Wasn't sure where to ask this but does anyone know what the cheapest the Uncharted collection on PS4 has been on PSN? It's $40 and I want to pick it up and play through 1-3 before I get 4 at some point. Just wondering if I should jump in at $40 or wait for a sale.
Are the 5Gb of the (day one?) patch necessary? The PS4 is saying that it will take 12 hours to download despite the 7MB/s speed shown by the internal tool ..........Fuuuuuuuuuuuuu
Are the 5Gb of the (day one?) patch necessary? The PS4 is saying that it will take 12 hours to download despite the 7MB/s speed shown by the internal tool ..........Fuuuuuuuuuuuuu
I don't recall a single chapter that had no story. Sure their are chapters where the story isn't spoon fed, but I feel a lot of chapters were meant to develop characters. I felt like I was constantly learning something new about either Sam, Elena, or even Nathan himself. Not to mention the treasure hunt itself was present in every chapter.
The villains could've used a lot more screen time.
Both of them were very cool ,but they sure as hell got the shaft in terms of development,especially considering the length of the game.The game didn't make efficient use of its massive length.
There are a few decent moments of environmental storytelling, but there's also loads of traversal segments where nothing interesting is being shown to the player.
Even the rare stretches of gameplay where you're just traversing a setting and not conversing with another character, finding journal entries or notes, being told a more obvious environmental story, etc. it is still being used to convey tone and emotion that is critical to the story.
An obvious example would be
the jeep ride between Elena and Nate where everything is silent except the score
. Less obvious example would be in chapter 13 when
you are wandering around alone. The environment and solitude both emphasize Drake's isolation and comes at point where he has driven everyone else away and comes to realize that this is all he has left as Evelyn later emphasizes
. Or chapter 12
the freedom and and openness of the beautiful adventurous locale is a direct contrast to Drake's mood, and it uses that tension and breathing room to directly build that disconnect and the dynamic between the two brothers as they wrestle with the enjoyment for adventure and the lies that they've told to get to this point
. Sometimes breathing room is critical to a story, just like in Shadow of the Colossus the empty rides between Colossi tell just as much as any cutscene, or the "dead" time arthouse movies frequently employ.
Not to mention I think a good part of what makes this game feel like a real adventure are the times when you're connecting with the environment and the scale and beauty of it all, journeying to something off in the distance. It makes the journey feel more tangible, which in turn reinforces the emotional beats and more direct narrative techniques within them.
Has anyone gone back through the game to collect all the treasures?
I thought I'd tie it in with a Crushing run, and I noticed that I am having to pick up treasure that I collected on my first play through. When choosing 'New Game', it asked me if I wanted Collectibles and Stats to carry over. I said yes. In the menu they are all registered, but in the game they are still there to pick up. Is that right? I can't remember what it was like in Uncharted 1-3 and TLoU, maybe it was the same!
The villains could've used a lot more screen time.
Both of them were very cool ,but they sure as hell got the shaft in terms of development,especially considering the length of the game.The game didn't make efficient use of its massive length.
Even the rare stretches of gameplay where you're just traversing a setting and not conversing with another character, finding journal entries or notes, being told a more obvious environmental story, etc. it is still being used to convey tone and emotion that is critical to the story.
An obvious example would be
the jeep ride between Elena and Nate where everything is silent except the score
. Less obvious example would be in chapter 13 when
you are wandering around alone. The environment and solitude both emphasize Drake's isolation and comes at point where he has driven everyone else away and comes to realize that this is all he has left as Evelyn later emphasizes
. Or chapter 12
the freedom and and openness of the beautiful adventurous locale is a direct contrast to Drake's mood, and it uses that tension and breathing room to directly build that disconnect and the dynamic between the two brothers as they wrestle with the enjoyment for adventure and the lies that they've told to get to this point
. Sometimes breathing room is critical to a story, just like in Shadow of the Colossus the empty rides between Colossi tell just as much as any cutscene, or the "dead" time arthouse movies frequently employ.
Not to mention I think a good part of what makes this game feel like a real adventure are the times when you're connecting with the environment and the scale and beauty of it all, journeying to something off in the distance. It makes the journey feel more tangible, which in turn reinforces the emotional beats and more direct narrative techniques within them.
