darkwing-buck
Member
Yeah I heard that level on crushing is tough but playing it on moderate I fell in love with that level.
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Uncharted 4: A Thief's End |OT| You're gonna miss this ass
- Thread starter BaraSailey
- Start date
Yeah I heard that level on crushing is tough but playing it on moderate I fell in love with that level.
I think 2 is overrated having played it and 3 back to back right before 4.
1 to 2 was definitely the biggest leap up for the series which might be where the lasting impressions are coming from, but all it has is some cool set pieces that are now built around dated gunplay and traversal mechanics.
1 to 2 was definitely the biggest leap up for the series which might be where the lasting impressions are coming from, but all it has is some cool set pieces that are now built around dated gunplay and traversal mechanics.
Zeuanimals
Member
You either didn't play the game and are lying or you ignored half of what was going on. Maybe both.
The setting was really good, I agree, but the boss fight is absolutely just horrible designed. It's a QTE fight, I thought they learned from U3, but I guess not. It's simple parrying and just attacking. Lazy design. ND should really hire someone who has experience with boss battles. The melee system in this game is as basic as you can get, and I can't believe they designed the last boss battle around that.
Also why they hell aren't the spoiler shortcuts shown when I edit posts? Something that always have annoyed with.
darkwing-buck
Member
The Final Boss in this was alright but I don't hate it as much as the boss in
I effectively can't play it without headphones, but I prefer playing that way anyway.
Wow that was a really awesome game. Hope studios keep making these more linear story driven cinematic games. I actually didn't like the fighting at all (as usual) and thought some of the free-roam fighting areas were unnecessary and immersion breaking. If they had cut that out and left the chase/escape (gunplay escape included)/fist fighting scenes it would have been even better. Loved the exploration. Walking simulator or not, still just amazing.
Just amazing visuals, acting, and attention to detail. Seriously amazing. Perfect send off.
Just amazing visuals, acting, and attention to detail. Seriously amazing. Perfect send off.
So I beat the game 2-3 days ago and sat and marinated on it a bit. As a bit of background I'm a huge fan of the series love most of the games. Beat all the mainline games multiple times.
The game from a presentation point of view was amazing Naughty Dog continues to up the ante with regard to this every game they release there isn't much to say here that hasn't been echoed numerous times. Story was great and I felt fulfilled with the way everything turned out. The enviromental storytelling was actually pretty interesting and I found myself becoming very interested in the story being told through the collectibles and what not. I would have loved even more collectibles and stuff like that hidden throughout the play space
They made the platforming a little more interesting this time around and some of the environmental puzzles where really fun to figure out. I loved most of the changes to combat everything was way more fluid and flowed nicely, and being given even more options was a welcome addition. With regards to an addition like stealth I feel there should have been some type of way to grab the guards attention it feels like a mechanic that is missing oddly.
My main gripe with the game was I feel there was just to much downtime especially in the beginning half and some of those parts tended to drag on to long. I feel like they completely mis-paced that section of the game. Like there would be a lot of downtime then you would get into a firefight/stealth section that wouldn't balance out with regard to how much downtime there actually was. So it felt very lopsided in that respect. At times I would want to let loose but it wouldn't let me. I wish there was like 10-20% more combat during this section of the game. I didn't really have this issue with the second half.
With regards to the set pieces I feel they were great but it felt like it was missing the big one (set piece spoiler)
My favorite encounter was
My favorite set piece was
The game from a presentation point of view was amazing Naughty Dog continues to up the ante with regard to this every game they release there isn't much to say here that hasn't been echoed numerous times. Story was great and I felt fulfilled with the way everything turned out. The enviromental storytelling was actually pretty interesting and I found myself becoming very interested in the story being told through the collectibles and what not. I would have loved even more collectibles and stuff like that hidden throughout the play space
They made the platforming a little more interesting this time around and some of the environmental puzzles where really fun to figure out. I loved most of the changes to combat everything was way more fluid and flowed nicely, and being given even more options was a welcome addition. With regards to an addition like stealth I feel there should have been some type of way to grab the guards attention it feels like a mechanic that is missing oddly.
