MoonsaultSlayer
Member
Was it featured in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies? I'm forgetting if that's what they called that massive ship graveyard colony of pirates where we meet Papa Sparrow.
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Uncharted 4: A Thief's End |OT| You're gonna miss this ass
- Thread starter BaraSailey
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Lys Skygge
Member
I don't remember. Its been years since I've seen PoTC
The LA Noire tech thing is an evolutionary dead end in the game industry.
UC4 uses the common performance capture with face-cam and points on the actor's faces setup.
(First time for them, though.)
brianmcdoogle
Member
In the "in game" models (that's what I meant)? I swear there was one scene where it looked like they had some sort of video projection on Elena. Not the whole face, but just the eyes and mouth. I just noticed it for one scene, so maybe it was a graphical glitch or something from a shadow where it just looked strange.
Probably a glitch then because they capture a lot of actor's poses and based on X amount of a captured calibration poses they can then have the animator create custom poses for the various actions in the non-cutscene parts.
I don't know what they do with the eyes, but it's probably not in addition to performance capture also the completely different system of LA Noire that has no calibration and can't be manipulated by a traditional animator.
Finished the single player tonight. Good game, good Uncharted. Probably my second favorite behind 2. It's a long, long game but it's because it's paced like a TV show exposition-wise rather than a movie like Uncharted 2-3. I prefer the latter style, but it's well done in 4 for the slower more "realistic" pace that it goes for.
Was kind of bummed
but it made sense since everything was more realistic and it felt like the writing was trying to elevate it beyond silly videogame.
Game was absolutely gorgeous and it's been years since I played a game that I would call a graphical showcase, but this is the definition of one. I have no idea how PS4 specs pushed out some of those scenes like the
The stealth was a nice improvement and honestly I really enjoyed all the stealth/shooting sequences because it was fun stealth taking everyone out or stealth running past an area (although I hate how when you stealth run past an area all the enemies move along with you to the next area if it continues to be a stealth/combat area; that's just dumb).
I still really don't care for the pure gunplay areas. The final couple of gunplay sequences were the kind of frustrating bullshit of dozens of deaths that I didn't like about Uncharted 3 (didn't really have a problem with this stuff in U1 & 2 for whatever reason).
Final boss fight was neat. Different, but fun. Ending was very nice.
I don't think it's GoTY or anything, but it's a good 9/10 game and a nice send off for the franchise. I think one of the only misteps is how it really tries to be The Last of Us but it lacks the emotional connection/investment/payoff that made it work in The Last of Us because that was a bleak serious tale and despite being more realistic and serious in Uncharted 4, it's still a light adventure Uncharted game. Basically just think TLoU style works better for something like TLoU, but it still made for a different and enjoyable Uncharted game.
Was kind of bummed
there was no mystical part
Game was absolutely gorgeous and it's been years since I played a game that I would call a graphical showcase, but this is the definition of one. I have no idea how PS4 specs pushed out some of those scenes like the
long vehicle chase sequence -> motorcycle escape sequence
The stealth was a nice improvement and honestly I really enjoyed all the stealth/shooting sequences because it was fun stealth taking everyone out or stealth running past an area (although I hate how when you stealth run past an area all the enemies move along with you to the next area if it continues to be a stealth/combat area; that's just dumb).
I still really don't care for the pure gunplay areas. The final couple of gunplay sequences were the kind of frustrating bullshit of dozens of deaths that I didn't like about Uncharted 3 (didn't really have a problem with this stuff in U1 & 2 for whatever reason).
Final boss fight was neat. Different, but fun. Ending was very nice.
I don't think it's GoTY or anything, but it's a good 9/10 game and a nice send off for the franchise. I think one of the only misteps is how it really tries to be The Last of Us but it lacks the emotional connection/investment/payoff that made it work in The Last of Us because that was a bleak serious tale and despite being more realistic and serious in Uncharted 4, it's still a light adventure Uncharted game. Basically just think TLoU style works better for something like TLoU, but it still made for a different and enjoyable Uncharted game.
brianmcdoogle
Member
I'll spoiler-tag this since it deals with a character:
When Elena joins Nathan late in the game in the jungle, there are moments where the in-game model appeared to me to have her eyes digitized. Rather than look like they animated here eyes, it looked like they had video projection on where her eyes were, or maybe over her eyes with some animation, and that's what I meant by the LA Noire stuff. It's not the entire face, but her eyes were moving and behaving and looked more compressed than the rest of the face.
