The only reason a game like this is consequence free is for the sake of keeping the player engaged. Remember that Naughty Dog didn't exactly invent this type of gameplay, Prince of Persia (2008) did this no-consequences approach to platforming well before and for the sake of the game itself. I felt like games like Tomb Raider, Zelda and Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver offered evolving puzzle challenges that weren't too obscure to figure out and that legacy simply doesn't exist for Naughty Dog. Climbing is risk free as sequences are short and auto-saves are frequent, puzzles don't really exist apart from one where you're required to open Nate's journal to sort images. Not only does finding a crate to get on a ledge to knock down a ladder get old but the game finds twenty different ways to do that same action repeatedly throughout each of the games 22 chapters. It seems as if Naughty Dog only included the worst faux co-op aspects of The Last of Us here as scene transition and filler time meant to trigger additional banter. The gameplay in Uncharted 4 has an incredible amount of flaws considering it only builds upon the skill-free, hands free style they created on the first three Uncharted games. If you don't play the game, you won't ever know if they make a joke about road head while driving a boat towards an island.Įxtensive sidebar: Ok, I lied. He doesn't fit into the previous game's plot particularly well, his banter with Nathan and the other surviving cast seems under-served, and the flat performance of the character is one of Baker's worst. The only major story gripe that I have all seems to center around Troy Baker's appearance in the main cast as Nathan's estranged brother Sam. Elena's demeanor is different, she's a little more badass now, but her banter with Nathan is very nearly human. Nathan Drake is at his most subtle this time around, though, and though he manages to murder roughly 1500 human beings in this game he -does- let some of the other characters shine in this fourth game. Naughty Dog did a great job building a gameplay experience into a game that is essentially focused on telling a modern Indiana Jones murder mystery with a theme of brotherly love. It is a beautiful game, one of the prettiest to date, with diverse gameplay mechanics and a story that goes places.
It is by a fair majority the 'best' game of 2016 and one can easily see why folks think so. For all of the shortcomings of a site like metacritic, nothing else reviewed higher in major video game review outlets in 2016. Uncharted 4: A Thief's End is one of 2016's highest rated games, a quick glance at Metacritic reveals a solid 93. This entire post, beyond the first two paragraphs, will be spoilers and the video is one huge spoiler. Even if you have no plans to play the game, it should give you an idea of the ambitious and occasionally artfully directed cinematic moments of the game. Before you read this you might consider this four hour video showing all of the cut-scenes from Uncharted 4.
J21 Comments Sam Drake, as played by Troy Baker on Naughty Dog's fourth Uncharted game. Uncharted 4: A Thief's End has many flaws but Troy Baker's Sam Drake is the worst.