Just beat this for the second time.

This game just has it all. Enthralling gameplay with stunning set pieces. Top of the line graphics (Still). A bombastic soundtrack that knows when to take a step back and let the game breathe. Industry defining acting. It also has one of the smartest stories ever told in a game. The parallel between Avery's descent into madness and Drake's own pursuit of treasure is nothing short of genius.

Quite frankly this game shouldn't exist. Every cog in it's design fits perfectly with the rest. Truly an exceptional game.

Uncharted's been in a weird place for a while. They're fun games and an easy showcase of the Playstation 3's power for Sony, but calling these titles "art" was always a little bit silly. They're fun adventure games with tons of spectacle and that's totally fine! But after Naughty Dog put out The Last of Us, a landmark title that's become one of the most respected games EVER MADE partially due to its dark, emotional core, how could Nathan Drake survive with the prestige the studio earned?

The answer, it seems, was to create EASILY the best plot in the series. Uncharted 4 won't win any Oscars but its grounded, emotional story about two brothers, obsession, and betrayal elevates it so much further than the bang bang shooty type stories of the previous games. The actors' performances, the animations, the writing....it's all SO GOOD. So many games have incredibly lifeless or inhuman or robotic characters but Naughty Dog hits it out of the ballpark EVERY TIME MAN.

And the graphics?? This game is SEVEN YEARS OLD but i'm still over here taking screenshots every five minutes!! It's so smooth and so pretty! (Granted I played the PS5 remaster so that might account for it but still). Say what you will about "photorealism bad blah blah blah" IDC THIS GAME LOOKS INSANEEEE!! And it feels so smooth to play too! The climbing, the action, the shooting. The shear amount of location and gameplay variety is out of this world, I don't even want to think about how many man-hours this took to build. And how much crunch, because, ew. Yay.

Really my only major critique is I wish a lot of the gameplay had more...substance? I was pretty tired of the gunplay by the end, and I wish its stealth and combat options were deeper. But even if Uncharted doesn't have the best combat, or the best climbing, or the best stealth, or the best puzzles, it's its ability to pace everything together into one full-steam-ahead blast of an adventure that helps it stick the landing.

Triple-A video games might be in a bad situation with variety, visual styles, development time, and actually being fun these days. But Uncharted 4 is proof that sometimes, the big expensive games can be worth keeping around too.

My all-time favorite video game. Uncharted 4 is a masterclass of action-adventure and cinematic storytelling. Boundary-pushing and utterly unforgettable. You're playing a movie and it's just brilliant.

PROS
+ Breathtaking visuals throughout. Characters and environments are lifelike and full of impressive detail. A major upgrade compared to past Uncharted games.
+ Larger and more explorative than previous installments. You'll spend hours just admiring your surroundings and exploring every nook and cranny.
+ Instinctual and reaction-heavy gameplay that constantly keeps you on your toes. The set pieces are mesmerizing feats; especially the Jeep chase in Madagascar. It could've easily been a QTE but you're actually playing the chaos and it never gets overwhelming and/or clunky.
+ A poignant and exciting character-driven narrative that is grounded in reality but doesn't stray from the over-the-top nature of the franchise. It's the most mature game of the series and ends Nathan Drake's story on a powerful note.
+ Strong performances by Nolan North, Troy Baker, Emily Rose and Richard McGonagle. Furthers the potential of motion capture acting.
+ Adventurous and rip-roaring soundtrack by Henry Jackman that amplifies the action but also knows when to be slow and moving.

CONS
- Nothing to report. This is 10 out of 10 perfect game.

Nathan's brother, Sam, offers Nathan their last adventure, on their way to find Henry Avery's hidden treasure in order to save Sam's life.
Uncharted 4: A Thief's End is the last game in the series, and honestly, it's the perfect ending for Nathan's story.
The story is surprisingly good; the plot seems simple at first, but the writing, the dialogue and the characters are awesome, and they make up for the simplicity of the plot.
The gameplay is quite simple as well, but it's enjoyable and it feels satisfying.
The graphics and the audio are absolutely incredible! Uncharted 4: A Thief's End is probably one of the best looking games I've ever played and it has some spectacular set-pieces.
Now... although the ending itself is awesome, I felt like the last few hours before the ending were a tiny bit tedious; in fact, the pacing in general feels slightly padded at times.
Also, while the combat system is fun, the gameplay loop feels monotonous and basic for the most part.

