36 reviews liked by asbestosman
Improves on the first game, in basically every way, except the central narrative - which is still very strong, though it lacks the mystique of Zero Dawn.
At this point, though, can't complain. The Horizon series has become a new high water mark for open-world RPGs. But not only that - it's also established itself as the best original science fiction concept in big-budget video gaming since, probably, the Mass Effect or Bioshock series.
At this point, though, can't complain. The Horizon series has become a new high water mark for open-world RPGs. But not only that - it's also established itself as the best original science fiction concept in big-budget video gaming since, probably, the Mass Effect or Bioshock series.
I know I shouldn't be, but I'm really shocked at how much I enjoyed Forbidden West. After playing, completing and liking Zero Dawn I figured it was a complete package, that didn't really need a continuation ... The story felt concluded, even with that cliffhanger in mind.
However, Forbidden West proved me wrong. I know many people will disagree on this, but I really loved the story of Forbidden West. The way the universe got expanded was great and I really liked the different characters and sidequests the game provides. I particularly loved getting back to the base and talking with everyone of the companions. Getting to hear their feelings on the situation and their shock at how the world used to be prior to it's demise.
The open world stuff is definitely overkill. The game is bloated and the map is filled with tons of icons and stuff to do. Not everything being great. However, MOST is great. The side quests feel high quality, with dialogue scenes being properly animated and well told and even stuff like Tallnecks or Cauldrons provided unique twists that made them interesting. Instead of just working them off, they kept trying to make everyone of them feel fresh in a way.
What still kind of sucks is the bandit camps. Those just aren't all that interesting even if the human combat is improved. Horizon just isn't a good stealth game unfortunately. But luckily those camps are very much optional and can be ignored.
I also really liked the puzzle dungeons as I called them. Not sure how they're referred to in the game, I think those were the relic spots or whatever. The puzzles were pretty fun to figure out and reminded me of the best side content in the Far Cry games that also used light puzzle solving instead of just being a camp of enemies.
Combat is a big improvement. Being able to hold 6 weapons is already a blessing, but the additional weapon types and the overdrive mechanic are a welcome addition. There are some crazy synergies you can pull off to melt even some of the strongest enemies in the game and it always felt great.
I'll happily play another sequel to this and gladly get the upcoming DLC. They convinced me that they can iterate on previous games in a meaningful way and I would love to see where they'll go next.
If the games was slightly less bloated and the stealth mechanics even more fleshed out to make human camps interesting I could see myself rating this even higher.
However, Forbidden West proved me wrong. I know many people will disagree on this, but I really loved the story of Forbidden West. The way the universe got expanded was great and I really liked the different characters and sidequests the game provides. I particularly loved getting back to the base and talking with everyone of the companions. Getting to hear their feelings on the situation and their shock at how the world used to be prior to it's demise.
The open world stuff is definitely overkill. The game is bloated and the map is filled with tons of icons and stuff to do. Not everything being great. However, MOST is great. The side quests feel high quality, with dialogue scenes being properly animated and well told and even stuff like Tallnecks or Cauldrons provided unique twists that made them interesting. Instead of just working them off, they kept trying to make everyone of them feel fresh in a way.
What still kind of sucks is the bandit camps. Those just aren't all that interesting even if the human combat is improved. Horizon just isn't a good stealth game unfortunately. But luckily those camps are very much optional and can be ignored.
I also really liked the puzzle dungeons as I called them. Not sure how they're referred to in the game, I think those were the relic spots or whatever. The puzzles were pretty fun to figure out and reminded me of the best side content in the Far Cry games that also used light puzzle solving instead of just being a camp of enemies.
Combat is a big improvement. Being able to hold 6 weapons is already a blessing, but the additional weapon types and the overdrive mechanic are a welcome addition. There are some crazy synergies you can pull off to melt even some of the strongest enemies in the game and it always felt great.
