even ending with a fantastic story beat contrasting all the fun you just had. Anyone wants to know what this series is all about, show them that sequence.
Alas, as every game goes, it is not perfect. There are a few things that drag this game down. The climbing is fun for the most part, but there are a few chapters, namely the one taking place in Scotland that just go on way too fucking long. There's always great banter between characters, and the long segments are usually rewarded with a fun action set piece, but there is at least 3 or 4 sections in this game where you do nothing but climbing or puzzling for entirely too long, and instead of helping the pacing like it should it destroys it. I don't know why these sections are so long, it's one of the only things that stops this game from being perfect in my eyes. Adding onto this is just the sheer abundance of collectibles. If you like getting trophies like I do, I implore you to not bother looking at the trophy list until you've finished your first playthrough. This game has a legitimately absurd amount of collectibles that if you go out of your way for will make the slow moments of this feel like an eternity.
Despite a few complaints, I hope this review gives a good idea bout the overall quality of everything about this. No game is without its flaws, but Uncharted 4 more than makes up for that.
Playthrough Time - 12 hours 4 minutes
Nancymeter - 95/100
Game Completion #101 of 2022
August completion #21
i dont have Ppllayiostation 4.
One of the most sincere and heartfelt endings to a game character out there, best game that's numbered 4 for sure
Uncharted 1-3 are straight ass, but what's this? Well designed combat encounters that take advantage of Drake's innate agility and athleticism? Intriguing historical mystique that mirrors hero's personal journey? Naughty Dog holding back with destruction pageantry and urgent action sequences so a few times they do happen they can actually leave an impact? It's still simplistic to the core, but this has to be the first time Sony's 7th-8th gen prestige formula actually worked on me. All it took is some focus and restraint, qualities that these games nearly always lack.
A near perfect conclusion to the series. It did start to drag just a little bit near the end, but my investment with the story and the characters was enough to overcome that. I absolutely loved seeing the characters in a slightly more mature story, with how they handled Drake's struggle to adapt to a 'normal' life and how that struggle affected his relationship with Elen. I also love that it did this without invalidating the happy endings from the previous games. I think why lot's of people were upset about Last of Us 2 is that the first game's ending was essentially undone/perverted by it, which isn't true here. I also absolutely loved how they evolved the gameplay with slightly more 'open' level design and actually interesting stealth mechanics, since the stealth sequences were what I despised the most from the previous game; now I can actually see how Uncharted progressed into The Last of Us style gameplay. Still need to play Lost Legacy before moving on to that series.
Prior to this, I wasn't huge on Uncharted overall. I like Nathan Drake but Uncharted 1 is a pretty meh affair and Uncharted 2 rubbed me the wrong way entirely, despite the incredible cachet it carries. I'm also not a fan of ND's foray into The Last of Us, so I went into Uncharted 4 with some skepticism. I'm pleasantly surprised to say that not only did I like it, I downright loved it. As long as you're willing to deal with cover shooting as a central mechanic, I think you'll find A Thief's End to be a fantastically fun cinematic action adventure with the strongest narrative in the series and probably the best visuals ever put to a screen.
Story
The previous games were such deeply impersonal stories of supernatural treasure hunting that, by comparison, A Thief’s End
is a vastly different beast. The emphasis on narrative here is so much more pronounced than any of the trilogy. Perhaps, at times, too much so. This is Naughty Dog hot off the heels of The Last of Us, which quickly became not just a contender for Game of the Year, but all-timer material in the eyes of many. The shift in writing style is pretty noticeable, and I would say that it does clash with the nature of the series, mostly at the beginning. In Chapter 3, Nate, now in his… midlife crisis, let’s say, turns down an offer for a job at first. He cites a lack of permits as reason to steer clear, saying not getting the money “beats going to prison”. Yes, this is after the events of Chapter 2’s flashback to prison, but this is Nathan Drake. He slaughtered thousands on a blood-soaked rampage across Asia in the main trilogy, so forgive me if I’m not 100% sold on this new lifestyle of his. Once this little arc finishes and Sam shows up, the narrative begins to pick up steam. The brothers play off each other beautifully, and a little playful banter feels a whole lot more natural than when Nate talks to himself with nobody around. The story itself is hardly anything to write home about, but each beat is competently carried out, all the peaks and valleys included. Rafe is perhaps slightly underwhelming as a villain, but the final fight is good nonetheless. Nadine is definitely underdeveloped, but I'll assume that Lost Legacy fixes that somewhat. Nate and Elena's relationship is really well done, both on the "cutesy married couple having dinner after work" front and on the "past they tried to leave behind" front.
(Minor story spoilers)
I like how the history of the pirates founding Libertalia mirrors Nate and Sam's relationship - they imagine a pirate utopia, founded on common respect when helping each other under the pretense of Sam's precarious situation, only to realize the pirates duped the colonists and massacred them after Sam reveals his lie and Nate is left for dead. It's a simple trick, but very effectively done.
Gameplay
I'll get the combat out of the way first - I'm not really a huge fan of cover shooting in general and both U1 and U2's were excessively passable with their slow bullet speed and shaky aim. 4 improves it in some ways - more contextual cover, better movement, relatively fun stealth and some weapon variety - but ultimately it still doesn't impress. In particular I'm not fond of the large reticle for aiming, having your shots group within a certain range is kinda just frustrating. Guns with actual sights make the combat a joke, which shows how it was balanced around not having them. The use of ropes to swing around during combat is cool but underused and not game-changing. Fortunately, for all the complaining I just did, this game boasts way fewer combat encounters than the previous games and they genuinely don't overstay their welcome. Also, there's no yeti-type bosses, so that's a plus in my book.
Shooting aside, the rest of the gameplay is excellent. The climbing feels the best it's ever felt, with far finer control over Nate. Better yet, he doesn't fling himself into bottomless pits all the time! All exploration feels fluid and natural, despite the fantastical physics. I did a bit of a "oooohhh" when doing the climbing after Nate's boat crash, which doesn't allow you to jump from hold to hold, instead requiring you to guide the injured Nate more slowly and deliberately with just the analog stick. Getting a long climbing and exploring sequence is what I looked forward to the most, which I feel is high praise considering how much I groaned when I had to climb things as Kratos in 2018's God of War. Vehicles feel great too, and the rope is a great addition to the overall moveset. Plus, using the winch to hook up and maneuver the car is wonderful. All the little physics toys they came up with are just delightful. Same with all the contextual dialogue you get for doing them or working up to doing them. The constant flow of banter is the strongest it's ever been and it lends so much life to all the characters.
One of the things I hated about the aforementioned God of War was its liberal use of the most mind-numbing "puzzles" one can imagine, a veritable conveyor belt of throw axe -> freeze thing -> pull lever -> lift thing -> recall axe, repeated as needed for periods of narration. Uncharted 4's actual puzzles are not only much better in terms of variety and difficulty, they almost never repeat. As a result, the game never deviates from the core idea of a cinematic narrative, never dives into ideas that stick out as overtly "game-y". There are no character levels, no quest markers, no perks, and no map. The game fully commits to the idea of a fully cinematic adventure and wants the player to completely forget the standards of the open world game. In a way, I found this stark, dedicated linearity quite refreshing after God of War, Xenoblade 3, Gotham Knights, Cyberpunk, etc etc. We spend so much time on backloggd praising the benefits of intricate gameplay and deep mechanics all coming together in thoughtful ways that it feels a little like blasphemy to say, but I really enjoyed this 20 hour movie.
Looks
I actually played the Legacy of Thieves Remaster for PS5 for this, but I'm logging here because of the disparity in play count (sue me). In this regard, I admit that my experience doesn't match the original release of the game. But boy howdy is this game gorgeous. Naughty Dog are pioneers of graphical fidelity, and their work on facial animation in particular is shocking. This game is just downright staggering in the visuals department. The lighting, the detail on the texture work, as well as some technical thing I'm not sure I can put my finger on - ambient occlusion? TAA? I don't know, but whatever it is, it lends a certain visual sharpness I've never seen before. Couple that with the incredible performance on PS5, with near instant loads and a frame rate that seems untenable on console hardware for the quality of picture, and you've got a strong contender for the best looking game of all time. The Madagascar section might be one of the most visually stunning things I've ever seen in a video game. Same for several parts of the island, as well as the boat segment and mansion party. All of this to say that I took an absurd number of screenshots.
Final Thoughts
I'll just end by saying a couple of my favorite setpieces include the whole of Scotland, Twelve Towers, New Devon -> No Escape, Join Me in Paradise, and At Sea -> Marooned. The absolute best ones however are Nathan's dinner with Elena, the clock tower, and the auction, with the Madagascar car chase after Sam being probably the most fluidly designed action sequence I've ever played in a video game.
So yeah, high praise for Uncharted 4. My preconceptions of it being entirely overwrought and dull were completely off the mark, and what I was happy to discover in its stead is a stellar action adventure experience with some real heartfelt moments, especially as a closing chapter to one of gaming's iconic franchises. Highly recommended.
Story
The previous games were such deeply impersonal stories of supernatural treasure hunting that, by comparison, A Thief’s End
is a vastly different beast. The emphasis on narrative here is so much more pronounced than any of the trilogy. Perhaps, at times, too much so. This is Naughty Dog hot off the heels of The Last of Us, which quickly became not just a contender for Game of the Year, but all-timer material in the eyes of many. The shift in writing style is pretty noticeable, and I would say that it does clash with the nature of the series, mostly at the beginning. In Chapter 3, Nate, now in his… midlife crisis, let’s say, turns down an offer for a job at first. He cites a lack of permits as reason to steer clear, saying not getting the money “beats going to prison”. Yes, this is after the events of Chapter 2’s flashback to prison, but this is Nathan Drake. He slaughtered thousands on a blood-soaked rampage across Asia in the main trilogy, so forgive me if I’m not 100% sold on this new lifestyle of his. Once this little arc finishes and Sam shows up, the narrative begins to pick up steam. The brothers play off each other beautifully, and a little playful banter feels a whole lot more natural than when Nate talks to himself with nobody around. The story itself is hardly anything to write home about, but each beat is competently carried out, all the peaks and valleys included. Rafe is perhaps slightly underwhelming as a villain, but the final fight is good nonetheless. Nadine is definitely underdeveloped, but I'll assume that Lost Legacy fixes that somewhat. Nate and Elena's relationship is really well done, both on the "cutesy married couple having dinner after work" front and on the "past they tried to leave behind" front.