Glitch is definiate a possibility since in that area I had some strange lighting issues in that same area where things almost glowed at times that were supposed to be in the shadows. But, that's neither here nor there. It's a great looking game and a technical feat.
Uh you should play Chapter 11.
Pretty sure the end of that chapter will grip you.
texhnolyze
Banned
I honestly think the last boss fight is quite underwhelming.
The ending is perfect for the series though. I hope ND stick with their 'no more Uncharted' stance.
The ending is perfect for the series though. I hope ND stick with their 'no more Uncharted' stance.
Reference to an Uncharted 2 line concerning Chloe's ass I think. Honestly not a very fitting title, ass she's not in Uncharted 4.
triplestation
Member
Great post. We are on the exact same page.
The only thing U4 has on U2 is graphics. This is why I proposed the idea of rereleasing U2 with redone graphics updated for PS4. Leaving everything else alone.
I'd pay $100
Trigonometrize.
Member
I don't know. I feel like the people saying it's too serious came into this game assuming it was going to be very serious and their confirmation bias continues having them believe this despite playing it. The game has plenty of pulp and wit, but with an added layer to the characters that helps to wrap the series up in a meaningful way. I just don't buy that this game is that much of a deviation from past Uncharteds in terms of tone. There's literally a diegetic scene Where Nathan Drake plays
Crash mother fucking Bandicoot
triplestation
Member
I wouldn't say plenty of pulp and wit, more like just enough pulp and wit to remind you its an uncharted game. The tone of this game is a consistent gray with desperate instances of color. Its really well done and they know how to play with your heartstrings. But that's miles and miles away from what uncharted should be.
Trigonometrize.
Member
The premise alone that Drake and company are fighting off hundreds of armed men and living without a scratch most of the time ishe enough pulp for about a dozen glasses of orange juice. In fact, my kill count for 4 was more than 1 and 3. Couple that with
the multiple prison breaks, the Madagascar chase, the clock tower crumbling, the jeep on an elevator, the sword fight inside a 400 year old pirate boat, the exploding mummies, etc.
At the same time, there are people here annoyed that it didn't go dark enough and think Nate should be punished for all the terrible things he's done, and really examine the traumatic effects of his adventure. Just shows you can't please everyone.
On a side note, I think I have just read someone say the franchise music is hamstrung by a terrible theme, Nate's theme is terrible?!
The level design and the open approach to stealth and encounter is really appreciated and is the best in the series.
But many of the long trecks in between where both the gameplay & the story come to a complete halt were weird in this game.Some sections are just kinda dead.Its not even because there's too much story or cutscenes. Seriously,they just wanted you to gawk at the environments and graphics in these sections which is fine only on a first playthrough.
The villains ended being
unfortunately.
But many of the long trecks in between where both the gameplay & the story come to a complete halt were weird in this game.Some sections are just kinda dead.Its not even because there's too much story or cutscenes. Seriously,they just wanted you to gawk at the environments and graphics in these sections which is fine only on a first playthrough.
The villains ended being
underdeveloped
Lakershead22
Member
Finally beat the game and absolutely loved every minute of it. It's my favorite game this gen so far.
You will be surprised how quickly you blast through these sections on replays, i'm on my 2nd play through and the whole thing flows better because i'm not standing around looking at stuff, and not exploring everywhere. I'm just going from A to B on a crushing run. At least for me it feels pacier anyway.
I will probably receive hate for my post, but this is the Uncharted I liked less (well, after Golden Abyss).
I loved 1 and 2, I liked 3 a lot too but not loved it because there were a lot of plot holes and doubtful things in the plot. Still, it was a very good game to play and have fun with.