My main gripe with the game was I feel there was just to much downtime especially in the beginning half and some of those parts tended to drag on to long. I feel like they completely mis-paced that section of the game. Like there would be a lot of downtime then you would get into a firefight/stealth section that wouldn't balance out with regard to how much downtime there actually was. So it felt very lopsided in that respect. At times I would want to let loose but it wouldn't let me. I wish there was like 10-20% more combat during this section of the game. I didn't really have this issue with the second half.
With regards to the set pieces I feel they were great but it felt like it was missing the big one (set piece spoiler)
I kinda feel like the boat set piece would have been better, or more fun if you were shooting instead of driving the boat or you could have chosen whether to shoot or drive
My favorite encounter was
The elevator encounter with the jeep
The collapsing building in Libertalia
Jack Scofield
Member
The action sequence in Chapter 11 is jaw-dropping. Didn't think Naughty Dog could top the plane sequence from the third game, but they have. Absolutely amazing.
EDIT: Damn, I really wish they made this its item chapter. The encounter select cuts off right in the middle.
EDIT: Damn, I really wish they made this its item chapter. The encounter select cuts off right in the middle.
I wish we had a treasure hunting game where we, the player, decided where to go. You find a clue and the game gives you a couple of options. You need to use your intellect and other clues to narrow down the search.
Gives the opportunity for you and the AI to possibly go to different locations. I guess I was annoyed at the idea that Shoreline was always a couple of steps ahead of me. I know they're blasting everything with dynamite but still didn't buy it.
Gives the opportunity for you and the AI to possibly go to different locations. I guess I was annoyed at the idea that Shoreline was always a couple of steps ahead of me. I know they're blasting everything with dynamite but still didn't buy it.
Ending boss :
With the pirate theme and the parts where they let you choose dialogue, when they pulled out swords I thought for a second they were going to have an insult sword fighting match. Wouldn't have matched the more serious tone of the game, but I wanted it to happen.
Devilinthiscity
Member
Do you still get the trophy for playing through on crushing with the unlimited ammo and slow mo on?
Playing on crushing is no joke.
Playing on crushing is no joke.
8 hours into the game and I can't say I'm enjoying it. The camera and aiming feel off. I tried every settings but I can't find the right one for me.
It isn't the 30fps because I booted my PS3 versions of UC and TLOU to compare and it's just this game.
It's sad because I can see they put a lot of efforts into the game, but something is off.
Not an enjoyable experience. And that probably means I'm not going to enjoy their future games if they chose to design and tweak them like UC4.
It isn't the 30fps because I booted my PS3 versions of UC and TLOU to compare and it's just this game.
It's sad because I can see they put a lot of efforts into the game, but something is off.
Not an enjoyable experience. And that probably means I'm not going to enjoy their future games if they chose to design and tweak them like UC4.
David Incorporated Esq.
Member
I can only barely tolerate the shooting in these games, but damnit ND is just so good at story and "fun" (when it doesn't come to shooting, that is).
And the whole section from the reveal trailer, wish they hadn't spoiled that. Was absolutely amazing, but they should have kept that a surprise.
Me: "Ugh another shooting section."
Probably necessary though to break up the exploration a bit.
Me: "Ugh another shooting section."
Probably necessary though to break up the exploration a bit.
Yes. That's the word and what I'm working on currently. Playing with the Bonus add-ons is a nice way to 'simulate' Newgame+ as well with bullet time, shaders, all weapons etc.
Well yea, it's pretty simplistic, but that's the route you sort of have to go if you want to introduce new mechanics, or something alternative last minute. The other option is to either expect players to grasp something fundamentally different and more complex at the very last minute (a no no in game design), or to simply have yet another gunfight or something akin to that, or have nothing spectacular at all. Personally I think the direction they went was excellent and suited perfectly. I don't see what's so problematic about having an encounter that's stripped down in terms of inputs. It's not like it doesn't require skill. You still have to get your timings and analysis of animations down, and you also still have full player control which you can use to buy yourself time to regen if you do fudge up, not to mention draw closer to the surrounding walls to switch up animations etc. Mechanically it's really no different to countering attacks in say hack and slash or fighting games.
