Slasher said many times in the other thread that there were many big set piece moments. So not sure who is telling the truth here.
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Uncharted 4 spoiler free early copy impressions
- Thread starter Loudninja
- Start date
Slasher said many times in the other thread that there were many big set piece moments. So not sure who is telling the truth here.
ViewtifulJC
Banned
Imagine Slasher exaggerating something
Yes
Well shit.
redflamingolingo
Banned
I agree with this fully. All the Uncharted elements are here and perfected. The game is just a lot less crazy than before and had gone in the direction of being quieter and more realistic at the service of its story.
I think the difference between a 9 and a 10 is going to rest on where the story goes and whether they can pull off making it so central to the experience this time around.
I'm predicting a low 90 on Metacritic for these reasons.
Yeah I am early in the game and the platforming is just great, probably my favorite part next to the gunplay
Primethius
Banned
Largely, it's still a means to an end. And it's not as if the platforming was overhauled to present a challenge or test your platforming skills.
But there's a couple of underlying mechanics added that make it feel less automated. Combined with the how Nate animates generally and also reaches out to areas he can jump to, it makes the platforming feel much better and organic.
Also, the large removal of most indicators to show where you should go to (yellow ledge in UC2 comes to mind, though there's still some of that but more natural) along with the improvements in level design really brings it all together.
The core as you pointed out, is still very much UC. But it feels less hand holdey, the levels are designed better and more creatively and Nate just controls so much better.
Yup, I also think that reviewers/people who wanted a totally batshit-insane bombastic set piece extravaganza for the first few chapters or are looking for something like the TLOU intro are going to not find what they're looking for. They will find something good and appropriate for THIS Uncharted game but maybe not what they were dreaming.
SlasherJPC
Banned
If all you care about is length and girth, yes the car chase is the biggest and best one. Yet I found countless other set peices both more interesting and unique. It will change depending who you ask, but I stand by my thoughts of overall liking these more then others. Don't think they are all over kill, huge, setpeices.
oh god conversations better not be tied to one of those hidden trophies
How did they not learn their lesson from TLoU?
redflamingolingo
Banned
I'm a third of the way through the game, and there hasn't been any real big set piece moment yet, if that means anything.
My jaw has still dropped many times, tho.
Primethius
Banned
Also, I'm at 28 treasures collected at chapter 11. I just have been generally exploring so as to not ruin the pacing.
CrichtonKicks
Member
I think the definition of set piece moments may vary from person to person. A lot of people have said that TLoU doesn't have set pieces and while I can see how someone would say that, I wouldn't personally agree. To me moments like (TLoU spoilers that I am going to mangle since I haven't played it since release):
- the sniper attack in the neighborhood
- the escape from the University
-the opening moments of winter
- the snowstorm and fire in the finale of winter
- the escape from the University
-the opening moments of winter
- the snowstorm and fire in the finale of winter
were all setpieces in my mind and just as good as anything in an Uncharted game though clearly more grounded.
And even in Uncharted 2 there wasn't a whole lot of emphasis on set pieces though the train is an amazing standout. It wasn't until Uncharted 3 where I felt like the focus on set pieces become the primary focus of the game. IIRC they said that they designed the set pieces in UC3 first and then wrote the final story around them and that shows in the final game, for good and ill.
This makes me sad.
When ND went out of their way to say that they had learned their lesson and they were showing only general gameplay but also not trying to spoil set pieces. They go and spoil their biggest one.
yea.. but this is not TLoU... is it? I think uncharted is supposed to be adventure with amazing set pieces, locations and fun traversal.
I'm looking forward to these grounded set-pieces.
Nate trying to get to work on time while obeying the traffic code.
Nate trying to move a couch.
Hopefully they also have some grounded puzzles, like Nate trying to find his keys ("Oh God, where did I put them?").
Nate trying to get to work on time while obeying the traffic code.
Nate trying to move a couch.
Hopefully they also have some grounded puzzles, like Nate trying to find his keys ("Oh God, where did I put them?").
gundamkyoukai
Member
That could just mean they find others just as impressive .
Will be interesting to see what people going to like .
Still i don't think we were going to get set pieces that were bigger than 3 .
More interactive but not bigger in scale .
If you preordered the Season Pass, you get car key locator. you know? that one that beeps the closer you get to them. It might take away from the experience but you know. Just like in real life, investing in this kind of things will make it easier on you in the long run. So grounded.
MiamiWesker
Member
We are in the exact same spot. Lol. I agree with everything you said.
GribbleGrunger
Dreams in Digital
We want to see more, we want to see more, we want to see more ... Damn, ND showed us too much.
