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Uncharted 4: A Thief's End |OT| You're gonna miss this ass

W

Wabba

Member
What a ride, i have just started chapter 18 and i feel like playing, but i have to save it for tonight. Can anybody tell me me if i am soon finished? Dont want it to be.
 
J

Jennipeg

Member
It occurs to me that this might be the first time i've seen 2 characters kiss without looking like they are just banging their faces together, which is normally why I find romantic or sex scenes in games insanely awkward.
 
Cert.in.Death

Cert.in.Death

Member
Completed UC4 tonight, moderate difficulty. After playing through all of the UC collection and re-platinuming all those games, a lot of the nostalgia wore away and frustrations readily kicked in. It's a matter of design where I want more freedom, less "hands tied" moments, especially in a post TLOU world where UC has always been less emotionally compelling. It's a bit of a drag playing a game that is so strongly story-dependent knowing what's coming. Plus, I quite enjoy the shooting mechanics of UC and meaningful encounters don't happen enough (retreading irritating puzzles really kills my level of interest).

UC4 has influences from TLOU all over it and makes all the right touches on what is, to me, an outdated blueprint. I don't think the pacing is as great as UC2 and doesn't offer as fulfilling a climax but it is a visual tour de force and the additions of the rope, slide, and spike mechanics all allowed for excellent environments. The story is also the most mature, most nuanced of the franchise, though a few notes were a little off key for me (Elena's confrontation, Drake absconding with Sam, plus others).

As I progressed, I was pretty lukewarm on the campaign but the more it builds, the more satisfying it becomes. A superb creation and outstanding send-off, even if it isn't my favorite adventure of Nate the Great. But the design model UC is patterned on is certainly something that is wearing me down, and I'm intrigued that ND wants to attempt something else. Really looking forward to where they go from here.

MP is fantastic, though I need more time with it to decide whether I like it more than UC3's. Also the lack of co-op modes leaves me pining for DLC (adventure mode was one of my favorite things from UC2 and UC3, hopefully it comes back with a vengeance).
 
Ascenion

Ascenion

Member
Deckard Chapel said:
That's much the same as music appreciation, because it is so different to the human ear between individuals as to what is great, what is amazing and what is mediocre.

The score to Uncharted 4 is amazing to me; it literally made me feel as though I was playing a AAA, summer-blockbuster movie and the understated tones and the piano themes resounded within me and made me feel the emotional beats in a way that Edmondson could not.

But again, that's just my ear and also my opinion.
Click to expand...

I can appreciate that. I can get the emotional aspect you feel since Jackman isn't using brass for everything like Edmonson but then at the same time I've grown tired of the articulated string runs that just kind of fill the piece with noise. I appreciate Edmonson's almost refusal to rely on strings and the focus on brass and percussion. It's so rare in today's musical climate where everyone goes for the cinematic feel. Edmonson feel more genuine to me. But f you want to feel like you're in a movie then I can totally get your love for the score. Like I said it doesn't sound bad, but for me the composition is played out.

brandonh83 said:
...which is a theme that someone else already wrote :p That's the thing, Jackman does nothing interesting or thematic of his own. I don't dislike the soundtrack, but I do find it disappointing by comparison.
Click to expand...

Pretty much this. It's nice to hear Nate's leitmotif led by strings but at the end of the day my favorite parts of the score (namely the last 25 seconds of Brothers Keeper) are just arrangements of Edmonson's compositions.
 
W

WordsintheWater

Member
Cert.in.Death said:
Completed UC4 tonight, moderate difficulty. After playing through all of the UC collection and re-platinuming all those games, a lot of the nostalgia wore away and frustrations readily kicked in. It's a matter of design where I want more freedom, less "hands tied" moments, especially in a post TLOU world where UC has always been less emotionally compelling. It's a bit of a drag playing a game that is so strongly story-dependent knowing what's coming. Plus, I quite enjoy the shooting mechanics of UC and meaningful encounters don't happen enough (retreading irritating puzzles really kills my level of interest).