Pros:
+ Great narrative
+ Likable and engaging characters
+ Dialogue/humor
+ Fun gameplay
+ Superb visuals and set-pieces

Cons:
- Inconsistent pacing
- Repetitive gameplay loop

Narrative: 8/10
Gameplay: 7/10
Characters: 9/10
Music: ?/10
Graphics/Audio: 10/10

Final Rating: 9/10
- Amazing -
Uncharted 4: A Thief's End is better than the sum of its parts and it's another fantastic experience from Naughty Dog, and a masterful sequel for the entire series.

Do I recommend it?:
Highly recommended for PS4 owners and must-play for Uncharted fans.

The summer movie action blockbuster interpreted as a video game but the best one.

I also want to stress that "summer movie blockbuster video game" is not a dig or criticism, but an emblem of pride these Uncharted games should wear boldly and brazenly on their chest. It's all the thrill of a Indiana Jones, but you get to shoot the baddies, drive the car, do the stunts, solve the riddles. And not only that, but you get to be the camera and get to spend as much time in these luxurious unachievable Hollywood sets as you want.

The writers snuck letters into that set and they give you the time to parse handwriting, build identities for unseen characters and revel at weathered paper. The finely crafted ruinous locales of Uncharted 4 contain repeated jaw-dropping vistas which of course, are full of random trinkets in those sets so you can collect precursor orbs points to unlock cheats extras. And sometimes find optional dialogue and interactions to help flesh out its story and characters and world.

Like, you're watching Ocean's Eleven (2001), but you get to stop and walk around the casino, pick up some poker chips and look at the back of them and read the cocktail menu. And it's big head mode.

Why did I pick Ocean's Eleven (2001) as the point of comparison there? Because I think it is the last action movie film I saw, about 5 months ago. I haven't seen the other ones, or Mission Impossible. I think I saw Fast and Furious Tokyo Drift one time. I did like Indiana Jones a lot though.

Oh, and I've also not played Uncharted 1 or 3.

(Story of Uncharted 4 is pretty good btw, having only played the second one prior to this. Not much to chew on after, but it certainly has momentum and intrigue - keeps you wanting to play).

Summer movie blockbuster movies aren't my thing. But video games certainly are. And so, Uncharted is half my thing. And that half that is my thing elevates the other half that is less my thing. While I am in no rush to play the others, when the mood strikes that I want to play a big expensive AAA title, I shall plot my course for Uncharted.

(there is no big head mode btw).

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or i'll get around to playing the last of us, heard that one is pretty good. but i know its got zombies in it. there's absolutely gonna be a sneak past them section and I'm gonna get got repeatedly and it's gonna suck. and there will be more boxes to push to reach high places. indiana jones is cooler than the walking dead though, so i might actually play that spin off with elena. looks like it could be shorter too, which would great.

spoilers for uncharted 4 but why was that swordfight at the end so long? i died to it, got kinda bored leading to a sapping of my momentum so close to the ending.

There are not a lot of games that surprised me more than Uncharted 4. The trilogy was really good but even with a lot of fantastic highs I didn't absolutely fall in love with the series yet. Uncharted 4 took all the great things in those games and made it all better.

It just looks so damn good and the gameplay is soooo smooth. There is a lot of variety and I didn't get bored for a single second through nearly 20 hours. One of the best action-packed games I've ever played.

But the thing that made me fall in love with this game is definitely the story. It was fine for the most part in Uncharted 1-3 but Uncharted 4 feels miles more mature and I was so invested in everything that I've even shed some tears at the ending scene. I certainly didn't expect that before playing the game.

The journey I began with Nathan Drake since I've been giving these games a try since February finally wraps up.