With Uncharted 4 I can't say that much. The game to me seems like an awesome exercise by Naughty Dog. I explain myself better. Graphics are stunning, maybe the best graphics you can actually find on console. The gameplay was pretty much the same of other Uncharted: climbing sections, some puzzles, fight sections.
But I found the story being really useless: basically
Also for me there are way too many dead moments in the game, some sections are too long without a reason (the one in Malesia with the jeep), as someone wrote here, a lot of segments were done with the "look how beautiful is" purpose.
In the end, a good game for me, but nothing more.
I loved 1 and 2, I liked 3 a lot too but not loved it because there were a lot of plot holes and doubtful things in the plot. Still, it was a very good game to play and have fun with.
With Uncharted 4 I can't say that much. The game to me seems like an awesome exercise by Naughty Dog. I explain myself better. Graphics are stunning, maybe the best graphics you can actually find on console. The gameplay was pretty much the same of other Uncharted: climbing sections, some puzzles, fight sections.
But I found the story being really useless: basically
from the beginning of the game to the end, nothing really changes. We have Nate who quit the "treasure hunting" job, a brother supposed to be dead, but he wasn't, the two find themself again, another treasure hunt which lead to nothing in the end, an awful bad dude with, in my opinion, an useless final fight, Nadine, a good character not used properly...and in the end, when you see Nate's and Elena's daughter, it wasn't a suprise in my opinion. We have the same situation of the beginning in the end, nothing changed because Nathan quitted his "job" already when we start the game. The title is too linear, no cliffhanger, nothing.
Also for me there are way too many dead moments in the game, some sections are too long without a reason (the one in Malesia with the jeep), as someone wrote here, a lot of segments were done with the "look how beautiful is" purpose.
In the end, a good game for me, but nothing more.
triplestation
Member
There's no problem with gunplay and all these other great things. Its the setup and motivation for the adventure that bothers me. In U1/U2 the point was to go and chase after the adventure and get caught up in trouble. It was lively. U4 is the antithesis of that. Its a guilty journey which ruins the spirit that makes uncharted, uncharted.
I'd have wanted the last entry to be the wildest one. No guilt. The one with the most energy. One that goes out with a bang. But it felt like more of a decay.
FarFromAnyGame
Banned
Trigonometrize.
Member
I get what you're saying, and I understand why you have that opinion. However, to play devil's advocate, all of the characters are still invested in the treasure hunt to some degree. Nate is doing it for the good of his brother, but at the end of Madagascar you can tell that he's having fun with it. When Elena catches him red handed, it gets grounded again and Nate goes back to being concerned about Sam and his relationship with Elena. But then towards the end,
Elena is back in it and I believe there are multiple implicit or explicit moments (I can't remember specifics) where Elena is enjoying it in spite of everything. When Drake is acting out the scene at the dinner table you feel that him and Elena are enjoying the ride.
Noisepurge
Member
why does everyone keep saying this? I've found it to be just as hard as the previous 3 games. Nothing too demanding, you only really gotta worry about the shotgunners.
And the new stealth mechanics make it very viable to dispatch the majority of the enemies in many of the arenas before engaging in gunfighting.
Razgriz-Specter
Member
Pirates group from Black Flag is nearly completely different,
Anne Bonny
Blackbeard
Hornagold
Mary Read
etc
But the other stuff I mention really make it feel like it could lead to Uncharted's backstory.
Nassau is fading as a haven for pirates over the course of that story and they are looking to create something new.
multiple times they mention pirates being run out of Madagascar proper.
Net_Wrecker
Member
I didn't think the game was going to be what it is at all, so no confirmation bias here. And sure when you're looking at the experience as purely a collection of scenarios it reads as pulpy, but it just feels like there's a veil on top of the whole thing that's holding it back from displaying the same verve other titles in the series had. You can say that's thematically relevant, particularly at the start and towards the end, but I simply don't care for it in this series. I liked how UC2 comes off as a brash and reckless adventure story filled with snappy characters who are in love with what they're doing even when it gets crazy.
