Uncharted 4: A Thief's End

I really take my hat off to Uncharted 4's writers, Neil Druckmann and Josh Scherr, you can clearly see they have an amazing understanding of how real people assess and reacts to emotional situations, especially when they have something to lose. Not spoiling to much of the story, but Uncharted 4 opens up with Nathan Drake having retired from the treasure hunting business and seemingly embraced the ordinary life with us now wife Elena. He now owns a house and said mortgage on the house, and for all intents and purposes he is just an average Joe now doing mostly normal salvage work. But this all changes when he learns that his brother Samuel is alive and well and in need of his help using his skills as a treasure hunter.

Between the two writers and the amazing voice talents of both voice actor Troy Baker and Nolan North. It doesn't take you long to appreciate and get attached to Samuel as Nathan's brother. He is confident and charismatic, pretty much like his little brother. But he is also clearly in awe of Nathan's skills and talent as a treasure hunter. Nathan has also done some growing up and maturing since Uncharted 3, he often acts as the voice of reason throughout the story. This is rather jolting in a series known for reckless sense of adventure, but it also clearly demonstrates a level of maturity that Nathan has gained throughout is prior adventures. And that shows a level of commitment by Neil Druckmann and Josh Scherr to the character of Nathan Drake.

But even more importantly we get to see the relationship between Nathan and Elena develop. How as a married couple they battle with their past and current events. And how the current set of events that unfold puts a strain on their relationship. The most touching scene for me in the entire game was when Nathan having just discovered an important new clue, babbles excitedly about it and basically "geek outs" while Elena listens. "That's incredible," she says, but you know from the look of love and utter heartbreak on her face that she's not talking about Nathan's story he is telling her. But rather Nathan's addiction to the thrill of the chase, and what it might mean for their own troubled relationship and marriage.

To be able to read that level of emotion from a video game characters face, rather than having them spell out their feelings through voice acting, is an extremely rare achievement in video games. Naughty Dog has always set the bar high for cinematic storytelling in video games (The Last of Us comes to mind). But the digital performances in Uncharted 4, combined with the talented actors providing the characters voices and movements set the bar for the industry standard even higher than I ever could have imagined. The same amount of perfection and polish that went into the motion capture also went into the rest of the game. I lost count the amount of times I just randomly stopped during the game to appropriate the scenery around me.

The game also sports some of the best world design I have ever seen, and I am not over exaggerating here. There's a painstaking amount of detail that went into every part of Uncharted 4, to the point where I began to worry I wasn't seeing every last bit of it so I ended up exploring every single nook and cranny while playing for fear of missing out on another amazing vista or view. And like everything else in Uncharted 4, Naughty Dog has vastly improved the combat system. Every combat situation in Uncharted 4 now has multiple solutions, you can either go in guns blazing or take the stealthy approach. There are now multiple paths (Thanks to the more expansive areas) from which you can engage your targets, which you can now tag which is an extremely handy feature.

And both the grappling hook and refined stealth system make it easier to out manoeuvre your enemies, you now have the ability to use your grappling hook in combat and sneak through tall grass. The best encounters in Uncharted 4 plays out like a chess game, with you attempting to find a route to out flank your enemies and gain the upper hand. On the harder difficulty levels you end up dying more than once, but instead of it becoming frustrating like other games it becomes more of a challenge, to see what other route or methods you can use to out-fight and out-flank your enemies.

I can consider Uncharted 4 the best Playstation 4 title and video game I have played to date and right next to The Last of Us. And when it is all said and done, Uncharted 4 delivers the fan service franchise fans will absolutely love and enjoy. And in the process giving us one of the best send-offs we could have ever asked for Nathan Drake and his crew.

Wow, when I had discovered Amy Hennig was taken off the game...well I was worried. And even though everything we had seen was great, it still didn't scream uncharted to me, it felt like they were just trying to make another last of us, out of an existing franchise. But no, this game screams uncharted loud and clear, and that voice has never been more majestic.This game fires on every cylinder, well at least the cylinder that an uncharted game, after two, would need too, but it does so much more.

