2.6.2016

Spoilers about locations / level types but not to do with characters (I might have the orders slightly out).Don't you think it's odd that Nadine pops up now and again merely to knock seven bells out of the characters and then disappears again? Like some guilty secret Chloe device where the boys can have a bit of rough and tumble?A bit of a random start to my overall impressions but it's this kind of thing that starts to hint at the unusual structure of Uncharted 4 which, Madagascar aside, partly feels like a reimagining Drake's Fortune and then building aspects of Uncharted 2, 3, Metal Gear Solid (stealth using long grass whichsome will like and some won't like the 'one enemy sees means all enemies instant see'nature of. ) and The Last of Us around it and very subtly building in to putting a cap on it all. Interestingly, Uncharted 2, so rightly unanimously popular, arguably has the leastexplicit mark upon Uncharted 4 unless you count the UC2's cave level which seems to inform so much of Uncharted 4 that it has lead to some regarding the sheer amount of climbing, falling, sliding in parts as a negative. Uncharted 2's other influences (apart from the much welcome return of the odd tank) seem more implicit- to do with just 2 people being together, rather than 3, for most of the game and in the brilliant, crumbly environments set piece execution. Uncharted 2 was a game in which I felt that a helicopter or tank could circle at any point. Uncharted 4, a little oddly, doesn't go for that approach. Vehicle sections, even the totally SUPERB 4x4 and motorbike chase sequence, don't deliberately try to scare you. You'll never find yourself edging across something on Uncharted 4 and then, all of a sudden, a vehicle comes up to try to destroy you. I wonder whether it was a deliberate decision. If so, perhaps it's part of the toning down of the Uncharted 3 approach where planes and boats took up notable parts of the game. Sully's plane pops up in Uncharted 4 but we don't even get a setpiece from it. Perhaps it's stuff that will be incorporated in to the Uncharted 4 episode DLC. But Uncharted 4 as it is is more about natural use of vehicles rather than a huge vessel being used as setpiece as they were in Uncharted 3.None of what I say below is meant to imply that I think it's a retread- it's just they've borrowed from the best.It starts off on a boat, just like Drake's Fortune did.It then has a flashback, just like Uncharted 3 did.You then brawl, just like you did in UC3 and The Last of Us.You then explore forts by the sea, like Drake's Fortune.You then have an inside plot with outside areas very reminiscent of Uncharted 3's architecture.You then explore granitey places (new aspect) - and then caves, like Uncharted 2 did.You then visit a deserty-like location like Uncharted 3.You then go through a market place, just like in Uncharted 3.You then get in a 4x4 and shoot at people, as Drake's Fortune allowed (even though you didn't steer it in DF).You then explore some islands, which is treat as something of a holiday compared to the tense levels before it and most after it.You find a lost city , as every Uncharted game does, but Libertalia feels most closely connected to Drake's Fortune in theme, mixed with Last of Us-like moss covered splendour.The final few chapters are very Drake's Fortune like yet crossed with that tantalisingly all too brief river crossing section in UC2. It's like The Goonies meets Romancing the Stone. It's brilliant stuff.Despite what I've mentioned, Uncharted 4 tonally feels a different game from Uncharted 2 and 3 (Uncharted 4 doesn't massively go in for parkour chase sequences for instance) but it has the effect of finally fulfilling what was missing from Drake's Fortune. Despite its gritty (and frankly a little too derivative) opening chapters, the game frequently, and thankfully, mellows.Despite first appearances, this is not a game that actually relies on larger than life villains at all. The settings and 'hero' relationships do the talking in this game as it progresses.Many of the scenes happen by coastlines and riverbeds- this is a game often true to the first game's Prince of Persia-like piratey, green and lush, kind of stylings. Regard it as a kind of very best, superb, reimagining or building upon Drake's Fortune (despite some locations that are not like that game) with absolutely gorgeous details (which can be endlessly enjoyed and played about with in Photo Mode) and you won't be disappointed because on those terms it is worth the very high marks people have given it. It's only if you start trying to compare with UC2 and UC3 as if UC4 was trying to be the same kind of thing as them that you can start to feel that UC4 had too much of some things and not enough of others.UC2's status as a shooter and as a brilliantly paced romantic story is not changed- it remains brilliant. UC3's status as featuring some quirky characters, the largest feeling setpiece locations, and the best Sully interactions of all is unchanged. UC4 is a more complex, brilliant, thing than just trying to outdo Naughty Dog's already un-outdoable work. And yet it's also the most simple, good natured, schoolboy, fun of all. It makes you work through the first few chapters to get to the true gaming gold but it slowly turns in to pretty much Romancing the Stone meets The Goonies for goodness sake- what more can you want? Apart from more Sully and Nadine and being allowed to pilot a plane.Does 5 star mean it's the perfect Uncharted game? No, of course not- to be perfect by Uncharted standards it would have to include some chapters that were a bit more 'urban' as well like Uncharted 2 plus it's have to have more Sully and Nadine in it plus the market scene in single player would be far more extended (multiplayer gives you far of a market place level to play with). 5 star means I love it and I will do long term. I can see that, far from being just a setpiece laden game that will lose its lustre on repeated playthroughs, this is a game that will reward lovers of graphic design (in moments of both high octane and still scenes) and of quiet character interaction.

