I never buy games on pre-order. I'm the kind of person who can wait for months, buy it on discount, and then resell it for a profit. But Naughty Dog has won my trust over the years, with the Uncharted titles being for me the best blend of action, adventure, story, and exquisite art direction. They just don't make movies like these any more, and I couldn't help myself. (It also doesn't hurt that Amazon gives you a 20% pre-order discount, making the price easier to swallow)
Uncharted 4 is the last of the Nathan Drake stories. The graphics are nothing short of amazing. Bear in mind that the PS4 is weaker than my 7 year old PC from the point of view of compute power, and has a GPU that's weaker than the one I bought in 2013. That's pretty weak stuff, but I never saw anything on the PC that even comes close to how pretty Uncharted 4 looks. Heck, if you compare Uncharted 4 to the latest Pixar movie, you'll see that in many ways, the Pixar movie cuts corners and goes for an art direction that favors computer animation, and requires gobs of rendering power while the game goes for a realistic (albeit gorgeously beautiful) look and yet is rendered in real time by the PS4. Just thinking about it makes me want to pick up my jaw from the floor when I think about the experience.
The thing with these "movies as game" video game experiences is that it's all about pacing. Uncharted 4 has a very different pacing than Uncharted 2, the (previous) best of the series. While only 2 chapters in Uncharted 2 had a "walking simulator" feel to the game, that sort of pacing and free roam exploring with no threats occupies huge sections of Uncharted 4. This gives the player plenty of room to breathe, but unfortunately also adds to the game as far as being sort of a "one shot". A lot of the value of the game goes away on a repeated play through.
The music, art direction and action sequences are all very well done (though the boss fight at the end is a bit of a let down). But what makes the game work is the consistent attention to story: the characters are treated with respect, and at every reveal, we're drawn further into the story. At this point, let me provide a spoiler warning so you read no further if you haven't played it and the story matters to you.
The story takes place years after Uncharted 3, when Nathan Drake has settled down to a boring job as a technical diver. Then his long lost brother Sam shows up and we go into a flash back as we finally learn how the Drake brothers got their names, and how that quest led to the current state of affairs. Note that Sam's never been mentioned in any of the previous games, so this bit of ret-conning strains any suspension of disbelief you might have had, but it's done decently such that you don't feel like it's too wrong. Sam, of course, is lying through and through, but again, it's a reflection of what's been driving Nathan Drake through the previous games. The quest takes you from Italy to Madagascar, and the flashbacks get you a view of Panama. It's all very pretty.
There are lots of references to the previous games throughout the story. If you've played through all the other stories, I think you'll get a lot more out of Uncharted 4 than someone who just started with this latest (and supposedly last) installment. I think above all, Uncharted 4 sells you on the character relationships and what they do for each other. And it doesn't do it just in dialogue and cut scenes, but also in the way the characters act. In one of the early scenes, I had Nathan Drake to a stealth take down of an enemy, and I fully expected to have to immediately turn and take out the enemy next to him. To my surprise, I saw that Sam Drake had already taken down the other enemy. I was stunned. To my mind, this is why the Uncharted series does better than even the rebooted Tomb Raider. When playing as Lara Croft, you feel as though the world is full of idiots who can't even find something that's right in front of them without you having to "quest" for it. As Nathan Drake, you're part of a team --- your wife might take out the enemy who's shooting at you, your brother might be trying to distract another one, while your old buddy Sully's scrambling to catch up to you. You're rarely alone in this game and as a result you feel much better about its milieu.
This is not to say that Uncharted 4 is perfect: it's not. As a game, the Tomb Raider series does a better job: the cover system's better, and the collectibles and upgradeable weapons all provide crunchy mechanics that force you to make full use of your skill. But none of the characters in Tomb Raider ever make you feel like you should care about them (not even Lara Croft), while that's not true in Uncharted 4.
Needless to say, Uncharted 4 comes highly recommended. While I wouldn't go so far as to say that you should buy a PS4 just for the game, I'd say that if you own a PS4, you owe it to yourself to play it. After you're done picking your jaw up from the floor, you might consider that it's not very replayable and sell it, but while you're playing it there's no question that this is a unique and satisfying experience.
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From the manufacturer
Embark on Drake’s quest to find the world’s greatest treasure.
