Kralamoonard
Member
UPDATE #4 (05/07/2016)
Just got round to finishing the game and holy crap, what an experience. Really enjoyed the game on the whole, especially towards the end, mainly because there was many more gun fights. In my book, that was a huge plus because Uncharted 4 has the best gameplay of the series, and is one of the best playing games I've played in recent years -- the gunplay, level design and mechanics are so good, and so I really enjoyed playing the game and the encounters that ensued.
The ending really made me feel hollow inside as well, now that Nate's journey is over. Probably the best series I have had the pleasure of playing. Looking forward to see what Naughty Dog does next obviously, but the ending leaves a lot of room for sequels in many years to come or even, DLC (with Sully and Sam's adventures), or Cassie, so that has definitely kept me interested.
Overall, a fantastic experience, but honestly, not sure if it is my favourite Uncharted. Of course naturally, the game being a sequel, makes it harder to surprise with the setpieces, and somethings just get old (not that it's necessarily a bad thing, but you obviously aren't as blown away the second time). A 9.5/10 game for now, but the the reason why I am heavily conflicted as to why it's not my favourite is because of a few nitpicks:
- I spoiled myself with pre-release material and the chase sequence would have probably been even more mindblowing if I hadn't seen it before hand, and of course some asshole spoiled the ending so that made the ending slightly less impactful -- with previous Uncharted games however, I went in completely blind as I only played them 2 two years ago for the first time as I got them from PS+ and borrowed it from a friend, and they took me by surprise as I hadn't really known much of the franchise until then.
- I need time to think about the game, because whilst it is the perfect ending, and the gameplay is the best of the series, I just feel there were times where there could have been less padding (i.e. walking, moving crates, boosting people up) and more engaging gameplay with less spaced out encounters, because I honestly feel the gunplay, coupled with the satisfying and visceral combat, and various mechanics were the best parts of the game. I could have done with more of that to be honest.
- I also feel after Tomb Raider, and TLoU, Naughty Dog could have made exploration a bit more satisfying -- Nate and Sam know so much, even as young kids, yet when we pick up a treasure, there is no background explaining the context of the treasure and the story of it etc. A minor nitpick, yes, but I just think exploration could have been handled a tad better, with more opportunities, and with said opportunities being more fleshed out like TR.
But overall, a masterpiece that did not disappoint. Without a doubt the best game on PS4. Naughty Dog really are unmatched IMO when it comes to presentation, story telling, animations, and writing. Can't wait to replay and clean up some trophies and replay some encounters again, and I certainly can't wait for TLoU 2!
UPDATE #3 (30/06/2016)
Holy shit man, chapter 15. That twist, what the hell. I legit never saw it coming.
I'm also happy they're revisiting more of the flashback of when they were kids, as I thought it could do with a bit more fleshing out.
And man, chapter 12-15 have such good scenery. Libertalia is one of the most beautifully realised locations I've seen in a game. They're this sense of mystery and awe that Naughty Dog do really well in their "lost cities". The gameplay is also top notch once again, and I love every encounter, and the fact they're quite sparse away from each other makes me want one as soon as possible because like I said, the gunplay is so good.
But yeah, I stopped right at the flashback on chapter 16, and I'm excited to see where the story goes.
Also, that setpiece was a welcome surprise! Never knew about it, and it was pretty awesome.
UPDATE #2 (28/06/2016)
Just played up to the end of chapter 11 (Sam is now on a boat with Nate). Holy shit. Man, this game just keeps getting better and better. The Madagascar chapter is probably one of my favourites. The jeep chase sequence plays even better than it looks, and I still can't believe the graphics even though I watched the pre-release gameplay of it like 50 times ha. The presentation is completely off the rails. My mind almost nearly dissolved as well when I was climbing the bell tower and the camera pans out - the draw distances are really impressive.
My only nitpicks I guess is that I want more gun fights because the gunplay is so fun and satisfying. I also feel the Scotland chapter could have done with a little less padding, as I felt there was too much down time where you were pushing boxes and climbing mountains.
