All things Uncharted

[Alex79]

My thoughts on #3 :

I was well excited for Uncharted 3. I absolutely loved the first two games, and totally bought in to the hype machine for the third instalment. It's been a while since I played it now, and I have only been through it the once so since details are hazy I'm going to have to be quite general with my thoughts. I'll say right from the start that I thought the game was a real disappointment. I thought the flashback sequences in which you played a young Drake were beyond tedious, and contributed towards huge sections of the game where nothing really happened. I thought the story was dull, the characters seemed to be totally hamming it up, and the combat in several places nothing short of a frustrating mess. I was only playing on normal, and found I needed to replay some parts in excess of 20 or 30 times before clearing out the enemies. From memory, there seemed to be loads of fights where Drake was pitted against several enemies all armed with rocket launchers, or even tanks. The locations were uninspired, and the whole game just seemed to be a poor parody of an Uncharted game. Having said all this, I still feel I'd like to replay it at some point if only to give it a second chance. There were parts of the game I enjoyed, small sections that seemed to still have that Uncharted magic, but they were few and far between. I'd be interested to see if anyone cites this third game as their favourite of the series because it seems to me that it just objectively isn't. I've not written the series off, and I'll definitely be buying whatever version is released next - probably on a next gen machine, but I really think Naughty Dog dropped the ball with this one. Could it be because they had already started work on The Last Of Us? I have no idea, pure speculation from a total laymans point of view, but suffice to say, definitely a low point of the main trilogy.

Golden Abyss :

Yeah, not a great deal to say really. Story forgettable, but a worthwhile play through on a new machine. I'd have been annoyed if I'd paid full whack, but it was a fun enough diversion for a PS+ freebie. Forced touch screen and gyro balancing was a pain, but I can understand why they had to put it in. I don't think it's fair to compare this to the main trilogy, and it's hard to fault on paper - it just seemed a bit, I don't know, charmless. Almost a bit clinical. A show case for the hardware, perhaps, but certainly not one I regret spending time with.

[link6616]

Very short comment. But just started uncharted 3 thanks to ps+, not enjoying it as much as tomb raider, better than Golden abyss. And loved meeting sully as a child.

[Todinho]

Probably this is too late for the podcast but anyway here's my thought's on Uncharted 3:

Uncharted 3 was the biggest disapointment of 2011 for me the game just didnt click with me at all,the combat managed to feel worse than Uncharted 1&2 taking a lot of retry's to get through,those chase sequences also felt very awkard to control and I found myself hating very early in the game,the set-pieces that enchanced Uncharted 2 were back but this time they seemed to be put before everything else despite it making sense or not for them to be there,like that part on the ship that wastes a lot of time and contributes almost nothing to the plot,The villians had potential but were completely wasted by not been given the necessary time on screen and I can see what they were trying to do with Drake's character in this game but it just didnt work for me at all,I am hesitant to call uncharted 3 a bad game even if it failed to me in all levels I expected it to succeed mainly because of the amount of work and polish that went into it and how other people may find it more affecting than I but for me this stands as the black sheep of the uncharted saga and one that should be avoided.

[chase210]

Shiit, the uncharted 4 special edition looks great

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/694/2076 ... 16d8_b.jpg

I never buy special editions as a rule but I need that statue.

[chase210]

The uncharted collection is a lovely package. I got the special edition for 80 quid, not sure the stickers, steelbook, and art book was worth the 23 more it cost me than the standard, but its a great game.

[Pitwar]

The uncharted collection is a lovely package. I got the special edition for 80 quid, not sure the stickers, steelbook, and art book was worth the 23 more it cost me than the standard, but its a great game.

Blimey, that seems steep. I got the same collectors edition from Game for £60. Where did you get yours?

But you're right, Bluepoint have done a great job brining Uncharted to the PS4. I love these games so, so much and am enjoying playing through them again. Polished off 1 last night and started 2.

[chase210]

Gamestop, should say it was 80 euro not pounds

Bluepoint are wizards at this stuff clearly.

[Pitwar]

Gamestop, should say it was 80 euro not pounds

Bluepoint are wizards at this stuff clearly.

Ahhhhh, that makes sense, lol.