(Minor story spoilers)
I like how the history of the pirates founding Libertalia mirrors Nate and Sam's relationship - they imagine a pirate utopia, founded on common respect when helping each other under the pretense of Sam's precarious situation, only to realize the pirates duped the colonists and massacred them after Sam reveals his lie and Nate is left for dead. It's a simple trick, but very effectively done.
Gameplay
I'll get the combat out of the way first - I'm not really a huge fan of cover shooting in general and both U1 and U2's were excessively passable with their slow bullet speed and shaky aim. 4 improves it in some ways - more contextual cover, better movement, relatively fun stealth and some weapon variety - but ultimately it still doesn't impress. In particular I'm not fond of the large reticle for aiming, having your shots group within a certain range is kinda just frustrating. Guns with actual sights make the combat a joke, which shows how it was balanced around not having them. The use of ropes to swing around during combat is cool but underused and not game-changing. Fortunately, for all the complaining I just did, this game boasts way fewer combat encounters than the previous games and they genuinely don't overstay their welcome. Also, there's no yeti-type bosses, so that's a plus in my book.
Shooting aside, the rest of the gameplay is excellent. The climbing feels the best it's ever felt, with far finer control over Nate. Better yet, he doesn't fling himself into bottomless pits all the time! All exploration feels fluid and natural, despite the fantastical physics. I did a bit of a "oooohhh" when doing the climbing after Nate's boat crash, which doesn't allow you to jump from hold to hold, instead requiring you to guide the injured Nate more slowly and deliberately with just the analog stick. Getting a long climbing and exploring sequence is what I looked forward to the most, which I feel is high praise considering how much I groaned when I had to climb things as Kratos in 2018's God of War. Vehicles feel great too, and the rope is a great addition to the overall moveset. Plus, using the winch to hook up and maneuver the car is wonderful. All the little physics toys they came up with are just delightful. Same with all the contextual dialogue you get for doing them or working up to doing them. The constant flow of banter is the strongest it's ever been and it lends so much life to all the characters.
One of the things I hated about the aforementioned God of War was its liberal use of the most mind-numbing "puzzles" one can imagine, a veritable conveyor belt of throw axe -> freeze thing -> pull lever -> lift thing -> recall axe, repeated as needed for periods of narration. Uncharted 4's actual puzzles are not only much better in terms of variety and difficulty, they almost never repeat. As a result, the game never deviates from the core idea of a cinematic narrative, never dives into ideas that stick out as overtly "game-y". There are no character levels, no quest markers, no perks, and no map. The game fully commits to the idea of a fully cinematic adventure and wants the player to completely forget the standards of the open world game. In a way, I found this stark, dedicated linearity quite refreshing after God of War, Xenoblade 3, Gotham Knights, Cyberpunk, etc etc. We spend so much time on backloggd praising the benefits of intricate gameplay and deep mechanics all coming together in thoughtful ways that it feels a little like blasphemy to say, but I really enjoyed this 20 hour movie.
Looks
I actually played the Legacy of Thieves Remaster for PS5 for this, but I'm logging here because of the disparity in play count (sue me). In this regard, I admit that my experience doesn't match the original release of the game. But boy howdy is this game gorgeous. Naughty Dog are pioneers of graphical fidelity, and their work on facial animation in particular is shocking. This game is just downright staggering in the visuals department. The lighting, the detail on the texture work, as well as some technical thing I'm not sure I can put my finger on - ambient occlusion? TAA? I don't know, but whatever it is, it lends a certain visual sharpness I've never seen before. Couple that with the incredible performance on PS5, with near instant loads and a frame rate that seems untenable on console hardware for the quality of picture, and you've got a strong contender for the best looking game of all time. The Madagascar section might be one of the most visually stunning things I've ever seen in a video game. Same for several parts of the island, as well as the boat segment and mansion party. All of this to say that I took an absurd number of screenshots.
Final Thoughts
I'll just end by saying a couple of my favorite setpieces include the whole of Scotland, Twelve Towers, New Devon -> No Escape, Join Me in Paradise, and At Sea -> Marooned. The absolute best ones however are Nathan's dinner with Elena, the clock tower, and the auction, with the Madagascar car chase after Sam being probably the most fluidly designed action sequence I've ever played in a video game.
So yeah, high praise for Uncharted 4. My preconceptions of it being entirely overwrought and dull were completely off the mark, and what I was happy to discover in its stead is a stellar action adventure experience with some real heartfelt moments, especially as a closing chapter to one of gaming's iconic franchises. Highly recommended.
This review contains spoilers
i still can’t get over the fact that they decided to give nathan a brother that is never once in the past three games, even the bits of nathan as a kid, is the brother mentioned.
“oh yeah i had this brother who was literally my only family in the world and we hunted for treasure together before he died an incredibly violent death. and sully knows him too”
“oh yeah i had this brother who was literally my only family in the world and we hunted for treasure together before he died an incredibly violent death. and sully knows him too”
A brilliant story with fantastic graphics and acting.
Unfortunately, the gameplay comes last. Uncharted 2 was incredible, but I feel like there was an aspect of novelty to it. Now that we've been around the block (or world) a few times with Drake, each shooting or climbing section feels overly familiar, almost like you've already played that exact part before.
Also, this game initially feels like you're wearing someone else's way-too-strong glasses. Everything looks incredible when you're not moving at all. Then you turn your head and the whole world becomes a blurry mess. Do yourself a favor and IMMEDIATELY turn the Motion Blur all the way off. I have no idea why anyone thought that was a good thing to implement.
This is difficult for me to recommend. On the one hand, this is the finale to a beloved series. For the story's sake, you should play this after Uncharted 1-3. But (at least for me) doing so will emphasize just how stale the gameplay has become, and a grappling hook isn't enough of an addition to make up for all the miserable climbing. If you're looking to play a single Uncharted game just to try the series, play Uncharted 2. But if you've got a PS5, you may as well just get this one from the PS+ Collection.
Unfortunately, the gameplay comes last. Uncharted 2 was incredible, but I feel like there was an aspect of novelty to it. Now that we've been around the block (or world) a few times with Drake, each shooting or climbing section feels overly familiar, almost like you've already played that exact part before.
Also, this game initially feels like you're wearing someone else's way-too-strong glasses. Everything looks incredible when you're not moving at all. Then you turn your head and the whole world becomes a blurry mess. Do yourself a favor and IMMEDIATELY turn the Motion Blur all the way off. I have no idea why anyone thought that was a good thing to implement.
This is difficult for me to recommend. On the one hand, this is the finale to a beloved series. For the story's sake, you should play this after Uncharted 1-3. But (at least for me) doing so will emphasize just how stale the gameplay has become, and a grappling hook isn't enough of an addition to make up for all the miserable climbing. If you're looking to play a single Uncharted game just to try the series, play Uncharted 2. But if you've got a PS5, you may as well just get this one from the PS+ Collection.
some of modern pop culture's worst sociopaths go "man, these pirate dudes sure were messed up" for 16 hours straight
Naughty dog’s best game by a long shot.
⌚ Time to finish - 17h (35% complete - focused mainly on story, and did a bunch of fun trophies. skipped all the grindy ones.) The game always moved at an excellent pace as the franchise is known for.
🤬Difficulty - easy. As expected from drake series. Combat was fun and varied. Really enjoyed all the different combat set pieces.
🔊 Soundtrack - Awesome.
🌄Graphics – Drop dead gorgeous. I probably spent many minutes just looking at the scenery and taking it in. Its a shame if people skip all this and follow the plot. There is so much beauty here. Hats off to their creativity and design.
🌦 Atmosphere – Amazing. A+. Masterpiece.
📚 Main Story / Characters – I always found the drake story lines hard to follow. I chalk it up to how action movie stories don't make any sense and don't link well together. This is on par with that. Instead of going to A -> B they follow bunch of artificial leads as they do in 3 and just travel around everywhere. As in uncharted 3 characters are added and removed as the gameplay demands but its not so bad here. 3 it was pretty inorganic here its mostly organic. However the story is fun and i liked Sam and Sully along with the new bad guy Rafe. Nadine was one dimensional. Overall the story was fine but not uncharted 2 level.
🤺 Combat – They have refined this again and again. Stealth attacks are pretty viable and I enjoyed that alot. No issues enjoyed everything about it. Some combat set pieces were amazing here. Some of the best in the series. Reminded me of uncharted 2 level creativity here. One of the combat set pieces moves from foot, car, air, car, etc seamlessly. it was amazing!
🧭 Side Activities / Exploration –Skipped all the collectibles (boring) so I did not plat it. But I did a bunch of fun side trophies. Would definitely recommend.
🚗 Movement/Physics – Perfect. Sure its linear but what do you expect? Get stuck in a drake game and miss out on the fast pace action. No thanks. There were one or 2 places I did get stuck and not know how to progress. It took some time to find it. I do not ever remember this in other games.
📣 Voice acting – Brilliant.
🥇 Best thing about the game - Story, music, action and how it all comes together. Another masterpiece and its pure fun. Naughty Dog is so good at this. I am so impressed how every game in this series is so damn good. It marries movie making, video game making, story telling, sound design into a package time after time that no one else has been able to replicate.
💡Final Thoughts:
Must play! Absolutely no boring parts, which i thought 3 hard. I think its on par with uncharted 2, if not a littttle worse. But better than 1 and 3. Spoiler alert: Lost Legacy is the best Uncharted game, and I will cover that in my next review. GO PLAY IT NOW!
🤬Difficulty - easy. As expected from drake series. Combat was fun and varied. Really enjoyed all the different combat set pieces.