I know it seems like an odd complaint considering previous Uncharted games complaints about too many gun fights, but count me in the camp that didn't mind them at all, and certainly don't mind them now with the verticality that is introduced and the much more satisfying gunplay with various rope mechanics and visceral hand-to-hand combat. I just want more of it lol!
Also, Nate is really a douche to Sully. Why did he have to par him off like that? ;___;
UPDATE #1 (26/06/2016)
Ok, so I have now played about a quarter way into the Scotland chapter. God damn, the gunplay is so good - easily the best part of the game. The mechanics are sublime -- swinging, sliding, run and gunning to close quarter combat is so smooth, visceral and fun. It just all feels so natural. Blowing people up and sending them flying with the dynamite is also hilarious!
I also think the story is starting to pick up. It's great to see Sully back, and the writing is good as ever, with again, a few lines making me laugh out loud. The graphics are also beautiful, especially the ball room chapter and now the Scottish mountains. Can't wait to get back to playing more!
Also, Rafe is a real asshole, but I guess that's what makes the acting great. Hate him so much.
Gotta agree on the pushing boxes however. Really slow and over used mechanic. Very mundane to do. They could have included a bit of fun into it, or at least some variety.
So I thought since Uncharted 4 was moved to the community thread, it's a sensible time to make a LTTP which ties very nicely since I got the game today. Unfortunately, it didn't get off to a great start. Here's some context to explain why:
Background
...this LTTP nicely ties into the fact my A Level exams ended today after an intense 1 and a half months of stress and revision (as these grades determine whether I get into medical school or not) and I bought Uncharted 4 right after they ended (I decided to wait until the exams finish rather than get the game before exams and thus get distracted -- it would also make for a nice pay off).
I even went to lengths to self request a ban and go on a blackout to avoid spoilers -- which I successful did, and the only material I saw of the game, was pre-release gameplay videos and trailers.
That is, until I log in to my PSN for the first time in months today, with a message instantly popping up, spoiling what happens at the end of Uncharted 4
and saying "lol NeoGAF". It's not really what you want after working your ass off for exams and avoiding spoilers, only to find it came to nothing. Obviously, it's about the journey etc etc, but it's still super shitty. This was also aimed at many other gaffers, (as I suppose they got hold of our PSN names from our profiles), but yeah, all things considered, it really is disappointing to successfully avoid spoilers for a game, and anticipate it after a hard month and a half of exams, only for it to get spoiled first thing back as soon as you log onto PSN.
Yeah, it may not be the most surprising ending in the world, but I was very interested to see how the ending would turn out considering all the connotations of this being Drake's last game.
Anyway, just really made me think how sometimes people can do really shitty stuff for no valid reason. But eh, whatever, life goes on, and I started to play the game, getting up to chapter 5. So without further ado, let me tell you guys what I think so far. Please be aware, there are unmarked spoilers for the first four chapters of the game (whilst they don't really spoil that much, view at your own discretion).
LTTP Uncharted 4: A Thief's End
So my initial impressions of the game are mostly positive, with a few nitpicks here and there. I'll start off with the nitpicks since they're not that many. Also, please be aware, these are my impressions so far of the first four chapters of the game -- this thread will get updated accordingly as I play more of the game.
NITPICKS
People weren't joking when they said the start is pretty slow ha, and it's not the fact that it's a bad thing, I mean I feel indifferent towards it, but it'll just make replay-ability a slog tbh. I don't mind the non-combat aspects of the game, and I've heard it picks up towards chapter 9, but yeah, just regarding sheer replayability, I don't think it'll be that fun to go through, since the intro is more as a method to introduce the players to Sam, and I think they were on the right track in doing that (so that we actually care about him throughout the game etc). However, they could have fleshed it out better and not make it so superficial or limited in terms of Nate just jumping across a few rooftops with Sam and talking about how Sam is leaving him again for anther two years etc. Maybe it's explained later on in the game? IDK, but I felt they could have done it a bit better regarding gameplay and fleshing out Sam's relationship with Nate at an early age in a better way.
