| Platform | OVERALL |
|---|---|
| PlayStation 4 | 9.30 |
| Overall | 9.30 |
|
Naughty Dog has become the leaders in cinematic gaming and storytelling. It's an odd transformation when you think back to their roots as a company that made colorful platformers. Their recent successes, mainly The Last of Us, have turned their game releases into major events. They have raised the standard in how story and action is presented in games so it is almost expected that they do it again with Uncharted 4, the final entry into the beloved franchise. After playing through this excellent game I can safely say they have once again raised the bar, no game looks as good and the acting feels as real as a movie. But did Naughty Dog sacrifice some of the intensity that made this series so much fun so that they can focus on story? From the second the game starts the aspect that will stand out the most is how stunning the game looks. I normally don't talk about graphics much in reviews but it is impossible to ignore them with this game as it is an absolutely essential part of storytelling and big action moments. The level of detail in every single location is unprecedented; locations feel real, certain spots are so beautiful it is like being inside a painting. Naughty Dog was not going for photorealism here but for a look that is consistent with the world they created and is instantly recognizable to us. Every aspect is enhanced because of how jaw dropping everything looks, and the extra power of this new generation allows these wizards to do so much more with the character models and animation. This allows the storytelling to reach new heights for this series and even rival TLOU. The line between CG acting and real acting is practically vanishing. There is a scene where Nathan And Elena are just having a normal conversation and it feels as real as any live action acting. The facial animations are extremely lifelike, they pick up every bit of nuance needed for an emotional performance. The mo cap and voice cap cast is the best in the business with Nolan North and Troy Baker leading the way and add much depth to these characters. The big difference between this story and past games is how it is almost a character study on these characters we love, there is a quest for a treasure but the plot is at its best when it's about how this affects their lives. The story is great, it's compelling, funny and never loses its way. Even the treasure hunt has far more backstory than in previous games. But we don't play Uncharted for story, we play because it has the most amazing action moments in gaming. When the action is on this game is at a level few games can match, the problem is it's not on all that much. The emphasis on story has lead to major pacing issues for what should be an action game. After almost every gunfight there is a stop in the action where the game puts the player in an area where they do some light platforming and generally just move through an environment. Some areas are made just to explore as if it's a David Cage game where you just look at objects and comment on them. This is fine in moderation and was used to great effect in Uncharted 2 in Tibet after the huge train sequence but in this game the action stops after nearly every gun fight. The result is a game that is far less intense than past Uncharted games and is missing the big moments we all love. If the platforming and exploration aspects of the gameplay were enhanced to new levels then this wouldn't be much of an issue. Platforming is improved with a grapple hook and sliding added to the mix. Yet platforming still has the automatic feel, the majority of platforming sections have zero challenge and it's just a thing to funnel you to the next area. Puzzles are no better than before which is a shame, with the new tools at Drake’s disposal puzzles could have been more complicated. Exploration is a big change as this game has massive areas to explore with almost nothing to do in them. Vehicles are now drivable and allow exploration of these area. This allows for more hidden character moments where the crew comments on things as they travel. The usual hidden treasures return but the extra exploration elements don't help them be any better than before, they are still just useless shit sitting in a random corner. One area does have optional battles to find which is what these areas should have been populated with.The exploration mixed with the mind blowing art direction does entertain, I loved just traveling but I can see how hollow it is from a gameplay perspective. The combat got a massive facelift which now makes Uncharted’s shooting as good as the best in the genre. Shooting a gun finally feels like it has power, enemies react realistically. Moving drake through the environment feels more natural than ever before and with the grapple hook adding the ability to quickly swing across a map it adds even more options in combat. The strength of this series has always been the ability to move around the environment and not just stick behind cover like so many boring TPSs. This game enhances that movement so much, it is the perfect natural evolution of uncharted gameplay and it makes every single combat encounter an absolute blast to play. I'm talking the best in the genre level of greatness. Uncharted 4 adds better stealth mechanics to further add depth to the combat segments. It's not a collection of the most original mechanics but they work. You can mark enemies and enemies have alert states. If spotted enemies go into alert and backup swarms into the area, these guys are relentless and will move around to flank you so that you can never stay in one place too long. If you can hide in tall grass or behind objects for long enough you will lose the alert state and be able to stealth kill some more guards. It's a simplistic system because there are no ways to distract guards or kill them silently from a distance. So don't expect MGS levels of stealth here which