Lacks the “Holy shit, they nailed it” X-factor that the second game had. Always the ultimate issue with following something as successful as 2 - no matter how good, it’s hard to recapture the spark of surprise.

The gunfight elements feel a bit more tedious this time, and the finale doesn’t have the same spark. What I do appreciate is how it genuinely tries to toss up the action a bit. Ups the ante on the puzzles and stealth even more, and has a greater concentration of melee and chase action. (The latter being the big highlight).

Also ND does understand my phobia of deep water, so the entire cruise and dock angle really hit me. Feels like a dry run for similar elements in The Last of Us 2.

Come to think of it, ot shares a few qualities with TLoU2 - which might be why I dug it while others seem relatively cold.

Maybe the biggest jump in quality from a first game to a second in history. By comparison Drake’s Fortune feels more like an extended prologue or a DLC prequel. This, on the other hand, feels like a full meal. This is where all the best Naughthy Dog traits really solidify. Not only is it more engaging gameplay but more extensive, with much more variation in the environments and strategies (stealth and puzzle-solving play a bigger role this time around). The storytelling feels less boilerplate and allows for a more nuanced narrative experience. Mostly it just feels bigger, fuller, and more satisfying.