However, even the orphanage sequence aside, the intro on the whole does feel very....jumpy and incoherent? I'm not sure if that is the correct word to use, but it does seem to jump around a lot, and not in a cogent manner. The game begins in medias res (the flash forward in the boat during the storm), then jumps to the orphanage flashback, then flashes forward to the prison sequence, then flashes forward a further 15 years later, and now back again on how Sam escaped. IDK, I thought they could have done it a little better in the way of pacing, and make it "flow" better. I know that seems like poor criticism -- after all, it is just a nitpick -- and I am probably holding ND to a higher standard here since their strengths lie in story telling and pacing, but I just feel each sequence could have been linked in a much better fashion.
I also feel the very starting boat sequence was quite underwhelming and didn't do much in terms of gameplay OR story telling - in media res techniques only work if they're executed well e.g. Uncharted 2 IMO, but here, it just felt like they were trying to make you feel surprised at Nate's boat capsizing by pressing forward on the stick to move a boat to hit other boats, one shootout sequence, and then BAM, you're gone. It didn't create any "oh shit" moments like Uncharted 2 (which tbf, can't really be topped) and was very limited in terms of player interactivity or aesthetic value (like the Nepal mountains). It honestly looked pretty underwhelming underwater too (not the dedicated underwater salvage chapter mind you, I mean the underwater part at the VERY start during the storm).
PROS
Other than those few minor nitpicks, the game has been outstanding as usual from a writing and acting perspective (with some lines and quips making me laugh out loud as usual), and the overall presentation is unmatched. Chapter 4 especially is a highlight, with Elena and Drake interacting better than couples you see in hollywood movies, and the Crash easter egg just made me smile so much -- what a throwback!
The attention to detail is also mindblowing - I spent so long exploring the house, examining all the trinkets, with references that pulled my heart-strings with due to the callbacks to the previous Uncharted games ("I climbed your big brother" made me lol), and the toy gun sequence was fantastic as well. On the whole, Chapter 4 is really the stand out moment so far and is just pure fan service all over. It's not just that though, it is executed in such a good way.
I also felt the graphics improved as the game went along -- so I actually thought the graphics in the boat storm and orphanage were amazing (but not "amazing" for a ND game on PS4) but I quickly saw their magic shine when it got to some parts of the prison and the house, where it was in a confined space, and of course, during the cutscenes. I'm just curious to see how it holds up in more open areas. The image quality was again, very clean, with almost non-existent jaggies, and the characters models are great (obviously, cut-scenes look better as you can manipulate the surrounding conditions, but the fact they're in real time is still mighty impressive).
The gunplay, whilst limited so far, feels great. Of course, I've only just finished chapter 4 and I've heard it takes a while to get started in the "oh crap!" Uncharted run and gun moments. But yeah, it also feels surprisingly smooth for a 30fps title, and I swear at times, it looked like it was running in 60fps. It actually controls really well, and is perhaps, the smoothest 30fps game I've played to date, not just from a visual perspective, but also from a latency stand point too.
I do appreciate the more somber tone however, and the more "seriousness" of the game. It's not that dark like TLoU, but at the same time, the atmosphere is very different to the older Uncharted's regarding the set up and general atmosphere -- which makes sense considering its Drake's final game. It's also surprisingly violent for an Uncharted game (or maybe I can't remember much violence scenes from the previous games). I mean some stuff in the prison sequence was brutal. Or maybe the improved graphics make everything look more bloody!
OVERALL
So yeah, on the whole, so far, the game has gotten better and better, and I've reached the part where you play as Sam escaping from the prison. Chapter 4 is definitely the highlight so far, whereas the other 3 chapters could have been paced/fleshed out better IMO, but still did a solid job at setting up the characters and backstory - even if it might have felt a little big forced at times. I mean, to be honest, I thought there would be more backstory in the orphanage, and a more fleshed out relationship to Sam and Nate's motivation and childhood experiences, but hey, maybe that's later in the game?
I'm interested to see what you guys think of the first four chapters and beyond. It gets better right? Not that it's bad, don't get me wrong, (and I am being super critical due to generally holding ND games to a higher standard), but I assume they're doing the slow start to set everything up, which they kind of have to do if it is an all new story with all new characters.
