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[Acerac]

Isn't this the truth?

I think that it is exciting how technical advances are going to lead to new immersive experiences that get closer to mimicking life (albeit, in an exaggerated and stylized fashion)

Genre labels have been warped to the point of uselessness at this point anyways.

Whatever genre Uncharted 4 is, there is a hell of a market for it.

 

[Daffy Duck]

I really want to read the article, how many spoilers are there if I haven't played Uncharted 4 yet?

 

[Psychoward]

I don't really mind that exploration is pointless in the game, I like playing all the Uncharted games going from level to level fairly quick because I think it fits the pace better. But yeah there was a distinct lack of downtime that didn't even have puzzles which was odd. They also need to step up their platforming game as it's pretty much automatic at this point. I think even though this site has a huge Naughty Dog following, the game's reception is going to drop soon once more people not as enamored with the game get their hands on it.

Overall I enjoy the game but it's definitely not gonna be replayed for a while even with all the cool filters and modifiers. As an overall experience and end to the series it's great, but as a replayable game? Not really.

 

[MCD]

I don't really mind that exploration is pointless in the game, I like playing all the Uncharted games going from level to level fairly quick because I think it fits the pace better. But yeah there was a distinct lack of downtime that didn't even have puzzles which was odd. They also need to step up their platforming game as it's pretty much automatic at this point. I think even though this site has a huge Naughty Dog following the game's reception is going to drop soon once more people not as enamored with the game get their hands on it.

Overall I enjoy the game but it's definitely not gonna be replayed for a while even with all the cool filters and modifiers.

Why I believe Rise of the Tomb Raider is the better game overall. At least from a gameplay point of view.

 

[Psychoward]

Why I believe Rise of the Tomb Raider is the better game overall. At least from a gameplay point of view.

I haven't played it yet but now I'm excited to (don't have an xbone or goos enough pc). I think I'll miss the rope, level design and gunplay though.

 

[Psychoward]

They may be saying it for silly reasons and expressing a half baked idea but there's some substance to be had in the conversation. First time through Uncharted 4, it's mindblowing, 90% "greatest ever" material. It can be just jaw dropping and show you so much subtle stuff that makes you ruminate about game design. Replaying it afterwards I find myself trudging through a lot of restrictive, obstructive, non-interactive filler that just doesn't do anything for me anymore after having seen/heard it once already, to get to the parts that I barely got to enjoy the first time.

The run and/or gun segments are often too brief to gleam any lasting joy from, despite them having been expertly timed in terms of significance and pacing (as it relates to the flow of an adventure) the first time through.

So many breathtaking set pieces ripe for gameplay scenarios that you can only linger in or briskly jaunt through. If each of these areas had been an encounter the first time through, it may have felt like a slog and a narrative obstruction, but on second viewing it's like negative space and a kind of tragic waste. There's a certain level of courage and audacity required to make something purely for spectacle, experience and narrative sake rather than maximum profitability. It's the type of freedom the medium needs to be afforded at this level... and it also takes willingness from the audience to be entertained in this way, and pay for it.

There's an encounter select, but that's such an unnatural, inorganic way to re-experience a game... it's something I don't feel like I need or want to do when playing say, Resident Evil 4, for whatever a game like that may lack in comparison.

I loved the game. It's not even as much a criticism as it is a perplexing conundrum that I'd like to see the medium eventually riddle out. This might be the current oil and water point of equilibrium for awhile and Naughty Dog keeps the mixture in a centrifuge to keep it solvent. I guess the way to think about it is that the way it feels the first time is worth the loss of a game that never was. It's a drug that only gets you that high once, but it takes you to a very specific region of outer space. Better to have loved and lost.

Great post here and I agree with pretty much all of it, I also don't think uc1, 2 and 3 were as replayable as other people are giving them credit though because all the balls out set pieces and whatnot wear thin after you've seen them once. It's the curse of creating a super linear game I guess.

 

[justsomeguy]

They may be saying it for silly reasons and expressing a half baked idea but there's some substance to be had in the conversation. First time through Uncharted 4, it's mindblowing, 90% "greatest ever" material. It can be just jaw dropping and show you so much subtle stuff that makes you ruminate about game design. Replaying it afterwards I find myself trudging through a lot of restrictive, obstructive, non-interactive filler that just doesn't do anything for me anymore after having seen/heard it once already, to get to the parts that I barely got to enjoy the first time.