🔊 Soundtrack - Awesome.
🌄Graphics – Drop dead gorgeous. I probably spent many minutes just looking at the scenery and taking it in. Its a shame if people skip all this and follow the plot. There is so much beauty here. Hats off to their creativity and design.
🌦 Atmosphere – Amazing. A+. Masterpiece.
📚 Main Story / Characters – I always found the drake story lines hard to follow. I chalk it up to how action movie stories don't make any sense and don't link well together. This is on par with that. Instead of going to A -> B they follow bunch of artificial leads as they do in 3 and just travel around everywhere. As in uncharted 3 characters are added and removed as the gameplay demands but its not so bad here. 3 it was pretty inorganic here its mostly organic. However the story is fun and i liked Sam and Sully along with the new bad guy Rafe. Nadine was one dimensional. Overall the story was fine but not uncharted 2 level.
🤺 Combat – They have refined this again and again. Stealth attacks are pretty viable and I enjoyed that alot. No issues enjoyed everything about it. Some combat set pieces were amazing here. Some of the best in the series. Reminded me of uncharted 2 level creativity here. One of the combat set pieces moves from foot, car, air, car, etc seamlessly. it was amazing!
🧭 Side Activities / Exploration –Skipped all the collectibles (boring) so I did not plat it. But I did a bunch of fun side trophies. Would definitely recommend.
🚗 Movement/Physics – Perfect. Sure its linear but what do you expect? Get stuck in a drake game and miss out on the fast pace action. No thanks. There were one or 2 places I did get stuck and not know how to progress. It took some time to find it. I do not ever remember this in other games.
📣 Voice acting – Brilliant.
🥇 Best thing about the game - Story, music, action and how it all comes together. Another masterpiece and its pure fun. Naughty Dog is so good at this. I am so impressed how every game in this series is so damn good. It marries movie making, video game making, story telling, sound design into a package time after time that no one else has been able to replicate.
💡Final Thoughts:
Must play! Absolutely no boring parts, which i thought 3 hard. I think its on par with uncharted 2, if not a littttle worse. But better than 1 and 3. Spoiler alert: Lost Legacy is the best Uncharted game, and I will cover that in my next review. GO PLAY IT NOW!
Huge improvement over the previous Uncharted games in gameplay, visuals, and storytelling. Great game and solid ending to the Uncharted series.
Disclaimer: These are my brief thoughts based on my memory of playing this 7 years ago:
Disclaimer: These are my brief thoughts based on my memory of playing this 7 years ago:
The best Uncharted game hands down. Not only is it a great sendoff to these characters we've followed, it repackages everything good from the first three and refined it. It's easy to tell there's a sense of restraint with everything this does as an Uncharted game. Part of this comes with it being by Naughty Dog who just made The Last of Us, and their experience bled into the Uncharted formula. From the get-go it's clear that the approach taken here is much more grounded into personal stakes rather than the casual, fantastical approach the first three Uncharted games had. This would seem like odd synergy for Uncharted because let's be real here these games thrive only on cool action set pieces for a reason. But I was surprised how taking the narrative more seriously, scaling down the scope just enough, was the limitations Uncharted needed to push itself into genuine greatness.
The gameplay is, dare I say, "good". Not quite the massive overhaul since everything mechanically plays the same as before, though TLOU definitely bled into the gorgeous open environments rich in detail, but it's a huge modern step up from the dated PS3-era shallowness of the first three. I don't know why it took the fourth entry for a developer to introduce a grappling hook as the most obvious gameplay mechanic for an archeological explorer but it's better late than never I suppose. The action set pieces are the best this series has to offer. They're not all quite as ridiculously bombastic in scope and scale as something like Uncharted 2 or 3 but they feel better implemented whenever they do happen. I think the more grounded approach helped make these action sequences stand out more effectively than how Uncharted previously handles it which is pretty loose and fire.
The story is also the best in the series because it felt like they actually tried. Uncharted 1's story was foundational for sure but very generic as far as pulpy action adventures go. Uncharted 2's story is a very fun blockbuster except for whenever they try to make it dramatic and it falls flat. Uncharted 3's story makes the biggest attempt than the last two but is messy and woefully unsatisfying. Yeah I'm not kidding when I say these games really only thrive on their bombastic spectacles to make up for their shortcomings. Uncharted 4 makes a lot of questionable narrative choices beyond it's general approach to the characters, like retconing Nathan Drake has this brother the whole time apparently, or that Nathan Drake is once again going on one last adventure. But what sold me on the adventure this time around was how Uncharted 4 was willing to address all the plot threads that Uncharted 3 brought up only to just awkwardly handwave them away. The inclusion of Sam Drake actually felt incredibly justified in giving the needed introspection to explore who Nathan Drake is and what do these people mean to him. They even managed to make the lost city and treasure being tracked down again have thematic ties to the characters' journey for once which makes it memorable beyond being another Indiana Jones styled wild goose hunt MacGuffin to chase.
Naughty Dog even managed to finally give this series a good fucking villain! Yeah he's not exactly Bob Page as far as megalomaniac corporate rich villains tend to go, but since he's just Kieran Culkin's character from Succession, works as a thematic foil to Nathan Drake, and is one of the two characters who calls him out for being a culturally dated basic ass white male Joss Whedon quipping machine I just grew to love this guy.
There's some aspects holding it back for me. The bulk of it boils down to basically being a fantastic conclusion to a series of games I already just don't really care too much for or find "great" so this doesn't have too much emotional affect on me. Also the slower "movie"-like pace and usual over reliance on Naughty Dog's now trademarked walk-and-talk sequences every game developer copies now makes certain chapters drag out longer than needed. It's not a total deal breaker because this is the conclusion to a quadrilogy that needs to do all the work for it to feel like a satisfying send off to these characters but I'd rather it be trimmed down a bit regardless.
The gameplay is, dare I say, "good". Not quite the massive overhaul since everything mechanically plays the same as before, though TLOU definitely bled into the gorgeous open environments rich in detail, but it's a huge modern step up from the dated PS3-era shallowness of the first three. I don't know why it took the fourth entry for a developer to introduce a grappling hook as the most obvious gameplay mechanic for an archeological explorer but it's better late than never I suppose. The action set pieces are the best this series has to offer. They're not all quite as ridiculously bombastic in scope and scale as something like Uncharted 2 or 3 but they feel better implemented whenever they do happen. I think the more grounded approach helped make these action sequences stand out more effectively than how Uncharted previously handles it which is pretty loose and fire.
The story is also the best in the series because it felt like they actually tried. Uncharted 1's story was foundational for sure but very generic as far as pulpy action adventures go. Uncharted 2's story is a very fun blockbuster except for whenever they try to make it dramatic and it falls flat. Uncharted 3's story makes the biggest attempt than the last two but is messy and woefully unsatisfying. Yeah I'm not kidding when I say these games really only thrive on their bombastic spectacles to make up for their shortcomings. Uncharted 4 makes a lot of questionable narrative choices beyond it's general approach to the characters, like retconing Nathan Drake has this brother the whole time apparently, or that Nathan Drake is once again going on one last adventure. But what sold me on the adventure this time around was how Uncharted 4 was willing to address all the plot threads that Uncharted 3 brought up only to just awkwardly handwave them away. The inclusion of Sam Drake actually felt incredibly justified in giving the needed introspection to explore who Nathan Drake is and what do these people mean to him. They even managed to make the lost city and treasure being tracked down again have thematic ties to the characters' journey for once which makes it memorable beyond being another Indiana Jones styled wild goose hunt MacGuffin to chase.
Naughty Dog even managed to finally give this series a good fucking villain! Yeah he's not exactly Bob Page as far as megalomaniac corporate rich villains tend to go, but since he's just Kieran Culkin's character from Succession, works as a thematic foil to Nathan Drake, and is one of the two characters who calls him out for being a culturally dated basic ass white male Joss Whedon quipping machine I just grew to love this guy.
There's some aspects holding it back for me. The bulk of it boils down to basically being a fantastic conclusion to a series of games I already just don't really care too much for or find "great" so this doesn't have too much emotional affect on me. Also the slower "movie"-like pace and usual over reliance on Naughty Dog's now trademarked walk-and-talk sequences every game developer copies now makes certain chapters drag out longer than needed. It's not a total deal breaker because this is the conclusion to a quadrilogy that needs to do all the work for it to feel like a satisfying send off to these characters but I'd rather it be trimmed down a bit regardless.
the whole franchise is just amazing and uncharted 4 is one of the best ps exclusives too
Naughty Dog, probably more than any other game developer of the last generation, is most responsible for an unfortunate trend in games discourse that confuses polish for inspiration. Obviously, A Thief’s End looks excellent, with gameplay and cutscenes that seem closer to the level of photorealism than any other game I’ve played. And yes, the story (notwithstanding the pacing issues - the game definitely could’ve stood to trim some fat from the middle act in particular) and characters are well-written and superbly voice acted. And, unlike the earlier Uncharted games, this packs a genuine emotional wallop, particularly in the superb epilogue.
What about the things that make this a game, though? I would argue that Naughty Dog clearly failed to put the same degree of thought and care into the gameplay. It still runs into so many of issues that plagued the first three games. The shooting is pedestrian, with little to differentiate it from an untold number of mediocre third person shooters that have been relegated to the dustbin of history. Same goes for the stealth, which is much more of an emphasis here than in previous games. It’s just same thing you’ve done in a thousand other games: sneaking around in tall grass, choking enemies out from behind, etc. As for the climbing and navigation, it’s very similar to previous Uncharted titles - Nathan Drake does cool-looking shit as the player idly sits by, tapping the same button over and over again.