ScaryShark
Banned
Devilinthiscity
Member
Have you played the multiplayer? I felt it controlled better. I just found it easier with the reticle being on screen. Would have been nice being able to turn it on during the single player campaign.
BennyBlanco
aka IMurRIVAL69
I'm at the part after the auction where you're climbing around in Scotland and I'm seriously losing steam. Does it start to pick up soon?
Introducing a new mechanic specifically for a final boss is bad design. Bosses are supposed to be tests of the mechanics you mastered throughout the game to that point and final bosses more so. While the boss worked very well thematically and in terms of the story, it was bad game play precisely because it was a new combat system they teach you at the start of the fight.
That's literally it. It actually doesn't matter all that much that it's not a bad system; it's just not what the game was telling you was important,
even in the forced melee fights against Nadine where they probably could have put in the dodge system
perineumlick
Member
I wonder what's going on here? Some are praising the controls, and others are hating it; I personally think it's the best in the series in the control department. Do we have another UC3 situation brewing?
Just finished it. Best Naughty Dog game, and one of the best games I've ever played. The ending was beyond perfect.
When this was announced, I was disappointed. I didn't want another Uncharted game after TLOU. I wanted a sequel to that, or a new IP. I thought Uncharted 3 was a perfect bookend.
I still built up excitement for this over time and was, of course, hyped to play this regardless.
I was lukewarm on the slow start of this game. But boy did it deliver.
When this was announced, I was disappointed. I didn't want another Uncharted game after TLOU. I wanted a sequel to that, or a new IP. I thought Uncharted 3 was a perfect bookend.
I still built up excitement for this over time and was, of course, hyped to play this regardless.
I was lukewarm on the slow start of this game. But boy did it deliver.
Silent Hill
Banned
So you can use cheats and still get the trophy for crushing?
I'm really curious if they will explain, but methinks they won't post more in this thread.
perineumlick
Member
Except it's not a new mechanic. You've been pressing square or circle all game; what's so hard about it now?
I may be wrong but I think that is just one of the treasures from Uncharted 1 that you can find while playing.
Some of the Jak & Daxter boss fights are my favorites of all time.
Seems you're feeling the same I was at that point. Things pick up with the next chapter and just keep building for the most part.
You must hate the combat in The Witcher 3, then.
The melee combat earlier on in the game functioned differently, did not have a dodge mechanic, you were able to roll around, etc. The boss fight introduced specific dodge left and dodge right mechanics, removed the roll ability, and added timing necessary to complete the various sequences. It is a different system. It's a fine system and once you get the hang of it it's actually kind of fun. But they are teaching you a new system in the final boss chamber and that's not good game design.
Let me restate here that UC4 is my favorite UC game and I absolutely adored basically everything before and after the final boss. But that boss fight was just not good as a boss fight for this specific game because of what I stated above.
I didn't have a problem with it but understand why others did. I loved the concept and dialogue so much though. Maybe they would have been better off just literally making it a QTE which is nearly impossible to fail.
Also if we are doing rankings
TLOU>UC4>UC2>UC1>UC3
I would put Left Behind above Uncharted 4 as well.
There is a lock on aim option if you just want to enjoy the story.
I kind of take issue with calling it a QTE. A QTE is like "button appears on screen, you press button in set time." That's how it has been in God of War, Dragon's Lair, etc. The mechanic here actually is more than just a simple reflex test. It's asking you to identify an animation and then react accordingly. I don't think it really qualifies as a QTE. Would it be considered one if you had to, for example, move your weapon to the appropriate "side" using the right analog stick? Mechanically this doesn't seem to make a meaningful or material difference to me (and this would probably be more frustrating).
Parrying (or countering) in most character action games, for example, is basically the same rule. To pull one of my favorite arrows out of my quiver, Heavenly Sword's countering system is not a bunch of QTEs. I don't think this counts.