The run and/or gun segments are often too brief to gleam any lasting joy from, despite them having been expertly timed in terms of significance and pacing (as it relates to the flow of an adventure) the first time through.

So many breathtaking set pieces ripe for gameplay scenarios that you can only linger in or briskly jaunt through. If each of these areas had been an encounter the first time through, it may have felt like a slog and a narrative obstruction, but on second viewing it's like negative space and a kind of tragic waste. There's a certain level of courage and audacity required to make something purely for spectacle, experience and narrative sake rather than maximum profitability. It's the type of freedom the medium needs to be afforded at this level... and it also takes willingness from the audience to be entertained in this way, and pay for it.

There's an encounter select, but that's such an unnatural, inorganic way to re-experience a game... it's something I don't feel like I need or want to do when playing say, Resident Evil 4, for whatever a game like that may lack in comparison.

I loved the game. It's not even as much a criticism as it is a perplexing conundrum that I'd like to see the medium eventually riddle out. This might be the current oil and water point of equilibrium for awhile and Naughty Dog keeps the mixture in a centrifuge to keep it solvent. I guess the way to think about it is that the way it feels the first time is worth the loss of a game that never was. It's a drug that only gets you that high once, but it takes you to a very specific region of outer space. Better to have loved and lost.

I haven't played uc4 thanks to nd delaying it until after my babies were born (and neo rumors meaning that buying a ps4 now is folly for me) but Iwonder how it compares to quantum break in some regards. Has anyone here played both? Qb took some criticism for having walking bits too but i loved qb. I'm also fine with a sp game with no replay value if the first time is good

 

[jhmtehgamr20xx]

Sure, that was true in like 2007. Maybe it's true now if you literally only pay attention to a certain thin slice of the gaming landscape (AAA setpiece shooters). Gaming itself has not been going in that direction for a long time. For hardcore gaming, the nigh-impenetrable MOBA genre has been ascendant for years. Children would rather play Minecraft on servers that have more in common with Ultima Online than a walking simulator. Permadeath survival games that make simple things like shooting complex are a major genre. Etc.

Games like Uncharted are targeted at a particularly large, mostly older male audience that came up through gaming in the increasingly cinematic era. Kids coming up now mostly don't play games like this, they play mechanics-driven stuff instead.

Not quite. Although games have started embracing a more mechanics-driven nature (natural given the shift to multiplayer), and this has also (thankfully) started to embrace more tenants of arcade game design as a whole, those elements usually only truly surface at higher difficulty levels.

The thing is, in regards to single-player games, the Normal difficulty (which is the average difficulty most people playing a game for the first time are apt to play) is, in general, easier than the Normal difficulty of games from the gen before, and so on and so forth. Just look at the difficulty settings for the R&C remake; its Normal is equivalent to the original's Easy and its Hard is equivalent to the original's Normal, etc. Same thing w/ the REmake remaster; Easy became Normal, Normal became Hard, etc.

Or just look at games like 3D World. It has some of the most challenging extra challenges of any Mario game, but that's all completely outside the way of the Normal difficulty and challenges, so a regular playthrough is still relatively easy. Although that's kind of always been a thing with most Nintendo games, so it probably shouldn't serve as an example.

You really can't compare Zelda to Uncharted because Zelda is a game that is designed around the game whereas Uncharted is designed around the story. Zelda continuously builds on gameplay ideas testing the players mastery of them.

The gameplay in Uncharted is repetitive because there is no progression in the gameplay ideas. In Uncharted you are introduced to an idea and repeat that idea over and over with no progression in the mechanics. You never feel threatened or challenged. You will push the same crate over and over. You will swing across huge chasms over and over. You will traverse by spamming the jump button. Everything is at a superficial level and Naughty Dog never asks you to show mastery of any of the gameplay concepts.

It's really getting down to game design and the progression of ideas. Mario is not a jumping simulator. It introduces you to an idea early in the level in a non threatening way and you have to demonstrate mastery of that idea by the end of the level. If you don't, you will die.

See basic Mario level design: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZH2wGpEZVgE

Uncharted never does that. Instead, progression is done by flipping pages through the next story element.

For example in Uncharted 4, you are introduced to the rope and will spend the entire game doing the same mechanic over and over. Sliding down a ramp and jumping across a chasm. It never progresses beyond that and you never feel threatened or challenged with the game mechanics.