And if you read my followup post, the
Crash Bandicoot scene
To be fair, the origin of all this was with Uncharted 3, it's just that UC4 takes that torch and sprints with it.
Trigonometrize.
Member
It's not about the difficulty per se. It's about having fun with the new mechanics. You can play hard straight like the other games in that you're making sure to take cover and pick off enemies as you peek out, but you're going to be doing a lot less swinging and vertical takedowns than you may want to.
Let me jog your memory on a scene from Uncharted 2 (until about 2:30 is good): https://youtu.be/LcF2XP0wlG0?t=88
Drake does not come off as someone who is "in love with what they're doing even when it gets crazy." Even in 2, probably the simplest and puply of all 3 earlier games, he has moments where he's more than just a treasure hunter fanatic. It's only until after he goes to the ice caves with Tenzin that he realizes he needs to continue to get to Shambala because there are bigger things at stake than stroking his adventurer ego. Those things are definitely expanded on in 4, and if you dislike that expansion that's fine, but it's not a huge leap earlier games in the series IMO.
As for you-know-who, I don't think he really feeds into the "this really is the end" stuff as you call it as much as you say. He's a silly thing that could've been shoved into any Naughty Dog game that isn't as serious as The Last of Us. It's not like Naughty Dog is ending, just Uncharted. The fact that he's in Uncharted 4 is merely because he fit well with the scene and they wanted to do something cool IMO.
SprachBrooks
Member
11 chapters in and the pacing in this game is horrendous. There are way too many fored-walking segments, too many merely walking around and exploring the area and the combat I've found to be pretty disappointing thus far.
I can't help but feel really disappointed in this game -- the first 11 have really soured me and the open-world segment in chapter 10 I've felt to be really disappointing -- just open terrain to drive through really. Fuck, it pains me to say it but so far, this is the worst Uncharted of them for me; two being the best one.
I can't help but feel really disappointed in this game -- the first 11 have really soured me and the open-world segment in chapter 10 I've felt to be really disappointing -- just open terrain to drive through really. Fuck, it pains me to say it but so far, this is the worst Uncharted of them for me; two being the best one.
LukasF
Member
IMO it's definitely harder than Hard-mode on U2, U3, and Last of Us. Not quite as bad as Crushing on U2 (only game I ever beat on Crushing), but still it can get really demoralizing towards the end. I don't even wanna think about how bad
No Escape
I'm in the same boat as another poster earlier in this thread, ie., I always play NDI games on Hard the first time - they seem to tune their games such that the only way to be forced into learning all the mechanics is Hard and above. U4 might finally be an exception to that rule, which just earns it bonus points from me really
Net_Wrecker
Member
Ehhhh, that's a scene in the final 3rd of the game where Nate's taken a hell of a beating after the best stretch in the series. It's only natural that they wrote him as defeated and "over it" to reinforce the whole everyman "not a hero" thing he has going on. And naturally, as an action-adventure title, it's going to have those down beats to compliment the thrills. But as you say, it's the EXPANSION of that vibe that I'm not a fan of. triplestation called UC4 a "guilty journey" and while I'm not willing to go that far, it does feel a bit tainted, and overly subdued.
I disagree. It fits perfectly within that chapter and all the lingering addiction and nostalgia displayed in it. Plus there are
mechanic and visual callbacks to it in Chapter 20 with the truck chase (which is also a callback to UC2's truck chase, which was also a callback to the "run at the screen" Crash sequences. Naughty Dogception.)
funkystudent
Member
Random thoughts.
Morgan was the name of Jason Rubin's dog which became the semi-official studio dog for most of his time at the studio and she appeared in a bunch of "behind the scenes" videos from the Crash and Jak days.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Egnc7Qhjcro
I wonder if thats why they picked that name.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Egnc7Qhjcro
I wonder if thats why they picked that name.
Trigonometrize.
Member
I guess ultimately you think Uncharted 4 took the torch and sprints with it, while I think they took it and only went for a brisk jog. When you described it as a "veil" over top of the whole game, I agree in that it is in fact just a veil; the Uncharted we love is still underneath.