Well said. What you get out of this game is going to come down to how much you like the story. Personally, I'm not a huge fan of it. It's well written, but it's not a story that I wanted from Uncharted nor do I think it's particularly memorable like a SoTC is.
You're absolutely right that the scenery is often used to convey a mood in UC4, but given my stance on the story it just feels like a waste of my time rather than anything significant. I'm not against downtime, but this game just feels meandering, padded and unfulfilling in comparison to UC2.
The serious tone mostly sucked out a lot of what I liked about Uncharted in the first place.(the humor, balls to the wall action, the outrageousness of the setpieces) I'm not a big fan of Sam so I dont care too much for their conversations. The only story thread that I was really into was the thing with Elena and we all knew how that would turn out so the game's design just doesn't connect with me. I enjoyed the journey mostly because I was wrapped up in how Drake's final chapter would conclude, but by the end I was like "that's it?" and it's not a game I find fun to replay so that's a whole 'nother issue.
For me, it wasn't excellent at being an adventure or an action game so it just feels half-assed and the traversal segments feel like overlong connective padding for the game to continue it's 0-100mph limbo between slow character moments and huge combat arenas rather than conveying a tone. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying it never hooked me with any of it's character driven moments or the scenery, but I think they were too few and far between to justify the game's length and pacing. The
jeep was one of them as you mentioned. The banquet was another major one.
Alright, I think I'm done trying to excavate whatever gold I can from this campaign. The pacing is just too much. Even the chapters I like can get so dull. The more I dig, the more disappointed I am with the traversal and puzzles. There's really nothing interesting happening in those areas, not even on the level of superficially interesting climbing/puzzle sections like the temples and ice caves in UC2, yet traversal makes up a much, much lager part of the game this time. This is just way too toned down and slow for me. Even when you hit the action scenes they're so short lived that it's not even worth the trek. I've resorted to restarting encounters like 2-3 times just to feel satisfied with them. Smh, this is pointless. I've given better games less of a chance to win me over.
Shame you guys didn't like the game that much. I can definitely empathize with some of the complaints about the pacing and how thinly spread the action is, and the first time I around I was pretty disappointed by it, but playing it again made me appreciate the whole exprience a lot more. I don't need the platforming, exploration or puzzles to provide a challenge from them to be enjoyable, but I can see that being a barrier for people who expect those things to have fail states or to be about challenging you. The whole thing just really works for me as an interactive, cinematic, adventure with some absolutely bonkers good combat thrown in.
Alright, I think I'm done trying to excavate whatever gold I can from this campaign. The pacing is just too much. Even the chapters I like can get so dull. The more I dig, the more disappointed I am with the traversal and puzzles. There's really nothing interesting happening in those areas, not even on the level of superficially interesting climbing/puzzle sections like the temples and ice caves in UC2, yet traversal makes up a much, much lager part of the game this time. This is just way too toned down and slow for me. Even when you hit the action scenes they're so short lived that it's not even worth the trek. I've resorted to restarting encounters like 2-3 times just to feel satisfied with them. Smh, this is pointless. I've given better games less of a chance to win me over.
Halfway through my replay. Chapter 10 is really cool as far as exploration and traversal goes. Driving in the truck doesn't feel like a waste of time since there's a lot more freedom of movement as opposed to mashing X to get form one handhold to another — even upon replay, just doing things like driving over rocks near cliffs and using the winch has the level of control and agency necessary to be somewhat engaging. And none of those individual parts lasts too long.
There are locations where you have to use a modicum of creativity to enter (e.g. parking the jeep next to a structure to climb it), places where you have to detonate explosives to open a path, climbing down a well then using the winch, etc.
... But they've got so little reward for it. It just seems like it's in the wrong game. Just when I'm thinking "yeah, this is pretty cool!" I get to the end of the side area and it's just a random-ass treasure with no description or lore attached. I found a flintlock pistol in one of those areas. Yay.
Why there were no actual incentives to go through those optional outposts is strange. IT just feels so insubstantial — UC2 has shallower gameplay, but it never punches above its weight like this game does. I'm all for pushing the boundaries of a series' design, but 4 just stumbles in that regard, pushing its weaker elements to the forefront, and worst of all, it's presented as entirely deliberate, as if all of that stuff is adequate and fun here.