[Stanshall]

Well, I've just finished Uncharted 4. I thought the previous games were repetitive and mechanically dull but visually rich and atmospheric. This blows them out of the water on every level. In terms of artistic and environmental design, this might be the highest achievement in the history of games. There has never been lighting on this level, to my knowledge. The sense that every single object and texture at every draw distance was handcrafted to obsessive standards puts even From Software, Rockstar, CDPR and bloody Kojima to shame. Now, the fact that the credits took about twenty minutes, and that you've got about eighteen people working solely on lighting, tells its own tale. There may be no other studio with the clout to be so obsessive or to even aspire to such technical mastery but the conclusion stands: It's the best looking video game ever made, a spectacle beyond what I thought was possible this generation, and certainly on the PS4. It's the new standard.

On the other hand, many of its non-visual achievements piggy back TLOU, so it doesn't herald the same paradigm shift there, and despite all of the great strides in traversal and gunplay and fluidity and playability, its own history and formula still seemed to occasionally get in the way of its potential. I thought that the shootouts were easily the best in the whole series, with the rope and the destructible environments and the scale and verticality of the 'arenas' making for constant shifts in momentum and tactics and opportunities and threats. I thought the stealth was very well implemented and added another fun and tense element. And despite all that, I don't particularly want to replay any of the encounters, and there were still quite a lot more of those than I really needed to play. Likewise, while the traversal was a lot more enjoyable because of the rhythmic and mechanical and environmental variety, towards the end I felt that the mechanics had seen their best use a few chapters previous. Perhaps that's fair, though, and past a certain point the traversal is just an interesting way to present the incredible environmental design. I have no suggestions for improving gunplay or climbing, I think they were terrific, I just have my subjective limits with them both, I suppose.

So, what else could I have wanted? How did 'the formula get in the way of the potential'? Well, for me, the moments which I feel will last - as with TLOU - were the exploratory, conversational sections. They were touching, funny, real, tense, full of wonder, visually mind boggling and simply playful. I quite enjoy the odd walking simulator, in fact I'm probably more fond than most, but I think what Naughty Dog do, and what they could do, excites me more than many other things in gaming, full stop. I've no idea how they might take this forward but it's what they do at their very best, I believe, and I suspect it's what they would also love to take further. I suppose that TLOU Left Behind was a step further forward than this, in fact, with half of the game devoted to character development, relationships and environmental storytelling, and it was absolutely remarkable. The other half, simply good. Can they make a game exploring the best of what they do without needing the violence for contrast? Dare they?

I basically got back into non-Nintendo gaming because I saw some early footage of TLOU and bought a PS3. Otherwise, I would have happily just picked up the next Nintendo console and waited for the next Mario or Zelda. It became my favourite game and I was very vocal to non-gamer friends and family about what it had achieved, and what it was. Its highest highs are only possible to be experienced as a video game. You can't put them into words and you can't just watch on YouTube or on the couch. You're exploring, the character is exploring and you're both feeling the effects of the moment to moment stimuli. Eventually I played Dark Souls and while I do play plenty of other games to chill and have fun (I don't find TV/films engaging in the same way), Soulsborne took over, for reasons I've gone into elsewhere. They're a distillation of something only games can do, and they do that thing for almost every second that you're playing and learning and perfecting your skill and engaging with the world. In all that, I kinda forgot about TLOU, despite playing the Remaster. I remembered it as overly indebted to cinema, and forgot its strengths. Playing UC4 brought them back to me, and the wonders of ND's expansive, yet controlled experiences. The epilogue, and an earlier section exploring the house, will stay with as much as Ellie and Joel's most reflective moments.

I can't wait to see what they do next. GOTY so far.

[chase210]

I'm not really enjoying it. Think I might take a break and come back to it down the line.

[skidoosh]

So I just finished Uncharted 4. What a game! First some bad bits:

* Gunplay is still rubbish. Signature Naughty Dog
* Combat can be rather frustrating because of point one
* Heavies with shotguns just walk towards you spamming shots. Bit pathetic really
* Naughty Dog still don't understand the difference between challenging and frustrating
* They're still trying to recapture the magic of the start of Uncharted 2 with the "start in the middle"

Now for the good stuff!:

* Sully (I wish he was my real dad)
* This is the most beautiful game I've ever played
* Technically solid. Very few frame rate drops
* Photo mode (see link below. more to come)
* Signature set pieces
* Great story
* Great acting
* The attention to detail is astronomical there's loads of explorable buildings that would normally be sealed or just empty
* General traversal feels even better than Uncharted 3

I just can't find the words to stress how wonderful I found this game but what I can say is I completed this game in two sittings. I never do that. I lost count of the number of times I found myself sat literally on the edge of my seat or gasping with shock. It's just the spectacle. Every room, every vista, every set piece. You just have to let it wash over you and let it sweep you away. I've loved every minute of every game in the series (even the vita one) and I'm so sad to see it go but what a send off.