Never before have I been so emotionally invested it a game before ( after than the last of us, but I had no prior attachment to that game, and so was slightly less invested). Neil Drukkman clearly took what he could do best and bought it to this game, beautiful characterization. Never before has Drake, Elena, Sully, and anyone else in this series felt so real, and I don't just mean graphics. There are in real situations, they face real day to day decisions. Nate and Elena clearly feel out of place in there day to day lives, but they know it's just realistic to put everything else behind them. Rafe ( or however you spell his name ) has actual motivations you can understand ( ish ).

And the game play and graphics are beautiful, this being the most cinematic game I've ever played in my life, and every bit of gameplay has been improved and the addition of the grapple and vehicles was brilliant. The ending alone is worth the price, I teared up, it's so satisfying. But you need to have played the other games to feel the whole weight of its emotional punch. If you are an uncharted fan, and you have not yet picked this up...shame on you. And if you are a fan of great games, and are setting on the fence, please give uncharted a try, but please start with the first three. 10/10 flawless.

Pros:

• Great story & characters
• Tight frantic Gameplay
• No bullet sponge enemies!!

• Great Jeep exploration areas
• Companions are actually very helpful
• Amazing cinematic action movie set pieces
• Amazing graphics, voice acting, animation
• Satisfying and Concluding ending
• Great puzzles

Cons:

• Slightly bloated jungle section near end

Verdict: A near perfect game, and one of (if not) the best on the PS4 market. A must buy!!

10 /10.

Uncharted 4 is excellent, and to be perfectly honest, would be a great game even without its captivating narrative. The introduction of the rope to game-play, as well as some ante upping on stealth mode are wonderful additions. The game is perfectly paced. The intensity ramps up higher and higher as the story continues. Firefights are much rarer than past installments, and very unique. This game-play variety surprisingly adds a lot to the story. Nate no longer feels like an unstoppable killing machine, but more like an aging man, past his prime, simply doing his best.

Of course, without the story, Uncharted would just be...well.., it wouldn't be AS amazing. But the cinematic plot does not disappoint. It incorporates flashbacks, without using them as a crutch, and unlike past games the plot progression continues even after the cut-scenes end. Those long walks through a path, awkward climbs up rustic buildings, and in this games case, drives through the desert now host interesting conversation rather than mindless, albeit often hilarious banter.

The set-pieces in the game are equally amazing. The breathtaking landscapes sometimes prompt a few minutes of inactivity where the player just stares at Naughty Dog's meticulous attention to detail. And with the new photo mode, this is even more magnificent.

Reportedly, this is to be the last game in the Uncharted franchise. Prior to playing this game, I was disappointed. "I hope its good" I thought, resolving to spend my last few weeks with Nathan Drake and CO. as well as possible, relishing every moment. But A thieves end is different. It does something next to impossible for a gamer. It satisfies. That desire for more that the player felt after uncharted one, two, and three, is totally absent. I may never see Nathan Drake again, and I'm okay with that. From brutal brawls, to death-defying leaps; wide open mountains, to claustrophobic caves, this game is practically perfect in any away.

Greetings from Lithuania.

"Uncharted 4: A Thief's End" (2016) is probably the first game in which i stopped during the journey and just stood and watched the landscape more then two minutes - and i did it a many, many times during it's breathtaking ~19 hours story.

This has to be the most beautiful game i've ever played, period. Graphics are one of the kind - it is a jaw-dropping looking game - i screen it on my 2m x 2m projector - amazing stuff to say the least.

Story was superb, and this is my first game of this series that i played, but now i will definitely buy "UNCHARTED: The Nathan Drake Collection". This is one of the best polished games i've played as well - everything feels and plays smooth - it is just a joy to simply control your character.

Acting, writing, directing of the whole game as well as music and all craftsmanship was outstanding - there isn't a flaw in this game, well except maybe the pacing during last ~5 chapters, but it is not a problem. Action set pieces as terrific as it gets.

Overall, "Uncharted 4: A Thief's End" (2016) is definitely a must own and play game for all PS4 owners. It has everything to keep you glued to your screen - and find the biggest possible - it is marvelous ride.