Even the rare stretches of gameplay where you're just traversing a setting and not conversing with another character, finding journal entries or notes, being told a more obvious environmental story, etc. it is still being used to convey tone and emotion that is critical to the story.
An obvious example would be
the jeep ride between Elena and Nate where everything is silent except the score
. Less obvious example would be in chapter 13 when
you are wandering around alone. The environment and solitude both emphasize Drake's isolation and comes at point where he has driven everyone else away and comes to realize that this is all he has left as Evelyn later emphasizes
. Or chapter 12
the freedom and and openness of the beautiful adventurous locale is a direct contrast to Drake's mood, and it uses that tension and breathing room to directly build that disconnect and the dynamic between the two brothers as they wrestle with the enjoyment for adventure and the lies that they've told to get to this point
. Sometimes breathing room is critical to a story, just like in Shadow of the Colossus the empty rides between Colossi tell just as much as any cutscene, or the "dead" time arthouse movies frequently employ.
Not to mention I think a good part of what makes this game feel like a real adventure are the times when you're connecting with the environment and the scale and beauty of it all, journeying to something off in the distance. It makes the journey feel more tangible, which in turn reinforces the emotional beats and more direct narrative techniques within them.
Shame you guys didn't like the game that much. I can definitely empathize with some of the complaints about the pacing and how thinly spread the action is, and the first time I around I was pretty disappointed by it, but playing it again made me appreciate the whole exprience a lot more. I don't need the platforming, exploration or puzzles to provide a challenge from them to be enjoyable, but I can see that being a barrier for people who expect those things to have fail states or to be about challenging you. The whole thing just really works for me as an interactive, cinematic, adventure with some absolutely bonkers good combat thrown in.
For me it's not even about the challenge, its just the platforming and puzzles don't have much to them- in challenge, variety, or mechanics. Really once you've pushed a box in Uncharted 4, you've pushed them all, there's no layering of additional elements, nothing to shake it up going forward and you're left wondering why it was included at all. The platforming is dead simple, and the piton is barely used until the end. The entire clocktower sequence is perhaps the best the game gets in this regard, with an interesting setting (not just climbing rock faces), timing elements to consider with the moving gears and counterweights, the reward of a gorgeous view at the top and an exciting set piece on the way down. And I'll suggest that puzzles really do need an element of challenge to be satisfying. Too often in Uncharted going through the motions takes far longer than actually solving the puzzle, as in you've solved it within seconds of looking at it and the rest of the time is waiting for animations to finish, whether it's Drake spinning some wheel or flipping back and forth between the puzzle and the journal.
Alright, I think I'm done trying to excavate whatever gold I can from this campaign. The pacing is just too much. Even the chapters I like can get so dull. The more I dig, the more disappointed I am with the traversal and puzzles. There's really nothing interesting happening in those areas, not even on the level of superficially interesting climbing/puzzle sections like the temples and ice caves in UC2, yet traversal makes up a much, much lager part of the game this time. This is just way too toned down and slow for me. Even when you hit the action scenes they're so short lived that it's not even worth the trek. I've resorted to restarting encounters like 2-3 times just to feel satisfied with them. Smh, this is pointless. I've given better games less of a chance to win me over.
Uncharted 4 is the equivalent of a summer blockbuster. Pretty to look at and entertaining, but not much else. I am glad that Naughty Dog is done with this series as at times it felt like they were bored making it.
For me it's not even about the challenge, its just the platforming and puzzles don't have much to them- in challenge, variety, or mechanics. Really once you've pushed a box in Uncharted 4, you've pushed them all, there's no layering of additional elements, nothing to shake it up going forward and you're left wondering why it was included at all. The platforming is dead simple, and the piton is barely used until the end. The entire clocktower sequence is perhaps the best the game gets in this regard, with an interesting setting (not just climbing rock faces), timing elements to consider with the moving gears and counterweights, the reward of a gorgeous view at the top and an exciting set piece on the way down. And I'll suggest that puzzles really do need an element of challenge to be satisfying. Too often in Uncharted going through the motions takes far longer than actually solving the puzzle, as in you've solved it within seconds of looking at it and the rest of the time is waiting for animations to finish, whether it's Drake spinning some wheel or flipping back and forth between the puzzle and the journal.