Sorry for the rambling btw. It's like 1:14am here and I've had 10 hours sleep in the last two days due to having 4 exams after one another all this week lol.
Just got round to finishing the game and holy crap, what an experience. Really enjoyed the game on the whole, especially towards the end, mainly because there was many more gun fights. In my book, that was a huge plus because Uncharted 4 has the best gameplay of the series, and is one of the best playing games I've played in recent years -- the gunplay, level design and mechanics are so good, and so I really enjoyed playing the game and the encounters that ensued.
The ending really made me feel hollow inside as well, now that Nate's journey is over. Probably the best series I have had the pleasure of playing. Looking forward to see what Naughty Dog does next obviously, but the ending leaves a lot of room for sequels in many years to come or even, DLC (with Sully and Sam's adventures), or Cassie, so that has definitely kept me interested.
Overall, a fantastic experience, but honestly, not sure if it is my favourite Uncharted. Of course naturally, the game being a sequel, makes it harder to surprise with the setpieces, and somethings just get old (not that it's necessarily a bad thing, but you obviously aren't as blown away the second time). A 9.5/10 game for now, but the the reason why I am heavily conflicted as to why it's not my favourite is because of a few nitpicks:
- I spoiled myself with pre-release material and the chase sequence would have probably been even more mindblowing if I hadn't seen it before hand, and of course some asshole spoiled the ending so that made the ending slightly less impactful -- with previous Uncharted games however, I went in completely blind as I only played them 2 two years ago for the first time as I got them from PS+ and borrowed it from a friend, and they took me by surprise as I hadn't really known much of the franchise until then.
- I need time to think about the game, because whilst it is the perfect ending, and the gameplay is the best of the series, I just feel there were times where there could have been less padding (i.e. walking, moving crates, boosting people up) and more engaging gameplay with less spaced out encounters, because I honestly feel the gunplay, coupled with the satisfying and visceral combat, and various mechanics were the best parts of the game. I could have done with more of that to be honest.
- I also feel after Tomb Raider, and TLoU, Naughty Dog could have made exploration a bit more satisfying -- Nate and Sam know so much, even as young kids, yet when we pick up a treasure, there is no background explaining the context of the treasure and the story of it etc. A minor nitpick, yes, but I just think exploration could have been handled a tad better, with more opportunities, and with said opportunities being more fleshed out like TR.
But overall, a masterpiece that did not disappoint. Without a doubt the best game on PS4. Naughty Dog really are unmatched IMO when it comes to presentation, story telling, animations, and writing. Can't wait to replay and clean up some trophies and replay some encounters again, and I certainly can't wait for TLoU 2!
UPDATE #3 (30/06/2016)
Holy shit man, chapter 15. That twist, what the hell. I legit never saw it coming.
Sam is such a douche man, I can't believe he'd lie to his brother.
And man, chapter 12-15 have such good scenery. Libertalia is one of the most beautifully realised locations I've seen in a game. They're this sense of mystery and awe that Naughty Dog do really well in their "lost cities". The gameplay is also top notch once again, and I love every encounter, and the fact they're quite sparse away from each other makes me want one as soon as possible because like I said, the gunplay is so good.
But yeah, I stopped right at the flashback on chapter 16, and I'm excited to see where the story goes.
Still can't believe Sam would lie to Nate!
Also, that setpiece was a welcome surprise! Never knew about it, and it was pretty awesome.
UPDATE #2 (28/06/2016)
Just played up to the end of chapter 11 (Sam is now on a boat with Nate). Holy shit. Man, this game just keeps getting better and better. The Madagascar chapter is probably one of my favourites. The jeep chase sequence plays even better than it looks, and I still can't believe the graphics even though I watched the pre-release gameplay of it like 50 times ha. The presentation is completely off the rails. My mind almost nearly dissolved as well when I was climbing the bell tower and the camera pans out - the draw distances are really impressive.