UC4 has influences from TLOU all over it and makes all the right touches on what is, to me, an outdated blueprint. I don't think the pacing is as great as UC2 and doesn't offer as fulfilling a climax but it is a visual tour de force and the additions of the rope, slide, and spike mechanics all allowed for excellent environments. The story is also the most mature, most nuanced of the franchise, though a few notes were a little off key for me (Elena's confrontation, Drake absconding with Sam, plus others).

As I progressed, I was pretty lukewarm on the campaign but the more it builds, the more satisfying it becomes. A superb creation and outstanding send-off, even if it isn't my favorite adventure of Nate the Great. But the design model UC is patterned on is certainly something that is wearing me down, and I'm intrigued that ND wants to attempt something else. Really looking forward to where they go from here.

MP is fantastic, though I need more time with it to decide whether I like it more than UC3's. Also the lack of co-op modes leaves me pining for DLC (adventure mode was one of my favorite things from UC2 and UC3, hopefully it comes back with a vengeance).
Click to expand...

Co-Op is coming down the line, but not sure what form it will take.
 
BigTnaples

BigTnaples

Todd Howard's Secret GAF Account
Jennipeg said:
It occurs to me that this might be the first time i've seen 2 characters kiss without looking like they are just banging their faces together, which is normally why I find romantic or sex scenes in games insanely awkward.
Click to expand...


Yeah it was really well done. I've seen a well done kiss in like one other game, but I can't recall which now.
 
K

Kalentan

Member
So spoilers for what I guess was the original story of UC4 after finishing the game.

So in the very original teaser, the original VA for Sam sounded more vengceful and pissed that he had been rotting in that prison while Nate was still free. Then the first in-engine footage sounded like Nate was no longer able to handle living a normal life and wanting to have just one more job. Sort of referenced by Sully at the end? He said no more late night calls asking about one more job?

It's interesting to see how much of the story is still the same or not. Sam sounded like he was going to be the villain originally.
 
R

Randam

Member
Me playing on my pc monitor and while sitting at my desk isn't benefiting the game.

Lot of aliasing.



And did anyone else notice the grid patterns on shadows sometimes?
Had that with other games too.
Can't take a picture unfortunately, because it is fine in photo mode.
 
Z

ZeroX03

Banned
Kalentan said:
So spoilers for what I guess was the original story of UC4 after finishing the game.

So in the very original teaser, the original VA for Sam sounded more vengceful and pissed that he had been rotting in that prison while Nate was still free. Then the first in-engine footage sounded like Nate was no longer able to handle living a normal life and wanting to have just one more job. Sort of referenced by Sully at the end? He said no more late night calls asking about one more job?

It's interesting to see how much of the story is still the same or not. Sam sounded like he was going to be the villain originally.
Click to expand...

It could've been Sam angry at Rafe. They kept the fifteen years in prison angle from the original trailer pretty specifically. He did seem villainous though. I might have preferred that.

The first in-engine footage came out after Hennig had left, but only by a few months, it seems they went with some pretty nondescript dialogue to avoid spoilers while they were still changing direction.
 
G

Garrett Hawke

Member
Can I suggest those who have finished it and want to discuss final impressions and the ending take discussion to the Spoiler Thread? It's much easier to discuss things there as you don't have to worry about black bars, and it keeps ending spoilers out of this thread completely.

note that the above link contains spoilers so only go there if you're done! :p
 
P

Persona7

Banned
Damn this game is supposed to be twice as long as previous Uncharted games? I'm like six hours in and that would have been end game area in the previous games.

Liking this so far. I wonder how much of amy hennig's writing/directing decisions are left over seeing as how she worked on it for over two years. I'm going to guess quite a bit.
 
G

Garrett Hawke

Member
Persona7 said:
Damn this game is supposed to be twice as long as previous Uncharted games? I'm like six hours in and that would have been end game area in the previous games.

Liking this so far. I wonder how much of amy hennig's writing/directing decisions are left over seeing as how she worked on it for over two years.
Click to expand...
Maybe Uncharted 1 but I don't think 6 hours into 2 or 3 is anything more than half way.
 