I'll happily play another sequel to this and gladly get the upcoming DLC. They convinced me that they can iterate on previous games in a meaningful way and I would love to see where they'll go next.
If the games was slightly less bloated and the stealth mechanics even more fleshed out to make human camps interesting I could see myself rating this even higher.
Well over a hundred hours of content. Incredible world-building, compelling story, great characters, deep gameplay mechanics, fantastic voice acting, amazingly detailed world design and just overall super immersive, everything you could ever want from a RPG experience and then some. It's no wonder the game is heralded as one of the best of all time, it's certainly one of my favorites.
P.S. Gwent is one of the most fun and addictive mini-games in an RPG since Blitzball, you can easily spend hours just playing it alone.
P.S. Gwent is one of the most fun and addictive mini-games in an RPG since Blitzball, you can easily spend hours just playing it alone.
A video game like a huge fantasy novel and the end of an epic tale. The Witcher 3 imposes with marvelously written quests, numerous endings based on your decisions, interesting characters you may know from the books and the previous titles and an astonishing finale for Geralt and Ciri. For a story-driven game, it offers a sufficient gameplay that unfolds on the death march difficulty setting and one of the finest bosses in history, the Caretaker.
extremely surreal to see that a prevalent consensus on this is that it's an OBVIOUS uberbleak nihilist exercise in cynical ultraviolence when I feel like it's Very Clearly shooting for (but emphatically not always flawlessly succeeding at) humanist themes exploring mercy, kinship, and absolution: The last spoken line/thesis of the game is literally "I don't know if I can ever forgive you, but I'd like to try" which basically mirrors the bubbly final sentiment in Steven Universe of all things... like come on people the game clearly has a lot of faith in human compassion and optimism that we can be (and are) better than our worst impulses. We can (and should!) totally debate the efficacy of the way the game communicates these ideas. I think there are plenty of areas to criticize or outright condemn in terms of execution; the pieces written about the games fraught zionist inspirations and the discomfiting misogynoir on display in regards to a specific moment are especially vital reads--but framing this story's outlook as intentionally nihilist, player-blaming pain porn about the inescapable cycle of violence is just.. totally disingenuous to what it's clearly trying to do, imo. A story about empathy without a soft and tender pastel veneer does not render it ineffective or worthless. I would probably argue that the game's refusal to over-sentimentalize the repugnance of its deuteragonists' actions (or make their realities easily accessible/justifiable) lends more integrity to the challenge of conveying the inherent worth and potential for change within them... I feel like the game makes it extra clear that Abby and Ellie are not universalizing prescriptive ciphers for the human condition / our inescapable URGE 4 VENGEANCE and are instead very specific / detailed character studies of damaged people whose emotional processing is expressed through borderline surrealist New French Extremity interactive dream logic in a world that also presents a variety of individuals with approaches and outlooks that are direct foils to these self-destructive coping strategies!!!
lots and lots of thoughts about this game, might revisit and explore further at some point
(also feel the need to say that Naughty Dog's crunch culture is a blight on the industry and this game could have been just as affecting as a more contained and less needlessly sprawling experience)
lots and lots of thoughts about this game, might revisit and explore further at some point
(also feel the need to say that Naughty Dog's crunch culture is a blight on the industry and this game could have been just as affecting as a more contained and less needlessly sprawling experience)
The Last of Us 2 is an incredible narrative masterpiece. It’s difficult to put into words the range of emotions that this experience whipped me through, and how it left me feeling scene after scene. I gasped, jumped, smiled, and cried. I found myself hating then empathizing with characters, and likewise, completely siding with others to later question their motives. By the time I came out the other end, the deeply complex character motivation was grounded to my core, and I took on the burden of their affliction. I felt battered and scarred, identifying with characters for the deep pain of their experiences. It’s easily one of the absolute best narrative experiences I have come across.