My only nitpicks I guess is that I want more gun fights because the gunplay is so fun and satisfying. I also feel the Scotland chapter could have done with a little less padding, as I felt there was too much down time where you were pushing boxes and climbing mountains.
I know it seems like an odd complaint considering previous Uncharted games complaints about too many gun fights, but count me in the camp that didn't mind them at all, and certainly don't mind them now with the verticality that is introduced and the much more satisfying gunplay with various rope mechanics and visceral hand-to-hand combat. I just want more of it lol!
Also, Nate is really a douche to Sully. Why did he have to par him off like that? ;___;
UPDATE #1 (26/06/2016)
Ok, so I have now played about a quarter way into the Scotland chapter. God damn, the gunplay is so good - easily the best part of the game. The mechanics are sublime -- swinging, sliding, run and gunning to close quarter combat is so smooth, visceral and fun. It just all feels so natural. Blowing people up and sending them flying with the dynamite is also hilarious!
I also think the story is starting to pick up. It's great to see Sully back, and the writing is good as ever, with again, a few lines making me laugh out loud. The graphics are also beautiful, especially the ball room chapter and now the Scottish mountains. Can't wait to get back to playing more!
Also, Rafe is a real asshole, but I guess that's what makes the acting great. Hate him so much.
Gotta agree on the pushing boxes however. Really slow and over used mechanic. Very mundane to do. They could have included a bit of fun into it, or at least some variety.
So I thought since Uncharted 4 was moved to the community thread, it's a sensible time to make a LTTP which ties very nicely since I got the game today. Unfortunately, it didn't get off to a great start. Here's some context to explain why:
Background
...this LTTP nicely ties into the fact my A Level exams ended today after an intense 1 and a half months of stress and revision (as these grades determine whether I get into medical school or not) and I bought Uncharted 4 right after they ended (I decided to wait until the exams finish rather than get the game before exams and thus get distracted -- it would also make for a nice pay off).
I even went to lengths to self request a ban and go on a blackout to avoid spoilers -- which I successful did, and the only material I saw of the game, was pre-release gameplay videos and trailers.
That is, until I log in to my PSN for the first time in months today, with a message instantly popping up, spoiling what happens at the end of Uncharted 4
the guy told me Elena and Nate have a daughter and you get to play as her
Yeah, it may not be the most surprising ending in the world, but I was very interested to see how the ending would turn out considering all the connotations of this being Drake's last game.
Anyway, just really made me think how sometimes people can do really shitty stuff for no valid reason. But eh, whatever, life goes on, and I started to play the game, getting up to chapter 5. So without further ado, let me tell you guys what I think so far. Please be aware, there are unmarked spoilers for the first four chapters of the game (whilst they don't really spoil that much, view at your own discretion).
LTTP Uncharted 4: A Thief's End
So my initial impressions of the game are mostly positive, with a few nitpicks here and there. I'll start off with the nitpicks since they're not that many. Also, please be aware, these are my impressions so far of the first four chapters of the game -- this thread will get updated accordingly as I play more of the game.
NITPICKS
People weren't joking when they said the start is pretty slow ha, and it's not the fact that it's a bad thing, I mean I feel indifferent towards it, but it'll just make replay-ability a slog tbh. I don't mind the non-combat aspects of the game, and I've heard it picks up towards chapter 9, but yeah, just regarding sheer replayability, I don't think it'll be that fun to go through, since the intro is more as a method to introduce the players to Sam, and I think they were on the right track in doing that (so that we actually care about him throughout the game etc). However, they could have fleshed it out better and not make it so superficial or limited in terms of Nate just jumping across a few rooftops with Sam and talking about how Sam is leaving him again for anther two years etc. Maybe it's explained later on in the game? IDK, but I felt they could have done it a bit better regarding gameplay and fleshing out Sam's relationship with Nate at an early age in a better way.
