REVIEW

Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End Review

by Ford James, June 11th, 2016

Xbox has Halo. Nintendo has Mario. PlayStation? Uncharted is their baby. Every forum post about newcomers to Sony’s consoles wondering which games they should pick up first always has the same reply: Uncharted. The second instalment, Among Thieves, is usually considered the finest of Nathan Drake’s adventures, but it’s obvious that playing the first title is advised to understand and comprehend Drake’s situation and the backstory. Naughty Dog were always going to have a tricky time introducing a new experience for Nate after the end of the third instalment which saw Nate and Elena agree on a fresh start and to try and live a normal life. After Uncharted 3 left the series in a seemingly dead-end, this final instalment does a stellar job of providing a new angle and route to take Nate’s journey further.

A Thief’s End drops players right into the action from the get go. An action packed sequence on a speedboat in the middle of a thunderstorm, while bullets rain down upon you and a yet-to-be-introduced man, sees the player introduced to the controls whilst navigating the boat toward an eerie island in the distance and returning fire. A clever foretelling of things to come as the game mellows out, focusing on Nate’s pledge to live a normal life, with the first few chapters introducing Sam, Nathan’s previously undisclosed brother, and Rafe, another character who features prominently throughout the game. Planting such an enigmatic sequence as the initial experience of Uncharted 4 means the lure of wanting to find out how Nate gets himself into such a predicament is at the front of your mind as you play, trying to put the pieces together as the game plays out.

Most video games see you play as the good guys rather than the villains, but in Uncharted’s case, it’s usually playing as the lesser of two evils. This doesn’t change in Uncharted 4; Nate is actually kind of an arsehole, lying to his wife and almost getting himself killed multiple times over. It makes you think if he’d just stopped to explain the predicament to Elena, with Sam returning from prison and having three months to save his own life by finding Avery’s treasure, surely she’d understand? Unfortunately Sam is no better, as you eventually learn. I often found myself wishing Sully was Nate’s accomplice whenever Sam was by my side, simply because he’s boring; Uncharted veterans don’t have the bond to him like they do with Sully and Nate, he’s far less witty and his backstory is bland.

Both his and Nate’s motives are always understandable, due to how outstanding the dialogue and voice acting truly is. Nolan North (Nathan), Troy Baker (Sam), Emily Rose (Elena) and Richard McGonagle (Sully) do an absolutely stellar job. The emotion and small details combined with the phenomenal animation and facial expressions mean you understand and connect with the characters in ways I’ve only ever seen rivalled by The Witcher 3. One example being when Elena is waiting for Nate in his room when she realises he lied to her and didn’t really go to Malaysia for work; her expression, the slight tremble in her voice, the way she storms out of the room and how Nate cowardly makes Sully go after her instead of trying to remedy things himself. It happens plenty of times throughout the

At the heart of it, there’s three overarching plot points: the hunt for Henry Avery’s treasure, Nate and Sam’s relationship, and to a slightly lesser degree Nate and Elena’s relationship. This change of pace makes Uncharted 4 unique as the previous three games have all followed the same formula; find the treasure, beat the bad guys, escape the lost city before it comes crashing down. These added dynamics turn a tired, rehashed story into an exuberant, exciting experience that often goes over the top but delivers an entertaining and remarkable story.

One running theme throughout the entirety of the game is that of reliance: Nate would stumble at the first hurdle if he didn’t have an accomplice with him for a huge majority of the time, be it Sam, Sully or Elena. Even with tasks as simple as boosting up ledges, it’s a struggle to imagine how Nate would succeed without a friend always there to help him out. To a certain extent it gives off vibes similar to Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons, which is charming in a game about stealing, betrayal and deceit.

Uncharted has always been known for its character development, plot and solid third person shooter action. However, progression is always linear, with little to explore off the beaten track other than the odd corner or alley to find some treasure down. A Thief’s End breaks this formula; while there aren’t different endings or narrative paths, each area Nate explores is wide and open, with multiple ways to approach each objective. Uncharted 4 removes most of the corridor shooter elements that were so prevalent in previous titles.

Combat situations introduce even more ways to play, with long grass being utilised for stealth (although playing stealthily on crushing difficulty is nigh on impossible) and hanging on a ledge in wait for a patrolling enemy means they can be punched and flung off the edge in a surprisingly elegant manner. You can tag enemies, companions react to your movements meaning they’ll get the hell out of the way if your only piece of cover is where they’re crouched because Nate’s life is obviously more valuable than anybody else’s. The melee and stealth combat are strongly reminiscent of Assassin’s Creed, not that that’s a bad thing due to the fluidity and how much it makes you feel like an ultimate badass.

Exploring every nook and cranny of the now much larger playground has its rewards too. There’s considerably more collectible bits of treasure to uncover – 109 to be exact – and they’re a damn sight harder to find due to how open it is. Without searching every corner but scouring fairly often, I discovered 40 in my first playthrough, so completionists will get their money’s worth looking for every trinket and treasure. Carefully examining every detail of the world around Nate also reveals just how much care has gone into the game. From the titles of books to the pictures hanging on the walls, it’s worth taking a minute to stop and stare at the world, in between all the climbing and shooting.

Walking around and taking in every aspect, whether it be the rocky terrain of Scotland, rich mansions of Italy or bustling markets of Madagascar, often leads to optional dialogue with whoever you’re traversing with at the time. You learn more about how the characters are feeling after in-game events, with witty quips being thrown back and forth. These one liners have been prevalent in previous games in the series but Uncharted 4 steps it up a notch with the delivery and quality of the lines.

Nate’s journal with informal notes and goofy drawings makes a return to aid your puzzle solving and to flick through to your heart’s content. It also introduces optional journal entries which serve as a second type of collectible alongside the treasures scattered about, which will often trigger a piece of optional dialogue as Nate and co. comment on various oddities, adding to the immersion in an already incredibly immersive experience. It also means you can flick through the journal at the end of the game if you’re so inclined, to reflect on everything you found and read Nate’s lines of wisdom.

Uncharted 4 see the introduction of the rope hook, used to swing and traverse fatal drops, rappel down walls and hang like a bat while popping caps in enemies that hilariously struggle to hit a target without any cover whatsoever, even on crushing difficulty. More than halfway through you’re also granted use of a piton, to add some variety to the basic wall hanging and jumping – now you can create your own hang point in specific walls. The old system of following one route to navigate the treacherous terrain Nate seems to have an obsession with has gone too, as multiple options to reach the same point are now available. It’s all been done before in other games, but when these mechanics are combined and executed so well? It makes Uncharted 4 so much better than what it could’ve ended up being.

Ultimately, Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End is all about the journey. There’s the odd chapter which feels unnecessary and weak compared to the rest of them, and it’s by no means a perfect game, but it’s damn good. It’s like the equivalent of a Michael Bay movie in video games: it’s loud but it’s proud. You often have to suspend disbelief and just enjoy it for what it is; a wonderfully crafted voyage in Nathan Drake’s final moments as a treasure hunter. It’s the most visually impressive game on the PS4 and the whole story is beautifully written. There’s nothing revolutionary, but everything it tries it executes magnificently. A worthy send off for our beloved Nate, with a truly remarkable epilogue.