For me they're satisfyingly tactile (the feel of landing a jump, sliding, or catching a rope swing just feels
good
thanks to the animation and feedback, and both the traversal and puzzles are constructed in a way that isn't challenging, but you do have to think about it. Like one of the dreaded box on wheels you have to attach your rope to, use it as a counter weight to get up to it, push it to a farther point, then reattach your rope so you can swing to a previously inaccessible ledge. Is it hard? No, definitely not. But it provides a level of engagement that I find is good for giving the illusion of being on an adventure, but not tricky enough to break the flow of the narrative. And I think that's the design philosophy for Uncharted as a whole, the illusion of being on a grand adventure that's also tightly cinematic and paced, puzzles included. I saw plenty of posts in this thread early on about people getting stuck on some puzzles, so if they made the puzzles more difficult I'm sure plenty of people would complain about the pace breaking. I would have liked more puzzles that didn't rely on waiting for cranks to turn though because those can drag on replays. But I quite liked most of the puzzles tbh. They aren't The Witness, but they made me feel like I was in an Indiana Jones movie.
I agree the game could have definitely used more of the "challenging" platforming stuff like in the clock tower or chapter 21, and made more use of the piton, but as it stands I think traversal was a satisfying method of conveying the fast paced adventure through simplicity and ease of use, but with just enough engagement that at least I never really felt bored by it because of a combination of simple environmental puzzles and pathfindinf and the satisfying controls and animations.
Uncharted 4 is the equivalent of a summer blockbuster. Pretty to look at and entertaining, but not much else. I am glad that Naughty Dog is done with this series as at times it felt like they were bored making it.
Alright, I think I'm done trying to excavate whatever gold I can from this campaign. The pacing is just too much. Even the chapters I like can get so dull. The more I dig, the more disappointed I am with the traversal and puzzles. There's really nothing interesting happening in those areas, not even on the level of superficially interesting climbing/puzzle sections like the temples and ice caves in UC2, yet traversal makes up a much, much lager part of the game this time. This is just way too toned down and slow for me. Even when you hit the action scenes they're so short lived that it's not even worth the trek. I've resorted to restarting encounters like 2-3 times just to feel satisfied with them. Smh, this is pointless. I've given better games less of a chance to win me over.
Has anyone gone back through the game to collect all the treasures?
I thought I'd tie it in with a Crushing run, and I noticed that I am having to pick up treasure that I collected on my first play through. When choosing 'New Game', it asked me if I wanted Collectibles and Stats to carry over. I said yes. In the menu they are all registered, but in the game they are still there to pick up. Is that right? I can't remember what it was like in Uncharted 1-3 and TLoU, maybe it was the same!
I'm really enjoying my crushing playthrough. I'm interested how I'll do in the late chapters, but so far I'm having an easier time than my hard playthrough. I feel that I'm not only doing better at stealth, but when shit hits the fan I've been pulling off a lot more badass moves than even during my moderate playthrough.
Yeah, like Spring-Loaded said, I finished the game already. Since then I've been bouncing around Chapter Select trying to get a better feel for different chapters, but yesterday I actually sat down and started a proper 2nd playthrough, but I can't finish this game again. I've been reading a few people say that it improves the 2nd time because your expectations are gone, but it's only getting worse for me. There's no stretch of prolonged excitement I can look forward to that gets me through the downtime, or makes the downtime necessary. The game isn't propulsive at all, which is something I value a ton, and something Uncharted could claim to be before UC4. The "action" is fleeting, the 'adventure" (traversal, puzzles) long winded, really simple mechanically, and uninteresting visually. So what's left? The narrative? Sure the story is solid, and the game paces itself according to what makes sense for that story, but I don't replay games to re-experience the story alone. The experience, for me, frequently feels plodding and dry, which is completely insane for a game that feels, looks, and sounds this good. It's not that I don't understand (or even respect) what the game is trying to do, I simply don't like how it's put together.
While I'm only so-so on the game itself (so far — still on Ch. 19), I can't get enough of its environmental art. I mean, most of these areas would be fairly simple if stripped of their texture and scenic detail — the main street of
Libertalia
is a handful of buildings on either side, for example — but each area feels so dense because there's so much unique detail throughout. It's kind of overwhelming. I barely take any screenshots, because I'd be constantly stopping and going if I felt compelled to capture each amazing sight.