Going with the Indy Jones theme, you can easily use the rope mechanic to build on gameplay ideas by designing a trap that Nathan has to get through using both the rope and the traversal mechanics. Here you can really test if the player has mastered the rope mechanics.

........No. No. Not even a little bit.

The only game that fits the description of a cinematic, mature-themed Zelda is already decades old (Legacy of Kain).

Uncharted has literally nothing in common with Zelda. Even when you squint real hard.

Lol guys (or gals), c'mon xD. I agree. Was just illustrating a point. Also, another LoK mention to make the sting of the cancellation that much more tasteless.

Also I think a better equivalent to a mature Zelda was already kind of had w/ the old Tomb Raider games, fwiw.

 

[Clear]

Am I the only one who fails jumps/traversal challenges in UC4? Everyone else see's the exact right route forward every time, and executes every move perfectly?

I don't think I'm completely useless at gaming (I breezed through NG++ in DS3) and I've died reasonably frequently despite the slickness of the overall execution of UC4.

These comments implying that UC4's gameplay doesn't require any skill or thought are making me doubt myself a bit!

 

[storafötter]

This is the impression I get from the series, but I will admit only played Golden Abyss (which had too much tacked on gimmicks). Which is why it isnt really for me. Really beautiful games though!

I always wished Uncharted was a series with strict platforming that was punishing and not very linear.

Honestly I dont like walking simulators at all (given them several times and regret every time), but Uncharted has at least several gameplay segments going for it.

 

[nib95]

Am I the only one who fails jumps/traversal challenges in UC4? Everyone else see's the exact right route forward every time, and executes every move perfectly?

I don't think I'm completely useless at gaming (I breezed through NG++ in DS3) and I've died reasonably frequently despite the slickness of the overall execution of UC4.

These comments implying that UC4's gameplay doesn't require any skill or thought are making me doubt myself a bit!

No, I'm exactly the same. First play through I had more deaths from platforming than I did from the combat encounters. Attempting riskier jumps and moves, especially from the ropeswing, often lends to death if you misjudge timing, the distance of a gap, or are impatient, especially when trying to reach off the beaten track locations to try and find treasures, journals etc. I also find that Drake's reach out animation doesn't always execute, especially if you're traversing quickly, so some of it is less automated as a result.

Regarding platforming and climbing, part of the skill or fun factor of it, however minor, is the discovery element. Platforms, ridges, climbing spots etc are sometimes less obvious this time around than they were in the previous games, or other times hidden from plain sight, so that element of figuring out exactly where you need to go is often more pertinent. I think ND uses that to also draw the players attention inadvertently to more of the gorgeous scenery, backgrounds, vistas etc.

 

[semiconscious]

They may be saying it for silly reasons and expressing a half baked idea but there's some substance to be had in the conversation. First time through Uncharted 4, it's mindblowing, 90% "greatest ever" material. It can be just jaw dropping and show you so much subtle stuff that makes you ruminate about game design. Replaying it afterwards I find myself trudging through a lot of restrictive, obstructive, non-interactive filler that just doesn't do anything for me anymore after having seen/heard it once already, to get to the parts that I barely got to enjoy the first time...

unfortunately, i'm feeling this way about it on my first playthrough. 10+ chapters, & i'm ready to call this easily the most dull, uninteresting uncharted game of them all (including golden abyss). with a part of this being my intense dislike of you-know-who. &, yeah, i know that you're supposed to, but i'm thinking not quite as much as i do ...

 

[Air Zombie Meat]

The more I play it the more I agree with this article. Think I'm on c 17 or so and so far theres been only one area where I felt I could make full use of the new mechanics in combat. And that was the area shown in the first gameplay reveal. Other encounters in the game have been too brief and limited in comparison.

Hoping theres some more areas later that live up to the combats potential. Still enjoying everything else the game has to offer but it's a definite departure from the more action heavy Uncharteds.

 

[Morrigan Stark]

Am I the only one who fails jumps/traversal challenges in UC4? Everyone else see's the exact right route forward every time, and executes every move perfectly?

I don't think I'm completely useless at gaming (I breezed through NG++ in DS3) and I've died reasonably frequently despite the slickness of the overall execution of UC4.

These comments implying that UC4's gameplay doesn't require any skill or thought are making me doubt myself a bit!

I rarely fail them, because of the reaching out animation pretty much tells you when/where to jump every time. But sometimes I get impatient and think "oh it's surely safe now" and jump off and... whoops.