This’ll sound harsh, so I want return to the fact that I enjoyed my time with this game - the story and characters had their hooks in me from the beginning until the bittersweet end. But, a few days after I finished this, I distinctly remember asking myself to name just one single gameplay innovation in Uncharted 4, and I simply couldn’t do it (some people have mentioned the increased openness of the level design, and while that’s definitely an improvement on the previous games, it just doesn’t qualify as an innovation for me when other games have included open level design for years before this). That lack of innovation is simply unacceptable for a company with the resources and prestige of Naughty Dog (if they are going to be this lazy with their gameplay but so thoughtful about writing and presentation, they should really just become a movie studio). I liked Uncharted 4 - and other Naughty Dog titles likes The Last of Us - but I don’t much care for what their massive success and influence has meant for the discourse around AAA games of the past decade.
What about the things that make this a game, though? I would argue that Naughty Dog clearly failed to put the same degree of thought and care into the gameplay. It still runs into so many of issues that plagued the first three games. The shooting is pedestrian, with little to differentiate it from an untold number of mediocre third person shooters that have been relegated to the dustbin of history. Same goes for the stealth, which is much more of an emphasis here than in previous games. It’s just same thing you’ve done in a thousand other games: sneaking around in tall grass, choking enemies out from behind, etc. As for the climbing and navigation, it’s very similar to previous Uncharted titles - Nathan Drake does cool-looking shit as the player idly sits by, tapping the same button over and over again.
This’ll sound harsh, so I want return to the fact that I enjoyed my time with this game - the story and characters had their hooks in me from the beginning until the bittersweet end. But, a few days after I finished this, I distinctly remember asking myself to name just one single gameplay innovation in Uncharted 4, and I simply couldn’t do it (some people have mentioned the increased openness of the level design, and while that’s definitely an improvement on the previous games, it just doesn’t qualify as an innovation for me when other games have included open level design for years before this). That lack of innovation is simply unacceptable for a company with the resources and prestige of Naughty Dog (if they are going to be this lazy with their gameplay but so thoughtful about writing and presentation, they should really just become a movie studio). I liked Uncharted 4 - and other Naughty Dog titles likes The Last of Us - but I don’t much care for what their massive success and influence has meant for the discourse around AAA games of the past decade.
So I’ve been really putting off this review. I was actually tempted to do a review of jak II instead of this but I thought I may as well get this out of the way and talk about the greatness of uncharted 4. So let me ask you something: where do you take a series that has been destined to not be taken seriously? The problem I saw with the uncharted games was that they were just conceived as a way to show off the ps3’s flair and nothing more. Even with the next 2 instalments pushing the series, I never felt as though it was being taken seriously which was a shame. Even the golden abyss felt like they made it for the sake of making it (I’m coining this as the daxter effect). I hadn’t really massively been impacted by these games other then maybe the the second game, but even then it felt as though it was missing something. When I saw the reveal trailer for 4 I didn’t have the greatest of hope. Sure, it looked great and I couldn’t wait to play it, but a part of me was worried it would end up being just like the other uncharted games. But man, was I glad that was my mind going absolutely crazy for no reason.
The story is the best one in the series by far. It turns out that Nathan had a brother: Sam, who he had assumed was dead. When he returns however, it’s not as great as he first thinks. Nate and Sam are forced to find the treasure of the legendary pirate Henry Avery to repay sam’s debt. On the way they are forced to face personal problems alongside one of the best villains in the series. Rafe is probably my favourite villain because of how he is built up as a character. He is shown to be a spoilt yet powerful man who wants everything he desires. He’s a villain who is clearly built up with a good backstory and faults. He’s a contrast to previous villains who didn’t have that strong of a backstory and they were characters I didn’t really care about that much. The characters from previous games also feel at their best here. Sully returns and is as great as ever. Elena feels really important and is a vital piece of the story. And for Nate, it feels like the perfect end to his story.
The gameplay is also the best it has ever been. The gunplay is excellent and is a major improvement from what it was in 3. The puzzles are excellently put together. And the movement, oh my god the movement. To say Nate is getting old, he is probably at his most athletic here. There are new things Nate is able to do, such as using his grappling hook for more traversal and the combat also feels a lot easier and greater. Climbing is also excellent and feels really cool to experiment with. Another part I want to quickly mention is how it’s gone for a more nonlinear style. This isn’t that expanded upon but it feels nice in some areas. There are also quite a few treasures that you can find which adds that replay ability.
To call uncharted 4 an improvement would be an understatement. It’s not only an improvement, it’s a major step up. And the sad thing is that the step up came too late. I’m glad we got a really good game but I feel as tho the systems and ideas it presented could’ve made even better uncharted games. We would get the lost legacy but it felt more like dlc then it did a full game. But if I was to call uncharted 4 anything, I would call it a perfect game for its series.
Best one, perfect story, great gameplay, better gunplay and puzzles, Nate is not a gamer
The story is the best one in the series by far. It turns out that Nathan had a brother: Sam, who he had assumed was dead. When he returns however, it’s not as great as he first thinks. Nate and Sam are forced to find the treasure of the legendary pirate Henry Avery to repay sam’s debt. On the way they are forced to face personal problems alongside one of the best villains in the series. Rafe is probably my favourite villain because of how he is built up as a character. He is shown to be a spoilt yet powerful man who wants everything he desires. He’s a villain who is clearly built up with a good backstory and faults. He’s a contrast to previous villains who didn’t have that strong of a backstory and they were characters I didn’t really care about that much. The characters from previous games also feel at their best here. Sully returns and is as great as ever. Elena feels really important and is a vital piece of the story. And for Nate, it feels like the perfect end to his story.
The gameplay is also the best it has ever been. The gunplay is excellent and is a major improvement from what it was in 3. The puzzles are excellently put together. And the movement, oh my god the movement. To say Nate is getting old, he is probably at his most athletic here. There are new things Nate is able to do, such as using his grappling hook for more traversal and the combat also feels a lot easier and greater. Climbing is also excellent and feels really cool to experiment with. Another part I want to quickly mention is how it’s gone for a more nonlinear style. This isn’t that expanded upon but it feels nice in some areas. There are also quite a few treasures that you can find which adds that replay ability.
To call uncharted 4 an improvement would be an understatement. It’s not only an improvement, it’s a major step up. And the sad thing is that the step up came too late. I’m glad we got a really good game but I feel as tho the systems and ideas it presented could’ve made even better uncharted games. We would get the lost legacy but it felt more like dlc then it did a full game. But if I was to call uncharted 4 anything, I would call it a perfect game for its series.
Best one, perfect story, great gameplay, better gunplay and puzzles, Nate is not a gamer
'My own experience duplicated the fictional one: I'd burned out – or perhaps drowned – any lingering pretentions to savage paradises and island idylls. I was left with the safety net of an English home. Now, like Crusoe, I would go back, and like him, I would wonder how long it might last.'
– Kevin Rushby, Hunting Pirate Heaven, 2001.
Played with BertKnot, through the PC collection.
In the summer of 1698, the House of Commons passed a charter establishing a consortium of merchants as a new East India Company, alongside the old one founded in 1600. The charter stated in particular that 'the Company [shall] to give security to bring to England all their goods, except in certain cases specified in the Act' [1]. One of the consequences of this restriction on the destination of goods was the loss of profitability for slave vessels, since it was the very low price of slaves in Madagascar that made the voyage from the island to North America profitable. The disappearance of this particular trade had a direct impact on the pirates of the Indian Ocean, who were immediately cut off from the British Atlantic. In the two decades following the charter of 1698, many pirates opted to leave for the Caribbean or to return to civilian life thanks to the wealth they had accumulated [2]. The last decades of the Golden Age of piracy were therefore not as dramatic as popular culture usually suggests.
Echoes from the Pirate Coast
Some legends have been fostered by ancient documents: A General History of the Pyrates (1724) by a supposed Captain Charles Johnson has fuelled fiction, including Walter Scott's The Pirate (1821) and Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island (1881). In particular, the mention of Libertalia off the coast of Madagascar, a pirate colony founded by James Misson and a veritable proto-anarchist utopia, has captured the imagination for centuries. In Hunting Pirate Heaven (2001), a romantic and deliberately vainglorious voyage, Kevin Rushby sets off from Deptford Creek for the east coast of Africa in search of these fantasised ruins, accompanied by colourful companions. Rushby's humour and his interactions with the various characters subtly overshadow the narrator's intelligence: the faux-naivety is a facade, for he knows full well that Libertalia does not exist. Rushby stages his disappointment as if to exorcise an orientalistic fascination. Libertalia was surely never more than an invented counterpoint to Thomas Hobbes's Leviathan (1651), which expressed a visceral antipathy to piracy insofar as it only undermined the absolute authority of the legitimate sovereign's continental power [3].
Concluding Nathan Drake's adventures after his return to a quieter life with Elena, Uncharted 4: A Thief's End evokes similar themes. The protagonist is reminiscent of Rushby in many ways: he is an accomplished adventurer with a natural wit, set on the trail of legendary pirates almost against his will, but unknowingly enjoying the rush of adventure. After the supernatural confrontations of previous titles, Uncharted 4 opts for a more human perspective, tying its progression to Nathan's reunion with his brother. The title often manages to strike a good balance regarding the protagonist's inner conflict, but suffers from some rather awkward narrative missteps. While certain sequences are effective because of their contrast, surprising the player when they are caught up in the frenetic action that characterises the series, some ideas remain particularly under-exploited. Elena and Nadine may be presented as strong women, but they are relegated to supporting roles.
Nathan Drake's illusory precautions
Similarly, given the game's primary desire to be a human drama, the portrayals of Sam and Rafe lack texture, with the latter especially bereft of subtlety: by establishing him as a symbol of despicable toxic masculinity, Uncharted 4 artificially absolves the other male characters of their harmful behaviour. The last third of the game is particularly unfortunate, offering an all-too-convenient way out for the various conflicts and frictions between the main characters. And while the title begins with a Nathan who has lost some of his agility and daring in his retirement years – the museum infiltration sequence works well – Uncharted 4 is too quickly overtaken by the ghosts of his heritage, and culminates in some explosive gunplay and swashbuckling, a far cry from the restraint of the hero at the outset.
