The thing about family is we feel we often feel like we owe them our everything, especially to our closest loved ones. Our partners, our children, and our siblings. We may promise something to one family member and then be unable to live up to that promise because another family member needs our help. We can never run from our past, nor truly rid ourselves of our blood. It seems that even someone as mysterious as Nathan Drake cannot outrun his past, especially when his brother who has supposedly been dead for 15 years comes back to find him for one last adventure.
As we know by now, Naughty Dog are masters of their craft and have created some of the highest praised and most influential works in the gaming industry. Truly entering the spotlight by establishing the Playstation as a brand back in the 90's with Crash Bandicoot. Uncharted 4 brings it's third Playstation series to a close, a close we thought we had already had in 2011 with Uncharted 3, but as I mentioned above, some things just can't stay dead.
Three years have passed since Nate found and ultimately buried the fabled Atlantis of the Sands in the Rub 'al Khali desert. He has settled down, is working for a salvage company, and has remarried Elena Fisher. He's being pestered by his boss to take a job in Malaysia looking for artefacts, Nathan refuses stating that he has retired from that line of work. However when a ghost from the past, Samuel Drake, rocks up looking for his younger brother Nathan. The two end up getting swept up in an adventure looking for the lost treasure of legendary pirate Henry Avery in the hope of sparing Sam's life from a drug lord who helped bust him out of the prison Sam supposedly died in 15 years earlier. Nate is reluctant, more mature, but understandably cannot lose his brother again and so begins another adventure for Nathan Drake, whilst he hopes to keep it a secret from Elena who is led to believe that he is on a business trip.
Uncharted 4 has a very different tone in comparison to the previous 3 Uncharted games. It's much slower paced, more mature, and character driven than the previous entries. It also has a smaller cast than the previous two games, with no appearances from Chloe and Cutter, and Sully being relegated to a background character for most of the game. For the majority of the story it's just Nate and Sam, the brothers Drake, out looking for the treasure that their mother had been writing about before her untimely death.
The backstory of the brothers is also explored in depth in the game, addressing many threads left loose by Katherine Marlowe in Uncharted 3 such as the mothers suicide, Nate's time in an orphanage and most importantly that their last name isn't really Drake.
These factors add a huge amount of depth to a character we have come to love over the past decade, as well as bringing us significantly closer to Sam in such a short timescale.
The 'villains', if they can be called that, this time round are Rafe Adler and Nadine Ross. Rafe is an old accomplice of the Drake brothers and was around at the time that Sam was thought to have died. Nadine is the owner of a private military company called Shoreline, which Rafe has hired to help him find the treasure of Henry Avery. The reason why I am reluctant to call them villains is because although they are the antagonists, they don't have outright villainous intentions. Rather Rafe just wants to get one up on Nathan after hearing about his previous adventures, and Nadine is quite literally paid to be there.
It provides a much more mature storyline that's less about Michael Bay style set pieces and more about the characters, their motivations, and how they interact with each other. It does appear that in many ways, Uncharted 4 has taken a leaf out of The Last of Us, which let's face it, is no bad thing.
As we know by now, Naughty Dog are masters of their craft and have created some of the highest praised and most influential works in the gaming industry. Truly entering the spotlight by establishing the Playstation as a brand back in the 90's with Crash Bandicoot. Uncharted 4 brings it's third Playstation series to a close, a close we thought we had already had in 2011 with Uncharted 3, but as I mentioned above, some things just can't stay dead.
Three years have passed since Nate found and ultimately buried the fabled Atlantis of the Sands in the Rub 'al Khali desert. He has settled down, is working for a salvage company, and has remarried Elena Fisher. He's being pestered by his boss to take a job in Malaysia looking for artefacts, Nathan refuses stating that he has retired from that line of work. However when a ghost from the past, Samuel Drake, rocks up looking for his younger brother Nathan. The two end up getting swept up in an adventure looking for the lost treasure of legendary pirate Henry Avery in the hope of sparing Sam's life from a drug lord who helped bust him out of the prison Sam supposedly died in 15 years earlier. Nate is reluctant, more mature, but understandably cannot lose his brother again and so begins another adventure for Nathan Drake, whilst he hopes to keep it a secret from Elena who is led to believe that he is on a business trip.
