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

Javin98

Banned
Just completed the story a second time. Damn, I'm really going to miss these characters. Also, I highly recommend others to replay it at least once. The slow moments were still fine for me and I actually liked exploring the wide open areas of Chapters 10 and 12. The combat is also even more enjoyable when you master it. I also like the ending even more when I know what to expect.
Expected someone to die the first time.
 

Daffy Duck

Member
Even outside of being mechanically complex the traversal is just mindless in this game. The only time I'm thinking about it during it is 'can I make that jump'? There's no thinking to finding a path. You don't ever make a path. There's very few instances of even light puzzle elements in the traversal, like 'move this so you can use it to swing' or 'find a way to clear this slide-path of jagged rocks'.

Giving it long stretches of focus in the game just highlighted how vapid it is. It's a pillar of the game that isn't as engaging as the combat, or even the puzzles, IMO. And it may be the main pillar of this game.

I agree, there is waaaaaaay too much emphasis put on the traversal mechanic in this series.
 
If you want non-stop combat action, play the multiplayer. Even in its current, bare-bones, state there's plenty to enjoy.
Mutiplayer PvP is no substitute for quality single player combat encounters, and its never been. Its a night and day difference.

It would be pretty awesome if for the DLC they made an action packed 5-6 hour episode of
Sam and Sully
. That's almost on the level of Uncharted 1 quantity wise, but with the improvements they've made to the franchise over the years it'd be amazing. My biggest worry is that ND just don't want to make this kind of scenario anymore. In which case my only hope is an awesome horde/arcade mode.
That's my hope too. Seems like it'd be the easiest way to get the most re-use out of all of those jawdropping assets.
 

Daffy Duck

Member
Nice detailed thoughts which I generally agree with again.

The thing the game does best is develop Libertalia in a way that feels more fleshed out than the Island in U1. It also has a surprising amount of visual variety compared to that game.

The biggest takeaway from my second playthrough was the mini adventures. It does feel quite broken up which is very different from the previous games (except maybe 3).

It would be pretty awesome if for the DLC they made an action packed 5-6 hour episode of
Sam and Sully
. That's almost on the level of Uncharted 1 quantity wise, but with the improvements they've made to the franchise over the years it'd be amazing. My biggest worry is that ND just don't want to make this kind of scenario anymore. In which case my only hope is an awesome horde/arcade mode.

That's my hope too. Seems like it'd be the easiest way to get the most re-use out of all of those jawdropping assets.

I can see them doing the daughter
 
That's my hope too. Seems like it'd be the easiest way to get the most re-use out of all of those jawdropping assets.

Would be cool if the DLC has you play as Drake's daughter, and the actual gameplay segments are Nate recounting his various adventures to her. That could allow for a variety of environments and even the recreation of fan-favorite levels from Uncharted 1-3 with the Uncharted 4 engine and gameplay additions.

Granted, I haven't thought about this much at all, just thought it would be interesting. Regardless, there are a lot of interesting directions they could take the DLC. Just as long as it has a higher ratio of combat scenarios.
 

SDR-UK

Member
Would be cool if the DLC has you play as Drake's daughter, and the actual gameplay segments are Nate recounting his various adventures to her. That could allow for a variety of environments and even the recreation of fan-favorite levels from Uncharted 1-3 with the Uncharted 4 engine and gameplay additions.

Granted, I haven't thought about this much at all, just thought it would be interesting. Regardless, there are a lot of interesting directions they could take the DLC. Just as long as it has a higher ratio of combat scenarios.

I have a feeling that would create a backlash unfortunately although reading it does make me want it. A lot.
 

Gen X

Trust no one. Eat steaks.
HAHAHAHA. yea, not the most appropriate thing to let a 4-yr old watch imo.

My 3-yr old walked in on me melle-ing some dudes and asked what "that man" was doing... Told her it was ballet. She looked puzzled for a sec and then said "maybe it's fight ballet". Lol

The things we tell our kids. I told my 4yo when asked if Nate was bleeding that he was delivering jars of jam (jelly for some of you) and they broke.
 

SlickVic

Member
Oh man, just reached the end of Chapter 15. Always loved the writing in this series in terms of banter between characters, but don't think I've ever been as engrossed in the story of an Uncharted game as much as this one. I typically like taking my time with games, but I just want to keep going.

Coming off replaying Uncharted 2, I'm also appreciating a lot of the restraint this game has in terms of combat encounters. The frequency they happened in UC2 left me a bit exhausted at the end of it, but it feels like they're a lot more carefully balanced here. Rather than feeling dread when they come up, I actually look forward to facing them in this game. Especially now that the stealth mechanics have started to click for me.
 

Bishop89

Member
chapter 20 that
truck chase
Naughty gods are on another level!!