Now I don't know if I think this discussion in and of itself is significant. Obviously it can be bad or you can dislike it without it being a QTE. But I think there's a lot more to it than just it being a simple reflex test.
Parrying (or countering) in most character action games, for example, is basically the same rule. To pull one of my favorite arrows out of my quiver, Heavenly Sword's countering system is not a bunch of QTEs. I don't think this counts.
Now I don't know if I think this discussion in and of itself is significant. Obviously it can be bad or you can dislike it without it being a QTE. But I think there's a lot more to it than just it being a simple reflex test.
Eh, I don't think they could win with the specific framework they decided on. If I'm trying to think "how do I make this fight function as a proper final boss for this specific game?" I keep having to scrap the entire concept. You probably have to redo the
Nadine
prison
Even then I don't think they're good as bosses for Uncharted gameplay, but at least then it's not "oh hey here's this new system" in the last fight of the game. I'd prefer a fight that tested your ability to use the traversal mechanics in combat as the boss, but the framing of the fight screwed them on that one in this case.
Oh it is definitely not a QTE. You have (limited) control of movement, can retreat to heal in most situations, and have to figure out what to press yourself outside of the checkpoint animations (those are QTEs, but don't comprise the entire fight).
I think this is actually a pretty good idea if you keep the framework. The
Nadine
Tal Shiar Agent
Member
Just beat it. Amazing.
semiconscious
Member
yep. the game feels very 'assembled', as in, different groups being responsible for different segments, which, when put together, don't always balance each other out quite as seamlessly as they did in the previous games...
Alright, well I finally beat it. Honestly, I'm not sure how this game is getting perfect scores. It is fantastic in some respects (visuals, charecterization, storytelling, animation, environments, etc.) but fails pretty badly in others (lopsided combat, piss poor gameplay pacing, way way too much straightforward traversal that gets old really fast) that holds it back.
I would probably give it an 8 or 9 out of 10, not sure which yet. I'll just spoiler this whole thing because I want to talk openly about it.
Whew, that was long. I apologize. I want to make it clear that I did not hate the game. I actually liked it quite a bit, but I feel like the team went in a direction for the series that just does not "do it" for me. It went for a more grounded approach, and focused on character interaction over spectacle. And while I can appreciate a good character story, I expect from Uncharted equal parts fun story beats and incredible spectacle. This game highlighted the former, but felt lacking in the latter. At least in my mind. It's probably more of a preference thing, but I felt like the "genre" they created in U2 and U3 was somewhat abandoned in U4 (not completely, of course). The incredibly inconsistent pacing really brought the adventure down to an almost boring level at some points, making those really incredible story and spectacle moments feel a little less impactful.
It's a really hard game to criticize, because the things it does well it does, really, really well, but it just doesn't have the same things that I loved about the previous games. It seems like ND is going all-in on the "walk and talk" style of moving around, getting story beats design philosophy, which is highlighted with a few "big moments" throughout the game. The Last of US does this incredibly well, especially considering it's thematic underpinnings and the genre it lives without. I feel, however, it doesn't work nearly as well in Uncharted 4.
I would probably give it an 8 or 9 out of 10, not sure which yet. I'll just spoiler this whole thing because I want to talk openly about it.
First off, the story was great. Really good balance of fun and serious, with interesting characters and globe-trotting plot. The visuals, of course, were incredible. The set-pieces that exist were great.
The bad list is pretty long. First, the combat. Combat in Uncharted's games have never been amazing, but in this game the problems are magnified. The "free form" level design of combat encounters promotes the player in taking big risks and making interesting decisions, however the combat mechanics do not assist in this. The aiming is floaty and imprecise, and Nate's controls leave a lot to be desired: snapping to the wrong wall or jumping to the wrong ledge in the middle of a major combat encounter does not make for a fun encounter. The game almost begs you to "create your own action movie" in each encounter, but the tools it gives you are half-assed. They work really well, but only sometimes. This is only further increased by the fact that enemies take 5-10 bullets before they go down. This choice baffles me, especially considering the amount of enemies the game throws out you by the end. It seems like a parody of Nate being an action hero, it's weird. I would've preferred encounters of similar size where instead of killing everyone, Nate can just go from point A to B to escape the encounter. Instead of this, I'm forced to end the lives of everyone. Again, this wouldn't be a problem if the combat controlled better, but it does not. Uncharted 4's encounters are at there best in the "set-piece" moments when Nate is trying to achieve a goal during the combat encounter: escaping a building that is getting destroyed, making it to a vehicle to escape, catch up with his brother on a motorcycle, etc.