Every Treasure Has Its Price
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Nathan Drake is backSeveral years after his last adventure, retired fortune hunter, Nathan Drake, is forced back into the world of thieves. |
AdventureWith the stakes much more personal, Drake embarks on a globe-trotting journey in pursuit of a historical conspiracy behind a fabled pirate treasure. |
SacrificeHis greatest adventure will test his physical limits, his resolve, and ultimately what he's willing to sacrifice to save the ones he loves. |
New Multiplayer Features
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MysticalsHarness some of the well-known supernatural elements from the Uncharted games to aid your team in attaining victory. |
SidekicksSidekicks are another loadout option, which spawns an NPC ally, each with a unique skill to help you or your teammates along. Sidekicks will earn you cash as they fulfill their role. |
Grappling HookLeverage the environment to take out characters from above. |
Sold Separately
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| UNCHARTED 4: A Thief’s End | UNCHARTED 4: A Thief’s End Special Edition | UNCHARTED 4: A Thief’s End Libertalia Collector’s Edition | Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End Digital Deluxe Edition | |
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5,154
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| Price | $64.99 | $79.98 | $399.99 | — |
| UNCHARTED 4: A Thief’s End PS4 Game | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 12” Premium Drake Statue | ✓ | |||
| Collectible Steelbook Case | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| 48-Page Hardcover Art Book by Dark Horse | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Naughty Dog & Pirate Sigil Sticker Sheet | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Seven instant multiplayer unlocks | ✓ | |||
| Naughty Dog Points to unlock more multiplayer content. | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Three pieces of future DLC content & 2 instant multiplayer unlocks | ✓ |
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Uncharted 4: A Thief's End - PlayStation 4
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Reviews with images
Emotional game with great storytelling !
Well, it seems most people here covered the reviews on the game so I will keep things short. Visually, it's impressive. One of the best AAA games out there right now. The story in general once you start it will be impossible to let go of and not finish it. They covered all past games and Nate's adventure around the globe. They show a side of him that deals with everyday life for everyone. Showing his normal life now vs his global treks around the globe. It really makes you see how everyday you wake up like a robot and do the same over and over again and not even notice it. However you see things from his perspective. Anyways, I have not completed the game but currently working on it and in chapter 11 and was blown away by the chemistry all the voice actors have, I would say this surpasses Uncharted 2. The music goes with the flow of what is happening inside the game which really sucks you into the storytelling and action sequences. I have nothing negative to say on it.Multiplayer I was impressed with. Everything in game can be bought or unlocked by using multiplayer points won in game. The only thing is the points unlock items randomly or paying for points to allows you to select them. All stages are free to avoid dividing the community.The MP plays like a mix of The Last of Us and Uncharted 3. You can revive downed allies like TLOU however they have boosters that can be bought in game (gun upgrades, more bombs, helpers etc) I liked the fact that every time you buy an "upgrade" inside the game (RPGs, GUNS etc) they cost more the next time so it avoids being abused. They have a section that teaches you how to use the new items or moves (hooks, one hit kill charge, bombs , mines etc) standards Deathmatch and capture the flag type modes. They also have a section for ranked matches online instead of friendly. It still 'feels' like an uncharted game when playing online similar to UC2-3.I loved The Last of Us but Uncharted has always been fast pace and I was afraid that they would slow down the online in UC4. This time Naughty Dog found a good mix between fast pace action with timing and semi planing similar to (TLOU) so that made me happy. This time the online is fun and feels challenging not just run and gun. The online is also stable (I have 100 down and 26 up) results of online stability varies case by case but even a friend who has 50 down and 6 up stated that it was very stable.
Top reviews from the United States
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Reviewed in the United States on May 25, 2016
Platform For Display: PlayStation 4Edition: StandardVerified Purchase
Reviewed in the United States on June 25, 2016
Platform For Display: PlayStation 4Edition: StandardVerified Purchase
Top reviews from other countries
Chris
Great game with hours of fun
Reviewed in Canada on July 1, 2020Platform For Display: PlayStation 4Edition: StandardVerified Purchase
Rameez
coool
Reviewed in India on October 19, 2019Platform For Display: PlayStation 4Edition: StandardVerified Purchase
Cristian Huato
Un excelente juego
Reviewed in Mexico on October 31, 2016Platform For Display: PlayStation 4Edition: StandardVerified Purchase
Nilly
Naughty Dog is amazing with their games and this one is even better!
Reviewed in Japan on May 22, 2016Platform For Display: PlayStation 4Edition: StandardVerified Purchase
Christian
Buen juego mucha acción adrenalina al límite
Reviewed in Mexico on April 24, 2021Platform For Display: PlayStation 4Edition: StandardVerified Purchase