3.5.2017

- Best graphics in PS4, perhaps even in all of gaming! No joke. I thought games like Arkham Knight, Witcher 3 might deserve tie in this department, UC4 beats them!There is practically no tearing, near-perfect anti-aliasing. Deep details, amazing lightning, weather, wetness, reflections, dirt, dust and so many steps in this game, not just big story moments look like beautiful paintings came alive! Shadows, however are not super sharp and kind of average but compared to the rest of amazingness it is passable.- Story is just incredible! Look, I enjoyed Tomb Raider reboot and Rise, which gameplay wise are very similar (perhaps too similar) but that game practically got no story,for real!Uncharted 4 at times feels like a family movie, you get emotionally attached to the characters, they seem very real and human with interesting personalities, deep background stories explained, you see them in various, surprising places and situations, you want to know what's gonna happen next! And the twists, honestly, are not what you gonna expect them to be like!Video games and entertainment in general too often got bad, dumb stories, and while I can really enjoy a good action and flashy stuff even if it's kind of braindead, once you in a rare while get this very refreshing, revitalizing sweet taste of amazing story, it touches deeply and you want more!- Gameplay is very good, compared to Tomb Raider reboots, you notice that now you got a real cover system, blind fire option, you got a rope, you can run while shooting, you can even shoot while swinging on a rope, you get stealth in high grass. However, the game is more linear, there are not much side-activities (like tombs) to explore, except finding artifacts, at least in the beginning of the game, later on areas become much more open, however, that also means you use a lot of thinking how to pass, how to interact with the tools and environment in the main walkthrough, in Tomb Raider all of that was in tombs, but the main run was much simpler and less sophisticated.Little complaints about gameplay is that you got only 2 guns - pistol-type (revolvers, SMGs) and riffle / heavy (AKs and their iterations, RPG) and up to 4 grenades, and you can have only 1 kind of a weapon in each slot, picking new drops the previous and on top of that you do not pick up bullets automatically, if you run low on them you have to try your luck that the new type of weapon dropped contains more bullets.Also "O" button is the same for dodging and getting cover, and that makes dodging grenades or dodging in general a little messy, you often "pick cover" right next to a grenade while what you wanted to do is to roll the hell away and when you want to throw a grenade, it seems to happen a little too slowly. Anyway, controls in general, climbing, running, swimming etc. are great and very responsive, Assassin's Creed stands no close. The only thing is that Nathan Drake does not jump so high as Lara Croft and got lower tolerance from jumping down from larger heights unscathed so you often have to rely more on thinking and preparation instead of attempting Lara's superhuman feats, at least in comparison, even Uncharted 4 acrobatics totally can be considered superhuman.The million dollar question is replay value. There is multiplayer available, how good is it, cannot comment, I am strictly single-player, and like all non-RPG platformers with heavy scripting play the same way every run. There is an option to replay specific chapters, there are rewards and bonuses for finding artifacts and there is deeply detailed photo mode - hiding interface, allowing in pause to zoom out, move and even rotate the angle of the camera, apply various visual filters, even edit which characters are visible in the moment of your photo shoot, considering how amazingly beautiful is this game, I have taken a lot of screenshots in my first playthrough and photo mode only motivates that further!A more unpleasant issue is that rather early in the game I always crashed at the very same specific spot (Chapter Arcatraz, where Sam jumps on a wooden box and attempts to leap over a fence) making progress impossible. Reloads, save file rewriting, etc. did not fix it, strangely just letting the game to stand still before that bad place for like 5 minutes fixed itself allowing going forth. No other technical issues happened after that at all.Also there is whooping 12 GB patch, which contains mostly multiplayer content, however, it also includes bug fixes for single-player so if you want to minimize the chances of something going wrong (which according to the forums and my own experience can happen) you are forced to cluster your precious PS4 memory with data you may not even use, you cannot cherry-pick which parts of patches you may download and install.However, I am very glad that I kept my faith in this game, fixed the issues relatively easily and kept sticking to it. I truly wish it would last longer, I played on Moderate and with aim-assist, definitely without aim-assist it would go longer. I enjoyed it very much and even if there is not much replay value by design, I am one of those crazy people who sometimes watches the same deeply touching movie like 7 times consecutively! Also it's better to keep something relatively short but with top-notch quality, than something to drag far beyond its welcome and being mediocre, Uncharted 4 choose the former way and made a decision to end its series on a high note!