Additionally, many encounters promote stealth at the beginning to avoid straight up killing. This works, to a degree. But the stealth mechanics aren't interesting enough and quickly get repetitive. I was almost always craving something cool to happen and seldom did it. Most of the time I was forcing something cool to happen, only to be greeted with death. Don't try that cool swing attack, player. Play it safe. Survive, and murder these hundreds of guys. Especially this shotgun guy, that takes 20 hits to go down. It felt less like a man trying to survive by GTFO and instead a guy trying to mop up 20 or so bad dudes every time. That bothered me.
The second big gripe I have with the game is the general lack of "oh shit" moments. Thi may seem very cliche and blasphemous, but I play Uncharted in equal parts for the moments of awe and wonder (finding that hidden village in the clifftops or what haave you) and the parts where Nate has to survive some crazy situation using his wits and quick reflexes alone. There were a decent amount of these, but, especially near the end of the game, the developers decided to throw more straight-forward encounters to the player instead of crazy moments. U2 has this really on lock. The player constantly feels like he is behind the enemy, and he or she is trying their darndest to sruvive. Sure, you gotta pop some dudes sometimes, but a lot of the time you are trying to just get away and survive. Run from a chopper, make your way up a speeding train, escape a crumbling building. It seemed like U2 balanced "straight" combat with "setpiece" combat in almost equal measure. And whlie setpiece combat is no where near as interesting mechanically, it works on a different (and more fun) level. Uncharted's "basic" combat has never been fantastic enough to pack completely into a whole game, and I think the developers must have realized this during this game: because there is so many stretches of no combat. Which brings me to the next issue:
Way, way, way too much traversal. Traversal is fun, in practice. But after hours of doing the same thing over and over again, it grows old quickly. U4 does not break this up very well. In the opening 5 or 6 chapters, it's broken up decently well (albeit with story exposition instead of combat), but later on there are entire chapter stretches that have nothing but traversal and some dialogue. I would have quit long earlier if the dialogue wasn't actually interesting. And, to ND's favor, the dialogue is interesting, so there's a sense of passability there.
And my final criticism, which is more of a preference one: the ending was not good. There was a lack of exciting moments. It was more of a trek to Sam, followed by a single poorly executed boss fight (that introduced new mechanics just for the sake of a boss fight! Woo!) and then it's over. I'll give it the benefit that the falling action is good, with the character's loose ends tied up (albiet the whole salvage thing felt forced), and the epilogue was interesting, except for overstaying it's welcome a tad bit. I just felt the climax did not feel earned in relation to the rest of the game. I was waiting for some final, amazing spectacle, but did not get it. Maybe I'm spoiled from other Uncharted games, but the expectation was there nonetheless.
The bad list is pretty long. First, the combat. Combat in Uncharted's games have never been amazing, but in this game the problems are magnified. The "free form" level design of combat encounters promotes the player in taking big risks and making interesting decisions, however the combat mechanics do not assist in this. The aiming is floaty and imprecise, and Nate's controls leave a lot to be desired: snapping to the wrong wall or jumping to the wrong ledge in the middle of a major combat encounter does not make for a fun encounter. The game almost begs you to "create your own action movie" in each encounter, but the tools it gives you are half-assed. They work really well, but only sometimes. This is only further increased by the fact that enemies take 5-10 bullets before they go down. This choice baffles me, especially considering the amount of enemies the game throws out you by the end. It seems like a parody of Nate being an action hero, it's weird. I would've preferred encounters of similar size where instead of killing everyone, Nate can just go from point A to B to escape the encounter. Instead of this, I'm forced to end the lives of everyone. Again, this wouldn't be a problem if the combat controlled better, but it does not. Uncharted 4's encounters are at there best in the "set-piece" moments when Nate is trying to achieve a goal during the combat encounter: escaping a building that is getting destroyed, making it to a vehicle to escape, catch up with his brother on a motorcycle, etc.