The game introduces stealth sequences during certain battles, which become almost mandatory on the highest difficulties due to the sheer number of enemies. However, Uncharted 4 offers no tools to facilitate this approach. Nathan automatically hides in the tall grass, and it is impossible to distract enemies or shoot them from a distance with a silencer. The player is forced into a rather uncomfortable waiting position, unable to shoot at highly exposed targets. Similarly, the different zones do not allow for very creative play, as the actual spaces are so narrow. In the later chapters, many of the gunfights take place in corridors, effectively locking the player into a brutal frontal engagement. Worse still, some levels encourage the player to remain static, creating bottlenecks to avoid being caught in a pincer trap: by trying too hard to subvert its basic formula, Uncharted 4 ends up falling back on the same clichés – not necessarily unpleasant, but out of touch.
Forgotten contemplation and dreams of tranquillity
These design choices can be seen as a continuation of those made in The Last of Us (2013), introducing a pseudo-organicity to exploration and progression. The game constantly attempts to offer multiple paths in outdoor areas, but fails to live up to its ambitions. Climbing sequences are as linear as ever, and the player is merely invited to zigzag between rocks and use the grappling hook to follow a well-defined path. Even the driving sections follow this pattern. Although Uncharted 4 features some stunning landscapes, it struggles to really showcase their majesty, with so much focus on finding the path that will get the player closer to their goal. The title always divides its large chapters into several micro-zones that the player can explore – to find a page of a journal or steal an artefact – but they are so enclosed that finding the way out always feels unnatural.
Progress is also constantly interrupted by obstacles that require the player to fiddle with the game's physics, be it by moving crates, using the grappling hook, driving the car or several at the same time. These activities, designed to simulate the realism of exploration, distract from contemplation, given that the title only lasts around fifteen hours. Instead of basking in the scenery and enjoying the poetry of the moment – a single sequence with Elena offers such contemplation – the title is constantly noisy. Uncharted 4 still creates an effective and entertaining chemistry between its characters, but at the cost of a clumsy demystification of its atmosphere. Magadascar, the high point of the journey, is never highlighted. A country with a largely oral tradition, it is presented only from a tourist perspective, with its market, carts and baobabs – ultimately no more than a postcard.
To some extent, Uncharted 4 is the antithesis of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (2002). Both games use the image of piracy to describe freedom, but they relate to the world in entirely different ways. The Wind Waker is an introspection on boundless seas and a pledge for a new society where empathy must prevail over the arrogance and imperialism of previous generations. Link's adventure is a pretext for discovering the world beyond the skies of Outset Island and learning about the societies and customs of Windfall and Dragon Roost Island. Uncharted 4 is a selfish tale, centred on the Drakes, for whom the destruction of the world is of little consequence. The various pirates mentioned serve only as warnings to the two brothers and have little to say about a better world. The utopia of Libertalia is merely an ironic mirage with no real depth or value, unlike in Hunting Pirate Heaven, where it allowed Rushby to discover other cultures and realise his own orientalism. Uncharted 4 fully embraces it. The game is never unpleasant, though, and it is easy to get caught up in the drama of the narrative, the fairly well-paced progression and the sweetness of the ending; yet the overall experience is forgettable, so riddled is it with concessions.
__________
[1] 'The Charter of the 'New' East India Company, 5 September, 1698', in Peter J. Marshall (ed.), Problems of Empire: Britain and India (1757-1813), George Allen and Unwin, London, 1968, p. 194.
[2] More specifically, piracy continued in the Indian Ocean, but against British ships. The British government offered amnesties to curb the phenomenon, but the pirates were particularly suspicious of these proposals and preferred other options. Christopher Condent preferred the French offer to colonise Bourbon Island, while Richard Taylor found refuge in Portobelo after negotiating his amnesty directly with the local Spanish governor. In other words, for them piracy was a transitional venture, designed to accumulate wealth before finding a comfortable place in civil society. On the topic, see Ryan Holroyd, 'Whatever happened to those villains of the Indian seas? The happy retirement of the Madagascar pirates (1698-1721)', in International Journal of Maritime History, vol. 29, no. 4, pp. 752-770.
[3] Dominique Weber, 'Le pirate et le partisan : lecture critique d'une thèse de Carl Schmitt', in Esprit, no. 7, pp. 124-134.
– Kevin Rushby, Hunting Pirate Heaven, 2001.
Played with BertKnot, through the PC collection.
In the summer of 1698, the House of Commons passed a charter establishing a consortium of merchants as a new East India Company, alongside the old one founded in 1600. The charter stated in particular that 'the Company [shall] to give security to bring to England all their goods, except in certain cases specified in the Act' [1]. One of the consequences of this restriction on the destination of goods was the loss of profitability for slave vessels, since it was the very low price of slaves in Madagascar that made the voyage from the island to North America profitable. The disappearance of this particular trade had a direct impact on the pirates of the Indian Ocean, who were immediately cut off from the British Atlantic. In the two decades following the charter of 1698, many pirates opted to leave for the Caribbean or to return to civilian life thanks to the wealth they had accumulated [2]. The last decades of the Golden Age of piracy were therefore not as dramatic as popular culture usually suggests.
Echoes from the Pirate Coast
Some legends have been fostered by ancient documents: A General History of the Pyrates (1724) by a supposed Captain Charles Johnson has fuelled fiction, including Walter Scott's The Pirate (1821) and Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island (1881). In particular, the mention of Libertalia off the coast of Madagascar, a pirate colony founded by James Misson and a veritable proto-anarchist utopia, has captured the imagination for centuries. In Hunting Pirate Heaven (2001), a romantic and deliberately vainglorious voyage, Kevin Rushby sets off from Deptford Creek for the east coast of Africa in search of these fantasised ruins, accompanied by colourful companions. Rushby's humour and his interactions with the various characters subtly overshadow the narrator's intelligence: the faux-naivety is a facade, for he knows full well that Libertalia does not exist. Rushby stages his disappointment as if to exorcise an orientalistic fascination. Libertalia was surely never more than an invented counterpoint to Thomas Hobbes's Leviathan (1651), which expressed a visceral antipathy to piracy insofar as it only undermined the absolute authority of the legitimate sovereign's continental power [3].
Concluding Nathan Drake's adventures after his return to a quieter life with Elena, Uncharted 4: A Thief's End evokes similar themes. The protagonist is reminiscent of Rushby in many ways: he is an accomplished adventurer with a natural wit, set on the trail of legendary pirates almost against his will, but unknowingly enjoying the rush of adventure. After the supernatural confrontations of previous titles, Uncharted 4 opts for a more human perspective, tying its progression to Nathan's reunion with his brother. The title often manages to strike a good balance regarding the protagonist's inner conflict, but suffers from some rather awkward narrative missteps. While certain sequences are effective because of their contrast, surprising the player when they are caught up in the frenetic action that characterises the series, some ideas remain particularly under-exploited. Elena and Nadine may be presented as strong women, but they are relegated to supporting roles.
Nathan Drake's illusory precautions
Similarly, given the game's primary desire to be a human drama, the portrayals of Sam and Rafe lack texture, with the latter especially bereft of subtlety: by establishing him as a symbol of despicable toxic masculinity, Uncharted 4 artificially absolves the other male characters of their harmful behaviour. The last third of the game is particularly unfortunate, offering an all-too-convenient way out for the various conflicts and frictions between the main characters. And while the title begins with a Nathan who has lost some of his agility and daring in his retirement years – the museum infiltration sequence works well – Uncharted 4 is too quickly overtaken by the ghosts of his heritage, and culminates in some explosive gunplay and swashbuckling, a far cry from the restraint of the hero at the outset.
The game introduces stealth sequences during certain battles, which become almost mandatory on the highest difficulties due to the sheer number of enemies. However, Uncharted 4 offers no tools to facilitate this approach. Nathan automatically hides in the tall grass, and it is impossible to distract enemies or shoot them from a distance with a silencer. The player is forced into a rather uncomfortable waiting position, unable to shoot at highly exposed targets. Similarly, the different zones do not allow for very creative play, as the actual spaces are so narrow. In the later chapters, many of the gunfights take place in corridors, effectively locking the player into a brutal frontal engagement. Worse still, some levels encourage the player to remain static, creating bottlenecks to avoid being caught in a pincer trap: by trying too hard to subvert its basic formula, Uncharted 4 ends up falling back on the same clichés – not necessarily unpleasant, but out of touch.
Forgotten contemplation and dreams of tranquillity
These design choices can be seen as a continuation of those made in The Last of Us (2013), introducing a pseudo-organicity to exploration and progression. The game constantly attempts to offer multiple paths in outdoor areas, but fails to live up to its ambitions. Climbing sequences are as linear as ever, and the player is merely invited to zigzag between rocks and use the grappling hook to follow a well-defined path. Even the driving sections follow this pattern. Although Uncharted 4 features some stunning landscapes, it struggles to really showcase their majesty, with so much focus on finding the path that will get the player closer to their goal. The title always divides its large chapters into several micro-zones that the player can explore – to find a page of a journal or steal an artefact – but they are so enclosed that finding the way out always feels unnatural.
Progress is also constantly interrupted by obstacles that require the player to fiddle with the game's physics, be it by moving crates, using the grappling hook, driving the car or several at the same time. These activities, designed to simulate the realism of exploration, distract from contemplation, given that the title only lasts around fifteen hours. Instead of basking in the scenery and enjoying the poetry of the moment – a single sequence with Elena offers such contemplation – the title is constantly noisy. Uncharted 4 still creates an effective and entertaining chemistry between its characters, but at the cost of a clumsy demystification of its atmosphere. Magadascar, the high point of the journey, is never highlighted. A country with a largely oral tradition, it is presented only from a tourist perspective, with its market, carts and baobabs – ultimately no more than a postcard.
