This is it!  The awesome series from Naughty Dog returns for one final adventure.  I've tried to stay in the dark about the story, but the multiplayer beta was fun.  I could not wait to talk about this one because let's face it, Vader is going to pick this up early from some dingy flea market anyway.  

Who's ready for more awesome multiplayer nights?  

I loved Rise of the Tomb Raider, but I am actually hoping/thinking that UC4 will surpass even that. Maybe it will make up for less mechanical satisifaction with the nostaliga for teh characters as we bid them adieu.

Still, have trouble paying over $100 for it at launch...

Hmmm... How do we know this is the REAL Vader and not his kidnapper posting on his phone?! I bet you'll be asking for ransom any moment now!!

QUICK! WHAT'S THE THIRD ZONE'S NAME IN THE THIRD SONIC THE HEDGEHOG GAME??!!

**Only the REAL Vader would care to know this!**

Some background before I dive into impressions so that you know my tastes. I am a gameplay first guy, you will find me argue gameplay over story all the time. That said I love a good story, just not at the expense of gameplay. My second favorite series is MGS because even though it has a huge story the gameplay is always top notch.

I am a huge fan of Naughty Dog and this series in particular. I think Uncharted 2 is one of the greatest games ever made and I maybe in the minority here but I think it's NDs best game, better than TLOU. I understand why TLOU is so loved but I am more of an action guy, I love action movies, I like the constant action uncharted gives than the more slow pace of TLOU. Why is U2 so special, because the pacing is pretty much perfect. They took the gameplay from the first and added vertical combat, the moving around the battlefield sets it apart from other TPSs. It's one of those near perfect sequels. U3 was more of the same but just felt like a bad copy with worse pacing, still great but it's not U2.

Ok now you know my stance on the series, I played about 4 hours and there was almost no combat yet I didn't care. The storytelling side is just so damn good, this is movie quality stuff. There is no difference between real acting and these virtual characters, every bit of body language and facial nuance is picked up, I am watching actual acting and I am so invested in this story. I already love these characters but this feels more like they are actual humans than some characters in an action movie, it's so compelling. I wouldn't mind watching uncharted 4 the movie it's so good.

That said it's still a game, interactivity is why this medium exists and I found myself engaged at the cool ways they present the story. I felt like I was in a David Cage game with the level of detail these environments have and the way you can explore. It's kind of what U3 was going for in some of those boring moments but this is done right. There is one moment that had me geeking out so much, you guys that played the game will probably know what it is. While it's doing all this the game is teaching you all the mechanics so it serves as a tutorial as well. I think it works so well because it does all this in so many different locations and situations and the story is always moving forward. Can it be boring in multiple play throughs, maybe,  but I think if you power through it can be done very fast.

I took my sweet time because my jaw was on the floor at basically everything. This is without question the most beautiful game ever made. The level of detail present is staggering. Photo mode has loads of options and I spent a good hour just taking pictures of random plants, I couldn't help myself.

At some point though the game had to get going and I played through the first major action chapter and holy shit the action is incredible!! First thing you will notice is that shooting feels great, finally some weight to the bullets, it feels right. The game introduced the new stealth mechanics and it works like most every game with guards that get suspicious and go alert. The area I played wasn't large but it had multiple paths to take, to either hide or shoot. It's so great to have these options as it makes replaying each section a blast, I didn't mind dying.

One time I got seen so all hell broke loose, I jump out a balcony to reposition, guards were following, they are coming from all sides. I am playing on hard and these guys seem relentless. I was jumping into another room, they were jumping right after me. I turned and smashed one guard into a wall, took his gun, jumped out a window shot some guys from outside, jumped back in and went into hiding. Guards lost track of me so I was able to sneak up on some and snap some necks. In one area I got caught and like 5 guards came out so a huge firefight broke out. I died so the next time I didn't get caught and killed the three guards on patrol, no backup, no firefight. So that's the level of changes you can expect to see depending how you play.

In terms of AI they seem smart enough, they flank, take cover, use grenades. I think they lose track of you a bit too easily and they seem to go right back to their normal patrol. This is not MGS level sneaking here; I tried to shoot out some lights and that didn't work. Doesn't matter cause it's mostly about the action and this section ended in a massive scripted shootout. The environment was crumbling around me, I am rolling all over the place trying to get better weapons while avoiding fire. The music is pumping and it is AMAZING, my cover is being torn to shreds, my palms are sweaty, it's everything a great action sequence should be and it wasn't really a big setpiece, it was just a great firefight. If this game keeps this up it’s going to easily be the best game in the series.

This game feels special. It's definitely uncharted, mechanically most of it is the same but the refinement with the better shooting, alert states and larger areas make it feel like a true step forward from Uncharted 2. The story, graphics and presentation are at a whole different level. Man I can't wait to get out of work and play more tomorrow.

How did you get it a week early?

Enjoy your ban for playing early. I'm calling Sony right now.

Any multiplayer impressions yet?

I'm not sure if I'm more excited for the campaign or the multiplayer.  I put about 100 hours into UC2's mp.

Please elaborate on that TLOU statement. Is it a "serious" story?