What can I say that hasn't been said? I loved playing through this series and I'm glad I did. Uncharted 4 was a perfect evolution of the series, stunning in just about every way. It was great to go on one last adventure as Nate. The gameplay was refined, the characters were done well, the graphics were stunning. There's a lot the game did right and not much it did wrong.

The platforming segments were a lot more intuitive, probably because of the Tarzan-esque mechanics they added. The gunplay improved as I expected it to as well.

I enjoyed the story. It wasn't a world-saving quest with supernatural creatures, it was a personal journey about two brothers. And even though that's quite the change, I still thought it was great.

I'll keep this short and just say, what a great game.

Greatness from Small Beginnings….What a way to finish off an incredible journey. Playing through these games back to back really helped me appreciate the references and little inside jokes sprinkled throughout the title. Best mechanics out of the entire series, climbing, swinging to the next cliff while shooting a assault rifle never has felt so good. The story is unarguably the best as well, antagonist actually have compelling motivations and the treasure this time around had a lot more lore revolving around it, making it all the more interesting to find the next clue. Nolan North nailed it, hell, he slaughtered it, he understood what makes Nate such a great character and his performance made this a staple when it comes to the medium of Voice Acting. Sam, performed by Troy Baker, (yeah he’s great, always is) what a great addition to the main cast, throughout the series Nathan would have these moments when he completely geeks out over discoveries, leaving the rest of the cast to be completely lost on what is going on, but now with his brother, Sam was equally as engaged on what was happening with his little brother and it was so fun to listen too. Elena, if it werent for the former, would easily have my favorite moments in the game, I dont believe I have never cared more about a companion to the protagonist than her, she completely holds her own and through this whole series is able to bounce off Nathans witty energy with such intensity, shoutout Emily Rose. I love Nathan and Elena, they have given me some of my favorite character interactions in gaming. The set pieces, though it wasnt as in your face as navigating through a moving locomotive or fighting tooth and nail to not fall out of a deteriorating airplane, they had a constant build up, exploring Madagascar or discovering Libertalia, the sheer scope of these locations is astounding, making them some if not the best in the series. Puzzles were incredibly digestible, allowing you yourself to get more involved with Drake’s journal without it just telling you what the answer is. With jumping from location, to location, to location, I simply could not put this game down. And now I can see why so many third person adventure games have tried to find success in the same formula, all because of how truly great the Uncharted series is. Side note, limited the FPS to 40 and its fantastic on the Steam Deck, its how i played the entire playthrough. Probably will knock out Lost Legacy soon.

The story of Nathan Drake comes to a close. All the Uncharted games have been narrative driven, but I would argue this game delves a little deeper than the previous games. Nate has matured after going through the journeys of the trilogy, but he is now contrasted by his brother Sam, who is a constant reminder of how Nate used to be before the events of Drake's Fortune. The personal stakes are a lot higher than before, with Nate risking more than just his life as his relationships with returning characters Elena and Sully are put to the test. With the increased focus on the story, it takes a lot longer for the action to start rolling, but by the end of the game the action is back in full swing. Plus, I think the few hours spent at the beginning building and re-establishing the connections between the characters and where they are in their lives really benefits the narrative that is being told. There is so much to unpack with the story, such as how you begin to realise the journey of the brothers Drake mimics the journey of the band of pirate that stole the treasure all them years ago, or how that Nate and Elena's attempt to live normal lives have put strain on their marriage they didn't even know was there. The plot may seem simple at first, but rewards you the more and more you actually look into it and it finally culminates in a send off to Nathan Drake that all fans should be happy with.

Oh, and the gameplay? Better than ever. The core of it is refined from the previous games, but finally the enemy encounters and climbing reach their full potential to create arenas that allow for the player to climb and swing around to find makeshift cover and vantage points. Stealth has been greatly improved, and has properly fleshed out mechanics this time. The set-pieces are the biggest they have ever been, but still leave the player in control despite how scripted they may be. There a few sections where the player controls vehicles and they feel pretty good to use despite only being in a few portions of the game.

This is the pinnacle of both story telling and gameplay within the franchise.