The writing was extremely clever. They inserted parallels in a way that only enhanced the story, never cheapened. They artfully employed “show, don’t tell” in a way that unveiled information in the most engaging rhythm. And while I was a little hesitant at first to be playing as Abby in the second half, I came to realize this wasn’t just to tell the other side of the story, but to have you feel how complex the situation and people are in this series of painful events. It allowed me to go from initially hating Abby to just feeling hollow and sad for everyone.
As for the gameplay, I found the enhancements and additions to the original title to be sufficient. Yes, it was similar. That’s ok. The prone position added a new dynamic to stealth that I enjoyed, some new weapons kept combat feeling fresh, and hand to hand fighting (and dodging) felt gritty and real.
The environments were truly magnificent. The Naughty Dog artists and designers continue to blow my mind. The joy of gazing on the environments, by itself, is enough reason for a second play through.
And then there is the polish. I always felt immersed into this world. Sure, you can tell it’s linear and “level based” when you run up against the edges of the environments, but there isn’t not much to be done about that.
In the days that followed my completion of this experience I continue to ponder the story. A true sign of a great work of art is when you have a lasting impression. It’s that feeling of when you walk out of the movie theatre and you spend hours rehashing what you just witnessed, and consider the deeper messages. When it comes to The Last of Us 2, there’s a ton of narrative elements one could parse out and overanalyze until the (real) world ends. Here are a few stand outs that really struck me:
• After losing her father, Abby constructs a suit of armor made of muscle. It represents the emotional shell that sprouted the day Joel took her father from her, and hardens over the years. Hiding within, Abby does not allow herself to ever fully open herself to a future with Owen, as her drive for vengeance overshadows her ability to settle into a life that could be. She wanders through existence like a ghost that can’t quite touch the love and potential before her. Once she successfully executes Joel her hardened exterior remains, and her chance of a life with Owen feels as if it is now out of reach. It is only when Abby rescues and becomes attached to the Scar children that she is able to realize where her purpose lies. In the end of our story, Abby sheds much of that armor and strength (both figuratively and literally), and focuses on a future (leaving with Lev to find the Fireflies), not the past (continuing the cycle of pain with Ellie). It’s a rebirth, of sorts, as Abby enters a new phase in her life.
• You start the game as Joel. You then play the guitar and hand it to Ellie. This is the point where the torch is passed from one character to the other. What’s brutal is that in the end Ellie can’t even play the guitar properly because of the fingers she loses in her pursuit of senseless revenge. Ellie has just lost that much more of Joel.
• Much of the story is about a cascade of tragedies, and a vicious cycle of loss at the hands of those seeking revenge. Even Joel’s brother Tommy loses his relationship with his wife due to his obsession with revenge. Abby attempts to break the cycle when taking mercy on Ellie at the theatre, and Ellie and Abby ultimately break the cycle at the beach. It leaves me wondering that, if Ellie had killed Abby on the shore of Santa Barbara, then would Lev later hunt down Ellie and kill her? Would JJ grow up to hunt down Lev? How deep could the cycle spiral downward?
The writing was extremely clever. They inserted parallels in a way that only enhanced the story, never cheapened. They artfully employed “show, don’t tell” in a way that unveiled information in the most engaging rhythm. And while I was a little hesitant at first to be playing as Abby in the second half, I came to realize this wasn’t just to tell the other side of the story, but to have you feel how complex the situation and people are in this series of painful events. It allowed me to go from initially hating Abby to just feeling hollow and sad for everyone.
As for the gameplay, I found the enhancements and additions to the original title to be sufficient. Yes, it was similar. That’s ok. The prone position added a new dynamic to stealth that I enjoyed, some new weapons kept combat feeling fresh, and hand to hand fighting (and dodging) felt gritty and real.
The environments were truly magnificent. The Naughty Dog artists and designers continue to blow my mind. The joy of gazing on the environments, by itself, is enough reason for a second play through.
And then there is the polish. I always felt immersed into this world. Sure, you can tell it’s linear and “level based” when you run up against the edges of the environments, but there isn’t not much to be done about that.