I think was intentional. If stealth was easy to do it would upset the whole gunplay aspect, if you can silently get through most areas then it would be boring. Instead this allows for experimentation and to be able to whittle down enemy numbers but you will almost always get caught which is when the action shines. There are not as many big setpieces as in the last two Uncharted games which is a huge letdown because the ones we do get are spectacular. The addition of driving makes one setpiece unlike anything you have ever experienced but it is such a fleeting moment. Where is the constant energy and wow factor from Uncharted 2? Instead of big scripted moments it seems the developers felt that the new stealth encounters are more interesting so the majority of encounters are just areas with guards on patrol. Now these areas are brilliantly designed with loads of paths, verticality, and many places to hide. These play out like action playgrounds, it's almost a shame they are only used once per game asthese areas could be part of a game with multiple missions like an MGSV because they are so meticulously designed. Still I prefer the directed action segments, when the devs create an action scene with specific enemies and situations it makes a moment. It allows for gameplay variety, it allows for great pacing, it forces the player into specific kinds of gameplay moments. The best games constantly switch those moments up to create a game that is always surprising the player, this was Uncharted 2. Here those moments are far and few between with most encounters being the “here is a location you do whatever you want” kind of encounter. This game is very clear case of story moments replacing gameplay centric moments. The contrast is easily apparent as some chapters are completely opposite of each other. One chapter you are in crazy gun battles with amazing gameplay moments. The next chapter you just walk around an environment looking at stuff while characters interact. I'm not saying that downtime is a bad thing, I feel it's bad when it's used on a constant basis and as an easy way to focus on story. I look at it like this, all mechanics are improved, in fact all mechanics are the best in the series (outside of melee which takes an odd step back from Uncharted 3 but is mostly a non issue). But the non combat stuff even with slight improvements are serviceable at best when compared to other adventure games. The action though is largely improved and some of the best in gaming. As a developer why would I not put the focus on the best part of your game, why the split with elements that are not that great. I am coming off very negative but I do so because I feel this is such an easy missed opportunity. The hard part is making a game with standout gameplay, making a game that can wow the player. Uncharted 4 has all that, the hard part is done, all they had to do was get the balance right. Now this is just me, I am a gameplay first kind of player, for others this combination of downtime with action might be exactly what they want from a story driven game, it might be a masterpiece to them. Personally I feel the catering to the masses with the least amount of frustration, simple puzzles, and platforming where it's sometimes impossible to fail hurts a game and uncharted 4 seems to focus more on that than the action moments. Uncharted 4 is the largest Uncharted game with a campaign that will take about 13-17 hours to beat, longer if you are like me and explore every inch. The difficulty modes change the enemy placement and the amount of enemies which is great as it makes replays on a new difficulty feel new. After you complete the game there is a handy encounter select that allows you to jump into any action section. I wish they did more with this adding new objectives or trials to these sections. There are some fantastic bonuses to unlock which range from skins to render modes that totally change the way the game looks, it's a ton of fun just messing around with them. Oh and there is an extensive photo mode which should get tons of use as every area is breathtaking and begging to be shot with a camera. I almost had more fun creating awesome pictures as I did playing the game. Multiplayer returns but this time Naughty Dog is having a staggered release with modes like coop coming many months from now for free. It's a shame that what used to be included at launch is now something coming later, this means there are not many modes at launch, only three of them. The action feels better than ever, there are new perks that add all kinds of strategy to loadouts and how to approach each match. New perks include buddies which are NPC allies that aid the player like a brute or a medic. There are artifacts that give powers, special weapon unlocks, all of these you buy during the match with money you earn by playing well. The matches are fun once you get into a groove, it feels like the best multiplayer since U2. There is no denying the incredible level of quality offered in Uncharted 4. A massive campaign, quality multiplayer, cool extras with great gameplay and incredible graphics. I mostly loved my time playing the campaign, my complaints mostly come from what I saw as wasted potential. Naughty Dog wanted to make a more story driven grounded Uncharted game and they absolutely succeeded in doing that but at the expense of the adrenaline filled constant action the series is known for. Instead of Uncharted 4 becoming an all time masterpiece, it's pacing issues makes it just one of the best games of 2016. |
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Posted by Dvader Sat, 14 May 2016 04:34:42
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robio (1m)
I liked that they borrowed the stealth ideas from Last Of Us and Tomb Raider 2013...probably my favorite parts of the game. Just sucks that as soon as one guy spots you, suddenly you're fighting 30 dudes and they all magically know where you are. I hate shit like that.