Additionally, many encounters promote stealth at the beginning to avoid straight up killing. This works, to a degree. But the stealth mechanics aren't interesting enough and quickly get repetitive. I was almost always craving something cool to happen and seldom did it. Most of the time I was forcing something cool to happen, only to be greeted with death. Don't try that cool swing attack, player. Play it safe. Survive, and murder these hundreds of guys. Especially this shotgun guy, that takes 20 hits to go down. It felt less like a man trying to survive by GTFO and instead a guy trying to mop up 20 or so bad dudes every time. That bothered me.
The second big gripe I have with the game is the general lack of "oh shit" moments. Thi may seem very cliche and blasphemous, but I play Uncharted in equal parts for the moments of awe and wonder (finding that hidden village in the clifftops or what haave you) and the parts where Nate has to survive some crazy situation using his wits and quick reflexes alone. There were a decent amount of these, but, especially near the end of the game, the developers decided to throw more straight-forward encounters to the player instead of crazy moments. U2 has this really on lock. The player constantly feels like he is behind the enemy, and he or she is trying their darndest to sruvive. Sure, you gotta pop some dudes sometimes, but a lot of the time you are trying to just get away and survive. Run from a chopper, make your way up a speeding train, escape a crumbling building. It seemed like U2 balanced "straight" combat with "setpiece" combat in almost equal measure. And whlie setpiece combat is no where near as interesting mechanically, it works on a different (and more fun) level. Uncharted's "basic" combat has never been fantastic enough to pack completely into a whole game, and I think the developers must have realized this during this game: because there is so many stretches of no combat. Which brings me to the next issue:
Way, way, way too much traversal. Traversal is fun, in practice. But after hours of doing the same thing over and over again, it grows old quickly. U4 does not break this up very well. In the opening 5 or 6 chapters, it's broken up decently well (albeit with story exposition instead of combat), but later on there are entire chapter stretches that have nothing but traversal and some dialogue. I would have quit long earlier if the dialogue wasn't actually interesting. And, to ND's favor, the dialogue is interesting, so there's a sense of passability there.
And my final criticism, which is more of a preference one: the ending was not good. There was a lack of exciting moments. It was more of a trek to Sam, followed by a single poorly executed boss fight (that introduced new mechanics just for the sake of a boss fight! Woo!) and then it's over. I'll give it the benefit that the falling action is good, with the character's loose ends tied up (albiet the whole salvage thing felt forced), and the epilogue was interesting, except for overstaying it's welcome a tad bit. I just felt the climax did not feel earned in relation to the rest of the game. I was waiting for some final, amazing spectacle, but did not get it. Maybe I'm spoiled from other Uncharted games, but the expectation was there nonetheless.
Whew, that was long. I apologize. I want to make it clear that I did not hate the game. I actually liked it quite a bit, but I feel like the team went in a direction for the series that just does not "do it" for me. It went for a more grounded approach, and focused on character interaction over spectacle. And while I can appreciate a good character story, I expect from Uncharted equal parts fun story beats and incredible spectacle. This game highlighted the former, but felt lacking in the latter. At least in my mind. It's probably more of a preference thing, but I felt like the "genre" they created in U2 and U3 was somewhat abandoned in U4 (not completely, of course). The incredibly inconsistent pacing really brought the adventure down to an almost boring level at some points, making those really incredible story and spectacle moments feel a little less impactful.
