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Before I critique this game, I want to note that Uncharted 4 is a visual masterpiece, and all of the voice actors turn in great performances. There's much to recommend this game, but for me, the combat is just not fun.

I've completed the three prior Uncharted games (on Hard), so it's not that I can't do the combat, it's that (in this case) I'm finding it frustrating with few moments of enjoyment. In Uncharted 4, there are expanded stealth opportunities, which work fine. But some combat encounters are obligatory, or are triggered on failed stealth attempts. Here are the issues, as I see them:

• Enemies have long sight lines, and are frequently all around and above you.
• Due to complex, multi-layered and vertical terrain, it is difficult to get a sense of where your enemies are arrayed (also, your enemies are shifting at all times).
• Although the above would seem to encourage movement, leaving cover usually means being pelted from all sides simultaneously. This often discourages movement.

Again, I can deal with these situations. But all of the above just leads to a kind of constant, low-level frustration. I never feel like I'm rewarding for taking risks, swinging on ropes, and trying crazy fun things. I never feel like I have a good sense of what's going on around me, except in the most enclosed and simplified combat arenas.

Finally, there's a thematic issue as well. Some of the later combat encounters are ridiculous war zones. Multiple RPG soldiers, chain-gun wielders, armored vehicles, dozens of machine gunning soldiers, and so on. When the combat reaches this level, Uncharted ceases to feel like the pulpy adventure game it purports to be. In a lot of ways, this was a problem in earlier games, but somehow it seems more salient in Uncharted 4. I just found myself sighing and wondering when I would get back to searching for treasure, rather than being pelted with rockets.

 

[Jawbreaker]

What difficulty are you playing it on?

 

[StrongBelwas]

The stories are fun but I found every uncharted game a slog to play. The gunplay is pretty poor.

 

[wild wild rice]

That's like the one fun thing about the game.

 

[Caderfix]

I enjoy the combat in the entire series. I think it doesn't deserve all the shit it gets from players. To each it's own.

 

[ronaldthump]

its fun. There's not enough of it in the game

 

[xxracerxx]

I loved the combat on Hard and felt it was great, it was all about learning where your opponents were and to keep moving.

If it is frustrating to you, turn down the difficulty.

 

[Astral]

I understand what you're saying and I think it's because you're playing on hard. I played both UC2 and 3 on hard and while challenging at times, it was still fun. Playing UC4 on hard was simply not very fun. I even gave up on my Crushing playthrough once I got to Madagascar.

 

[sanstesy]

Yeah, it's not good.

Luckily they are working on a new The Last of Us.

 

[Memento]

It has of the best TPS combat in any TPS ever. Gunplay is sublime.

Maybe it is not your cup of tea...

Edit: also, level design is amazing

 

[Nev]

Lmao. If there's one thing in which Uncharted 4 is above the rest that is the combat. From the arenas design to the flawless controls, animations and mechanics. It's unparalleled and probably the best TPS ever created in this regard.

The rest though? Yeah that was not fun and it's a shame because that's what's stopping it from being a true masterpiece. Spamming X to climb is not fun, Naughty Dog.

 

[Levito]

Like The Last Of Us and Uncharted 1-3, Uncharted 4 doesn't really have a solid foundation of gameplay mechanics and is just frustrating as all hell to play.


Example would be the scene where you have to shoot dudes from under an overturned jeep. Suddenly the soldiers you've been fighting take 1-2 shots rather than 4-5 because it's Cinematic Time™, the game doesn't adhere to any gameplay rules really.

 

[Bear Force One]

And yet I have fun with it.

 

[Human Trashcan]

I felt the exact same way as you until I turned it down to easy. There's nothing to lose except dumb trophies and your (imaginary) e-peen, and the game is so much more fun that way. It stops being so punishing, and encourages making use of the verticality and movement options a lot better. The game at higher difficulties seems to want to be played as a boring cover shooter, which is no fun at all.

 

[Acquiescence]

I thought the gunplay was perhaps the best I've ever encountered in a third-person shooter. The major problem if anything was that there wasn't enough of it.

 

[StewboaT_]

That's like the one fun thing about the game.

This, and there wasn't nearly enough of it.

 

[infinityBCRT]

agree with OP. Couldn't stand the gunplay and dropped to easiest setting as a result.

 

[xxracerxx]

I understand what you're saying and I think it's because you're playing on hard. I played both UC2 and 3 on hard and while challenging at times, it was still fun. Playing UC4 on hard was simply not very fun. I even gave up on my Crushing playthrough once I got to Madagascar.

I relied on stealth takedowns much more on Crushing than on Hard. Hard I felt I could belt around the arena and get the drop on people even while bullets are flying...Crushing was make sure to take as many out before combat starts and then stick to cover.

 

[MeBecomingI]

It has of the best TPS combat in any TPS ever. Gunplay is sublime.

Maybe it is not your cup of tea...

Agree with this. I find myself going back to do just the combat sections because they are so enjoyable. Always find new ways around the area because A.I is unpredictable and the movement in and out (or above) cover is so fluid.