1.1.2017

A very good instalment into the franchise.The story continues I'd say some three or four years following Uncharted 3. Nathan Drake and Elena Fisher are happily married living in a coastal town, Elena makes money doing travel journalism and Nate is making his living as a salvage diver for a marine company. Nathan is heartsick for the glory days of adventuring and treasure hunting, but his love for Elena has him firmly rooted, him fearing he will lose her for good with one last hunt.Things take an interesting turn when Nathan's older brother Sam (never before referenced) comes out of the woodwork after fifteen years of Nate believing he'd died during a prison break.Devastated to learn Sam has his life on the line with a Colombian drug lord, Nathan is emotionally blackmailed into going to hunt for a legendary pirate treasure belonging to Henry Avery. Nathan feeling he has little choice, takes off on a new adventure with Sam, leading to some new locations such as Scotland and Panama. But will there be a price to pay for lying to his wife and going back to the life he had left?A few new elements make this a brilliant addition. Now, Nate can climb a little further with a small hand axe on certain stretches of wall, and he has a permanent rope that he will need to traverse various cliffs and stretches of island that no normal jump can get him to. There's some new challenges, such as unpredictable explosions and slides making timing and precision something you'll want to brush up on.The storyline is brilliant and this feels twice as long as some of the other instalments. However, I felt like there were far less cinematic action scenes that made you feel like you were playing part in an action movie (think the train sequences in the previous games, the running over collapsing bridges, gun chases with helicopters and jeeps...there was very little of it which was disappointing. Missed those wicked fast frantic fights trying to survive free falling from a plane, or trying to survive on a sinking cruise ship...the DANGER seemed to be missing from this one. At no point did I feel my heart rate going up or my frustration elevating to unreal levels like I did with the other three games. This isn't like the other three where you were constantly playing that one part over and over until you got it by sheer luck. Almost always on the first go, you got it.For one who really hated the supernatural elements to the previous games, you'll be ecstatic to know there is none. No indestructible monsters, no immortals who can heal, no demons with fire, no giant spiders...your only real enemy is the human element.I felt the enemies were far weaker this time around which is why the game loses a star. Even the kitted out mini gun NPCs were far easier to beat and tanks could be taken out in a few easy shots with a grenade or RPG. There were times in Uncharted II I hated the attack on the small Himalayan village where the tank is following your every move and you'd die a thousand times before finally figuring out how to escape it successfully, but I missed that kind of challenge here...rscapojg and taking down machines like that were far too easy and lacked any real effort. There was hardly any opportunity to die honourably (I.e. In battle and not from falling from poor timing, lol). The enemies seemed to lack variation in AI, they had very basic weaponry and there seemed to be less gunfights than the usual fare. I was told this was hugely to do with the fact the original creator of the franchise stepped down and had nothing to do with this instalment.One of the elements I liked was there were a few flashback scenes just like in Uncharted II and III. In fact, the scenes where young Nate and Sam were together left a strong taste of "The Goonies" in my mouth, Nate as a youngster looked suspiciously like a young Sean Austin, and the addition of hunting for pirate treasure in the storyline added to that.The graphics were stunning, really taking you to new locations, things you hadn't seen before such as opulent palaces, misty mountains, lush beaches, Arid dusty roads...there are tons of treasures to pick up and lots to see as you explore. The game has a lot more to explore but little dialogue to really refer to it unfortunately.One little touch in the gameplay I did l one is you can drive a few vehicles and not in just one linear direction but over various areas. Different routes and roads leading to different locations. those sections aren't uge, but nice for people who are into driving games.If you've been long awaiting to find out about Nate's true origins, his real name, why he does what he does, this is the opportunity to find out, you'll play through them. The game leaves a nice sense of closure to the story and simultaneously leaves the absolute slap in the face to the player that this is IT. There is no more Uncharted to come. Naughty Dog will be focusing on The Last of Us II now, but after that, who knows? Hopefully something along these lines with a new protagonist...A very good game. But it was definitely not Uncharted III which for me was a masterpiece leaving me feeling like I'd been in the best movie ever...this felt gamey.On the side note, there's a small boon that it has Crash Bandicoot playable in some chapters, lol. Nice touch.It's worth getting but it's not as great.