It's a really hard game to criticize, because the things it does well it does, really, really well, but it just doesn't have the same things that I loved about the previous games. It seems like ND is going all-in on the "walk and talk" style of moving around, getting story beats design philosophy, which is highlighted with a few "big moments" throughout the game. The Last of US does this incredibly well, especially considering it's thematic underpinnings and the genre it lives without. I feel, however, it doesn't work nearly as well in Uncharted 4.
Blitzrules240
Banned
I don't know why but Rafe felt like he could have been a villain in Point Break. I think it was the surfer dude hair and the black t shirts...
He also talked like Christian Slater...well in my mind.
He also talked like Christian Slater...well in my mind.
Not sure I really agree with the pacing criticism this game is getting. I liked the way the gameplay favored the story and not the other way around. People might disagree and say everything should serve the gameplay but I was mostly fine with the way Naughty Dog designed it with what seems like a narrative philosophy in mind. Sure there could have been more
mind-blowing set pieces to scratch that itch, but when I think of what the game already has, I don't think it REALLY needs them.
RespectThySole
Member
UC4 feels like ND took a lot of the criticism of 3 to heart and tried to make a TLoU-style Uncharted and it just doesn't work as well in this franchise.
Instead of the annoying combat sections near the end of that game(UC3), we have frustrating bloat with the downtime chapters that ruin the pacing, elongated platforming sections and a series staple, brain dead puzzles.
I'm honestly not even the biggest fan of TLoU, but that game knew when to ramp it up and when to slow it down for the most part. U4 does not. Too much stop and go. It is mostly a thrilling ride the first time through because of the story pushing you along.(except for that torturous 12-16 section and 19) I can see why people love the game and at times I do as well. Epilogue was beautiful. It's sad to know that this is my last time with Nate, Sully and co.
There are obvious flashes of brilliance in a couple chapters(10,11,17,18, ship graveyard, 13
combat arena
I don't replay most games either so the fact that I pretty much immediately wanted to replay UC4 shows there is inherent quality to the game, but my favorite games are the ones that I come back to time and time again(like UC2) and UC4 isn't going to be one of those games for me. Probably going to be done with it until the DLC once I finish these last couple chapters.
Well unless I like the multiplayer, which I admittedly haven't tried yet. I heard that the aiming is less floaty so that will be welcome.
In short:
It is a good game, but it falls short of true greatness and I can't help but feel disappointed by it. Feeling an 8-8.5 on this.
Finished Uncharted 2 as a follow up to UC4.
Yah I dunno, Uncharted 2 is just amazingly paced and I just like the story beats more in 2. It doesn't feel like it's throwing in new characters just to have certain character arcs happen like 4 does (Sam, namely). Will replay UC3 now as well. Then do UC4 afterwards again.
edit: Though as Trig says below me, I agree there's *too* much combat in 2. I really like how much more exploration there is in 4 but I think it is slightly detrimental to itself in the first half of the game.
Yah I dunno, Uncharted 2 is just amazingly paced and I just like the story beats more in 2. It doesn't feel like it's throwing in new characters just to have certain character arcs happen like 4 does (Sam, namely). Will replay UC3 now as well. Then do UC4 afterwards again.
edit: Though as Trig says below me, I agree there's *too* much combat in 2. I really like how much more exploration there is in 4 but I think it is slightly detrimental to itself in the first half of the game.
Trigonometrize.
Member
As much as I love Uncharted 2, that game's main problem is at several points I want a break from the shooting, but Naughty Dog still manages to squeeze not one, not two, but at least that into any given stretch of playing the game. In Uncharted 4, everything feels right. Currently through the first half of the game through chapter 11 and I WANT to see what the next encounter holds for me because they're not shoved down your throat. There's a part in Uncharted 2 where right after the sequence where you're running away from Laz's men with Jeff on your shoulder, and then there's the heavy cutscene where he dies and Chloe gets "captured," you then are on you way to the train setpiece. Even in that small stretch of getting out of the city you have to fight a bunch of goons from the rooftops, and then in the trainyard. It's in those moments of that game that I can't help but feel like it's too much. Uncharted 4 ditches that mindset and makes it about balance.
Kevin Shields
Member
Finished on Moderate 15 hours and 23 minutes.