L

Lingitiz

Member
ZeroX03 said:
It could've been Sam angry at Rafe. They kept the fifteen years in prison angle from the original trailer pretty specifically. He did seem villainous though. I might have preferred that.

The first in-engine footage came out after Hennig had left, but only by a few months, it seems they went with some pretty nondescript dialogue to avoid spoilers while they were still changing direction.
Click to expand...

I'd be super curious to know what the original direction was going to be. I suspect having Troy Baker come on changed the entire character arc of Sam dramatically.

TLOU being what it is may have encouraged them to go more in a family focused direction rather than having Sam being more antagonistic. Also the plot thread of Rafe being obsessed with Nate's legacy and wanting to make a name for himself may have originally belonged to Sam in some form.
 
V

Vaga

Member
Kalentan said:
So spoilers for what I guess was the original story of UC4 after finishing the game.

It's interesting to see how much of the story is still the same or not. Sam sounded like he was going to be the villain originally.
Click to expand...

It would've been such a bad way to end a lovely series, glad they didn't go that route and that they chosen Troy as VA.

I don't think the ending can be trumped by anything else. They did it in the best way possible.
 
Z

ZeroX03

Banned
Uncharted games aren't very long if you aren't playing on Crushing and don't bother exploring for treasure. That's a good thing. Most players have trouble finishing games.

doofy102 said:
Say what you will about Uncharted 3. It still has the most thrilling foot chases.
Click to expand...

Here's what I'll say about Uncharted 3: it's still my favorite!
 
C

ChrisW

Member
The cinematics in chapters 11,12 made me say "GOD DAMN" honestly this game looks so much better than some PC games, I think the great lighting has a lot to do with it and also that the animation is outstanding too
 
T

The Ummah

Banned
Just reached chapter 11 and stopped. Minor details I noticed, nothing story related.

The first time I jumped out of the Jeep, I said to myself that it would be insane if Sully and Sam had a conversation while I was wandering. Three seconds later, they started talking to each other.

Plus, all the vistas. It just keeps going. Looks so beautiful!

I am in love with this game.
 
D

darkwing-buck

Member
The Ummah said:
Just reached chapter 11 and stopped. Minor details I noticed, nothing story related.

The first time I jumped out of the Jeep, I said to myself that it would be insane if Sully and Sam had a conversation while I was wandering. Three seconds later, they started talking to each other.

Plus, all the vistas. It just keeps going. Looks so beautiful!

I am in love with this game.
Click to expand...

Yeah the conversations in this game feel so organic and are generally well written.
 
T

The Xtortionist

Member
Finished the game earlier tonight, and welp, I don't really know how to feel. Automated platforming has always been an element of Uncharted, but it's so overused here. I enjoy platforming in conjunction with combat, stealth, puzzle-solving, etc, but the solitary "mash X to navigate a linear path of handholds" aspect has never done much for me. A little bit of it here and there isn't a bad thing imo, but there are nearly full chapters in UC4 where that's most of what you're doing. The game also seems to be deathly afraid of throwing too much combat at the player. Most fights are followed up with very lengthy cooldown sections that offer little substance (unlike in say, The Last of Us, where slower sections are often used to develop the fiction and gather relevant supplies for the next encounter). But when the combat design is as good as it is here...why not employ it more frequently? UC4 has some of my favorite TPS combat, and throughout the game I was always feeling like it was being kept from me, like someone holding that next hit of a drug just beyond my reach.

Minor structure/pacing spoilers, nothing too specific
Slow starts don't necessarily bother me. TLOU has a slow start, but after a few hours you get to Bill's Town and the game is really into the "meat and potatoes", with a constant barrage of interesting scenarios and encounters. UC4 starts slow, and...stays slow. That's just what it is. There's no Bill's Town or Nepal or Ship Graveyard where the game hits its stride in terms of pacing. Combat is almost always drip fed to the player, and what mostly makes up for its absence is style over substance platforming that offers little engagement, or exploratory sections where there's nothing of real value to be found. I was ready for the Island to be the turning point for the game, given how slow the preceding chapters were, but nah. It ratchets up a bit here and there, though not to a level that satisfied me. And I don't mean to suggest that a lack of combat is inherently bad by any means - I just think what makes up for it's absence is far weaker and less engaging.