18.6.2016

The Uncharted series reaches its finale with this final outing, with Nathan Drake in search of a lost pirate treasure. While easily the most technically advanced game of the series the story itself I found somewhat wanting. Even so for fans of the series this game is not to be missed.If you have not played an Uncharted game before you will need to play the original three games to really appreciate A Thief's End. Don't worry though as the original games are now available on the PS4 in HD, and all three are pretty amazing in their own right. For those familiar with the series Uncharted 4 deliberately treads a lot of familiar ground. Old characters are reintroduced,old adventures are referenced and there are some quite emotional scenes with characters who now feel like old friends. As with previous Uncharted games the acting and the often interactive cut scenes are of the highest quality, making it feel like you are part of an action adventure film rather than a character in a game.This episode introduces a new character, Nathan's brother Sam, and reveals the beginning of his adventuring career. This idea of flashbacks have been used before in previous Uncharted games, but while this is a common storytelling method in movies I found it something of an unnecessary distraction in this game. Unfortunately I did not like Sam Drake at all, finding him irritating and obnoxious throughout. This was not helped by the fact that the AI was fairly useless during fights, doing little more than getting in the way.The gameplay is typical of previous Uncharted games with plenty of exploring and gunfights. Despite larger and more open environments to traverse I found a lot of the exploring to be extremely contrived. Wherever the game wants you to go there is always a handy ledge to jump to or a crate to stand on. Whenever you cross a bridge or something collapses you know there will be something to grab hold of. This does stretch your willing suspension of disbelief somewhat. The gunfights, as in previous games are fast and frantic. You can even the odds a little by spending time sneaking around taking down guards quietly before they raise the alarm. It seems that Nathan Drake as well as being a world class climber and athlete also makes a pretty good ninja.The best parts of the story are those where the game raises an emotional response. There is still a great sense of humour throughout, with the many wise cracks breaking up some of the monotony of climbing and jumping. The endlessly adorable Elena reappears, and it was nice to see a bit of believable romance for once in a computer game. As previously mentioned I did not think the story was as good as some of the previous ones, perhaps you need to be a bigger fan of pirates than I am to really appreciate it.Uncharted 4 comes complete with the most polished multiplayer mode yet. You get to choose which character you play (and you can all play the same character if you wish), and there are endless modifications to make your character unique. There are three main game modes (death match, zone control and capture the flag), and several maps to choose from. The gameplay is fast and fun and looks fantastic, with teamwork making more difference than in most multiplayer games. Sadly though matchmaking leads a lot to be desired as it does tend to match new players up against experienced ones right from the start (you can tell the experienced ones from the number of customisation options they have). Allowing you to use real money to unlock modifications early is a real con and something I was not pleased to see in the game.Altogether then Uncharted 4 is an enjoyable last outing, even if it is not the best in the series. There are just enough new elements to keep the game fresh and it was nice to be able to put an end to the story after four great games, rather than see it stagnate. Naughty Dog proved with the Uncharted series that they could create some really amazing games and I can't wait to see what they come out with next.