In the days that followed my completion of this experience I continue to ponder the story. A true sign of a great work of art is when you have a lasting impression. It’s that feeling of when you walk out of the movie theatre and you spend hours rehashing what you just witnessed, and consider the deeper messages. When it comes to The Last of Us 2, there’s a ton of narrative elements one could parse out and overanalyze until the (real) world ends. Here are a few stand outs that really struck me:
• After losing her father, Abby constructs a suit of armor made of muscle. It represents the emotional shell that sprouted the day Joel took her father from her, and hardens over the years. Hiding within, Abby does not allow herself to ever fully open herself to a future with Owen, as her drive for vengeance overshadows her ability to settle into a life that could be. She wanders through existence like a ghost that can’t quite touch the love and potential before her. Once she successfully executes Joel her hardened exterior remains, and her chance of a life with Owen feels as if it is now out of reach. It is only when Abby rescues and becomes attached to the Scar children that she is able to realize where her purpose lies. In the end of our story, Abby sheds much of that armor and strength (both figuratively and literally), and focuses on a future (leaving with Lev to find the Fireflies), not the past (continuing the cycle of pain with Ellie). It’s a rebirth, of sorts, as Abby enters a new phase in her life.
• You start the game as Joel. You then play the guitar and hand it to Ellie. This is the point where the torch is passed from one character to the other. What’s brutal is that in the end Ellie can’t even play the guitar properly because of the fingers she loses in her pursuit of senseless revenge. Ellie has just lost that much more of Joel.
• Much of the story is about a cascade of tragedies, and a vicious cycle of loss at the hands of those seeking revenge. Even Joel’s brother Tommy loses his relationship with his wife due to his obsession with revenge. Abby attempts to break the cycle when taking mercy on Ellie at the theatre, and Ellie and Abby ultimately break the cycle at the beach. It leaves me wondering that, if Ellie had killed Abby on the shore of Santa Barbara, then would Lev later hunt down Ellie and kill her? Would JJ grow up to hunt down Lev? How deep could the cycle spiral downward?
God of War Ragnarök
2022
Another landmark achievement by Santa Monica studio and quite possibly my game of the year. God of War Ragnarok feels like one of the first truly next gen experiences and is a phenomenal success on so many levels that it is absurd. The amount of work taken to get here must have been unthinkable but it was proven well worth it.
God of War (2018) set a new precedent for blockbuster games, feeling familiar yet also refreshing and blowing away all expectations. As its sequel, ragnarok builds and expands in all the right places and ultimately ends up trouncing those expectations once again. Every aspect of ragnarok comes together beautifully - forming a triple a game that truly delivers on that status.
In recent years i've definitely found myself shying away from big scale triple a games, especially western blockbuster games. For the most part I think a lot of them just kind of tick a load of boxes and lack originality. Whilst being big budget epics with massive mainstream appeal, what I find surprising about the reboot of god of war and its sequel is their heart. These feel like personal experiences and even though I don't always vibe with it fully on some levels (notably a bit of a lack of 'charm') , I found a deep appreciation and emotional resonance with the narrative, characters & settings. There's so much care put into these games and ragnarok goes to heights I hadn't expected even after playing Gow 2018. The way characters are fleshed out and develop and the themes presented in particular got me all emotional when it all came to an end.
Its not a surprise that ragnarok is a stunning game to behold, just like its prequel it has absurdly gorgeous setpieces, state of the art motion capture animation and of course, meticulous detail and care put into all of its nine realms and their inhabitants, its all mesmerising. Its all scored beautifully and these environments wouldn't mean nearly as much without raganarok's epic story. Ragnarok is a story about fate and subverting prophecy, making one's own path and being the best version of yourself you can be. Its a story about family, about progress, about purpose and I loved every moment of it. Seeing kratos and atreus develop before my eyes like this was captivating, the way their story concludes sees them as truly changed people.