 

[OniBaka]

The stories are fun but I found every uncharted game a slog to play. The gunplay is pretty poor.

Pretty much this, though 4's gun play improved a lot.

 

[NIN90]

Enemies hitscan the ever living fuck out of you the second you peek out of cover. At least that was my experience on hard.

 

[davidwhangchoi]

i just hated that my pistol was better than an ak-47.

 

[Japanmanx3]

I loved every drop of it.

 

[xxracerxx]

Are the people saying that the gunplay is poor, just not like third person shooters in general? Or just a select few?

 

[brickarts295]

But but but those combat finishers man!

also
https://i.imgur.com/ta42DdH.mp4

 

[-griffy-]

Counterpoint: Uncharted 4's combat is incredibly fun.

 

[Jobbs]

That's like the one fun thing about the game.

Nothing was fun about this game. It was a presentation tour de force and nothing else. I hope whatever bad habits they picked up With this game don't impact tlou2

I literally fell asleep multiple times during my play through

 

[Shao Kahn Brewing a Stew]

Clearly, this game needs the listening feature from TLOU to spot enemies.

Jokes aside, combat has never been the reason to pick Uncharted. Combat has always been shitty from UC1 to beyond.

 

[SRTtoZ]

I really enjoyed it, way more than the other games too.

 

[James Scott]

Yeah, don't think UC has very compelling gameplay.
It's easy to control and it's polished so it's not poorly made, but the game feel is a bit lacking when compared to other 3rd person shooters.

 

[Morrigan Stark]

It's OK. I hate how rolling and sticky-covering is the same button though. Soooo many times I want to roll and Nate sticks to a wall instead, and vice-versa. I remember that being a minor issue in previous games, and maybe I was just rusty but it happened fucking constantly in UC4, I don't know why. They really need to switch that control scheme around so that you have better, more responsive control over your character. Nothing worse than pressing a button and your character doesn't do what you intend.

Played on Hard btw.

 

[Vol5]

What really fucked me off was Sam walking about right in front of AI and it not giving any type of shit about him. Really frustrated me and collapsed the generally solid feel of the game. When I'm willing to put that aside though, the combat was good fun.

 

[thumb]

What difficulty are you playing it on?

I'm playing on Normal. I heard that "Hard" in UC4 was harder than past games, so I chose Normal.

And I want to emphasize that I'm not stuck. I'm nearly done with the game, making steady progress. Just not enjoying the combat.

 

[xxracerxx]

I literally fell asleep multiple times during my play through

You have narcolepsy?

I hate how rolling and sticky-covering is the same button though. Soooo many times I want to roll and Nate sticks to a wall instead, and vice-versa.

This is so fucking true.

 

[Acquiescence]

But but but those combat finishers man!

also

I can see why Nolan North won Best Performance at the VGAs. Look at him go!

 

[MoonsaultSlayer]

The OP couldn't be more wrong. The feel of the guns, the traversal, the various escape routes and mechanics, the weaving in and out of stealth, the tag team melee moves, the dynamic animations to and from almost every possible position...

There's being bad at it and/or not preferring it. But you are objectively wrong by saying it's "bad".

 

[Raylan]

Before I critique this game, I want to note that Uncharted 4 is a visual masterpiece, and all of the voice actors turn in great performances. There's much to recommend this game, but for me, the combat is just not fun.

I've completed the three prior Uncharted games (on Hard), so it's not that I can't do the combat, it's that (in this case) I'm finding it frustrating with few moments of enjoyment. In Uncharted 4, there are expanded stealth opportunities, which work fine. But some combat encounters are obligatory, or are triggered on failed stealth attempts. Here are the issues, as I see them:

• Enemies have long sight lines, and are frequently all around and above you.
• Due to complex, multi-layered and vertical terrain, it is difficult to get a sense of where your enemies are arrayed (also, your enemies are shifting at all times).
• Although the above would seem to encourage movement, leaving cover usually means being pelted from all sides simultaneously. This often discourages movement.

Again, I can deal with these situations. But all of the above just leads to a kind of constant, low-level frustration. I never feel like I'm rewarding for taking risks, swinging on ropes, and trying crazy fun things. I never feel like I have a good sense of what's going on around me, except in the most enclosed and simplified combat arenas.

Finally, there's a thematic issue as well. Some of the later combat encounters are ridiculous war zones. Multiple RPG soldiers, chain-gun wielders, armored vehicles, dozens of machine gunning soldiers, and so on. When the combat reaches this level, Uncharted ceases to feel like the pulpy adventure game it purports to be. In a lot of ways, this was a problem in earlier games, but somehow it seems more salient in Uncharted 4. I just found myself sighing and wondering when I would get back to searching for treasure, rather than being pelted with rockets.

Hm, I don't know man. Maybe it's just not your thing. But I think it's amazing. Only TLOU was better.

 

[Justice_Bolt]

The gameplay is one of the best thing about this game. You are in the minority i think.