I'm starting to sound like a failed video game blogger.
clutch.as.it.gets.
Member
Played now to chapter 13 and i have to say they really fucked up the soundtrack! Is there even one lol seriously?! The game has mostly no music going! A good soundtrack adds so much to an game or movie... but UC4 is super weak in this regard! What happend here?!
Net_Wrecker
Member
Keep in mind we've only been talking directly about the narrative tone, but combined with the slower gameplay pace and longer stretches of ambiance, it comes together to make something I think is undeniably less upbeat and explosive. There are moments all throughout, don't get me wrong, but as a whole it doesn't have that same crescendo or charm.
Trigonometrize.
Member
I disagree.
Nadine's the first villain to throw her hands in the air and say "y'all are crazy. I don't care about this bullshit and I'm out. Peace." In the beginning she was confident in her partnership with Rafe and was happy to be along for the ride. At the end, she literally just leaves without any hopes for revenge or treasure. She is thusly the only villain across all of the games to live.
RespectThySole
Member
Completely agree with these posts. That's why it doesn't work for me especially since I didn't care about Sam. I never felt any real payoff for them sacrificing gameplay for story because the major points of the story were pretty expected.(and it wasn't even just that really since sometimes it felt like they had us slow walking and platforming just so that we can look at the pretty scenery rather than to provide any meaningful character development)
(
the brother's betrayal, Elena and Nate getting back together again, Rafe's arc, the perfect ending
just an expanded version of 3 rather than any new territory. (Nate loves adventuring, Elena is tired of him risking his life so they break up, they get back together.)
Obviously there is some nuance to this and we do see Nate & Elena
realize that they actually don't want to completely take the adventure out of their lives,
Don't me get me wrong, I can see why some enjoy the more "grounded" story, but I feel it was executed better in TLoU than it was here.
Trigonometrize.
Member
It's funny, because despite my defense of what Uncharted 4 tried to do, I like 2 much more and would take a game more similar to that one any day of the week like you guys... just minus the gratuity of Uncharted 3.
She locks them together in a room full of fire and explosives to kill each other. Neither getting any treasure. Seems like she cared about revenge to me, she really hated being slapped! She also seems to have lost all of her men.
People are probably not satisfied at her lack of presence in the middle of the game, not her final actions.
People are probably not satisfied at her lack of presence in the middle of the game, not her final actions.
Trigonometrize.
Member
I got the sense that she locked them in the room because she didn't want to deal with them anymore, from Rafe getting psychotic and Sam and Nate getting in his way. She didn't do it out of revenge because she had no real beef with them in the first place. She just doesn't want anymore guns pointed at her head. At least that's how I saw it. Maybe I need to play again.
All of this makes sense, but I still think that ND has DLC planned to wrap this up more neatly.
She is the only one that got away with a shit ton of gold... She was the most successful in terms of her mission compared to the others.
Trigonometrize.
Member
yeah man, she loads a boat full of gold before locking up Rafe and Sam/Nate .
Please spoiler tag my shit on my quote, cause i kinda fucked up there!
Yeah, the scene on the dock right before. Lots of it.
Trigonometrize.
Member
I guess I missed the gold part. That sours me a bit on my positive interpretation.
I guess it just follows the trend of me thinking Uncharted 4 improved on something from the other three games yet it still gets more shit from people than I've heard for the first three. Well, I guess people don't really like Lazaravich...
I guess it just follows the trend of me thinking Uncharted 4 improved on something from the other three games yet it still gets more shit from people than I've heard for the first three. Well, I guess people don't really like Lazaravich...
She -imo- had a full arc. A complete full arc. She is not the kind of brainless idiot villain who is going to risk losing when she is ahead.
She gets revenge on Rafe for trying to fuck her up, and leaves with her pockets full of gold. I'd call that mission accomplished on her part. Story wise her decisions and actions make perfect sense and I am glad ND did not let gameplay reasons ruin this great character. She was original.
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