There was one time I failed repeatedly and my boyfriend kept snickering at me. It's the part where, when escaping from

Spoiler

Scotland

,

Spoiler

you have to jump off in the water and then swim to the hydroplane. I saw the hydroplane in the distance but thought, no way dropping in the water is safe with all those rocks and current and whatnot, so I thought I needed to reach out on those upper platforms first where those guys were shooting at me. I kept trying to swing the rope around to reach out those places but of course the mobs shot me and killed me all the time.

When I finally realized what I had to do I was "ehhh". It wasn't that obvious because that kind of drop is usually fatal.

 

[Fantastical]

You really can't compare Zelda to Uncharted because Zelda is a game that is designed around the game whereas Uncharted is designed around the story. Zelda continuously builds on gameplay ideas testing the players mastery of them.

The gameplay in Uncharted is repetitive because there is no progression in the gameplay ideas. In Uncharted you are introduced to an idea and repeat that idea over and over with no progression in the mechanics. You never feel threatened or challenged. You will push the same crate over and over. You will swing across huge chasms over and over. You will traverse by spamming the jump button. Everything is at a superficial level and Naughty Dog never asks you to show mastery of any of the gameplay concepts.

It's really getting down to game design and the progression of ideas. Mario is not a jumping simulator. It introduces you to an idea early in the level in a non threatening way and you have to demonstrate mastery of that idea by the end of the level. If you don't, you will die.

See basic Mario level design: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZH2wGpEZVgE

Uncharted never does that. Instead, progression is done by flipping pages through the next story element.

For example in Uncharted 4, you are introduced to the rope and will spend the entire game doing the same mechanic over and over. Sliding down a ramp and jumping across a chasm. It never progresses beyond that and you never feel threatened or challenged with the game mechanics.

Going with the Indy Jones theme, you can easily use the rope mechanic to build on gameplay ideas by designing a trap that Nathan has to get through using both the rope and the traversal mechanics. Here you can really test if the player has mastered the rope mechanics.

I completely agree with this and I'm currently loving Uncharted 4. I had the same thought, especially when it comes to the rope and sliding stuff... they basically do very similar segments over and over again. A lot more time is put in to the presentation and story of the game compared to the gameplay mechanics. Not necessarily a bad thing.

They are completely different games. I wouldn't want all games to become what Uncharted has become, but I appreciate what it does well.

"Walking Simulator" is too far, but I understand the sentiment even if I don't really agree with it.

 

[Creamium]

They may be saying it for silly reasons and expressing a half baked idea but there's some substance to be had in the conversation. First time through Uncharted 4, it's mindblowing, 90% "greatest ever" material. It can be just jaw dropping and show you so much subtle stuff that makes you ruminate about game design. Replaying it afterwards I find myself trudging through a lot of restrictive, obstructive, non-interactive filler that just doesn't do anything for me anymore after having seen/heard it once already, to get to the parts that I barely got to enjoy the first time.

The run and/or gun segments are often too brief to gleam any lasting joy from, despite them having been expertly timed in terms of significance and pacing (as it relates to the flow of an adventure) the first time through.

So many breathtaking set pieces ripe for gameplay scenarios that you can only linger in or briskly jaunt through. If each of these areas had been an encounter the first time through, it may have felt like a slog and a narrative obstruction, but on second viewing it's like negative space and a kind of tragic waste. There's a certain level of courage and audacity required to make something purely for spectacle, experience and narrative sake rather than maximum profitability. It's the type of freedom the medium needs to be afforded at this level... and it also takes willingness from the audience to be entertained in this way, and pay for it.

There's an encounter select, but that's such an unnatural, inorganic way to re-experience a game... it's something I don't feel like I need or want to do when playing say, Resident Evil 4, for whatever a game like that may lack in comparison.

I loved the game. It's not even as much a criticism as it is a perplexing conundrum that I'd like to see the medium eventually riddle out. This might be the current oil and water point of equilibrium for awhile and Naughty Dog keeps the mixture in a centrifuge to keep it solvent. I guess the way to think about it is that the way it feels the first time is worth the loss of a game that never was. It's a drug that only gets you that high once, but it takes you to a very specific region of outer space. Better to have loved and lost.