I can't wait to go through on easy for the photos!

[ratsoalbion]

Such a glowing review, especially considering how negative you are about one of the defining core mechanics.

[skidoosh]

I know it sounds like a massive contradiction but the only way I can express it is like this:
Uncharted 4 is like an abusive relationship. It grinds you into the dirt and makes you feel terrible about yourself but then it buys you a puppy.

Thankfully combat seems to have largely taken the back seat in this instalment making the frustration short and infrequent. You'll come out of the arena type sections feeling very down on the game but then it'll feed you some dialogue, a nice vista, reveal a plot point or throw you into a set piece like the jeep chase from E3 and the frustration just melts away and you forget how bad you felt just moments ago.

[Lego Solo]

I've never really had a problem with the combat. With each incarnation it has improved. It can be a little repetitive and Drake is a mass murder by the end but when those big set pieces kick in I smile like an idiot and quickly forget any issues there may or may not be.

[skidoosh]

I think I use combat too liberally there really. By combat I mean gun play. You get that stupid circle on the screen that your bullets 'may' land in if you're lucky. The amount of times I went for the head shot only to see my bullets spray around the head of the target like something out of Pulp Fiction was unreal. The combat rifles were by far the funniest though. I have never fired a 7.62 or a 5.56 with a kick like a fully auto 50 cal. The spray when you pull the trigger is like a bukkake party in a earthquake.

[Alex79]

SPOILERS FOR UNCHARTED 4

SPOILERS FOR UNCHARTED 4

Spoiler: show

I finished it this evening, and it's one of the best games I've ever played. Much has already been written about the mechanics of the game I guess, but there were a couple of specific parts in the game that really connected with me. When Sam and Nate break in to that old lady's house and are searching around for their mum's journals - that house is exactly like the house my gran used to live in. She was born in Africa and had spent time out there since with various tribes, and her house was full of the little ornaments and treasures that were lying around the house in the game. I'm not exaggerating when I say that exploring that house as young Nate, I could almost smell and taste the mustiness and dust that was lingering in the air, it felt like a real place.

There were some really fantastic cut scenes, too. When you're messing around in your attic before Elena calls you down, the scene that plays out when you come down and make dinner, the conversation between them was so natural and you forget you're playing a video game and not watching some top quality piece of film or TV. The writing on the whole was excellent, really. These feel like real people, people we've got to know over the last 8 or 9 years.

The locations were amazing too, from your own home - which really felt like a home, to the Highlands and then the jungles and the markets - all so real.

I really did love everything about this game - and the epilogue was perfect. It was a fitting end to the series. A lot of people are saying they wouldn't want a fifth game, and I do agree - it's all been wrapped up so nicely, the ending was actually incredibley touching - but if they did make one, would I play it? Of course I would.

[JaySevenZero]

Here is where you can leave your thoughts regarding the Uncharted 4: A Thief's End for possible inclusion in the podcast when it's recorded.

[matten zwei]

There has been one particular reason for me to buy PlayStations the past twenty years: Naughty Dog games.
I own every Naughty Dog game released since the first Crash Bandicoot and I am almost used to play great games by them.
I wasn't dissapointed of Uncharted 4, even though I have to admit, that Naughty Dog plays it The-Force-Awakens-ly save.
Too safe in the first Chapters. Taking cover behind barriers, taking out some bad guys, taking a few hits, taking a deep breath, repeat.
I found the game actually a bit disappointing, until Nathan and his gang made it to Madagascar. I think the open worldish surroundings suited the game pretty well, even though I sometimes felt I was missing out on something and had no chance to get back to it because I was already in the next narrative cutscene. But after completing the game, I don't think i've missed out on anything special. Obviously I did miss out on a bunch of useless treasures, which are scattered all over the game. Why should I care? Which brings me to a valid comparison to the last two Tomb Raider games. When I am am going to an optional cave, I feel more satisfied, if I get something useful completing it, some kind of reward. The Tomb Raider games even have a rewarding skilltree. What am I supposed to do with these useless garbage treasures in the uncharted games? I think Drake has a hoarding disorder.