 

[SlimySnake]

Before I critique this game, I want to note that Uncharted 4 is a visual masterpiece, and all of the voice actors turn in great performances. There's much to recommend this game, but for me, the combat is just not fun.

I've completed the three prior Uncharted games (on Hard), so it's not that I can't do the combat, it's that (in this case) I'm finding it frustrating with few moments of enjoyment. In Uncharted 4, there are expanded stealth opportunities, which work fine. But some combat encounters are obligatory, or are triggered on failed stealth attempts. Here are the issues, as I see them:

• Enemies have long sight lines, and are frequently all around and above you.
• Due to complex, multi-layered and vertical terrain, it is difficult to get a sense of where your enemies are arrayed (also, your enemies are shifting at all times).
• Although the above would seem to encourage movement, leaving cover usually means being pelted from all sides simultaneously. This often discourages movement.

Again, I can deal with these situations. But all of the above just leads to a kind of constant, low-level frustration. I never feel like I'm rewarding for taking risks, swinging on ropes, and trying crazy fun things. I never feel like I have a good sense of what's going on around me, except in the most enclosed and simplified combat arenas.

Finally, there's a thematic issue as well. Some of the later combat encounters are ridiculous war zones. Multiple RPG soldiers, chain-gun wielders, armored vehicles, dozens of machine gunning soldiers, and so on. When the combat reaches this level, Uncharted ceases to feel like the pulpy adventure game it purports to be. In a lot of ways, this was a problem in earlier games, but somehow it seems more salient in Uncharted 4. I just found myself sighing and wondering when I would get back to searching for treasure, rather than being pelted with rockets.

I also found myself being overwhelmed by the multilayered areas. I also never really swung around the map because the enemies had laser focused aim and i would spend over half the time in black and white screen.

That said, I liked the gunplay. Guns felt heavy, and yet responsive. The enemy a.i was fun to fight against and i never felt like they outstayed their welcome. i hated the slow sections though.

maybe the game could've used a tracking system that let you mark enemies. the areas are so big it's hard to keep track of everyone and once you are found it becomes an all out brawl.

 

[Shtof]

I think it is great. Uncharted 2 still was more fun, both in single and multi player.

 

[Mush]

I found the game a giant slog as well, but I stubbornly kept it on Hard the whole way through so that's partly my fault.

 

[Strangelove77]

The combat is great. I poured tons of hours into the mp and beat the story on crushing, which I suppose makes me the exception.

All you can really do is lower the difficulty because the only advice I could give would be to not play it as a cover shooter and always keep moving. It sounds like you're already doing that though.

 

[Fancy Clown]

It has some of the absolute best combat in a TPS imo. Great, multilayered arenas that allow the very solid AI to flank as well as a chance for you to use all your traversal skills, the rope is a great dynamic, the fluid melee is simple but highly versatile in that you can use it from virtually any position, the gunplay feels weighty and hit reactions are great, and light stealth feels pretty organic to weave in and out of your combat strategy. I also love how the destructible cover and low ammo discourage you from staying in one place too long (along with map design and enemy AI).

It's great stuff all around. My only complaints are that I think enemy accuracy or damage could be reduced when you're on a rope for a few seconds, and I wish there was more enemy variety. Also, wish there were more envounters obviously, but barring that one encounter in the underground where it's just a straight line of heavily aromored dudes all the encojnters range from good to excellent.

 

[Back-In-Black]

FTFY.

 

[LegendofDragoonLives]

OP my response is get good. TPS gameplay on the 4th in particular is sublime, amazing really. On top of top notch level design.

 

[Brian_FETO]

It's OK. I hate how rolling and sticky-covering is the same button though. Soooo many times I want to roll and Nate sticks to a wall instead, and vice-versa. I remember that being a minor issue in previous games, and maybe I was just rusty but it happened fucking constantly in UC4, I don't know why. They really need to switch that control scheme around so that you have better, more responsive control over your character. Nothing worse than pressing a button and your character doesn't do what you intend.

That was my only problem with it

Otherwise it's got to be some of my favorite TPS combat I've played. I played on normal, I generally hate playing shooters like that on higher difficulties because you just die faster. Versus like a non-shooter third person action game where it just makes AI more aggressive

 

[TheBear]

These games are a million times more fun when playing on 'easy'. Combat is a chore in Uncharted.

However, I'm playing Tomb Raider atm the combat seems a bit more interesting. Still playing on easy as I don't care for the type of challenge the combat provides.

 

[Gestault]

There's being bad at it and/or not preferring it. But you are objectively wrong by saying it's "bad".

The word bad isn't in the OP or the title.

 

[Ran rp]

combat isn't fun on any difficulty

The word bad isn't in the OP or the title.

lmao

 

[Curufinwe]

The gunplay was a lot of fun for me on medium. Much more so than Uncharted 3 on PS3.

My wife played on hard and judging by the amount of cursing coming from the den she didn't have as much fan as I did.