I like what's in the UC4 soup, so to speak, but imo the ratio of ingredients is all off.
 
P

Philippo

Member
It's a shame i have to force myself to stop playing after 2 or 3 chapters to avoid finishing it too quickly, otherwise i could keep on going for the whole day.
 
W

WITHE1982

Member
Just about to start chapter 13 and notched up 11 hours so far. I'm restricting myself to 2-3 chapters a night as I want to appreciate every little detail before my second play-through for the speed run trophy.

So far It's bordering on becoming my favourite Uncharted game but I'll hold off until I complete it this weekend.

Philippo said:
It's a shame i have to force myself to stop playing after 2 or 3 chapters to avoid finishing it too quickly, otherwise i could keep on going for the whole day.
Click to expand...

Exactly how I'm playing it. 2-3 chapters then a quick blast of MP each night.
 
K

Kwansu Dudes

Member
This chapter 13 encounter is such a crock of bullshit. Shouldve had a checkpoint after the first area.

edit: lol they can shoot through mountains apparently. Let us get that mountain-piercing ammo ND!
 
O

OléGunner

Member
Philippo said:
It's a shame i have to force myself to stop playing after 2 or 3 chapters to avoid finishing it too quickly, otherwise i could keep on going for the whole day.
Click to expand...

During development Bruce always talked about their ambition of player not wanting to put down the controller.

Safe to say they nailed that feeling with aplomb.
 
B

Bad_Boy

time to take my meds
Just beat it.

Bravo ND, bravo. Best uncharted yet. Best graphics yet.

Last of Us 2.... idk if my body can even handle that.
 
P

pupcoffee

Member
When Nate is running around in tight places the camera zooms in closer so it's almost identical to the Last of Us's camera. I kind of prefer it that way. Patch it in as an option, Naughty Dog!
 
N

Neiteio

Member
The Xtortionist said:
Finished the game earlier tonight, and welp, I don't really know how to feel. Automated platforming has always been an element of Uncharted, but it's so overused here. I enjoy platforming in conjunction with combat, stealth, puzzle-solving, etc, but the solitary "mash X to navigate a linear path of handholds" aspect has never done much for me. A little bit of it here and there isn't a bad thing imo, but there are nearly full chapters in UC4 where that's most of what you're doing. The game also seems to be deathly afraid of throwing too much combat at the player. Most fights are followed up with very lengthy cooldown sections that offer little substance (unlike in say, The Last of Us, where slower sections are often used to develop the fiction and gather relevant supplies for the next encounter). But when the combat design is as good as it is here...why not employ it more frequently? UC4 has some of my favorite TPS combat, and throughout the game I was always feeling like it was being kept from me, like someone holding that next hit of a drug just beyond my reach.

Minor structure/pacing spoilers, nothing too specific
Slow starts don't necessarily bother me. TLOU has a slow start, but after a few hours you get to Bill's Town and the game is really into the "meat and potatoes", with a constant barrage of interesting scenarios and encounters. UC4 starts slow, and...stays slow. That's just what it is. There's no Bill's Town or Nepal or Ship Graveyard where the game hits its stride in terms of pacing. Combat is almost always drip fed to the player, and what mostly makes up for its absence is style over substance platforming that offers little engagement, or exploratory sections where there's nothing of real value to be found. I was ready for the Island to be the turning point for the game, given how slow the preceding chapters were, but nah. It ratchets up a bit here and there, though not to a level that satisfied me. And I don't mean to suggest that a lack of combat is inherently bad by any means - I just think what makes up for it's absence is far weaker and less engaging.

I like what's in the UC4 soup, so to speak, but imo the ratio of ingredients is all off.
Click to expand...
I just arrived at Ch. 9. Enjoying it, but your assessment seems accurate so far.