I'm not so shallow that that sort of thing can cover up a weak game, and UC4 definitely has its weak elements. But just looking at the art by itself, it's simply on another level.
Yeah, like Spring-Loaded said, I finished the game already. Since then I've been bouncing around Chapter Select trying to get a better feel for different chapters, but yesterday I actually sat down and started a proper 2nd playthrough, but I can't finish this game again. I've been reading a few people say that it improves the 2nd time because your expectations are gone, but it's only getting worse for me. There's no stretch of prolonged excitement I can look forward to that gets me through the downtime, or makes the downtime necessary. The game isn't propulsive at all, which is something I value a ton, and something Uncharted could claim to be before UC4. The "action" is fleeting, the 'adventure" (traversal, puzzles) long winded, really simple mechanically, and uninteresting visually. So what's left? The narrative? Sure the story is solid, and the game paces itself according to what makes sense for that story, but I don't replay games to re-experience the story alone. The experience, for me, frequently feels plodding and dry, which is completely insane for a game that feels, looks, and sounds this good. It's not that I don't understand (or even respect) what the game is trying to do, I simply don't like how it's put together.
Give it some time and try to forget about the game...but in the back of your mind you'll know eventually you won't be able resist that lure to adventure
FINALLY finished this (boy I took my time) and god damn. Just god damn. I don't think I'll ever love a series and characters as much as I love Uncharted - perfect finale to the series. Wouldn't change a thing.
Is there any evidence that Nate and Sam are actual descendants of Drake? Or did they just take his name because they were history buffs and looked up to him? I know their mother found evidence that Francis Drake had children, but was there anything to actually tie them to him?
I might have missed it if there was an answer in the game.
I finished it some time ago and while it's a great game, I do wish there were more big action set pieces. I can't really see myself playing this again because the action is far in between.
Is there any evidence that Nate and Sam are actual descendants of Drake? Or did they just take his name because they were history buffs and looked up to him? I know their mother found evidence that Francis Drake had children, but was there anything to actually tie them to him?
I might have missed it if there was an answer in the game.
They aren't, they took the name both as a momento for their dead mother and her work, and also so they weren't associated with the death of the old woman.
They aren't, they took the name both as a momento for their dead mother and her work, and also so they weren't associated with the death of the old woman.
i figured as much. The only thing I don't like about it is how it kind of retconned Uncharted 1. In that game, Nate seemed to legitimately believe he was a descendent of Sir Francis Drake.
Also makes it a huge coincidence that he ended up in Sir Francis' orphanage, too, haha. I think Uncharted 3 was hinting that Nate got the name from the orphanage. Uncharted 4 kind of changes that again.
EDIT: Wait, I think I'm mixing up things about Uncharted 3. The orphanage wasn't for Drake, that was the museum he went to in the beginning of that game. I'm wrong!
I finished the game yesterday, it's a great game. I agree that there were some pacing issues; I would've liked a bit more combat and a bit less climbing, but it's a pretty small nitpick. The polish of this game is amazing and the new mechanics really add a lot to the series while still feeling like Uncharted.
I actually thought UC3 was a good ending to the series, and was skeptical about Drake going on one last adventure. But the story really sold it and it's an even better end to the series.
Is there any evidence that Nate and Sam are actual descendants of Drake? Or did they just take his name because they were history buffs and looked up to him? I know their mother found evidence that Francis Drake had children, but was there anything to actually tie them to him?
I might have missed it if there was an answer in the game.
UC3 thinking that Nate was definitely not a descendant of Drake, wasn't it addressed there? I seem to recall a scene with the lady where Nate admits it. I feel like the scene where Sam and Nate escape the mansion is more of an explanation of why they chose that name.
Has anyone else encountered any glitches in the game? I'm on Chapter 9 and there's this part you're supposed to be able to use your grappling hook to get past, but the game hasn't given me the option at all and its completely frozen my progress.
i figured as much. The only thing I don't like about it is how it kind of retconned Uncharted 1. In that game, Nate seemed to legitimately believe he was a descendent of Sir Francis Drake.
Also makes it a huge coincidence that he ended up in Sir Francis' orphanage, too, haha. I think Uncharted 3 was hinting that Nate got the name from the orphanage. Uncharted 4 kind of changes that again.