To some extent, Uncharted 4 is the antithesis of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (2002). Both games use the image of piracy to describe freedom, but they relate to the world in entirely different ways. The Wind Waker is an introspection on boundless seas and a pledge for a new society where empathy must prevail over the arrogance and imperialism of previous generations. Link's adventure is a pretext for discovering the world beyond the skies of Outset Island and learning about the societies and customs of Windfall and Dragon Roost Island. Uncharted 4 is a selfish tale, centred on the Drakes, for whom the destruction of the world is of little consequence. The various pirates mentioned serve only as warnings to the two brothers and have little to say about a better world. The utopia of Libertalia is merely an ironic mirage with no real depth or value, unlike in Hunting Pirate Heaven, where it allowed Rushby to discover other cultures and realise his own orientalism. Uncharted 4 fully embraces it. The game is never unpleasant, though, and it is easy to get caught up in the drama of the narrative, the fairly well-paced progression and the sweetness of the ending; yet the overall experience is forgettable, so riddled is it with concessions.
__________
[1] 'The Charter of the 'New' East India Company, 5 September, 1698', in Peter J. Marshall (ed.), Problems of Empire: Britain and India (1757-1813), George Allen and Unwin, London, 1968, p. 194.
[2] More specifically, piracy continued in the Indian Ocean, but against British ships. The British government offered amnesties to curb the phenomenon, but the pirates were particularly suspicious of these proposals and preferred other options. Christopher Condent preferred the French offer to colonise Bourbon Island, while Richard Taylor found refuge in Portobelo after negotiating his amnesty directly with the local Spanish governor. In other words, for them piracy was a transitional venture, designed to accumulate wealth before finding a comfortable place in civil society. On the topic, see Ryan Holroyd, 'Whatever happened to those villains of the Indian seas? The happy retirement of the Madagascar pirates (1698-1721)', in International Journal of Maritime History, vol. 29, no. 4, pp. 752-770.
[3] Dominique Weber, 'Le pirate et le partisan : lecture critique d'une thèse de Carl Schmitt', in Esprit, no. 7, pp. 124-134.
A perfect end to Nathan Drake's story. All the good from past games accumulated into one perfect package. Goes a bit overboard on the treasures though
I don't think I've ever seen a series evolve less from entry to entry yet still manage to be put on the kind of pedestal which the UNCHARTED series has landed. Uncharted 4 is barely a game, it's a tech demo for the PS4 by way of a blockbuster film.
Adequate 3rd person cover shooting and puzzles the game solves for you, but now there's a grappling hook that pads out the mostly auto-pilot traversal. Why not a stamina system to add stakes to the constant wall climbing? How about filling the gorgeous-but-mostly-empty environments with more subtle clues that would enable me to deduce the puzzles later on? If you're not being handed notes that say "THE ANSWER IS THIS," a character accompanying you will just say "THE ANSWER IS THIS" out loud as soon as you arrive. The game's so on rails it could be an arcade title if it wasn't also holding up a huge, messy narrative.
Speaking of, the problems with this game's story are a result of a massive tonal pivot from the PS3 era games, along with huge gaps in character development. The biggest gripe I've had with UNCHARTED's lore is that a lot of major character development happens "off-camera." Nate and Elena fall in love, then break up between 1 & 2, then they get married AND separate between 2 & 3. Now we're building an entire story around the emotional core of a relationship we've barely even witnessed. And speaking of non-existent bonds, the retcon that Sam was always in the shadows of Nate's past was very sweaty, and overall I don't know what it adds? Nate's character is pretty well established and defined, so much so that I could see him impulsively going on a risky "final quest" that endangers his marriage WITHOUT lost-brother drama. These characters are likeable, but their stories have never been fleshed out enough to make the emotional payoffs of A THIEF'S END feel convincing.
UNCHARTED 4's attempt to add depth to the gameplay and the lore just never add up to anything compelling. The final boss fight introduces gameplay mechanics you've never engaged with (and never will again), in order to round off the arc of an antagonist who doesn't have the character dimensionality Naughty Dog attempts to render them with. It doesn't click as a satisfying adventure shooter OR a character-driven blockbuster. Like it's lead, it pays the price for trying to live two lives.
Adequate 3rd person cover shooting and puzzles the game solves for you, but now there's a grappling hook that pads out the mostly auto-pilot traversal. Why not a stamina system to add stakes to the constant wall climbing? How about filling the gorgeous-but-mostly-empty environments with more subtle clues that would enable me to deduce the puzzles later on? If you're not being handed notes that say "THE ANSWER IS THIS," a character accompanying you will just say "THE ANSWER IS THIS" out loud as soon as you arrive. The game's so on rails it could be an arcade title if it wasn't also holding up a huge, messy narrative.
Speaking of, the problems with this game's story are a result of a massive tonal pivot from the PS3 era games, along with huge gaps in character development. The biggest gripe I've had with UNCHARTED's lore is that a lot of major character development happens "off-camera." Nate and Elena fall in love, then break up between 1 & 2, then they get married AND separate between 2 & 3. Now we're building an entire story around the emotional core of a relationship we've barely even witnessed. And speaking of non-existent bonds, the retcon that Sam was always in the shadows of Nate's past was very sweaty, and overall I don't know what it adds? Nate's character is pretty well established and defined, so much so that I could see him impulsively going on a risky "final quest" that endangers his marriage WITHOUT lost-brother drama. These characters are likeable, but their stories have never been fleshed out enough to make the emotional payoffs of A THIEF'S END feel convincing.
UNCHARTED 4's attempt to add depth to the gameplay and the lore just never add up to anything compelling. The final boss fight introduces gameplay mechanics you've never engaged with (and never will again), in order to round off the arc of an antagonist who doesn't have the character dimensionality Naughty Dog attempts to render them with. It doesn't click as a satisfying adventure shooter OR a character-driven blockbuster. Like it's lead, it pays the price for trying to live two lives.
The best game in the series - The combat finally feels weighty and impactful, the characters are all interesting and relatable while avoiding being over the top, and the set pieces are fucking unmatched. Not having a supernatural element to the story, unlike all the previous entries, is also a big plus.
Até metade do jogo eu realmente não tava conseguindo ver isso tudo que o pessoal fala. Mas depois eu parei um pouco pra respirar, e cara... que jogo lindo. É bem uma jornada introspectiva dos valores e desejos de cada personagem. Uma visão mais aprofundada do íntimo do Nathan, e não precisou apelar pra drama barato pra dar uma emoção.
thinking about how hard it is sometimes to convince people that certain movies - especially blockbusters - are, in fact, actually high art. like Mad Max: Fury Road, or Titanic. people are so conditioned to view certain genres through particular critical lenses. i run into a lot of people whose "movie of the year" has to be something pristine and traditionally dramatic. there's a similiar phenomenon with pop music. of course, with pop music it's often more a sort of friction that comes from mn who views themselves as macho trying to consider what enjoying music that's typically deemed feminine means. i'll see guys admit they like Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe" but only by first allowing it "guilty pleasure" status.
not that blockbuster movies or pop music don't receive their fair dues. Titanic was the highest grossing movie of all time for a while and won like 11 oscars. Taylor Swift dominates the Grammy awards and is maybe the most popular recording artist in the world right now. but often what's "popular" isn't what's considered cool or critically lauded. it's easy to dismiss what's popular as shallow. and sometimes that's absolutely true, some popular things are shallow (see: the MCU or the music of Ed Sheeran). sometimes what's actually popular tho is genuine spectacle.
i think of the Uncharted games in these terms - as the definitive 'pop games'. they basically exist to ship playstation consoles so just about anyone with a ps3 or ps4 has played an Uncharted game. they also review extremely well. uncharted 2, in particular, won a ton of (relatively meaningless) GOTY awards and is the third highest reviewed ps3 game on Metacritic (for what little that's worth). but at the same time, i always get the feeling these games are considered lame by the cool crowd. or even by their own fans. uncharted 2 is lauded, sure, but i rarely see people exalting the blockbuster virtues of Uncharted 3 even though it's like the exact same game (it just can't compete in the shadow of Uncharted 2's train set piece - a stunt that burrowed into gaming folklore first).
after replaying all three mainline Uncharted sequels this year, I can't help but feel the series 1) remains somewhat underrated and 2) get better as it goes. sure, uncharted 4 hinges somewhat on the foundation (and your familiarity with) the ps3 trilogy, but i don't think you need to have strong emotional ties to Nathan and Elena's relationship to appreciate the best A Thief's End has to offer - which is balls-to-the-walls action and the best blockbuster setpieces this side of Hollywood (or Bollywood). if this were a movie, I'd enjoy it no less than I enjoy Fury Road or the recent Mission: Impossible movies or Casino Royale or the work of Steven Spielberg. which at the end of the day is what Uncharted wants to be. it wants to be interactive Indiana Jones. it wants to be James Bond. it wants to be a Michael Bay walking simulator. and the game absolutely is that.
i read an article on Vice from former games critic Ed Smith, written around the release of Uncharted 4, and using a Nathan Drake thumbnail, about how games can't truly be cinematic. the main thrust of this argument was how crucial editing is to the essence of cinema and how games can't -- or certainly "cinematic" AAA games (like Uncharted) don't -- use editing techniques in gameplay. and i think i agree and calling games like Uncharted 4 cinematic would be a bit silly. but i don't think they have to be cinematic to be blockbusters. and i think the Uncharted series has completely nailed the gaming blockbuster formula. it's a bit of a narrow, somewhat linear formula. it consists primarily of light platforming, some shooting, some waking and talking sections and occasionally a puzzle. but that's honestly all i want out of a game. i love an on the rails action. when it works, the way it works in Uncharted 4, where you're jumping off falling buildings or being dragged behind a jeep through the mud while simultaneously shooting other vehicles, I feel more alive and exhilarated than I do bashing a wave of enemies with a sword or exploring some random empty rooms farming for resources.
