Game Review - Uncharted 4: A Thief's End

Taking into consideration all the problems I had with the other Uncharted games, this one straight-up destroys them. If you need the short version, GO PLAY THIS GAME!!!... even if you know nothing about the Uncharted series. For the more patient ones who want to know why, keep reading.  

As evident from reviews of the first three Uncharted games that I posted way back when, I wasn't much impressed with what they had to offer. I mean, they were good, but nothing I would write home about. The story was this generic adventure BS, the graphics were decent, the animations were nothing short of being cartoonish and the gameplay was okay. However, Uncharted 4 had a lot to live up to. They just could not use the same template as people would get bored of it really quick. Hence, they made some changes. Drastic changes. And I'm glad they did!

This is supposedly the last adventure of Nathan Drake. He is already retired at the start of the game. But his long lost brother, Sam, comes to him for help. And adventure ensues. The story may sound paper thin, but this one has more emotion, more drama and most importantly a purpose which the last two games lacked. The story kept me going and I wanted to see what would happen in the end (considering the game's subtitle being "A Thief's End" and all). Though some of the characters are familiar, there are enough new ones, including the aforementioned Sam Drake and the main bad guy, Rafe Adler. I must admit, the bad guy was just a place-holder like the rest of the games, but that is not the point of this game. It is about a proper send off for Nate.

The gameplay is miles better than the previous games. Yes, the game is still third-person, stop and pop shooter. But Naughty Dog has mastered this genre by this point that I have no complaints with this. There are no hit-detection issues, no stupid AI and no frustrating enemy flanks *ahem* Drake's Fortune*ahem*. This time we get a grappling hook in addition to the usual assortment of guns. Though unrealistic to be honest, the grappling hook certainly makes Nate look like a bad-ass - especially when he is hanging off a cliff and shooting at enemies. We also get brilliant driving sections that are, for the most part, not frustrating. There are also these subtle little things you'll notice while you are playing this game, a la The Last of Us (given that both were made by ND). For instance, if Sam is hanging on a cliff and you jump to the same cliff, Nate climbs Sam and gets to where he needs to go. Little things like this show that this game was made by passionate people.

The graphics are the best on the PS4 system. I am also a PC gamer and this game has the ability to go toe-to-toe with the best on the PC. To give you an example, you can see the pores on the skin of the characters if you zoom in. What a time to be a gamer! The animations are very realistic as well. It is almost unbelievable to see that the cartoonish animations in the previous games were made by the same guys. The difference is night and day. From the facial reactions to the combat animations, everything looks life-like. I feel that talking about the graphical fidelity of this game will not do the

developers justice. It has to be seen to be believed and appreciated. With the exception of the fixed 30 FPS gameplay, the developers did an excellent job in this department!

The sound is what you'd expect. It is good but nothing I would write home about. It is serviceable and gets the job done. The voice-acting on the other hand is, again, as true to life as it will ever be in a videogame. The grunts have enough weight to them and the dialogues have more than enough emotions. The only minor gripe I have with sound is with the music. The main theme, to be precise. The iconic theme song from the previous games is present but in a different style. No longer does it have this triumphant adventure-esque feel to it. This time it is more somber, almost as if it is telling us it is time to bid Nathan and his adventures goodbye. Maybe fitting for the title but I was slightly disappointed.

This is one of the titles that deserves at least a single play-through. This game is as close to a thrill ride you'll get on your couch. Not to mention, the game is quite long (at about 16 hours, medium difficulty) and I certainly got my money's worth. It is no wonder why this game is still (at the time of this review) the number one PS4 title and among the top-tier videogames of all time. This game is a fitting closure to one of Sony's iconic mascots in my opinion. 

You will be missed, Nathan Drake. Sic Parvis Magna.

Score - 9/10