EDIT: Wait, I think I'm mixing up things about Uncharted 3. The orphanage wasn't for Drake, that was the museum he went to in the beginning of that game. I'm wrong!
I mean, a good liar would definitely want to make you think they legitimately believe the lie they're telling
But yeah. The name thing was just one of many of Hennig's ideas that she threw into 3 to tie into the "deception" theme. Was probably not in the cards when making Drake's Fortune back in like 2005.
I tried my third playthrough yesterday to get all the treasures... I can't do it. It's so fucking boring to play through this game again. The second time I played through to get the speedrun and sharpshooter trophies it was a little boring but I thought that was because I was rushing - alas, it's just because it's not an exciting game. Shooting sections that aren't a challenge on any of the difficulties, and traversal sections where you practically get railroaded into where you need to go and just mash X until you make it to the top.
Honestly, ROTR is a much, much better game than UC4 for me. Graphically UC4 is king, and the story is definitely better, but at least ROTR is actually fun and certainly enjoyable to replay.
I tried my third playthrough yesterday to get all the treasures... I can't do it. It's so fucking boring to play through this game again. The second time I played through to get the speedrun and sharpshooter trophies it was a little boring but I thought that was because I was rushing - alas, it's just because it's not an exciting game. Shooting sections that aren't a challenge on any of the difficulties, and traversal sections where you practically get railroaded into where you need to go and just mash X until you make it to the top.
Honestly, ROTR is a much, much better game than UC4 for me. Graphically UC4 is king, and the story is definitely better, but at least ROTR is actually fun and certainly enjoyable to replay.
interesting. i actually just stopped playing RoTR completely at about 8 hours in because i was having very little fun playing it. horrible story, horrible acting, way worse encounter design, stealth, shooting mechanics, meaningless and hollow upgrade and progression systems, pointless crafting system where nothing really ever all that scarce, and worst of all, they once again made all the puzzles and tombs optional. super disappointing after i really liked TR (2013)
I finished the game yesterday, it's a great game. I agree that there were some pacing issues; I would've liked a bit more combat and a bit less climbing, but it's a pretty small nitpick. The polish of this game is amazing and the new mechanics really add a lot to the series while still feeling like Uncharted.
I thought the traversal was much much better than previous games at least. I agree it could have used a bit more combat but the climbing was so so so much better.
I'm really enjoying my crushing playthrough. I'm interested how I'll do in the late chapters, but so far I'm having an easier time than my hard playthrough. I feel that I'm not only doing better at stealth, but when shit hits the fan I've been pulling off a lot more badass moves than even during my moderate playthrough.
I didn't like it. I guess after The Last of Us I was expecting something a bit more than a smiles-and-sunshine happy ending. Everyone and everything is fine, no consequences for anyone. A 60-year-old man and a sloppy ex-con who's incapable of making good decisions continue to do sleazy jobs and everything worked out great, apparently. Nate and Elena's relationship issues that were building up throughout the game went nowhere. Nadine was just kind of vanished at the end there just because.
I love UC4 however I feel I like The Last of Us just a bit more. I think it is due to the pacing difference and different tasks you have in the two games. UC4 had quite a bit of climbing, which i didn't mind much in the previous Uncharted games, however after the last of us that changed. Instead of climbing we were meant to scavenge for items, it made sense and had more of a fun appeal compared to just climbing. When looking for items there is also the objective of crafting items and picking and choosing what you need and may not need. Though the action pieces were broken up it was still fun to do and broke up from the action in a more fluid way.
I didn't like it. I guess after The Last of Us I was expecting something a bit more than a smiles-and-sunshine happy ending. Everyone and everything is fine, no consequences for anyone. A 60-year-old man and a sloppy ex-con who's incapable of making good decisions continue to do sleazy jobs and everything worked out great, apparently. Nate and Elena's relationship issues that were building up throughout the game went nowhere. Nadine was just kind of vanished at the end there just because.
it was a happy ending, but that it was about as generic and, as you put it, 'safe' of an ending anyone could come up with. It's vapid. Considering that TLOU had a divisive ending this is on the complete opposite end of the spectrum - this is the kind of ending a studio exec would suggest.
Yeah, it sucks having to replay all the puzzles and clocktower just to get to the action. I ended up creating a save point right before exiting the church. I've used that save to play through that portion about five times already, haha.
...