13.1.2017

Nathan Drake is back for his final, and perhaps darkest, adventure yet. Having been a long time fan since the first game hit stores in December 2007, I was never going to pass up on this one. And boy, was I glad I pre-ordered.Bruce Straley and Neil Druckmann have successfully taken the reins of the franchise, fresh from their success with 'The Last of Us' and have added a dash of grit to the, now classic, Uncharted formula of running, jumping, climbing and getting shot at. I was skeptical at first upon hearing that Amy Hennig had left the project and feared that this 4th installment would lose the charm and fun that made the first three games so popular, but fear not! They've done it.The original cast is back and,arguably, better than ever. Nolan North once again excels as Nathan Drake, Richard McGonagle delivers an excellent and endearing performance as Nate's mentor, Victor Sullivan and Emily Rose stands out as Elena Fisher, Nate's long-time and long-suffering love interest. Indeed, the graphical leap between PS3 and PS4 has allowed the animators to capture the actors' performances in a greater detail than ever before. The characters are now able to display a far greater range of subtle expressions that add great emotional depth to the cutscenes and, ultimately, the characters themselves. This is especially evident in the interactions between Nate and Elena and how they try to adjust to 'a normal life' before being thrust back into danger.Another standout performance comes from seasoned voice actor, Troy Baker as Nate's long lost older brother, Samuel Drake. He brings a great deal of charm and charisma to the role, but also a deal of mystery. You never know quite what to expect from Sam, and it is the relationship between the two brothers that is the principal driving force behind the story.The story here is strong, and continues the theme established in the first three games: There's a great historical treasure out there and it's up to Nate and co. to race against the villains in pursuit of fortune. But this one is different. I won't ruin it, but it's definitely more grounded. More dirty. Nate's taken a beating before, but it really shows here. Being the finale of the series, Nate's story needs wrapping up. I was totally satisfied with how this was handled. Some might not be, but to me, it was a strong ending.The area in which the game is perhaps weakest is the villains; especially the South African mercenary leader, Nadine Ross (Laura Bailey). This is by no means a bad performance in any respect - it's good to see another strong female character in the Uncharted series - however, I feel that her character was perhaps short-changed in terms of development or involvement. She doesn't get to do a lot (but she'll be in the spin-off, won't she...). Rafe Adler (Warren Kole) is a great and menacing addition to Nate's rogues gallery though and it is clear that Kole had some fun with this role. The more I think about it, the more I almost prefer him to Lazarevic. His motivation is more human, and he's a slimy jerk. You love to hate him and this makes the final showdown with Rafe all the more satisfying (especially on crushing difficulty).There's so much more to say about this, but, in short, this game is technically and graphically outstanding. It's an action packed, near cinematic experience that takes the term 'blockbuster' to a new level in gaming. Fans of the series will find everything they loved about the previous games and more (the new journal is great and the collectibles actually matter and really flesh out the adventure) whilst newcomers will be treated to what should be by now a staple of the action-adventure genre.If you have a PS4, you need to own this game. Period.

25.12.2016

I debated between 4 or 5 stars for this game, but I'll settle for 4.Ok so this year was the year of Uncharted for me, I finally finished the first one (which I quit a while ago due to not enjoying it that much) and I completely loved the 2nd and 3rd games in this series. I recently finished the 4th and I knew it would be good with the guys that worked on my favourite game of all time, The Last of Us, working on this one too as they did on the 2nd one. But Neil Druckmann co wrote the story for this one so I had faith it would be a much more in depth story and I wasn't disappointed. The other games, particularly 2 & 3 had great stories but they didn't delve too deeply into Nathan's past or his relationship with Elena whereas this one did and I loved that.The action isn't lacking either and it feels much more solid than in previous games, and of course there are tons of collectables which can be distracting (in a good way) if you're obsessed with searching everywhere as I am, which is why my play through took 25 hours most probably but I loved the searching.One of the biggest improvements in this game was the stealth, they actually worked to implement it properly in this game and I'm a lover of stealth when I can. And of course the graphics are astonishing, but it's Naughty Dog and they always take the extra effort to bring the best they can.Apparently this is the last Uncharted game, or at least the last with Nathan Drake and the gang and it felt like a swan song too with reminders of the previous games all the time, especially in the opening credits.It's not a game without it's flaws/annoyances though hence 4 stars. There are only so many times Nathan can "chat" to skeletons in his cheeky chappy way without it grating on you, and there were a number of cliché moments with Elena that were drawn out a little. There was also a big twist in the story about 3 1/4 way through which thoroughly disappointed me as I had been looking forward to seeing how things were going to pan out originally with this one character who I liked straight away but stuff happened that I wont spoil, it was still good story wise but not the epic I was hoping for. Also by the end of the game I was ready for the pirate story to be finished. I liked it but it seemed to just go on a long time. And there was no Chloe or Cutter! (Chloe is in a DLC to be released next year though). I didn't like Chloe at first but she grew on me and I missed her and definitely Cutter in this game.But despite these things that slightly annoyed me, there was always one person who cheered me always, my beloved Sully. He's literally the only character in this game series that I just love to bits, I love Nathan and I like Elena but Sully is just the greatest. And introducing Sam into the mix was a great way to go, I actually liked Sam, and it might have a lot to do with the fact he was played by my other beloved Troy Baker (Joel - The Last of Us, Pagan Min - Far Cry 4, Booker - Bio Shock Infinite and sooo many other characters).Like I said, Naughty Dog have said that this is the last of Nathan Drake and I'm ok with that. I feel like his story is done now and there isn't anywhere else to go with him or the others. At some point I will replay the games all over again and re live his epic adventures that have been fun and challenging and beautiful. And I'll be forever thankful that a developer like Naughty Dog exists.