...
random notes.
uncharted 4 is one of the most striking games i've ever played. a level of detail fidelity almost unmatched. pouring one out for the devs who crunched themselves into retirement making this (weird thing to say, idk)
i went into this with the original Amy Hennig pan for the game in my head - a game where Nathan's long lost brother would be an antagonist and the game would counter its ludonarrative dissonance criticisms by taking a gun away from Nathan for half the game. as much as i'd love to see Uncharted actually tackle and interrogate what Nathan's violence actually means instead of rewarding you a with a Ludonarrative Dissonance trophy for killing 1,000 enemies, i think this is the first game in the series to really limit your gunplay. there a lot more slower, walking and talking sections here. some uneventful driving sections. maybe 1/3rd of the game you don't actually shoot anyone. it's a step in the right direction. i kind of view those criticisms though as moot when so much of the game's fiction is steeped in hollywood tradition. it feels weird to criticise nathan drake for killing 100 goons when i don't criticise john wick or any harrison ford character for doing the same. and yes it's because nathan is a loveable rogue but, eh, i kind of come out of my replay of this series, with this questions in my mind, thinking it ultimately doesn't matter even if i wish they could do a better job at addressing in general.
i also appreciate Sam Drake's conceptualisation as the assohle loser brother more than the evil vengeful type too. he's a deadbeat loser, he's nathan if he didn't have an Elena.
not that blockbuster movies or pop music don't receive their fair dues. Titanic was the highest grossing movie of all time for a while and won like 11 oscars. Taylor Swift dominates the Grammy awards and is maybe the most popular recording artist in the world right now. but often what's "popular" isn't what's considered cool or critically lauded. it's easy to dismiss what's popular as shallow. and sometimes that's absolutely true, some popular things are shallow (see: the MCU or the music of Ed Sheeran). sometimes what's actually popular tho is genuine spectacle.
i think of the Uncharted games in these terms - as the definitive 'pop games'. they basically exist to ship playstation consoles so just about anyone with a ps3 or ps4 has played an Uncharted game. they also review extremely well. uncharted 2, in particular, won a ton of (relatively meaningless) GOTY awards and is the third highest reviewed ps3 game on Metacritic (for what little that's worth). but at the same time, i always get the feeling these games are considered lame by the cool crowd. or even by their own fans. uncharted 2 is lauded, sure, but i rarely see people exalting the blockbuster virtues of Uncharted 3 even though it's like the exact same game (it just can't compete in the shadow of Uncharted 2's train set piece - a stunt that burrowed into gaming folklore first).
after replaying all three mainline Uncharted sequels this year, I can't help but feel the series 1) remains somewhat underrated and 2) get better as it goes. sure, uncharted 4 hinges somewhat on the foundation (and your familiarity with) the ps3 trilogy, but i don't think you need to have strong emotional ties to Nathan and Elena's relationship to appreciate the best A Thief's End has to offer - which is balls-to-the-walls action and the best blockbuster setpieces this side of Hollywood (or Bollywood). if this were a movie, I'd enjoy it no less than I enjoy Fury Road or the recent Mission: Impossible movies or Casino Royale or the work of Steven Spielberg. which at the end of the day is what Uncharted wants to be. it wants to be interactive Indiana Jones. it wants to be James Bond. it wants to be a Michael Bay walking simulator. and the game absolutely is that.
i read an article on Vice from former games critic Ed Smith, written around the release of Uncharted 4, and using a Nathan Drake thumbnail, about how games can't truly be cinematic. the main thrust of this argument was how crucial editing is to the essence of cinema and how games can't -- or certainly "cinematic" AAA games (like Uncharted) don't -- use editing techniques in gameplay. and i think i agree and calling games like Uncharted 4 cinematic would be a bit silly. but i don't think they have to be cinematic to be blockbusters. and i think the Uncharted series has completely nailed the gaming blockbuster formula. it's a bit of a narrow, somewhat linear formula. it consists primarily of light platforming, some shooting, some waking and talking sections and occasionally a puzzle. but that's honestly all i want out of a game. i love an on the rails action. when it works, the way it works in Uncharted 4, where you're jumping off falling buildings or being dragged behind a jeep through the mud while simultaneously shooting other vehicles, I feel more alive and exhilarated than I do bashing a wave of enemies with a sword or exploring some random empty rooms farming for resources.
...
random notes.
uncharted 4 is one of the most striking games i've ever played. a level of detail fidelity almost unmatched. pouring one out for the devs who crunched themselves into retirement making this (weird thing to say, idk)
i went into this with the original Amy Hennig pan for the game in my head - a game where Nathan's long lost brother would be an antagonist and the game would counter its ludonarrative dissonance criticisms by taking a gun away from Nathan for half the game. as much as i'd love to see Uncharted actually tackle and interrogate what Nathan's violence actually means instead of rewarding you a with a Ludonarrative Dissonance trophy for killing 1,000 enemies, i think this is the first game in the series to really limit your gunplay. there a lot more slower, walking and talking sections here. some uneventful driving sections. maybe 1/3rd of the game you don't actually shoot anyone. it's a step in the right direction. i kind of view those criticisms though as moot when so much of the game's fiction is steeped in hollywood tradition. it feels weird to criticise nathan drake for killing 100 goons when i don't criticise john wick or any harrison ford character for doing the same. and yes it's because nathan is a loveable rogue but, eh, i kind of come out of my replay of this series, with this questions in my mind, thinking it ultimately doesn't matter even if i wish they could do a better job at addressing in general.
i also appreciate Sam Drake's conceptualisation as the assohle loser brother more than the evil vengeful type too. he's a deadbeat loser, he's nathan if he didn't have an Elena.
Come for the breathtaking vistas and immaculately detailed environments, stay for the fascinating probing of the delusions of grandeur from the American middle aged man and the rousing hijinx that ensue. Quite easily the strongest in the franchise, something I wasn't expecting at all, thanks to quality of life improvements with the shooting/combat and extrapolation of core narrative elements. It's such a fluid and coherent experience that I was left agape by how much genuine fun I was having traversing the comprehensively decorated settings and navigating the vast arenas to mark my enemies. While it doesn't pack the punch of Last of Us' narrative, by smoothness of execution this has it beat in spades despite the slight bloat in the latter half. Structurally, this is Naughty Dog's most ambitious work thus far (when this was written in 6/3 at least). Borrowing from Last of Us' novelistic approach, the first half of this weaves in flashbacks and stuffs an immense amount of information within the first several hours that leaves the player's head spinning by how quickly it progresses without skipping a beat. Once it slows down leading into the second half in Libertalia, we are presented with some of the finest character work Naughty Dog has done with the near crumbling and renewal of Nathan and Elena's marriage, acting as the true climax to the story.
This section is nuanced in how it employs a hushed sentimentality in lieu of outright melodrama and it's bold to see the throes of domesticity being engaged with so explicitly. This is a game less so about the ramifications of violence (which is ideally where I'd wanted the series to mature but LOU has us covered there) than it is about a mid-life crisis on candy coated adrenaline. Ditching the supernatural elements of the previous games, this entry follows an innate obsession with capturing glory as a means of validating existence and the subsequent thrills of "adventure" in all its forms that arise from that yearning. Following Last of Us' acclaim, some of this also feels like a meta commentary on "good fortune" and attaining humility in the midst of resplendent yet dilapidated splendor (exploring Libertalia in particular). Its thematic value is based in Nathan's relationships with others and how his actions and lack of honest communication potentially jeopardize these binding ties. The stakes are entirely emotional and surpass any idea of "death" that the franchise can conjure up at this point. Throughout the series Nathan's allies have been concerned for his mental well being and not Nate himself, who continued his adventuring without any thought to the possible harmful outcome.
Here, his brother Sam is an outright enabler of his shitty habits and Sully/Elena are subsequently exhausted by these antics by this point. Everybody here is just tired and the game suggests that the boisterous cartoons of yesterday have run their course and must be buried for good. The subjects are now drawn to the pull of reality and feel the sting of mortality with every push forward. While it's valuable to see Naughty Dog finally take the time to deeply explore any semblance of themes in these games, it doesn't get quite as complicated and messy as I'd hope; specially since it deals with the consequences of emotional duress. The exploration of these ideas is as broad as they come but it's okay. For what it is, a tour-de-force blockbuster epic that adopts that term to its fullest capacity, it intensely satisfied me and assisted in helping me escape from the reality of the turbulent world we live in now. At least for the 15 hours it took to complete its sweeping campaign. Despite my disappointment with the previous entries and my hesitance in approaching this, that's all I could ask for.
This section is nuanced in how it employs a hushed sentimentality in lieu of outright melodrama and it's bold to see the throes of domesticity being engaged with so explicitly. This is a game less so about the ramifications of violence (which is ideally where I'd wanted the series to mature but LOU has us covered there) than it is about a mid-life crisis on candy coated adrenaline. Ditching the supernatural elements of the previous games, this entry follows an innate obsession with capturing glory as a means of validating existence and the subsequent thrills of "adventure" in all its forms that arise from that yearning. Following Last of Us' acclaim, some of this also feels like a meta commentary on "good fortune" and attaining humility in the midst of resplendent yet dilapidated splendor (exploring Libertalia in particular). Its thematic value is based in Nathan's relationships with others and how his actions and lack of honest communication potentially jeopardize these binding ties. The stakes are entirely emotional and surpass any idea of "death" that the franchise can conjure up at this point. Throughout the series Nathan's allies have been concerned for his mental well being and not Nate himself, who continued his adventuring without any thought to the possible harmful outcome.
Here, his brother Sam is an outright enabler of his shitty habits and Sully/Elena are subsequently exhausted by these antics by this point. Everybody here is just tired and the game suggests that the boisterous cartoons of yesterday have run their course and must be buried for good. The subjects are now drawn to the pull of reality and feel the sting of mortality with every push forward. While it's valuable to see Naughty Dog finally take the time to deeply explore any semblance of themes in these games, it doesn't get quite as complicated and messy as I'd hope; specially since it deals with the consequences of emotional duress. The exploration of these ideas is as broad as they come but it's okay. For what it is, a tour-de-force blockbuster epic that adopts that term to its fullest capacity, it intensely satisfied me and assisted in helping me escape from the reality of the turbulent world we live in now. At least for the 15 hours it took to complete its sweeping campaign. Despite my disappointment with the previous entries and my hesitance in approaching this, that's all I could ask for.
One of the best adventures for a video game!