I played the first half of the game with friends, then replayed that half on my own system. Second time through I experience everything you just said. In fact, honestly, I experienced this the first time through as well. They doubled down on traversal, which fundamentally hasn't changed since the first game, so some parts can drag (like the

Spoiler

pirate cave in Scotland

)

I have to replay til ch12, then it's all new for me. But so far I think this is the weakest of the Uncharted games. I feel like they tried to inject more of TLOU's style into a series that didn't necessarily need this.

 

[HueyFreeman]

That's a great article. The only problem is the silly "walking simulator" label, which they acknowledge is limiting. I like the idea that ND has snuck a whole series of these games out under the guise of conventional action games.

I don't necessarily whole heartedly agree with the thesis, but it's well conceived and thought provoking. Nice job as usual EG

(Wow at the 1st page graveyard)

 

[eXistor]

It's a very shallow game (it's all contextual mechanics), but everything it sets out to be is pretty achieved, so it works. It's a rare game that manages to speak to both casual and hardcore enthusiasts, because it strikes a perfect balance in so many ways, which is great.

Yeah the game almost plays itself in parts, but even then I'm thouroughly entertained and blown away by the visuals and small animation details. It's the complete package that manages to keep me interested. Take away one key aspect of the game though (be it story or graphics) and you're left with a husk. But that's not the case with U4, it's pretty damn great.

 

[Collateral22]

Why I believe Rise of the Tomb Raider is the better game overall. At least from a gameplay point of view.

It's not a patch on it, IMO. ROTTR was a lot better than the 2013 one but UC4 is on a different level in every aspect.

 

[Forsaken82]

I wish The Last of us and Uncharted came without combat. They'd be the greatest exploration games ever

Uncharted is garbage at exploration though. Now obviously I haven't played UC4 yet and I have heard the game is far more open than any prior Uncharted so im not going to speak for that game, however UC1 thru 3, exploration in those games is literally a brief stroll off the yellow brick road and you find an artifact. There is no open exploration. Its "oh heres a little nook, maybe somethings over here!"

 

[ProfessorMoran]

It's a very shallow game (it's all contextual mechanics), but everything it sets out to be is pretty achieved, so it works. It's a rare game that manages to speak to both casual and hardcore enthusiasts, because it strikes a perfect balance in so many ways, which is great.

Yeah the game almost plays itself in parts, but even then I'm thouroughly entertained and blown away by the visuals and small animation details. It's the complete package that manages to keep me interested. Take away one key aspect of the game though (be it story or graphics) and you're left with a husk. But that's not the case with U4, it's pretty damn great.

Most games are contextual mechanics these days, for the most part the game doesn't flash a button prompt at you like a lot of games do. Outside of TLOU, it's not like there are tps games with more sophisticated combat, certainly not rotr.

 

[Crossing Eden]

Am I the only one who fails jumps/traversal challenges in UC4? Everyone else see's the exact right route forward every time, and executes every move perfectly?

I don't think I'm completely useless at gaming (I breezed through NG++ in DS3) and I've died reasonably frequently despite the slickness of the overall execution of UC4.

These comments implying that UC4's gameplay doesn't require any skill or thought are making me doubt myself a bit!

In the same way that the rope is designed to always work as long as there's a prompt the game is programmed so that if Drake even slightly extends his arm he will literally magnetize to a the nearest handhold during a jump even if the player is farther away than normal, even if he slightly reaches out the player is safe, even at the exact moment he starts to reach his hand out=safety. You can actually see it in some of the animations if the player isn't technically at the perfect distance. I loaded up the game and made some gifs to illustrate this.

It's purposefully designed that the player has as the smallest possible chance at failing and it never expands on the mechanic. Calling them challenges is stretching the definition of the term. These were all first tries. Ծ_Ծ

Most games are contextual mechanics these days, for the most part the game doesn't flash a button prompt at you like a lot of games do. Outside of TLOU, it's not like there are tps games with more sophisticated combat, certainly not rotr.

ROTR has player progression in both the combat and stealth mechanics throughout the game, it's absolutely more sophisticated. And actually no, most games are not contextual mechanics these days, most triple A games are actually moving away from contextual mechanics in exchange for more player driven experiences. UC4 is an outlier in that regard because in some departments it has less depth than ND's last game despite the initial promises and illusion of wide openness.

 

[mrklaw]

That's a great article. The only problem is the silly "walking simulator" label, which they acknowledge is limiting. I like the idea that ND has snuck a whole series of these games out under the guise of conventional action games.

