“Nathan Drake that two bit thief risking it all for some piece of treasure. I guess that’s how they know me, how they will remember me, but that’s not who I am. ”
This quote from the trailer thoroughly illustrates the type of complexity that Uncharted 4 adds to its characters, making it the best story of the series. Naughty Dog was able to mix the classic Uncharted story with emotional character drama. They achieved this while never failing to re-create the fun adventure feeling from the past games. Nathan Drake(Nolan North) is happily married to Elena Fischer(Emily Rose) leaving his adventurous life behind until his long lost brother, Sam Drake(Troy Baker), drags him back into the life of a treasure hunter. The drama creeps in when Nathan starts to fill conflicted as to why he is doing this and if it’s all worth it in the end. This thought is derived from the influence of Elena who wants what’s best for him. Ultimately I would say one of the main themes of Uncharted 4 is greed and how it can put you and those around you in danger. All of these deep conflicts are wrapped into a treasure hunt that follows the same elements as the past games. Drake, his old pal Sully(Richard McGonagle), and Sam are in pursuit of Henry Avery’s treasure which leads to a long, globe trotting, scavenger hunt. This simple story also grows more complex as we learn more about the history behind the treasure. There are two opposing treasure hunters, Rafe(Warren Kole) and Nadine(Laura Bailey), who will always be there to cause trouble for our heroes. These are some of the best villains in the series. Nadine being more relatable, because she is not completely evil like past antagonists. Rafe, on the other hand, is portrayed so well that you will love to hate him. His connection to Nate and Sam as well as the tension between him and Nadine makes him a worthwhile villain. When it is all over, there is a finality to the ending that gives each character proper closure. If this is the last time we see Nathan Drake, I would be happy with how it ended. Uncharted 4 has clearly taken cues from the Last of Us, because it is the most character driven story yet, and that’s a good thing.
Naughty Dog has always been able to portray great narratives, while the gameplay side of things fall short. I’m not saying that The Last of Us and Uncharted gameplay is bad, but it could never compare to the great achievements of their narratives. Uncharted 4 tries extra hard to bring its gameplay up to speed with a variety of improvements and new elements. It is mostly successful, but after three Uncharted games some repeated gameplay elements get old. Things like handholds crumbling, boosting your partner up to a ledge, or moving boxes around have lost their excitement. Its a good thing that all the new additions can compensate for this.
Climbing/platforming
The rope is one of the most noticeable ways that Naughty Dog tries to change up its gameplay. This is mostly used as a cool way to break up the platforming aspects of the game. It makes the classic Uncharted climbing feel slightly different. It can also serve as a new approach to combat as you set up an aerial punch. This looks cool but can often leave you vulnerable. Lastly, the rope offers some cool set pieces from the last minute rope swing to save you from death to being dragged from an enemy truck. Other new features such as sliding puts a slightly new feel to climbing as well. Both the rope and sliding can feel over used, but Uncharted has always had great climbing segments and number 4 is no exception. The updated graphics and character movements makes climbing a little bit more cinematic even if it’s a rather worn out mechanic.
Combat
Uncharted 4 takes an all new approach to combat, letting it feel much more open and vertical then ever before. There is larger emphasis on stealth, giving Nathan new take down opportunities that are much easier to execute than in past installments. One of the best things about combat is that it allows you to go in and out of stealth. For example, if Nate is spotted you can run away, find a hiding spot, wait, then get back to your neck cracking. There are still small elements missing from stealth gameplay, like the ability to move bodies, and attract enemies with a noise. These things being common in your average stealth game are still missing from Uncharted. That is just a small nitpick that shouldn’t undermine how far Naughty Dog has gone with their stealth mechanics. Going in guns blazing is still an option and it feels much better than before even if your enemies are still bullet sponges. The AI actually have brains this time and they will try to flank you. This means you have to be ,constantly, on the move if you want to survive. Your helpers (Sam, Sully, etc.) can actually take people down making combat look more realistic. The only time this falters is in stealth where they are basically invisible to the enemies. That means they can walk directly in front of them without being spotted. It takes you out of the world that Naughty Dog has created, but I’d rather let this be the case then having them blow my cover. My encounters with combat usually start out with stealth, but quickly turn into all out chaos as I run, jump, climb, and shoot. That’s OK, because Naughty Dog has created a much more flexible version of combat that is far less scripted then before.