27.7.2016

I really try to love the Uncharted games. I really do. I do definitely feel that they are massively overrated, though. And Uncharted 4 for me is sadly no exception. Yes, the graphics are beautiful a lot of the time. But if you actually break down what happens in this game, the game play for me is (dare I say it) well, very boring. You spend an awful lot of time leaping and climbing around non-descript rock faces. And wandering aimlessly around non-descript caves, and ruins, waiting with baited breath for the inevitable next bridge collapse or rock face collapse. You have little assistance while doing this (eventually a "hint" will appear, if you're very fortunate.) All the time you are usually stuck with your brother,wise-cracking away to each other. And the wise-cracking gets old, and is not remotely amusing. This, does not a good game make. This, is actually nightmarish. There is no sense of the freedom that a game like Fallout 4 gives you, where you can take off with whomever the hell you like, and go wherever you want. Everything follows a strict path (so very often incredibly difficult to work out) and you know you are going to be lumbered with a maximum of only 3 different other characters at any one time. (Incidentally, a minor fault of this game is how much Elena is literally left on the sidelines. Certainly for me, she's the strongest character, and actually preferable to Nathan himself.)This is not even to mention the other aspect of Uncharted 4 that deserves unlimited criticism. I wrote very disparagingly about the puzzles aspect of the other Uncharted games in my review of the recent Uncharted Collection. Very sad to say then, that not only are puzzles included in Uncharted 4, but that they have now reached such levels of sheer impossibility, that even the lovechild of Professor Stephen Hawking and Albert Einstein would struggle. A video game is supposed to be a fun experience. It is not meant to leave you on the brink of tears, wanting to chuck your PS4 out of the nearest window.Suffice to say then, that the Uncharted games, including Uncharted 4, would be A LOT better in my eyes if the puzzle sections were removed completely. These are games that are too fiendish and elaborate for their own good. It's really that simple.Where Uncharted 4 comes into its own is in the combat sections, of which there aren't enough in my opinion. Had Naughty Dog made the Uncharted series into straightforward combat games, they would have turned out a lot better.Also, with the Last Of Us, you get the brilliant story, and the fantastic horror angle. With Uncharted 4 you just get Nathan Drake throwing himself about in search of uh...well, you basically forget what you're even doing some of the time. And that's one of the problems here. It sometimes takes so long to get from A to B, you really just can't be bothered anymore. Everything in the Uncharted 4 games is way, way more elaborate that it needs to be. If only they had kept it simple. At times in this game, you really can't believe what you're being asked to do.Anyway, all of this being said, Uncharted 4 is by no means a terrible game. I couldn't really bring myself to rate it as low as three stars. But it certainly didn't move me or entertain me in the way that The Last Of Us or Fallout 4 have in recent years. My advice would be to swerve this, and go for those instead.

