Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End Review
Well, there are only two reasons to shed tears after a culmination of an experience, either it’s a masterpiece or it’s a disaster. Naughty Dog’s Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End which was released on May 10, 2016, for the PlayStation 4 brought tears to my eyes for the former. The first playthrough will hit you like a monster truck, it’s hard to express in words. This game perfectly portrays how the protagonist Nathan Drake has grown as a person and demonstrates how far Naughty Dog has progressed as a game developer. It gives you a sense of fulfillment which Naughty Dog is so known to deliver to such an extent, that it makes you emotional. To me, Uncharted 4 is not just a game but an art that will always have a special place in me. Like The Last of Us, Uncharted 4 has shown what a video game can actually be and how far the gaming industry has come.
Uncharted 4 is beautiful from start to finish and is by far the best-looking video game that I have ever played. The graphics are so realistic that not even games like The Dying Light and The Tomb Raider can come close. This game is just mesmerizing. The in-game environments, textures, physics, character models, lighting and especially the rain effects during the final chapter of the game are so true to life, that my friends kept confusing it with some high-definition action movie. The game shows off its beauty by having an in-game timer that shows how much time you have spent just standing still and looking at the scenery. The attention to detail is impeccable. If you haven’t already played the previous Uncharted games, then I highly recommend you to do so because of two reasons: firstly, the previous games are themselves masterpieces and are guaranteed to give you an amazing experience, and secondly (the more important reason), Uncharted 4 has so many references to the previous titles that it is hard not to marvel and love Naughty Dog even more. Believe me, you would be a fool to be playing it without having played the previous ones. Naughty Dog makes sure to give the uncharted fans a sense of homecoming through the small and BIG Easter eggs throughout the journey. It feels like a Naughty Dog game and that is what is truly amazing.
The game plays like an uncharted game and very much feels like one, but it is hard to miss the presence of The Last of Us all over this game. Many a time it stops feeling like Uncharted and starts feeling more like The Last of Us. This is the sole reason why I believe that Naughty Dog managed to create a Mona Lisa out of Uncharted 4. The Last of Us like collectibles such as notes and journal entries were new additions to the game and told stories of their own. This new form of interactive storytelling mechanic brought out the explorer within the players and gave more incentive to explore every nook and cranny of the Uncharted 4 world. The new optional dialogue mechanism helped to flesh out the favorite characters like Elena Fischer and Victor Sullivan even more so than the previous editions, and also helps in the character building of the newer characters like Nathan’s elder brother Sam and the excellent villains. There are a few more game-play elements like stealth, enemy marking, rope traversal, sliding mechanics and car driving which are extremely solid and rightly implemented in the game. The much-improved shooting mechanics, traversal and melee attacks feel extremely satisfying. One element that stands out is the new buddy system which makes the combat and walk-through more fun and remarkable and encourages the players to make a more creative and fluid approach to their play style.
The game is very well paced, and it ramps extremely well. It starts off in a slow with some hard-hitting emotional beats and then escalates just at the right pace to make you feel engaged and involved in every moment with amazing looking cut-scenes and outstanding performances from the experienced cast. The game-play transition is so good that it feels like an action-packed roller coaster. The story is amazing and in my opinion, the best of the lot. It is a lot more realistic and humane. This is definitely a more mature and grown up Uncharted.
Uncharted 4 is considerably longer than the previous games. It took me about 20 hours to complete the game in hard mode, but trust me, the extra hours do not take away the experience. I will forever cherish these 20 hours. Thank you Naughty Dog.
Verdict
Uncharted 4 is the perfect conclusion to the Uncharted series. One cannot expect any more out of it. Developer Naughty Dog has done it again and kept up its reputation as one of the best game developers in the industry. This is a must play and is not to be missed. In my opinion, it is by far the best game of 2016. It is much more than a game. It’s an experience you will never forget.