Frigin' hilarious.
Frigin' hilarious.
hey_it's_that_dog
benevolent sexism
When people stop expressing themselves like children, maybe I will.
redflamingolingo
Banned
I agree with this 100%. The definition of the Uncharted set piece has changed with UC4. They are much more similar to these moments in TLOU.
And I think this will divide some critics who were expecting something along the lines of previous Uncharted games.
I think what ND has included is likely better, but it is all going to rest on the strength of the narrative because they have made it so central to this game.
CrichtonKicks
Member
I really only think that is Uncharted 3. UC1 has a grand total of 1 set piece and it's a bog standard turret sequence. UC2 brilliantly used its main set piece as an almost spine to game but the rest of the set pieces were mich shorter and used sparingly. UC3 was where the series really turned into a game of set pieces.
SEGAvangelist
Member
So it's emo? I'm really hoping the tone isn't too dark.
Uncharted 3 as the top of your list is pretty laughable from my POV.
It's your opinion, and totally valid, but I don't get how you could excuse
writing Katherine Marlowe into dust (one of the worst endings for a villain I've ever seen); the final act being literally 1:1 Uncharted 2's final act – but done worse; lots of redundant plot points that could easily be cut away, like the entire ship act (great thrills/drama but meaningless storywise); the least genuine laughs in the series.
Uncharted 3 is damn great, but UC2 is leagues above it. There's no filler in the story of that game, IMO.
Primethius
Banned
This game is following the UC2 design philosophy for a lot of things so far.
If I get a setpiece like the cruise ship and plane, it'll actually bring my opinion of UC4 down.
Those were cool but I'd rather have UC2 type set pieces.
If I get a setpiece like the cruise ship and plane, it'll actually bring my opinion of UC4 down.
Those were cool but I'd rather have UC2 type set pieces.
I felt like U2 was a good balance. But it had some distinct set pieces sprinkled around.
U3 adventures format where everything is disjointed had amazing sequences, that hurt the story in the end. I rather have something more along 2.
From what most people are saying its neither. Its just TLoU style which gives its impact based on the story and characters situation in an encounter. I guess this works better since most people say that the gameplay and shooting are amazing.
MiamiWesker
Member
In terms of setpieces my definition is any heavily scripted gameplay situation. All uncharted games are filled with them. What most are talking about are what I call the gigantic setpieces, those are ones with huge moving parts and it feels like a movie. In Uncharted 2 I would call the hotel, the train, the village and convoy levels as major setpieces. But the entire game is really setpiece after setpiece as nearly every encounter was very specifically designed for a well directed gaming experience.
I am still early on so I can't say how many of the giant setpieces there are but it still has many regular setpieces.
I am still early on so I can't say how many of the giant setpieces there are but it still has many regular setpieces.
Great "news".
redflamingolingo
Banned
Positives:
1. Gameplay:
Simply the best in terms of control, fluidity, and gunplay (barely edges out MGSV). I barely had any stumblings or any cases of my character going where I didn't need him to go. The melee is very fluid and very sharp, but not to the point where it feels gamey, if that makes sense. Melee (or rather the effectiveness of it), like TLOU, depends on how you approach the enemy, rather than how good your button presses are.
2. Graphics:
Simply superb. The colors really pop out and in some instances (in very controlled environments) look almost photorealistic. Not as many jaggies as I saw playing TLOU remastered.
3. Wide Linearity:
This was a great decision when it came to how to design the combat. Sneaking or gun blazing (or a bit of both), it's all up to you. I used a combination most of the time and it totally tailors to your experience. No two encounters are alike, even in the same area. Replaying the sections are actually gonna be fun (unlike UC2, it was a bit better in 3).
Negatives
1. Story:
The story doesn't feel right. It doesn't feel like Uncharted. It doesn't know whether to be lighthearted or serious business most of the time. There's too much of a TLOU vibe in the story beats. Like I mentioned before, it feels like your enjoyment of UC4 is heavily reliant on whether you like the story of TLOU and how it was presented. The tone of the game is very jarring, because the game wants you to feel emotional and serious when there are cutscenes, but then you have all these jokes and hilarity in gameplay and in those same cutscenes that make the overall tone just very jarring to me. There are moments where I feel like Druckmann is trying to make the game too artsy (don't know if this is the right word to use) just to make it stand out without having relevance to the main plot. The story has an existential crisis and doesn't know if it wants its story to be about the adventure or be about Nate. It felt unsatisfying on both sides and let me tell you: Libertalia is the weakest "city" out of all the UC games.