Uncharted 4 has a very different tone in comparison to the previous 3 Uncharted games. It's much slower paced, more mature, and character driven than the previous entries. It also has a smaller cast than the previous two games, with no appearances from Chloe and Cutter, and Sully being relegated to a background character for most of the game. For the majority of the story it's just Nate and Sam, the brothers Drake, out looking for the treasure that their mother had been writing about before her untimely death.
The backstory of the brothers is also explored in depth in the game, addressing many threads left loose by Katherine Marlowe in Uncharted 3 such as the mothers suicide, Nate's time in an orphanage and most importantly that their last name isn't really Drake.
These factors add a huge amount of depth to a character we have come to love over the past decade, as well as bringing us significantly closer to Sam in such a short timescale.
The 'villains', if they can be called that, this time round are Rafe Adler and Nadine Ross. Rafe is an old accomplice of the Drake brothers and was around at the time that Sam was thought to have died. Nadine is the owner of a private military company called Shoreline, which Rafe has hired to help him find the treasure of Henry Avery. The reason why I am reluctant to call them villains is because although they are the antagonists, they don't have outright villainous intentions. Rather Rafe just wants to get one up on Nathan after hearing about his previous adventures, and Nadine is quite literally paid to be there.
It provides a much more mature storyline that's less about Michael Bay style set pieces and more about the characters, their motivations, and how they interact with each other. It does appear that in many ways, Uncharted 4 has taken a leaf out of The Last of Us, which let's face it, is no bad thing.
That being said, Uncharted 4 is still every bit an Uncharted game in its gameplay. Fans of the previous three games will feel right at home with its blend of platforming, puzzle solving, and third person shooting. Stealth is also now a viable option in most encounters, without it being restricted to set sequences like in the previous games. That doesn't necessarily mean it's easier to stealth your way through a section of the game though, the A.I in Uncharted 4 is extremely clever. In most encounters I was regularly flushed out of cover by coordinated attacks or flanking manoeuvres made by the computer. It can predict your movements before you make them and requires you to think on your feet rather than plan a particular attack strategy.
The world is also less linear this time around, with many areas in the game being more akin to hubs where there are several places of interest in a large open area to explore before continuing on with the story. There is also usually more than one way to progress forwards along the more linear sections of the game, allowing more daring players to explore areas that may seem inaccessible to newcomers, as well as utilising the new climbing mechanics introduced by the grappling hook and more.
The shooting is more of the same, though the guns appear to have much less variety this time round consisting only of assault rifles, pistols, and shotguns (besides rarer special weapons like the grenade launcher and minigun). The melee combat has been tweaked requiring you to roll away from your attackers and counter grapples, rather than just pressing the counter button whenever the enemy throws a punch. It adds another layer of depth to the combat system and gives it a more brawling like aesthetic to it, really showing how Nate has lost his touch from being out of the game for a few years.
The puzzles are few and far between but are some of the best in the series. One particular highlight involves traversing a booby trapped tomb, the sequence is long and testing but in all the right ways. A test of both mind and body as you must solve puzzles and traverse a complex, dangerous environment.
The set pieces are of course there, but to a much smaller scale than in previous games. Don't expect anything like the train sequence in Uncharted 2 or pretty much anything from Uncharted 3. They are grand in the few times they occur but they are much less explosive or lengthy than any in the previous entries. I won't ruin any of them for you, but just don't be expecting anything quite like flying out of the back of a plane and climbing across crates that are plummeting down to the desert below.
The world is also less linear this time around, with many areas in the game being more akin to hubs where there are several places of interest in a large open area to explore before continuing on with the story. There is also usually more than one way to progress forwards along the more linear sections of the game, allowing more daring players to explore areas that may seem inaccessible to newcomers, as well as utilising the new climbing mechanics introduced by the grappling hook and more.
The shooting is more of the same, though the guns appear to have much less variety this time round consisting only of assault rifles, pistols, and shotguns (besides rarer special weapons like the grenade launcher and minigun). The melee combat has been tweaked requiring you to roll away from your attackers and counter grapples, rather than just pressing the counter button whenever the enemy throws a punch. It adds another layer of depth to the combat system and gives it a more brawling like aesthetic to it, really showing how Nate has lost his touch from being out of the game for a few years.
The puzzles are few and far between but are some of the best in the series. One particular highlight involves traversing a booby trapped tomb, the sequence is long and testing but in all the right ways. A test of both mind and body as you must solve puzzles and traverse a complex, dangerous environment.
