Genre: Action-Adventure
Year: 2016
Developed by: Naughty Dog
Published by: Sony Computer Entertainment
Platforms: PS4, PS5, PC
#61
Feeling Like: Saving the best for last
Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End is an appropriate ending (for now) for one of gaming’s best franchises. Every release saw Naughty Dog improve upon the mechanics, the storytelling and the set pieces. While the incremental improvements for the first three were obvious, the jump from the PlayStation 3 to PlayStation 4 was monumental, just impossible not to appreciate. It was my Game of the Year for 2016 by a landslide. Here’s what I said.
All four Uncharted games feel special. The first was a glimpse into what the PlayStation 3 could do. It was one part Indiana Jones, two parts Tomb Raider and I was quickly persuaded that I needed to get into the shoes of Nathan Drake, and fast. The voice acting was no less than flawless; the characters were far more likable than any other video game protagonists and it truly felt like I was part of a swashbuckling adventure, rather than a game that I just shot enemies in.
The sequel was a landmark, with its truly unbelievable set pieces. The opening train car hanging off a snowy cliff and the train sequence were both technological leaps that were disruptively good. Nobody could ignore Uncharted now, and many sites gave Uncharted 2: Among Thieves their game of the year. Uncharted 3 didn’t have as big a jump, but was still critically acclaimed and beloved by me.
If Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End really is the last main Uncharted game, then it is the perfect swansong to a franchise that I’ve been privileged enough to enjoy for nearly ten years. The PlayStation 4 hardware is the perfect home for it and I couldn’t help but be shocked at how real the conversations felt between the characters. The writing, direction, facial captures and action are the best in the business. It’s hard to go back once we’ve come this far. It might as well be a movie.
The landscapes are so beautiful, they’ll force you to stop figuring things out and just watch. The ocean crashing against a hidden cove. A lost city and its accompanying skeletal remnants. Pirate ships. Drug lords. A fancy auction. Hidden temples. The remains of a last supper. Uncharted 4 has everything and I thought I’d already seen it all in the first three. The chase through a Madagascar village ranks up there with any of the best action sequences I’ve ever been witness to.
I felt a true sense of completion upon beating the last chapter, and watching the epilogue was like dipping into a family photo album. I felt true sorrow upon realizing I wouldn’t be hearing any sarcastic quips from Sullivan again, or scrambling my way out of a historical landmark collapsing over my head. It’s the total package. Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End is my game of the year.
It’s hard to overstate how much fun Uncharted 4 is, and better than the previous iterations. The grappling hook completely opens up the gameplay and allowed Naughty Dog to alter the kind of sticky situations Nathan Drake found himself in, both in parkour sections and situations involving gunplay. Vaulting yourself over a chasm and then punching a baddie in the face as you land was something I actively tried to do every time, even if when it was stupid to try. The set pieces really do have to be seen to be believed, it’s one of the first times I couldn’t figure out if the spectacle I was viewing was a cut-scene or gameplay.
One of the overlooked improvements, at least by me, was that Naughty Dog had the actors’ faces mapped, instead of just their bodies. This took advantage of longtime, terrific veteran actors like Nolan North, Troy Baker, Emily Rose and Richard McGonagle (my favorite! Sully!) so that their winces, grimaces, laughs and smiles were translated directly on screen. This meant more realistic portrayals servicing the story. No uncanny valley here. The opening scenes that follow Nate through a quieter life and hanging out with Elena on the couch felt completely natural. Motivations were clearer and I felt like I was participating in an action movie before my eyes, more than ever before.
There might have been room for more story beats, but the ones we got were so good that I felt it was foolish to complain. The quality of the direction meant I felt like I was watching a scene with humans from a TV show, not stilted dolls shouting exposition. Why can’t every developer be like this?
Naughty Dog has entered that hallowed territory of me being automatically interested in anything they do, along with Supergiant and Nintendo. With their track record over the last 16 years, they’ve planted themselves as one of the few who completely “get” it in terms of narrative driven action games. I don’t think anybody is close to them, aside from Santa Monica Studios. I feel spoiled that I got to play five Uncharted games, and maybe it’s best that they leave it alone. They went on such a high note. But like Nate, Sully, and the rest, I have an insatiable pull to keep seeking treasure. And for me, I don’t have to worry about people shooting at me to find it.
The 500 