However, even the orphanage sequence aside, the intro on the whole does feel very....jumpy and incoherent? I'm not sure if that is the correct word to use, but it does seem to jump around a lot, and not in a cogent manner. The game begins in medias res (the flash forward in the boat during the storm), then jumps to the orphanage flashback, then flashes forward to the prison sequence, then flashes forward a further 15 years later, and now back again on how Sam escaped. IDK, I thought they could have done it a little better in the way of pacing, and make it "flow" better. I know that seems like poor criticism -- after all, it is just a nitpick -- and I am probably holding ND to a higher standard here since their strengths lie in story telling and pacing, but I just feel each sequence could have been linked in a much better fashion.
I also feel the very starting boat sequence was quite underwhelming and didn't do much in terms of gameplay OR story telling - in media res techniques only work if they're executed well e.g. Uncharted 2 IMO, but here, it just felt like they were trying to make you feel surprised at Nate's boat capsizing by pressing forward on the stick to move a boat to hit other boats, one shootout sequence, and then BAM, you're gone. It didn't create any "oh shit" moments like Uncharted 2 (which tbf, can't really be topped) and was very limited in terms of player interactivity or aesthetic value (like the Nepal mountains). It honestly looked pretty underwhelming underwater too (not the dedicated underwater salvage chapter mind you, I mean the underwater part at the VERY start during the storm).
PROS
Other than those few minor nitpicks, the game has been outstanding as usual from a writing and acting perspective (with some lines and quips making me laugh out loud as usual), and the overall presentation is unmatched. Chapter 4 especially is a highlight, with Elena and Drake interacting better than couples you see in hollywood movies, and the Crash easter egg just made me smile so much -- what a throwback!
The attention to detail is also mindblowing - I spent so long exploring the house, examining all the trinkets, with references that pulled my heart-strings with due to the callbacks to the previous Uncharted games ("I climbed your big brother" made me lol), and the toy gun sequence was fantastic as well. On the whole, Chapter 4 is really the stand out moment so far and is just pure fan service all over. It's not just that though, it is executed in such a good way.
I also felt the graphics improved as the game went along -- so I actually thought the graphics in the boat storm and orphanage were amazing (but not "amazing" for a ND game on PS4) but I quickly saw their magic shine when it got to some parts of the prison and the house, where it was in a confined space, and of course, during the cutscenes. I'm just curious to see how it holds up in more open areas. The image quality was again, very clean, with almost non-existent jaggies, and the characters models are great (obviously, cut-scenes look better as you can manipulate the surrounding conditions, but the fact they're in real time is still mighty impressive).
The gunplay, whilst limited so far, feels great. Of course, I've only just finished chapter 4 and I've heard it takes a while to get started in the "oh crap!" Uncharted run and gun moments. But yeah, it also feels surprisingly smooth for a 30fps title, and I swear at times, it looked like it was running in 60fps. It actually controls really well, and is perhaps, the smoothest 30fps game I've played to date, not just from a visual perspective, but also from a latency stand point too.
I do appreciate the more somber tone however, and the more "seriousness" of the game. It's not that dark like TLoU, but at the same time, the atmosphere is very different to the older Uncharted's regarding the set up and general atmosphere -- which makes sense considering its Drake's final game. It's also surprisingly violent for an Uncharted game (or maybe I can't remember much violence scenes from the previous games). I mean some stuff in the prison sequence was brutal. Or maybe the improved graphics make everything look more bloody!
OVERALL
So yeah, on the whole, so far, the game has gotten better and better, and I've reached the part where you play as Sam escaping from the prison. Chapter 4 is definitely the highlight so far, whereas the other 3 chapters could have been paced/fleshed out better IMO, but still did a solid job at setting up the characters and backstory - even if it might have felt a little big forced at times. I mean, to be honest, I thought there would be more backstory in the orphanage, and a more fleshed out relationship to Sam and Nate's motivation and childhood experiences, but hey, maybe that's later in the game?
I'm interested to see what you guys think of the first four chapters and beyond. It gets better right? Not that it's bad, don't get me wrong, (and I am being super critical due to generally holding ND games to a higher standard), but I assume they're doing the slow start to set everything up, which they kind of have to do if it is an all new story with all new characters.
Sorry for the rambling btw. It's like 1:14am here and I've had 10 hours sleep in the last two days due to having 4 exams after one another all this week lol.