The characters are what this game does best in my opinion, owing to stellar performances across the board. If there's one thing I took from this game and one thing that I think it should be properly acknowledged for, its how it builds complex and interesting characters. They are all soaked in lore and they develop, change, form and break bonds and together deal with their problems head on. Characters I didn't care much about in GoW 2018 suddenly break into their own and blow me away - shoutouts to Freya and Sindri. And of course, there's the inclusion of its new faces - most notably Odin & Thor, who actually pleasantly surprised me with how they turned out. You're told so much about them in GoW 2018 that it formed an idea of them in my head and it was cool to see them for who they actually are, flaws and all. The moments between characters as they grow and change and become closer are just so good that I can't praise them enough.
Gameplay wise I knew what I was in for but even then I was once again pleasantly surprised. Ragnarok's combat & puzzles are more dynamic and more satisfying than ever - keeping its essentials but making small changes and big new additions that just kept everything feeling great. Ragnarok's main story beats are paced (for the most part) so well and the gameplay paces itself with it, offering up new tools, new areas to traverse, new enemy types and new setpieces to gawk at. It starts off a bit slow as it did take some time for me to fully immerse myself but once I did I could not let go. As far as combat systems go, it doesn't get much better than this - playing it on hard was the perfect call, making every encounter feel dangerous and satisfying to overcome. The number of tools and options to play around with, the build routes you can go down, the skills and tactics you can employ and the reactive nature of its fast paced combat kept me satisfied from beginning to end. Shoutouts to the boss fights in this game too, they really are something else.
Gameplay wise the only places it kind of struggles in are entirely a matter of personal opinion - and that is in its perfectly serviceable side quests & other side content, fairly laborious traversal and the way it can insist on itself. The biggest culprit of these is down to the game's insistence on being one long shot from beginning to end like GoW 2018 - which like, is really admirable and impressive and stuff, but is often more of a hindrance and a nuisance. Locking traditional fast travel and forcing the player to run through huge sections to find collectibles, reach side quest objectives or optional fights doesn't always feel worth the time and the amount of times I had to sit through 10-15 minutes of straight running/climbing/boating to reach one little objective marker is kind of silly. If you're just following the main story then don't expect to ever run into this as a problem, but when trying to fully complete the game its a real chore - the game HAS a normal loading screen in it already, just let me fast travel from the map menu like basically every other game please lol.
Oh yeah also characters need to learn to shut the fuck up when you're trying to experiment and solve a puzzle, it actively makes puzzles unfun - GMTK did an awesome short video on this on youtube, as its an issue that I think extends beyond just this game - its something with understandable accessibility foundations, but it should be an optional toggle or something because it can really hinder the flow of the game and the level of personal fulfilment at times.
But this doesn't stop the game from being a masterpiece, a sheer landmark in every sense of the word and a perfect sequel that blew me away yet again. I'll be thinking about these characters and that extraordinary ending sequence for quite some time - deserves the GOTY win over elden ring imo much as I also love elden ring. Games are good!
God of War (2018) set a new precedent for blockbuster games, feeling familiar yet also refreshing and blowing away all expectations. As its sequel, ragnarok builds and expands in all the right places and ultimately ends up trouncing those expectations once again. Every aspect of ragnarok comes together beautifully - forming a triple a game that truly delivers on that status.
In recent years i've definitely found myself shying away from big scale triple a games, especially western blockbuster games. For the most part I think a lot of them just kind of tick a load of boxes and lack originality. Whilst being big budget epics with massive mainstream appeal, what I find surprising about the reboot of god of war and its sequel is their heart. These feel like personal experiences and even though I don't always vibe with it fully on some levels (notably a bit of a lack of 'charm') , I found a deep appreciation and emotional resonance with the narrative, characters & settings. There's so much care put into these games and ragnarok goes to heights I hadn't expected even after playing Gow 2018. The way characters are fleshed out and develop and the themes presented in particular got me all emotional when it all came to an end.