I don't necessarily whole heartedly agree with the thesis, but it's well conceived and thought provoking. Nice job as usual EG

(Wow at the 1st page graveyard)

Yeah the walking simulator was an odd phrase, considering it has been used for much more linear (and specifically non-action) games like dear esther/gone home/rapture. I don't think uncharted 4 fits there at all. It is incredibly linear but no more so than many modern single player games. You get some wide open areas for some encounters which encourage choice (stealth or guns out), and other forces action encounters. I think maybe the new mechanics for combat will really shine in multiplayer.

I live the change in pace personally and I think it is an interesting direction they chose - a little less combat and a lot more exploring.

I would like to see uncharted try the Tomb Raider approach of interconnected areas with the ability to wander around - but even in that game it was effectively linear and the open areas were mostly used post-game for collectibles etc


Mr Eden - the rope mechanics using 'reaching' does not magnetise you to a ledge - it simply indicates when you're in a safe jumping range. It is a helpful indicator to judge distance. If you jump off early you'll still die. Seems like a helpful and nicely integrated system to me. I'd prefer more of those and fewer 'L1' in neon lights for the rope mounts. I guess ND tried not having them but people would miss them. I would have thought there would be a more subtle way to indicate you're in range of a rope target though - maybe drake grabbing the rope and holding iron his hand?

 

[Crossing Eden]

Mr Eden - the rope mechanics using 'reaching' does not magnetise you to a ledge - it simply indicates when you're in a safe jumping range. It is a helpful indicator to judge distance. If you jump off early you'll still die. Seems like a helpful and nicely integrated system to me. I'd prefer more of those and fewer 'L1' in neon lights for the rope mounts. I guess ND tried not having them but people would miss them. I would have thought there would be a more subtle way to indicate you're in range of a rope target though - maybe drake grabbing the rope and holding iron his hand?

The reaching thing is the way the game magnetizes you to a ledge. Again, even the split second where he starts to reach=no risk of failure. Here's another example of it. Most of the time the animation is good at hiding it, other times it's quite obvious what i'm talking about.

Jumping off early=any time his hand is not out, as in, when's he's not even remotely close.

 

[Htown]

Most of the time the animation is good at hinding it, other times it's quite obvious what i'm talking about.

lol wow

 

[NinjamicWZ]

Great post here and I agree with pretty much all of it, I also don't think uc1, 2 and 3 were as replayable as other people are giving them credit though because all the balls out set pieces and whatnot wear thin after you've seen them once. It's the curse of creating a super linear game I guess.

Yeah, I agree. It's not something new to 4.

I played the first half of the game with friends, then replayed that half on my own system. Second time through I experience everything you just said. In fact, honestly, I experienced this the first time through as well. They doubled down on traversal, which fundamentally hasn't changed since the first game, so some parts can drag (like the

Spoiler

pirate cave in Scotland

)

I have to replay til ch12, then it's all new for me. But so far I think this is the weakest of the Uncharted games. I feel like they tried to inject more of TLOU's style into a series that didn't necessarily need this.

I can see that. I have zero patience or attention span when I'm playing with friends nowadays. Everything is like "god, come on already, ffs" and story needs focus/relaxation to enjoy.

 

[johnnydrama]

I haven't played it yet but now I'm excited to (don't have an xbone or goos enough pc). I think I'll miss the rope, level design and gunplay though.

Tomb Raider got the rope.

 

[tuxfool]

The reaching thing is the way the game magnetizes you to a ledge. Again, even the split second where he starts to reach=no risk of failure. Here's another example of it. Most of the time the animation is good at hiding it, other times it's quite obvious what i'm talking about.

Jumping off early=any time his hand is not out, as in, when's he's not even remotely close.

It should be noted that this isn't unique to UC4 as this magnetic or rather animation tolerance has always been in the traversal system in UC games. This tolerance can actually be seen in most 3rd person games where it teleports the player character to the interaction point.

 

[Acerac]

It should be noted that this isn't unique to UC4 as this magnetic or rather animation tolerance has always been in the traversal system in UC games. This tolerance can actually be seen in most 3rd person games where it teleports the player character to the interaction point.

Precisely grabbing on to these edges would be obscenely difficult to time for most people.

Given the choice between forcing pinpoint accuracy and fudging physics a bit I'm sure the vast majority of the game's audience would prefer the latter. The game is meant to make you look awesome, Drake constantly missing a ledge by 2 inches is just going to annoy people.