I will say that sometimes you have to think about where the next handhold is during the auto-platforming sections. I like the bits where you slide across slopes to approach previous structures from different angles.

Combat is growing on me, now that everything is coming together: marking, run 'n gun, stop 'n pop, makeshift cover, destructible cover, stealth in tall grass, silent takedowns, ledge takedowns, drop attacks, swinging past/around enemies, melee, dynamite, etc. Arenas are increasingly vertical and layered with many ways in and out, a good mix of tight/interior spaces and open/exterior spaces, etc.

Like you say, though, they're infrequent. At the same time, kinda refreshing they don't lean on combat too heavily. New stuff like sliding, swinging, improved sneaking, and alternative traversal (i.e. boat, diving, etc) is adding up nicely. But it can also be a bit mindless, as you noted.
 
B

Bad_Boy

time to take my meds
The attention to detail is my favorite part of this game. There are parts of the map you probably wont even see just by walking past or standing near not more than 2 seconds. But the ND artist have spent time and effort adding the smallest of details. It really adds to the over all quality and atmosphere.

Wish i could word it better, but damn. Every inch of this game is amazing.
 
N

nib95

Banned
The Xtortionist said:
Minor structure/pacing spoilers, nothing too specific
Slow starts don't necessarily bother me. TLOU has a slow start, but after a few hours you get to Bill's Town and the game is really into the "meat and potatoes", with a constant barrage of interesting scenarios and encounters. UC4 starts slow, and...stays slow. That's just what it is. There's no Bill's Town or Nepal or Ship Graveyard where the game hits its stride in terms of pacing. Combat is almost always drip fed to the player, and what mostly makes up for its absence is style over substance platforming that offers little engagement, or exploratory sections where there's nothing of real value to be found. I was ready for the Island to be the turning point for the game, given how slow the preceding chapters were, but nah. It ratchets up a bit here and there, though not to a level that satisfied me. And I don't mean to suggest that a lack of combat is inherently bad by any means - I just think what makes up for it's absence is far weaker and less engaging.

I like what's in the UC4 soup, so to speak, but imo the ratio of ingredients is all off.
Click to expand...

UC4's Bill's town or Nepal is imo Madagascar onwards.
 
M

MoonsaultSlayer

Member
OléGunner;203477151 said:
Ok fuck I can't even find players in the warm up tdm.
The hell its been like 10 minutes :/
Click to expand...
I hate that. First thing I thought of is "what if people pick this up in a year or two... how are they going to play?"

It's BS that you can't skip it.
 
M

MrCookiepants

Member
This game has a fair amount of bloat/filler. It's disappointing, but I can't blame ND. Internet idiots put pressure on devs to make 15+ hour campaigns because apparently crap like chapter 21 increases the value of the product lolz.
 
T

The Xtortionist

Member
Neiteio said:
Like you say, though, they're infrequent. At the same time, kinda refreshing they don't lean on combat too heavily. New stuff like sliding, swinging, improved sneaking, and alternative traversal (i.e. boat, diving, etc) is adding up nicely. But it can also be a bit mindless, as you noted.
Click to expand...

Sliding and grappling are definitely fun mechanics, and I mostly enjoyed them whenever they showed up. I suppose overusing them too much would dampen their impact. Just wish the alternatives engaged me more.

nib95 said:
UC4's Bill's town or Nepal is imo Madagascar onwards.
Click to expand...

There's more action starting with chapter 10, but it can still be pretty sparse. Specific chapter spoilers
12 is extremely slow paced and based on exploration, 13 has a single fight, 16 is super slow paced, etc. And they still do the whole "take forever cooling down after each encounter" thing. I will say that 10 is probably my favorite chapter in the game. Nice combination of action and problem solving with the jeep (which I did enjoy).
 
D

darkwing-buck

Member
Just finished the game, WOW. ND does it again. Arguably the best storytellers in the industry. Lost for words, what a perfect ending. UC4 is def in my top 10.
 
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