2. Pacing:
Just like TLoU, the spaces on which you traverse are huge. Problem is, sometimes you don't know where to go OR (here's a real kicker) the game depends on the AI to continue to the trail. For example (don't worry, no spoilers, really generic): Sam has to trigger an object to continue down a path. Without this object, you can't advance. At this particular part, I was stuck due to AI and I had no control over. (This isn't that big of an issue, you might not even come across it). Some parts of the game are just so slow and drag on and on and on. This is mostly a problem in the beginning, but it also happens towards the later half as well. These segments are just slow and take too much inspiration from Left Behind for my liking. It felt like I was playing Nate's Mid Life Crisis ft. Uncharted
3. Frame Rate:
This is way low in the list of complaints. The frame rate drops during gunfights and as a result, you might miss a couple of shots due to some latency issues. It wasn't a huge problem where it was a detriment to the experience, but it is noteworthy. There were some instances of hitching too.
Your post was possibly addressed already, but I want to give my two cents anyway. Stealth is an option in Uncharted 4 (possibly aside from a few segments that stealth might be encouraged over action). Also, Neil helped with Uncharted 2, but Amy was the lead writer, so most of the creative and writing credit for the most critically acclaimed Uncharted game (by critics and users) so far, goes to her.
Btw, I love Amy and really enjoyed her work in the series, but I believe Druckmann has grown into a better writer and creative director.
Kralamoonard
Member
You should play the Nathan Drake collection IMO -- you'll get to appreciate the characters in Uncharted 4 more. The game won't go anywhere, trust me on this
Also play TLoU while you're at it heh
Everyone read this. Very relevant to the ongoing discussion.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gaming/w...-end-interview-bruce-straley-opens-up-on-the/
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gaming/w...-end-interview-bruce-straley-opens-up-on-the/
Yeah thank God this has a more realistic tone to it, Uncharted 3 was already pushing it.
This is the game I have been dreaming for, Last of Us meets Uncharted <3
crazygambit
Member
Quick question.
Is it absolutely necessary to have played Uncharted 3 before playing this?
I've played 1 and 2, but I never got around to playing 3 and then my PS3 died. The remasters are a little too pricy for my tastes.
So can you safely skip 3 or do I need to play it to get the story (no spoilers please)
Is it absolutely necessary to have played Uncharted 3 before playing this?
I've played 1 and 2, but I never got around to playing 3 and then my PS3 died. The remasters are a little too pricy for my tastes.
So can you safely skip 3 or do I need to play it to get the story (no spoilers please)
MiamiWesker
Member
You can skip 3.
Great interview.
Primethius
Banned
AKyemeni, does your FPS complaint kick in later?
Mine has been rock solid so far up to chapter 11 aside from minor dips due to explosions.
Mine has been rock solid so far up to chapter 11 aside from minor dips due to explosions.
Ghost Slayer
Member
wut? Amy Hennings worked on first 3 Uncharted games as creative director. Druckmans only worked on game design in U2. So if you didn't like U2 script then I don't think the problem is from Druckmans, probably from Amy Hennings but you didn't see it in U2
LapinAgile
Member
Yeah but the same folks claiming they are lacking describe their "jaw dropping several times " Experience it yourself people and their expectations don't always strike a balance.
Yes. The first half is fine.
Chance Hale
Member
Are early copies out and about in the states? Any stored in Austin someone could pm me about? Have finals and 35 hours of work next week, lol.
Thanks for the response.
Yeah, that coincides with what others have said. I'm glad to hear it sounds solid from a gameplay perspective.
And yeah, even from the trailers, I could see how there might be a tonal clash in trying to contrast the loud, bombastic nature of Uncharted with the idea of living a normal life. When you think about it Uncharted as a series really goes to some crazy places, even ignoring the lost cities - that ship set piece in Uncharted 3 is crazy. So that could be a difficult thing to balance in the narrative.
I can also see the pacing being impacted by the way they seem to be looking at The Last of Us as to how you should interact with your companions.
Thanks for taking the time to put that together.
Haha, oh man. I have to admit, that's kind of exciting.
SEGAvangelist
Member
If this is true, you've confirmed my major fears about the game. I really hope i don't feel this way when playing it. I love the light-hearted Uncharted qualities, but if the tone is really reminiscent of The Last of Us, I'll be pretty upset. Hopefully I'm fine with it, but once Amy Hennig left, I just got the feeling the game was going in a different direction.
Yeah, I'm hearing the ending is great all around, so I'm happy about that.
It gets serious when it has to be, but it's nowhere near as serious as TLOU. It's as serious as an Uncharted game can be, and Nathan still quips jokes throughout.