 

[conman]

Reading this article reminds me of exactly what I didn't like about Uncharted 3. Too many sequences where you just have to walk from point A to point B in order to progress the story, sit through more cinematics, and play through another walking sequence. The first two games pushed combat/action sequences over story and linear progress. The third one pushed walking sequences and cinematics over action.

Sounds like that balance is still a little off in UC4, despite its likely brilliance in other respects (I have yet to play it). Yet another reason for me to wait a little longer for a PS4 price-drop down the road.

 

[Waddle Dee]

I mean, to be fair, Uncharted 4 has a lot of downtime in it's story mode. Far more than previous Uncharted games. You sometimes spend almost an hour with no combat in sight (which is really the only gameplay style in the game with any sense of danger). It makes the first playthrough fun and memorable but I do question whether I'm going to be playing it that much after I platinum it.

 

[Aureon]

This thread made me interested in UC4.

 

[Avatar1]

So am I hearing that people complain that Nathan is a mass murderer by killing literally hundreds over the course of 1 through 3 but complain there isn't enough in 4?

Typical gamer ADD. I like the pacing of 4 so far and each gunplay encounter has more impact as a result.

This is a case where you can't please everyone I suppose.

 

[MaybeBurger]

The reaching thing is the way the game magnetizes you to a ledge. Again, even the split second where he starts to reach=no risk of failure. Here's another example of it. Most of the time the animation is good at hiding it, other times it's quite obvious what i'm talking about.

Jumping off early=any time his hand is not out, as in, when's he's not even remotely close.

its uncharted's climbing. Its always been like this.

That said, jumping into a swing, then a slide and then a jump to catch a ledge? Exhilarating. Even late game I was like "heheheh"

 

[mileS]

Not sure I follow the "click bait" posts. Uncharted is a huge new game and what else are these people going to write about? Don't agree with the angle and I rolled my eyes the second I seen it but still.

 

[Crossing Eden]

It should be noted that this isn't unique to UC4 as this magnetic or rather animation tolerance has always been in the traversal system in UC games. This tolerance can actually be seen in most 3rd person games where it teleports the player character to the interaction point.

That's different than what's being talked about here, as in, the difficulty or "challenge" in the platforming being non-existent.

its uncharted's climbing. Its always been like this.

That said, jumping into a swing, then a slide and then a jump to catch a ledge? Exhilarating. Even late game I was like "heheheh"

They had ample opportunities to present challenges to the player later in the game. Even the situation you named happens incredibly rarely.

 

[FLEABttn]

The combat in Naughty Dog games are easily my least favorite parts of them. By a huge margin.

Actually how cool would be a U5 or The Last Of Us 2 with less combat and more exploration?

I wish The Last of us and Uncharted came without combat. They'd be the greatest exploration games ever

As someone who hates the shooting in uncharted this game has been great so far. There was a lot less of forced combat in TR as well.

You are my people.

I really appreciate Naughty Dog exploring non-combat in their games because the longer I've played games, the less interesting I find combat to inherently be. Combat can be had in so many other games that yet another game where I can shoot people isn't a bullet-point that sells your game to me. Not when everything else in your game is so appealing. When your characters, story, platforming, and worlds are so interesting, combat can/does detract from that. Way back when the Uncharted 1 demo was released, I wrote it off because it seemed like a so-so cover mechanic based third person shooter with quippy protagonist who sometimes platformed. Uncharted 2 and the non-combat is what sold me. Uncharted 4 took it to such a level that I was dreading the next combat sequence,not because the combat was bad but because the rest of the game does it for me so much that every combat sequence was time away from what I really enjoyed.

Uncharted is always going to have some level of combat, as that's always been there, and people have come to expect it. But if a next developer took

Spoiler

Drake's daughter

and made a spin-off series where the was no gun-play, or if Naughty Dog tried making a game with no combat, I would very much be interested in that.

 

[tuxfool]

That's different than what's being talked about here, as in, the difficulty or "challenge" in the platforming being non-existent.

Oh sure, but it is telling that even the series that inspired UC has now resorted to autoplatforming. It would be great if somebody did something about it.

 

[Theognosis]

I bought this game expecting to be blown away by the graphics and gameplay.

Hype sells.