3.9.2017

Uncharted 4 is, in many respects, a system seller. This is a game worth buying a PS4 for. The gameplay (especially the exploration), the plot, the graphics, the characters, the music, it is all absolutely stellar and a sheer testament to the capability of modern gaming machines. Sure it would probably look better if it were ever ported to a high-end PC, but this is the very pinnacle of console gaming.Having played through (Platinumed) the original Uncharted trilogy on the PS3 my expectations were very high and I am happy to say that Uncharted 4 improves on almost every facet of these earlier games. Yet, it doesn’t fix any of their problems. As a package it isn’t better than ‘Uncharted 2’,and I have to confess, on latest gen machines I don’t think it is better than ‘Rise of the Tomb Raider’ (though it has a considerably stronger plot). Nevertheless, there are some strong positives:- Fantastic exploration. The exploration mechanics are prominent and have been improved. Navigating precarious ledges has never felt more satisfying and the inclusion of a grappling hook and crampon means the greatest pleasure in Uncharted 4 lies in simply climbing and exploring. I could never tire of this. I wish there was an endless play level in which you could just climb a cliff forever.- Engaging characters and plot. The character design is fantastic and the script and plot would be impressive in a movie, let alone a video game. While there is nothing here with the same level of emotion as Naughty Dog’s ‘The Last of Us’, everyone has their part to play and it was compelling all the way through (except for the Epilogue which was saccharine).- The game looks gorgeous. I imagine it is even more stunning on a PSPro, but on a plebeian PS4 Slim with HDR engaged this is still the best looking game I’ve ever played.There are, as I’ve said, some aspects that still need work – some of these are problems that have plagued the series since the original back in 2007:- The combat is wonky. Fortunately Uncharted 4 lets you handle many encounters with the high-quality stealth gameplay developed for ‘The Last of Us’. Unfortunately the last third of the game forces you into firefight after firefight until you feel as if you are playing the vastly inferior 'Uncharted 3'. The problem has always been that in the midst of a frenetic gunfight, with enemies on every side, the cover-based gunplay falls apart. Drake moves too slowly to handle being flanked effectively and too often you are forced to finding walls to hang from that are out of reach of enemy grenades and gunfire and taking enemies out one at a time while you hide waiting for your health to replenish – especially on the higher difficulty settings.- Exploding mummies – you’ll know when it happens.- QTE boss fights. The final boss is especially guilty of this and I thought was a truly unsatisfying way to end the game.- Invincible Drake. During this game you will be hurled around, beaten to a pulp, cling to improbable ledges and fall distances that would kill any mere mortal. This can be galling.I’d rate this 4.5 stars simply because it is a superlative game let down by a final 2-3 hours in which the designers’ desire to force you to experience a ‘climactic finale’ turn into a series of controller bashing gunfights and QTEs. And exploding mummies.

15.5.2016

For me, Uncharted 4 is the best game in the series, and a benchmark for narrative-driven gaming excellence.Over the past 9 years we've grown to love cock-sure treasure hunter Nathan Drake and his adventures, despite the fact he is the Alpha Mary Sue. A man with unlimited charm, adept at using all known firearms, master of hand-to-hand combat and possessing supernatural climbing abilities, while also being known as a mass-murderer of bad people.In A Thief's End, Naughty Dog take their story telling nous to the next level with a spectacular globe-trotting adventure that left me slack-jawed in wonder for the vast majority of it's running time,which took me around 18-19 hours going at a fairly pedestrian pace.The controls have been improved dramatically since the previous entry in the series Drake's Deception, with a much improved stealth gameplay aspect and overall more tightly controlled gunplay. Traversal has also had a re-think, with most climbing sections now much a more fluid experience. Really, If you've played Uncharted before, then everything will seem very familiar but tweaked.This is still a linear game, but most of the areas have been expanded upon to give action sections much more variety in how you despatch the bad dudes.Graphically, the game is stunning. At several moments throughout the game, most notably in the third act, I was completely spellbound with my mouth wide-open at how stunningly beautiful this game could be. It's no exaggeration to say this is one of the best looking games ever made. Only Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain looks better in my opinion.What we are largely here for is the story, which is one of the main things Uncharted in known for, and kudos to Neil Druckmann and Josh Scherr for writing easily the most compelling narrative in the series. In a series first, the mo-cap techniques include facial animations, which thanks to the skills of Nolan North, Richard McGonagle, Emily Rose and Troy Baker, bring a level of nuance to performances that really help sell the story. You care about these characters and what happens to them. You despise the villains and cannot wait to see them get their just desserts. You rejoice when the heroes succeed, and you worry when you know something bad is just around the corner. It takes a very skilled studio to pull off this feat, and Naughty Dog do it with aplomb.As for the ending, well that would be telling! I will say this however; I consider it a perfect way to say goodbye to old friends that I have grown up with over the last 9 years, and I'm not ashamed to say I shed more that a few tears.All in all this is an absolutely essential purchase for a PlayStation owner and will no doubt go down in history as one of the greatest games of all time.What are you waiting for? BUY IT