The set pieces are of course there, but to a much smaller scale than in previous games. Don't expect anything like the train sequence in Uncharted 2 or pretty much anything from Uncharted 3. They are grand in the few times they occur but they are much less explosive or lengthy than any in the previous entries. I won't ruin any of them for you, but just don't be expecting anything quite like flying out of the back of a plane and climbing across crates that are plummeting down to the desert below.
Uncharted 4 is perhaps the most beautiful game you can buy at the time of writing this. It is one of the few truly 'next gen' games (haven't used that term in a few years). Showcasing breathtaking visuals that push the PS4 to the breaking point and all with barely a hitch to the frame rate which manages to hold a smooth 30FPS for the majority of the game.
As expected the audio is also fantastic. The original score is among the best in the franchise and the new opening theme is my personal favourite out of all of them. The sounds of the world are also fantastic with echoey caves and wildlife filled expanses. Guns pack a real kick to them and explosions roar with a ferocious rumble. Of course that's without mentioning the simply astounding voice work that is among the best in the entire industry. With all returning characters reprising roles from their actors and actresses, along with Troy Baker voicing Sam Drake, as well as a few familiar voices from The Last of Us voicing minor characters it truly is an all-star cast of great gaming voices.
Uncharted 4 is undoubtedly Naughty Dog's finest work and a true landmark in gaming that sets the new standard, not just for action adventure games but for any game that comes after. However due to it's drastic change in tone, I almost felt like I wasn't playing an Uncharted game at times. It's not a complaint as I thoroughly enjoyed what I played, but if you're expecting another explosive, carefree outing as Nathan Drake, fearless explorer and man of action then think again; Uncharted 4 has these moments fleetingly where the vast majority of the game Nate is being the voice of reason in the duo. The voice that used to reside in Sully, but now is coming from the mouth of a reformed Nate to his brother Sam. It's a shift that may prove hard to adjust to, as it did for me, but it's a shift that makes the game so much more special. The finale will also leave you with goosebumps, a smile on your face and a hopeful outlook for the future. Though it's likely the end of the tale for Nathan Drake, it may not be the last time we set foot in the world of Uncharted with plenty of potential for more stories to be told.
Uncharted 4: A Thief's End deserves all the praise it can get and it's as simple as that. This review does not do the game the justice it deserves and you are insane if you do not buy this game immediately. The Uncharted series has always been something Playstation gamers should play, but now that Uncharted 4 has seemingly finished the story, it's something that all gamers should experience. If you don't own a PS4, go get one and then pick up the Nathan Drake Collection and Uncharted 4, your life will benefit from it.
As expected the audio is also fantastic. The original score is among the best in the franchise and the new opening theme is my personal favourite out of all of them. The sounds of the world are also fantastic with echoey caves and wildlife filled expanses. Guns pack a real kick to them and explosions roar with a ferocious rumble. Of course that's without mentioning the simply astounding voice work that is among the best in the entire industry. With all returning characters reprising roles from their actors and actresses, along with Troy Baker voicing Sam Drake, as well as a few familiar voices from The Last of Us voicing minor characters it truly is an all-star cast of great gaming voices.
Uncharted 4 is undoubtedly Naughty Dog's finest work and a true landmark in gaming that sets the new standard, not just for action adventure games but for any game that comes after. However due to it's drastic change in tone, I almost felt like I wasn't playing an Uncharted game at times. It's not a complaint as I thoroughly enjoyed what I played, but if you're expecting another explosive, carefree outing as Nathan Drake, fearless explorer and man of action then think again; Uncharted 4 has these moments fleetingly where the vast majority of the game Nate is being the voice of reason in the duo. The voice that used to reside in Sully, but now is coming from the mouth of a reformed Nate to his brother Sam. It's a shift that may prove hard to adjust to, as it did for me, but it's a shift that makes the game so much more special. The finale will also leave you with goosebumps, a smile on your face and a hopeful outlook for the future. Though it's likely the end of the tale for Nathan Drake, it may not be the last time we set foot in the world of Uncharted with plenty of potential for more stories to be told.
Uncharted 4: A Thief's End deserves all the praise it can get and it's as simple as that. This review does not do the game the justice it deserves and you are insane if you do not buy this game immediately. The Uncharted series has always been something Playstation gamers should play, but now that Uncharted 4 has seemingly finished the story, it's something that all gamers should experience. If you don't own a PS4, go get one and then pick up the Nathan Drake Collection and Uncharted 4, your life will benefit from it.