But Uncharted 4 did many things better than other and even the Tomb Raider games, which actually made me enjoy this game.
The story and the characters were well written, which in the past years became one of Naughty Dogs strengths. I think Rafe was a likable villain and I actually felt bad for him during the boss battle, which by the way was the best boss battle in the series (by far). And for the first time since "Drake's Fortune", I actually cared about Elena. I think Naughty Dog did a good job, writing a believable relationship between her and Nathan. The facial animation and the voice actors were perfect in opinion. And did anyone else but notice, that Nathans weapons in the cutscenes, were the ones you've actually used in the battle? It's not mind blowing, but somehow it is the first game i've played so far, that gets it right.

Finally, the game ends with a slow and beautiful epilogue. I liked it when Casey got caught by Elena and Nathan and they start to tell her about their adventures. Yeah, why tell her, that you two and your brother and your friend are mass murderers...

Yes I like Uncharted 4 and I know why everyone who completed it seems to love it, even Phil Spencer and Remedy Entertainment. Uncharted 4 is one of the few games nowadays, where I actually enjoy the cutscenes and would love to see more of them. It's like gaming in the 90s again.
Which brings us back to Crash Bandicoot.

[Slim]

When I first saw that there was going to be a fourth uncharted game and in particular that it would feature an until now unmentioned brother I was initially skeptical. I was afraid that it would somehow not hit the mark, or perhaps I was afraid that after innovation with each console Naughty Dog was going to rest on its laurels.

I couldn't have been more wrong. As always Naughty Dog had delivered. I know from past podcasts, that some of the Cane and Rinse crew are not a fan of the combat, but I personally find it enjoyable. Even though it may not be the most tactically satisfying it's a great example of the game play suiting the bombastic story. As for the "Drake murders crowds of mercs" thing, in the past I've personally taken the view that it is more a 'representation', like you are fighting the same group of guys several times as you go place to place. But in this game I found I didn't need to make that excuse because you really had the option to avoid combat entirely a lot of the time if you wanted to.

As for the introduction of Sam, I was ready to dislike him. I was fired up 'who's this guy who thinks he can just inset himself into the story' was my attitude. But after playing through he became one of my favorite characters. I myself am a younger brother and there were amazingly nuanced moments through out that really established that bond. Noticeably in the first scenes: Sam can jump a little hire, he's just a little better at some things. This is where Naughty Dog has always shined, the detail and that goes beyond the incredibly rich environments.

The relationships of the game are also what make it so special. Drakes domestic life is honestly one of the biggest highlights of the game for me. I was so invested in Elena and Drake. I wanted Drake to stay on the strait and narrow, I also wanted him to help Sam, I was so glad Sully was there for Drake. Even the bad-guys story arc was enjoyable and interesting.

As always the treasure hunt does tend to play second fiddle to everything else going on, but the settings, the globe trotting, it's all part of it and in this case I think it was executed with the most fines and class. Discovering the truth about Avery always had me guessing and importantly kept propelling me through the game, I couldn't put it down. I liked to that the 'supernatural' element was toned down and replaced with the idea of 'gold fever' and the way it mirrored the events happening in the present was an extra bonus.

There is so much to like in this game I genuinely struggle to think of things that I didn't like. Perhaps playing it on the hardest difficulty, it can highlight the flaws in the combat and takes away much of the enjoyment that can be had on the easy difficulty, but that isn't the game is it? That's just extra challenge for sadists like myself that want imaginary trophies.

I could not recommend this game enough. If you have a PS4 you should have played it by now.

[Bakers_12]

Mixed bag of a game for me. The visuals and voice acting are amazing as always in these games. Some of the cut scenes look like real actors , the crash bandicoot scene a real stand out. But the game play and set pieces are feeling a bit tired now though I have played the first three games in quick succession . The story and villain are a bit meh.
The most interesting thing in the story is the idea of a independent state founded by pirates and it's eventual fall , now that would make a good bioshocky story!

The biggest shame seams that naughty dog did not want to mix things up and stuck to a tireing formula.