Its not a surprise that ragnarok is a stunning game to behold, just like its prequel it has absurdly gorgeous setpieces, state of the art motion capture animation and of course, meticulous detail and care put into all of its nine realms and their inhabitants, its all mesmerising. Its all scored beautifully and these environments wouldn't mean nearly as much without raganarok's epic story. Ragnarok is a story about fate and subverting prophecy, making one's own path and being the best version of yourself you can be. Its a story about family, about progress, about purpose and I loved every moment of it. Seeing kratos and atreus develop before my eyes like this was captivating, the way their story concludes sees them as truly changed people.
The characters are what this game does best in my opinion, owing to stellar performances across the board. If there's one thing I took from this game and one thing that I think it should be properly acknowledged for, its how it builds complex and interesting characters. They are all soaked in lore and they develop, change, form and break bonds and together deal with their problems head on. Characters I didn't care much about in GoW 2018 suddenly break into their own and blow me away - shoutouts to Freya and Sindri. And of course, there's the inclusion of its new faces - most notably Odin & Thor, who actually pleasantly surprised me with how they turned out. You're told so much about them in GoW 2018 that it formed an idea of them in my head and it was cool to see them for who they actually are, flaws and all. The moments between characters as they grow and change and become closer are just so good that I can't praise them enough.
Gameplay wise I knew what I was in for but even then I was once again pleasantly surprised. Ragnarok's combat & puzzles are more dynamic and more satisfying than ever - keeping its essentials but making small changes and big new additions that just kept everything feeling great. Ragnarok's main story beats are paced (for the most part) so well and the gameplay paces itself with it, offering up new tools, new areas to traverse, new enemy types and new setpieces to gawk at. It starts off a bit slow as it did take some time for me to fully immerse myself but once I did I could not let go. As far as combat systems go, it doesn't get much better than this - playing it on hard was the perfect call, making every encounter feel dangerous and satisfying to overcome. The number of tools and options to play around with, the build routes you can go down, the skills and tactics you can employ and the reactive nature of its fast paced combat kept me satisfied from beginning to end. Shoutouts to the boss fights in this game too, they really are something else.
Gameplay wise the only places it kind of struggles in are entirely a matter of personal opinion - and that is in its perfectly serviceable side quests & other side content, fairly laborious traversal and the way it can insist on itself. The biggest culprit of these is down to the game's insistence on being one long shot from beginning to end like GoW 2018 - which like, is really admirable and impressive and stuff, but is often more of a hindrance and a nuisance. Locking traditional fast travel and forcing the player to run through huge sections to find collectibles, reach side quest objectives or optional fights doesn't always feel worth the time and the amount of times I had to sit through 10-15 minutes of straight running/climbing/boating to reach one little objective marker is kind of silly. If you're just following the main story then don't expect to ever run into this as a problem, but when trying to fully complete the game its a real chore - the game HAS a normal loading screen in it already, just let me fast travel from the map menu like basically every other game please lol.
Oh yeah also characters need to learn to shut the fuck up when you're trying to experiment and solve a puzzle, it actively makes puzzles unfun - GMTK did an awesome short video on this on youtube, as its an issue that I think extends beyond just this game - its something with understandable accessibility foundations, but it should be an optional toggle or something because it can really hinder the flow of the game and the level of personal fulfilment at times.
But this doesn't stop the game from being a masterpiece, a sheer landmark in every sense of the word and a perfect sequel that blew me away yet again. I'll be thinking about these characters and that extraordinary ending sequence for quite some time - deserves the GOTY win over elden ring imo much as I also love elden ring. Games are good!
One of the most sincere and heartfelt endings to a game character out there, best game that's numbered 4 for sure
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
The Last of Us
2013
Undeniably one of the best games ever made. For me personally it might even be THE best, as it marks one of the milestone-moments where videogames matured into something, that even non-gamers should be able to appreciate for many reasons. Every single thing about this game is masterful.
