Uncharted 4 review.

Uncharted is a series which gets better with each entry. I first played the original game about two or three years ago on the PS3 as one of my first games after buying a used console, it was decent but nothing to write home about, 2.5/4. I then played the second one a year later and it was pretty good, not the best, but pretty good, 3/4. The third one was very good, but even then I still thought it was a notch or two below greatness, 3.5/4.

Uncharted 4 is 4/4, it is the one entry in the series that I consider to be a legitimately great game and it feels like the culmination of all of Naughty Dog’s previous efforts

The game is set several years after the end of Uncharted 3. Nathan has married Elena and settled into a quiet life, but this peace is disturbed when Sam, his long thought dead brother returns and convinces Nathan to go on a quest for Henry Avery’s lost treasure. From there, the brothers go on a journey which takes them from robbing an underworld auction in Italy to sneaking into a ruined Scottish Castle and finally to Madagascar and the lost pirate utopia of Libertalia.

In terms of formula, Uncharted 4 follows the pattern set by the previous games, segments of platforming while exploring ruins alternate with intense gunfights, with Nathan and whoever he happens to be with keep up a running commentary all the while. Uncharted 4 just does it all better than the previous games.

First the platforming. This is the part where the series has traditionally shone. This is due not so much to mechanics which are fairly basic, but due to the game’s superb presentation. It feels amazing to wander through these gorgeous environments, especially Libertalia which feels like a more lived in place than previous lost cities in the series. It is absolutely style over substance, but it works, by god it works. This is especially true with the game’s spectacular set pieces, my favorite by far being this massive car chase through the crowded streets of King’s Bay.

The combat on the other hand has always been the Achilles heel of the series with mediocre cover based third person shooting and truth be told it is also the case with this game as well. The difference is they add some very basic stealth mechanics which are like the gunplay very shallow, but manage to feel somewhat satisfying. So the combat isn’t good, but it is the least bad of all the series.

The plot and characters are where Uncharted 4 really shines though. I love Sam and the dynamic between him and his brother is the best part of this game. Sam is Nathan’s older, more cynical brother and his relationship to his younger sibling is both affectionate and manipulative, but no matter what he does, Sam is always charismatic while doing it. You can’t help but like him, probably shouldn’t like him, but you do anyway. Throughout most of the game, the brothers are constantly chatting, making comments on the situation and giving the occasional bit of advice to the player. The writing is witty, well acted and there is just a lot of it making every moment of the game better.

Puzzles are the one area where this game is not actually better than Uncharted 3, but I’m okay with that because Uncharted 3 had amazing puzzles and this does too. Unlike most developers, Naughty Dog doesn’t half ass the puzzles and put actual effort into making them original and satisfying. This is a game where you look forward to the puzzles and I like that.

In conclusion this game is great not because it innovates in terms of the mechanics of the series, but because it perfects them, creating by far the most satisfying of all the Uncharted games. If you only play one game in the series play this one.

4/4