18.6.2016

A truly marvelous game.Firstly I just want to say my review will be a little different as I have never played any of the Uncharted franchise, nor have I played this one. But, I watched a YouTube play through of it and it was phenomenal!I was watching the videos as if they were a live action Indiana Jones-esque(?) style of film. The facial expressions from the beginning with the mundane lifestyle Nate has become accustomed to, to the fear of dying and evading capture, to the look of complete and utter heartbreak is just breathtaking. I was on the edge of my seat just watching this and even though I was watching someone else play it (who did fantastically)I could still appreciate the hard work that has gone into the design and the minute details like leaving footprints in the snow to the mud getting washed off the cars when driving through river. Even the little easter egg gameseption in the beginning and the end of the game was a really nice detail.The character of Rafe was perfectly played as well. You can tell he is a dangerous and crazy man but is played so subtlety and so well that you really did not know what to expect from him at all.The game pay itself was amazing too, especially when you got to play as different ages of Nate through his memories and actually experience it first hand where it all began. The parallels you notice when playing from these past memories to present day is also a really nice touch.The seamless action from cut-scenes to actual game play was executed quite nicely, the graphics definitely did not suffer through this transaction. The puzzles were clever, not too OTT yet not too simplistic to make you bored or feel your intelligence was insulted.The combat sequences like the stealth modes were good too, it made you want to fight without being noticed or have all guns a blazing which is a nice touch/change. There were certainly some hairy moments of nearly every platform breaking underneath your feet when landing, climbing, running, walking etc. (it became a running joke in the series)The little epilogue at the end was also a really nice touch as this kind of care and thought into the narrative makes you feel that this is more than just a game. I was watching a story, experiencing history, feeling emotional for all of the characters involved and literally wanting to shout at my screen through the intense moments.While I may not know the 100% ins and outs of this franchise and may not have had the full players experience, Uncharted 4 is a masterpiece and though may be too realistic for some players, sometimes you need that realism to complete a story and give it an honorable end to an amazing life.

11.5.2016

There comes a time in gaming when a new franchise launches to critical acclaim, changing the rules of an entire industry. Uncharted: Drake's Fortune did that back almost 10 years ago on the PS3 when NaughtyDogs unrivaled storytelling and direction changed the way we viewed story driven action games, not just on PlayStation, but across the gaming board. It's since spawned two sequels on the PS3, Uncharted 2 which took everything from the first game and ramped it up to 11. Uncharted 3 followed with a bigger budget, but arguably the worst in the franchise. So, when Naughty Dog unveiled Uncharted 4 for a new console generation, some, myself included, wondered if the company was milking a dead cow.

11.5.2016

Uncharted 4: A Thief's End is an action-adventure third-person shooter platform video game for the PlayStation 4 video game console.From the opening moment of Uncharted 4 to the very last scene, you’re on a journey that takes everything that Naughty Dog has learned through their last four games and rolled it into this final adventure for Nathan Drake. The game picks up a couple years after the events of Uncharted 3 where Nate and his lovely wife Elena are living a rather domestic life.One of the big changes from Uncharted 3 to Uncharted 4 is the pacing. Uncharted 4 is more of an adventure game than it is an action game. There are still several moments of action but you spend a lot less time doing it.

17.5.2016

First of all I must say if you care about story and characters in a game this is a must play. It helps if you have played the first 3 main Uncharted games but if not it's still a must have. I will now list some pros and cons for the game:Good:. The characters all feel unique and well written. The dialogue in this game is exceptional. It made me laugh at times and in more serious moments the dialogue was just right for the scene and the emotion it wanted to get out of you. The jumping and climbing has been refined and it is more responsive to what you want to happen whereas in previous entires in the series mistakes with climbing would cause you to die.

22.5.2016

There are no words. Seriously can not remember the last game I played where my jaw literally dropped open and held there for at least 5-10 mins. The story is fantastic, keeps you wanting to know more, the game play while off here and there when traversing the scenery or in the middle of a gun fight can be troublesome is pretty much solid! The graphics! well what can I say about the graphics that the words "mindblowing" can't describe!I mean this game is stunning, so stunning that there are moments when I just stopped and looked around for 5 mins it's that beautiful! The light coming through the trees move with the wind, the scenery is always moving and destructible, you leave footprints,

21.5.2016

Everyone has seen how good this game is, and it does deserve the praise it's getting.That said, this review is less a review and more things to worry about should you buy the game.Frame Rate: Singleplayer runs at 30fps while multiplayer runs at 60fps. Now if 30fps is a killer for you then you might not enjoy the game that much, but it is a very stable 30fps and I never felt like lag was the reason behind me dying so much. That said...Aiming: The gunplay is standard fare here for Uncharted, and though the grappling hook and improved stealth mechanics help keep things a bit fresher, aiming your gun is a lot more difficult here. Now maybe I'm just terrible at shooting,

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