Exploration/puzzles
One of the main things that Naughty Dog advertised was a more open playing field. What came of this is a false sense of freedom. That is not a bad thing, because Uncharted is a linear game and if it went full out free roam it would detract from the narrative. The narrative being the main reason I play these types of games. What Naughty Dog has done is made the environments much more wider in order to invite a greater sense of exploration. It was a creative way to break the sense of linearity while still sticking to their roots as storytellers. These wider environments have multiple, optional areas that are mostly used to hide treasures(collectibles) or allow unique dialogue options. Uncharted has the most freedom when you get to drive a vehicle(either boat or jeep) in wide open areas. These can also be used as ways to construct mini puzzles. This includes using the jeep’s wrench to get up slippery slopes and parking the boat so that you can use it to reach a handheld. The tiny details that Naughty Dog is known for do not go away in these segments. Things like getting mud on your jeep, then driving under a waterfall to wash it off are still very much alive. It’s amazing how much detail that went into this game. This can range from making footprints on the top of a dusty self to climbing being more slippery because of the rain. Another thing that amazes me is how the characters realistically react to different things like how they fluently continue a conversation after you have gotten out of the jeep to explore. The dialogue is generally enjoyable in Uncharted 4. Characters will playfully bicker at each other, but there are also times when the dialogue is heartfelt and powerful. Exploration also involves finding treasures, which don’t really do anything except give you points to unlock bonuses like slow motion and no gravity, journal entries, which gives some extra context to the story, and optional conversations, which lets you dig deeper into how the characters feel. Finally the puzzles of Uncharted 4 are creative and fun to solve, but are never that difficult. They always make it seem like you accomplished something, but are never a roadblock of your progression. All of this is wrapped up in beautiful graphics that have some of the best visuals that games can offer.
Set pieces
Uncharted is known for their blockbuster set pieces and the 4th entry does not shy away from them, but they are presented in a different way. Uncharted always has that big “wow” moment. The train scene from Uncharted 2 and the sinking boat from Uncharted 3 are highlights for me. Uncharted 4, on the other hand, has their set pieces woven in with the gameplay. Instead of having a few big moments they have many small moments interspersed among the campaign. I think the reason for this is that an unbelievable, extravagant set piece may subtract from the grounded narrative that Naughty Dog has crafted for Uncharted 4. In fact Uncharted 4 focuses, much more, on the slower character driven moments. Don’t worry, the set pieces that you know and love are still there, they just may be a little different.
Multiplayer
Uncharted 4 offers a fun multiplayer experience that doesn’t feel finished in multiple ways. You can either play team deathmatch, plunder(capture the flag), and command(domination) in a series of maps that are drastically different. I have greatly enjoyed everything the multiplayer has to offer. It’s a fun experience with great customization. No player ever feels over powered and the gameplay is fast-paced, teamwork driven. That’s why it saddens me that it feels like half an experience. This is due to the mysterious disappearance of many multiplayer elements. The different game-modes are minimal leaving out modes like free-for-all and three-team deathmatch. There is no co-op option, which has been offered in both of the previous Uncharted games. There isn’t even a ranking system, so there is not really a sense of progression. This will all, more then likely, be added with DLC, but right now it is a very bare-bone experience.
Conclusion
Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End has a very strong narrative and the gameplay is all made to complement that. It may have a slower pace than before, but it’s still one of the best Uncharted games thanks to deeper character drama and improved gameplay. There are some repeated gameplay segments that can get old after a while, but all the tiny details come together in a beautiful package that ends Nathan Drake’s journey on a high note.
Uncharted 4 was released on May 10, 2016 and is only available on PlayStation 4.
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