Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
Naughty Dog’s approach to narrative in Uncharted 4 (whose review you can check out here) is decidedly different from that of Remedy Entertainment. Instead of pulling the player out of the events transpiring, they are caught right in the center of it. This doesn’t mean that there aren’t any cutscenes, but the ones that do play take place in the center of what you’re doing, allowing you to dive in and out of cinematic moments amidst the action. To put it simply, Uncharted 4 doesn’t stop to tell you a story, it instead allows you to play through it.
The gameplay is more action-focused, although that doesn’t always mean combat. Lots of platforming up mountains and buildings await. Climbing up a huge, crumbling clock-tower to a backdrop of stunning quality is memorable in its own right, as is the scene of the mayhem that follows. There’s more to feel and listen to as you move about, and a lot less to just watch.
For some, the gameplay may be very familiar, which can be either good or bad depending on what you’re looking for. Fans of the series will feel right at home, with a few extra components, such as driving and using a grappling hook, for good measure. It’s the same treasure-hunting adventure that the series has come to be known for, only with an added gravitas thanks to Nathan Drake’s current lot in life and the choices ahead of him.
Naughty Dog was intent on ending the journey in a big way, so there’s a lot more drama this time around in between the huge set-pieces. In a way, that slowdown in between huge moments is common between both Uncharted 4 and Quantum Break. It helps to create a peaks throughout the adventure that pull you right back in.
