Holy fuck that's a lot to read through.
Alrighty, I'm even more excited to play this game after reading nearly every review. It looks to me like some of the newer additions to the gameplay/set pieces are ND trying to one up Uncharted 2, or at least add enough to the formula to make things seem fresh for seasoned players. I don't think this game needs to be the revolutionary jump that Uncharted 2 was. If this is the last game in the series, I kinda want a borderline sentimental story for these characters, and it sounds like we're kinda getting it judging by the reviews.
I'm glad ND didn't feel the need to reinvent things gameplay wise. Uncharted has a formula, add to it! I guess Jim Sterling didn't like how predictable things got? His opinion. I think a lot of people are going into this game knowing what to expect.
I guess the only thing that doesn't sound to exciting is the multiplayer. Grappling looks like a fun addition to map traversal, but those magic powers look like they'll get old, fast.
This is looking like the PS4's first true killer app. Congrats to Naughty Dog! I'm ready!