 

[RespectThySole]

damn, this thread is uc3 8/10 levels of meltdown

the problem i had with uc4 was that it took one too many pages out of tlou playbook, the 'downtime' in tlou was exciting because you were navigating a collapsed world with superb atmosphere, had ellie as your companion (who had no idea of life before) there was the possibility of danger lurking around every corner, and you found things to craft to aid you in combat - all of these elements elevated the simple act of exploring a linear world.

its not the same with uncharted, there is no sense of danger but actual anticipation as to when you'll come across 10 shoreline mercs for your next combat encounter, there is nothing to find aside from mostly useless treasures and none of nate's companions bring that unique perspective ellie did - and as lush, dense and detailed as the environments they crafted are, they still cant capture the atmosphere from tlou that made exploring that world feel so rewarding.

Exactly. The first playthrough is mostly thrilling because of the story pushing you on, but this game has very low replayability.(unlike ND's masterwork UC2)There are great moments for sure, but they are spread too thin. There are too many long stretches of boredom from the mindless platforming, braindead puzzles and useless exploration. Chapters 12-16 and 19 are the biggest offenders.

 

[Jawbreaker]

I bought this game expecting to be blown away by the graphics and gameplay.

Hype sells.

Thankfully it lived up to the hype.

 

[Laughing Banana]

Wow the amount of banned posters in the first page....

Edit: on the next pages too holy cow!

Truth be told I'd appreciate it even more, really, if Uncharted games have more downtime in-between battles. Forced battles in these games are when I usually go "ugh" so to hear Uncharted 4 corralled that a bit is definitely good news! Looking forward to purchasing this game soon.

 

[Demo85]

Wish this game had less fighting and was more "walking simulator" in the back half of the game. When ever I started seeing chest high walls while exploring i'd just groan.

 

[Crossing Eden]

Oh sure, but it is telling that even the series that inspired UC has now resorted to autoplatforming. It would be great if somebody did something about it.

It's easier to fall and die in Tomb Raider than UC despite the auto-platforming. They also expand on it later during the two games instead of never changing how it works throughout the game.

 

[NullPointer]

Wish this game had less fighting and was more "walking simulator" in the back half of the game. When ever I started seeing chest high walls while exploring i'd just groan.

And here I was thinking that tall grass was the new chest high wall.

 

[Minustephen]

Uncharted 4 is the perfect example of gamers not enjoying a game for what it is. Someone posted else where, "I wish you could explore the environments like Tomb Raider." Sure, but TR ain't got a story even close to Drake and friends. And even if the outline is "completely generic," can we then acknowledge the execution? I wish people lauded a game for it's merits, instead of constantly poking holes. Because what UC gets right is a hell of a lot and it's stunning in those regards... Let's just love it for a couple weeks then move on to the next thing worth gawking over, yeah?

If you don't like it cuz you don't like (trust me, I've got my complaints about it too), that's one thing. But it's a crippling disease when we judge games in the vein of, "It should be more like........"

 

[Demo85]

And here I was thinking that tall grass was the new chest high wall.

Tall grass is even worse since it's pushing you to use the horrible stealth stuff in this game.

 

[StrategyFan]

i've always played it like more of an interactive movie than a game

it's fine for what it is. not everything needs replay value

 

[Fixed2BeBroken]

Same here. The visuals are great, the dialogue is funny and the characters are charming as always but so far the game is rather mediocre up to chapter 10 (except some short sequences). The "start" of the game is paced very poorly in my opinion. I also don't like the movement very much. Definetly a case of animation over control/gameplay. I've played MGSV before that and that game was a lot better when it comes to this point.

Holy shit... people on gaf having a similar opinion as me for Uncharted 4. Shocked. figured people would have been against this line of thought cause it is the sacred Uncharted series.

I'm up to like chapter 12 and yea the gameplay has been fairly medicore - slightly above average but the visuals, characters, and dialogue are whats making the game for me. Just love Nathan Drake's remarks mostly cause he blurts out shit that I happen to be thinking at times.

I was feeling like ROTR is better in the gameplay department but this game is better in the characters and story department. both are visually impressive.

 

[Cthulhu_Steev]

I bought this game expecting to be blown away by the graphics and gameplay.

Hype sells.

Not enough Mii action.

Anyway, the pacing was all over the place for this game. It should have ended at THAT OBVIOUS PLACE. And too much shooting for me, it's the thing I like least about UC. I loved the detail they shoved into the world, even if I'm running past it I know it's there and makes the places feel like locations rather than stage sets. A bit like Driveclub in that respect, people used to question why you needed to render 19 000 flamingoes and it seemed obvious to me when I played it.

I would give UC4 an 8.5 because of the pacing.