My initial thoughts on first playthrough
Uncharted 4 is a good game, but Naughty Dog dropped the ball with the endless potential they had. Finishing the game confirmed my fears that UC4 has sections of awful pacing. It's the best graphics, animations, combat, combat arenas, gameplay all around, but it often doesn't let you do the most fun stuff and gives you boring stuff to do instead. Uncharted 2 had such a great mix of combat (ironically this is what could have been toned down the most in UC2), platforming, story development, sight seeing, and set pieces (thinking train, car chase here). The most important part is that it knows when to cool down and when to ramp up to give a perfect gameplay and narrative flow (again maybe not perfect because of too many annoying combat encounters). Uncharted 4 has the best of all those gameplay and narrative elements, but it has a godawful mix. You explore and climb too much when they do not give much of an incentive to explore. He enemies never change, there is no sense of progression and I feel like nothing was pulling me forward toward the end of the game.
I had none of these fears after I finished chapters 8-11 because that was a perfect mix of everything with an amazing set piece to end everything. Chapter 11 is my single favorite set piece/moment in the whole series. But as the rest of the game unfolded, it never recovered a good pacing again and just dragged on. I was shocked
but there was too much falling through a building and then jumping off to a ledge, ledges breaking, stairs crumbling etc. It was not inventive. The actual sights are breathtaking and inventive, but the progression and moments were not inventive at all.
Story was fine. Not close to TLOU but it was nice and I liked how it ended. Not sure why people love the villains. They were fine but I didn't think they were that deep or interesting unless I missed something.
I know I sound negative but I did enjoy my time, I was just let down by the massive potential.
As of right now. UC2>>>UC4=UC3 (this may change in replays of both games)>>>>>>UC1. The Last of Us is best of all.
Quick question: I haven't played 1-3 in a while and was curious about the Nathan Drake Collection. Is it worth rebuking games for this? Are the improvements worth it? If so I'll pick it up tomorrow.
My initial thoughts on first playthrough
Uncharted 4 is a good game, but Naughty Dog dropped the ball with the endless potential they had. Finishing the game confirmed my fears that UC4 has sections of awful pacing. It's the best graphics, animations, combat, combat arenas, gameplay all around, but it often doesn't let you do the most fun stuff and gives you boring stuff to do instead. Uncharted 2 had such a great mix of combat (ironically this is what could have been toned down the most in UC2), platforming, story development, sight seeing, and set pieces (thinking train, car chase here). The most important part is that it knows when to cool down and when to ramp up to give a perfect gameplay and narrative flow (again maybe not perfect because of too many annoying combat encounters). Uncharted 4 has the best of all those gameplay and narrative elements, but it has a godawful mix. You explore and climb too much when they do not give much of an incentive to explore. He enemies never change, there is no sense of progression and I feel like nothing was pulling me forward toward the end of the game.
I had none of these fears after I finished chapters 8-11 because that was a perfect mix of everything with an amazing set piece to end everything. Chapter 11 is my single favorite set piece/moment in the whole series. But as the rest of the game unfolded, it never recovered a good pacing again and just dragged on. I was shocked
that there was no imaginative set piece after 11
Story was fine. Not close to TLOU but it was nice and I liked how it ended. Not sure why people love the villains. They were fine but I didn't think they were that deep or interesting unless I missed something.
I know I sound negative but I did enjoy my time, I was just let down by the massive potential.
As of right now. UC2>>>UC4=UC3 (this may change in replays of both games)>>>>>>UC1. The Last of Us is best of all.
Quick question: I haven't played 1-3 in a while and was curious about the Nathan Drake Collection. Is it worth rebuking games for this? Are the improvements worth it? If so I'll pick it up tomorrow.
OrbitalBeard
Member
1080p/60fps....it's absolutely worth it.
You hit the nail on the head. That's one of the biggest reasons why I loved U4's pacing. Not that I felt completely suffocated by the other games in that approach, but this game made it feel like anything could come next and I knew not to expect just another meaningless firefight after a platforming section.
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