This is the culmination of Nathan Drake’s story. With grand set pieces, third-person cover shooting, intricate puzzles, and a masterful story (with pirates!), this game has a little bit of everything.
Every time I’ve played Uncharted 4 – this is my fourth – I’ve become equally obsessed with the story, perhaps not as obsessed as Nathan, but still. As you start off on a seemingly simple journey to find some lost pirate treasure a story of obsession, betrayal and companionship comes to the forefront. with real consequences for these characters, this game has a more nuanced and serious tone that better fits the actions you perform as Nathan Drake. The final two thirds of this game feels like non-stop moments of interesting discovery as you begin to piece together what happened to Henry Avery and his treasure. These world-building moments are intertwined with rising suspense for the present day story, and the antagonists are more grounded but no less ruthless and slimy. I hesitate to talk too much about the more pirate-y aspects of this game because there are some awesome revelations and I think the less you know going in, the better. If you have any interest at all in pirates, the world-building and story of this game will have you grinning the whole way through.
Combat takes center stage for much of this game as the third person shooting is one of the pillars of the Uncharted series. The shooting feels great with the dual sense controller and there are a wide variety of guns to test out against the constant onslaught of mercenaries. The combat arenas are wider and more intricate than in the past and stealth gameplay is often an option. The new rope mechanic provides you some pace to adjust your positioning or take enemies by surprise. My lone complaint is my wish for a ranged stealth weapon like a bow or silenced pistol.
The biggest and most welcome change in Uncharted 4 has to be the inclusion of some semi-open sections throughout the campaign. Exploring every nook of these areas provides great world-building, and character moments with breathtaking scenery and there are even some fully optional combat encounters. These sections made me feel like I was truly hunting for treasure, something that’s hard to match in the more linear moments of the series.
Traversal in this series has often been mocked as you have to climb a lot. I’ve never hated the climbing, but it’s hardly the best part of these games. Uncharted 4 has plenty of this climbing but I found the mechanics to be sharp and your pace to be fast enough that it continued to entertain me throughout. There are also some much needed new traversal options thanks to the rope and a new sliding/scree mechanic. These new moves are featured a lot and may not be more or less fun than climbing, but at least it’s something different.
Uncharted 4 is on a relatively short list for my favorite game of all time. It’s hard to construct a game that is more up my alley and that’s before you even account for this being the finale of a series that basically got me into non-sports video games back when I was a teenager. The PS5 remaster makes this feel like a brand new game, and the perfect blend of action, story and exploration makes this the best the series has ever been.
Every time I’ve played Uncharted 4 – this is my fourth – I’ve become equally obsessed with the story, perhaps not as obsessed as Nathan, but still. As you start off on a seemingly simple journey to find some lost pirate treasure a story of obsession, betrayal and companionship comes to the forefront. with real consequences for these characters, this game has a more nuanced and serious tone that better fits the actions you perform as Nathan Drake. The final two thirds of this game feels like non-stop moments of interesting discovery as you begin to piece together what happened to Henry Avery and his treasure. These world-building moments are intertwined with rising suspense for the present day story, and the antagonists are more grounded but no less ruthless and slimy. I hesitate to talk too much about the more pirate-y aspects of this game because there are some awesome revelations and I think the less you know going in, the better. If you have any interest at all in pirates, the world-building and story of this game will have you grinning the whole way through.
Combat takes center stage for much of this game as the third person shooting is one of the pillars of the Uncharted series. The shooting feels great with the dual sense controller and there are a wide variety of guns to test out against the constant onslaught of mercenaries. The combat arenas are wider and more intricate than in the past and stealth gameplay is often an option. The new rope mechanic provides you some pace to adjust your positioning or take enemies by surprise. My lone complaint is my wish for a ranged stealth weapon like a bow or silenced pistol.
The biggest and most welcome change in Uncharted 4 has to be the inclusion of some semi-open sections throughout the campaign. Exploring every nook of these areas provides great world-building, and character moments with breathtaking scenery and there are even some fully optional combat encounters. These sections made me feel like I was truly hunting for treasure, something that’s hard to match in the more linear moments of the series.
Traversal in this series has often been mocked as you have to climb a lot. I’ve never hated the climbing, but it’s hardly the best part of these games. Uncharted 4 has plenty of this climbing but I found the mechanics to be sharp and your pace to be fast enough that it continued to entertain me throughout. There are also some much needed new traversal options thanks to the rope and a new sliding/scree mechanic. These new moves are featured a lot and may not be more or less fun than climbing, but at least it’s something different.
Uncharted 4 is on a relatively short list for my favorite game of all time. It’s hard to construct a game that is more up my alley and that’s before you even account for this being the finale of a series that basically got me into non-sports video games back when I was a teenager. The PS5 remaster makes this feel like a brand new game, and the perfect blend of action, story and exploration makes this the best the series has ever been.