The stories of these games didn't completely live up to the endless praise I always heard about it, but it still overall was a solid story as the acting, visuals and earnestness of it all kept you immersed in it's characters and world. I thought it was at least a step-up from 3 and delivering a satisfying conclusion to his character. It's worth applauding that the introduction of his lost brother who hasn't been mentioned a single time in the previous games was handled well. There's great moments of acting and you begin to connect with these characters you've spent the in thanks to the amazing acting and convincing motion capture/ facial expressions. It still does try a little too hard to be emotional just slowing the pace down and taking a long time before you get back into gameplay, like the scenes with a younger Nate and Sam, the first one was fine for reintroducing the mechanics and their relationships. However the second time was just really boring and went on too long, I would've appreciated dialing these back a little
It did however feel like another rehash of the previous games even with the promise of something much more darker toned and challenging for an older Drake. The Uncharted villains have always been the sour spot of their stories, Rafe had some potential for being a better villain but the way his character is wrapped up made him revolve to a one dimensional angry rich kid which was lame, Nadine just disappears and doesn't have a complete storyline, even with Lost Legacy bringing her back this felt unsatifying. The tension feels non existent as the same ridicolous plot armor on a story trying to be more grounded and dark, while it was well presented it didn't feel like it's consequences really justified the whole thing besides setting the stage for a new adventure for Drake to embark on. I'm usually not too hard on the story for videogames like this but when they spend extended downtime feeding you a story you're supposed to take more seriously then I'll critique it harder.


This is still visually one of the most gorgeous games on the market and it's been seven years since it released. The character models and the environments are so life-like that it's pretty insane how so few games have been able to keep up with bar it set. There's some great setpieces here especially the chase in the streets of Madagascar which dynamically changes between different scenarios. It does feel like the other setpieces however are much more automated and don't reach the heights of the last two games.

Finally getting to the gameplay, it's still very similar to the previous games but has an added stifness to it to emphasize his older age. The grappling hook is a really cool addition and adds some more manouverability to the climbing, combat and puzzle sections though by the end of the game it doesn't really do anything new with it so it loses it's innovation.
The puzzles in this game are a lot more simplified than the previous trilogyThe shootouts were solid but their sense of pacing was a mess. The game hardly attempts to keep things fresh in the encounters unlike Uncharted 2 which was excellent in elevating the combat encounters as the game went on unlike this one where most of them felt the same. When the game finally begins to include more dynamic maps for combat and more varied weapons it's pretty much the last hour and it's over quickly after that. It's a shame because the shooting and the animations are so much better than the previous games and while it was still fun it's own right there was more potential to really push it further.

Another repetitive aspect of this game is the traversal, the climbing segments went on for way too long and the amount of times I had to wander around for some vague wall that lead to another box you had to climb was really pushing it by the end. The game's levels are created to be much more open which really did add to a sense of immersion and scale and was a pure joy to but it often lead to me wandering off from where I needed to go, it feels like it clashes with the linear structure of the game at times.

It may seem like I'm going too hard but I did fall for a bit of overhype expecting a masterpiece. I still think its overall a well polished and fun shooter with fantastic presentation and a flawed story that still kept me immersed with great acting and characters.

The ambitious end to a long running franchise, Uncharted 4: A Thief's End is a very fascinating game.
The gunplay is enjoyable, the puzzles are decent and the humor is pretty good, there are some hilarious character interactions.

The story though, isn't very deep but I liked the darker approach and the flashbacks, it's interesting enough to keep you playing, and it really makes you care for the characters.

Exploration works well, there are documents you can read or random collectibles to find, but they're not worth anything. I did enjoy the open area in Madagascar though, the fact that I could roam the desert with a car was surprisingly relaxing and fun.
Lastly, climbing is a very big part of the game, and even though the climbing mechanics are very smooth, I really wish there was less of it.

The action sequences are easily the best thing about this game, some jaw-dropping set-pieces keep you on the edge of your seat.

Uncharted 4 is the definition of a "Movie Videogame".
It's absolutely gorgeous, the cinematography is outstanding, the performances are phenomenal and the soundtrack fits well, but gameplay-wise it's just... exhausting, not because of the controls or the gunplay, but because of the hand-holding and the linearity. It really is an impressive experience and for its genre, it's probably one of the best games you can find, and a very easy recommendation.

Final Rating: "Fantastic" ~ 8.5/10.

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.