During the 2020 pandemic, I played this game and I'm mad at myself for not play this game sooner. When I was a kid I used fantasize myself on going on an adventure to find treasure and this is a great representation of how I would've wanted it to turn out. The gameplay is full of action and it always has me exited. I love being able to climb around buildings or cliffs only to see gorgeous scenery. Combat overall is generic 3rd person shooter stuff by that didn't stop me from loving the game any less. The puzzles are very fun to solve as well.
The story is awesome! As a new comer to Uncharted, I was pleased to see that this game in friendly to anyone who hasn't played the other games like me. I loved the characters and their adventure to find Avery's treasure.
After playing the hell out of this game I now have plans to play the other Uncharted games. Naughty Dog is an impressive game developing studio for the amount of detail they add in their games.
During the 2020 pandemic, I played this game and I'm mad at myself for not play this game sooner. When I was a kid I used fantasize myself on going on an adventure to find treasure and this is a great representation of how I would've wanted it to turn out. The gameplay is full of action and it always has me exited. I love being able to climb around buildings or cliffs only to see gorgeous scenery. Combat overall is generic 3rd person shooter stuff by that didn't stop me from loving the game any less. The puzzles are very fun to solve as well.
The story is awesome! As a new comer to Uncharted, I was pleased to see that this game in friendly to anyone who hasn't played the other games like me. I loved the characters and their adventure to find Avery's treasure.
After playing the hell out of this game I now have plans to play the other Uncharted games. Naughty Dog is an impressive game developing studio for the amount of detail they add in their games.
Jogo divertido de TPS. O problema dele é exatamente eu não ter muito o que falar. Uma conclusão relativamente emocionante que se hypa por ser tenebrosa e criar tensão, mas a tensão nunca vem e nunca é recompensada. É tão filme da Sessão da Tarde quanto os outros e espero que você não seja enganado pelo marketing tanto quanto eu fui. A gameplay é legal mesmo não me impressionando tanto e o level design é bem maneiro, consegue te incentivar a mudar de cobertura com frequência. Mantenha suas expectativas no lugar certo porque, exceto no aspecto técnico, não espere que esse jogo seja muito diferente de muita coisa que você jogou na era do 360. O maior pecado desse jogo, é ser um jogo que você acaba e pensa "ok, zerei". Mesmo sendo um jogo muito polido, me senti como se eu tivesse zerado mais um lançamento da Ubisoft.
It is said that adding just a hint of salt to chocolate milk will bring out its true flavours without it tasting like salt. That salt is the character development and emotion that Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End brings to the franchise.
I cannot say anything that has not already been said a thousand times. Lately, I have been going through quite a number of Naughty Dog’s work (Last of Us I and II and the entire Uncharted series) and I have been blessed to play some of the finest entries in videogaming. As I mentioned in my review for The Last of Us part II, I don’t like comparing titles to previous installments, making the core argument a case of “better/worse than”. When comparing to items like that, one of them is going to be swept off the table simply for not being the other one. Instead, I would argue that, in this case, the Uncharted quadrilogy, is a series worth playing. All of them. Even though I have diverging opinions on the previous games, I would still recommend playing through all of them, before starting on A Thief’s End. Allow me to elaborate.
I love Nathan Drake. I don’t empathise with him, but I love the way the character is created and delivered. It’s in the way character moments and emotion rise to the surface. Because, let’s face it: the Uncharted series is all about adventure. Unadulterated fun and excitement, with no real threat. It’s like the Indiana Jones movies, or James Bond, or Mission: Impossible. They all have some kind of safety on. Not to say that they’re playing it safe or that the threat never feels real. The excitement is still there. It is just a tad child-friendly. The amount of brutality, reality, and even profanity is brought to a minimum, as to ensure that the enjoyment is the leading force here. And that is where the subtlety of Nathan Drake comes in. Nathan laughs and jokes his way out of everything and embarks on the most dangerous journeys just for the prospect of dough. However, every now and then, there is, a hint towards something dark, something purposefully hidden (interesting link with the whole treasure hunting), something innate (hehe) and destructive. A clue to the biggest question: Why does he truly do this? And that is what Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End is all about. Sticking with Nate, having played three games with him, that is what really makes this fourth part personal and emotional, along with delivering one of the greatest adventures I have ever seen in a videogame.
I cannot say anything that has not already been said a thousand times. Lately, I have been going through quite a number of Naughty Dog’s work (Last of Us I and II and the entire Uncharted series) and I have been blessed to play some of the finest entries in videogaming. As I mentioned in my review for The Last of Us part II, I don’t like comparing titles to previous installments, making the core argument a case of “better/worse than”. When comparing to items like that, one of them is going to be swept off the table simply for not being the other one. Instead, I would argue that, in this case, the Uncharted quadrilogy, is a series worth playing. All of them. Even though I have diverging opinions on the previous games, I would still recommend playing through all of them, before starting on A Thief’s End. Allow me to elaborate.
I love Nathan Drake. I don’t empathise with him, but I love the way the character is created and delivered. It’s in the way character moments and emotion rise to the surface. Because, let’s face it: the Uncharted series is all about adventure. Unadulterated fun and excitement, with no real threat. It’s like the Indiana Jones movies, or James Bond, or Mission: Impossible. They all have some kind of safety on. Not to say that they’re playing it safe or that the threat never feels real. The excitement is still there. It is just a tad child-friendly. The amount of brutality, reality, and even profanity is brought to a minimum, as to ensure that the enjoyment is the leading force here. And that is where the subtlety of Nathan Drake comes in. Nathan laughs and jokes his way out of everything and embarks on the most dangerous journeys just for the prospect of dough. However, every now and then, there is, a hint towards something dark, something purposefully hidden (interesting link with the whole treasure hunting), something innate (hehe) and destructive. A clue to the biggest question: Why does he truly do this? And that is what Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End is all about. Sticking with Nate, having played three games with him, that is what really makes this fourth part personal and emotional, along with delivering one of the greatest adventures I have ever seen in a videogame.
Eu amo essa forma da sony contar histórias, mesmo ela sendo genérica, o jogo é bom pra krl
e o nathan drake é a lara croft dos gays, gostei disso
e o nathan drake é a lara croft dos gays, gostei disso
Nathan Drake I am also bad at Crash Bandicoot it's okay
Between Uncharted 3 and the fourth title, Naughty Dog went ahead and made their masterpiece- post apocalyptic The Last of Us. Returning to Nathan Drake's more lighthearted treasure hunting adventures after the seriousness with which The Last of Us treated its world and characters must've been interesting for Naughty Dog's creatives. After an arduous development (which I read about in Jason Schrier's excellent book Blood, Sweat and Pixels), they somehow emerged with to my mind is their very best title to date. Uncharted 4 takes the right lessons from The Last of Us, weaving in gameplay and story without going grimdark and losing the fun that makes this series so special. It's a near-perfect adventure in every way that elevates the series and wraps Nate's tale beautifully.
The premise sounds pretty terrible on paper, as Uncharted 4 sees the appearance of Nate's long-lost (and never before mentioned) brother Sam who draws him out of retirement into one last thrill ride. It sounds terribly conceited, but the fact we've never met Sam before actually works in the game's favor as we the audience aren't sure how to feel about the guy.
Uncharted 3 began to explore the concept of Nathan's addiction to the thrills of treasure hunting at the risk of himself and his relationships, and this fourth game really drives that key point home with a story focused on Nate as a person. It follows the location-hopping structure that weaves characters in and out of the narrative like the second and third games, but the story feels a little more complex and thought out. Uncharted 4 feels like it is deconstructing tropes of the adventure genre even as it lovingly embraces them.
The gameplay is the same excellent cinematic experience we've come to expect, but with some key changes to combat. While you can go into every encounter guns blazing if you want to, it can be much more satisfying to use the game's great new stealth mechanics to slip in and out of cover and pick enemies off around the environment. These combat areas are like mini-playgrounds with so much freedom in how you tackle them.
Uncharted 4 brings back the platforming, light puzzle-solving, and incredible setpieces, but also has some more open areas to give a convincing illusion of exploration in a still very linear and focused experience. Of course the game is a damn technical marvel on PS4 as well with some of the most incredible visuals video games have ever seen.
I love Uncharted 4 and think it's a perfect final chapter for the series that serves as the best wrap-up any fan could have hoped for. If you haven't played this series, do yourself a favor and start from the beginning and enjoy some of the best the medium has to offer.
The premise sounds pretty terrible on paper, as Uncharted 4 sees the appearance of Nate's long-lost (and never before mentioned) brother Sam who draws him out of retirement into one last thrill ride. It sounds terribly conceited, but the fact we've never met Sam before actually works in the game's favor as we the audience aren't sure how to feel about the guy.
Uncharted 3 began to explore the concept of Nathan's addiction to the thrills of treasure hunting at the risk of himself and his relationships, and this fourth game really drives that key point home with a story focused on Nate as a person. It follows the location-hopping structure that weaves characters in and out of the narrative like the second and third games, but the story feels a little more complex and thought out. Uncharted 4 feels like it is deconstructing tropes of the adventure genre even as it lovingly embraces them.
The gameplay is the same excellent cinematic experience we've come to expect, but with some key changes to combat. While you can go into every encounter guns blazing if you want to, it can be much more satisfying to use the game's great new stealth mechanics to slip in and out of cover and pick enemies off around the environment. These combat areas are like mini-playgrounds with so much freedom in how you tackle them.
Uncharted 4 brings back the platforming, light puzzle-solving, and incredible setpieces, but also has some more open areas to give a convincing illusion of exploration in a still very linear and focused experience. Of course the game is a damn technical marvel on PS4 as well with some of the most incredible visuals video games have ever seen.
I love Uncharted 4 and think it's a perfect final chapter for the series that serves as the best wrap-up any fan could have hoped for. If you haven't played this series, do yourself a favor and start from the beginning and enjoy some of the best the medium has to offer.
By this point, Naughty Dog has nailed that sense of pacing and keeps things interesting over the course of 15+ hours of action, stealth, exploration and platforming.