Edit: Just finished the game.

Buck buck buck, that ending was beautiful :')

Double Edit: omg there's a epilogue too... And it was amazing O_O
 

Azalean

Banned
Finally got the plat.

CkLKAKSWgAAlYN_.jpg
 

sasliquid

Member
Is there still an easy way of getting the Sharpshooter trophy? I got the speed run trophy but really don't want to have to play through again for one trophy
 

Grinchy

Banned
Even outside of being mechanically complex the traversal is just mindless in this game. The only time I'm thinking about it during it is 'can I make that jump'? There's no thinking to finding a path. You don't ever make a path. There's very few instances of even light puzzle elements in the traversal, like 'move this so you can use it to swing' or 'find a way to clear this slide-path of jagged rocks'.

Giving it long stretches of focus in the game just highlighted how vapid it is. It's a pillar of the game that isn't as engaging as the combat, or even the puzzles, IMO. And it may be the main pillar of this game.

That's how I feel as well. I know it's difficult to make these huge, gorgeous landscapes. I realize they want us to walk around in them and look at the details. If this were 10 years ago, that's probably exactly what I'd be doing. It just doesn't do it for me anymore.
 
That's how I feel as well. I know it's difficult to make these huge, gorgeous landscapes. I realize they want us to walk around in them and look at the details. If this were 10 years ago, that's probably exactly what I'd be doing. It just doesn't do it for me anymore.
Yeah ... same. I did enjoy those moments (exploration and pure traversal), but they were either too frequent/invasive even when just going straight through them, or too empty/insubstantial when taking my time with them outside of the one in chapter 14 and the houses in 4 and the end.

The game feels like UC1 in that the systems present are more proofs of concept was img to be refined, and used properly and to their full potential in a sequel. Don't know whether the sequel in this instance is an Uncharted game, though.
 

gamerMan

Member
In Super Mario you just hold right on the D-Pad and occasionally press the A button.

Am I doing it right?


Seems like a silly argument. Yes any game can be reduced to pushing buttons, but the difference in Mario is that it requires skill to master the mechanics. In Uncharted player skill is not really required for any of the traversal mechanics. Everything autocompletes itself provided you push a button. Timing and accuracy are not important.

Go play the intro and try to fail it. You don't even have to crash into the bad guys. Even if you try and fail it, you can't. The same thing for the traversal. Once, you hit the jump button you are essentially watching a cutscene or quicktime event. The traversal and set pieces can be completed with a blindfold on.
 

Shin-chan

Member
Seems like a silly argument. Yes any game can be reduced to pushing buttons, but the difference in Mario is that it requires skill to master the mechanics. In Uncharted player skill is not really required for any of the traversal mechanics. Everything autocompletes itself provided you push a button. Timing and accuracy are not important.

Go play the intro and try to fail it. You don't even have to crash into the bad guys. Even if you try and fail it, you can't. The same thing for the traversal. Once, you hit the jump button you are essentially watching a cutscene or quicktime event. The traversal and set pieces can be completed with a blindfold on.
Maybe but this isn't really the case in 3D World. That game is easy as hell (and very fun!) up until the final world and the secret levels.

Just because the platforming is almost brain dead easy doesn't mean it has no agency or can't be fun.
 
lol no they are not. Uncharted 4 is easily better than 1 and 3. 2 is debatable.

If someone genuinely doesn't mind the designs of the more basic encounters in 3, I could see an argument being made for that one being better than 4. I generally didn't like the encounter design in most of the fights, but it at least had some variety and a satisfying amount of combat. Had the aiming and enemy hit reactions and the dumb "circle = grab AND roll" thing had been fixed, I could definitely see 3 being more fun to play through again than 4.

And the fact that it's even debatable that any of the old games is better than 4 is disheartening. 4 could've been irrefutably better, or just completely solid with the different approach it was taking.

But alas

Maybe but this isn't really the case in 3D World. That game is easy as hell (and very fun!) up until the final world and the secret levels.

Just because the platforming is almost brain dead easy doesn't mean it has no agency or can't be fun.

I don't know what you consider to be "agency," then. 3D World is easy early on, but it's never 'braindead," the way Uncharted's traversal can be.
 
The problem with using difficulty and all the metrics you guys are using for agency is that under that scenario, a game like Shadow of Mordor affords a player no agency.

And that makes that definition whack.
 
The problem with using difficulty and all the metrics you guys are using for agency is that under that scenario, a game like Shadow of Mordor affords a player no agency.

And that makes that definition whack.

Who's using difficulty as a metric? Didn't I directly respond to you saying that it isn't about difficulty?
 
Reading some posts in NeoGAF makes me wonder if there is anything wrong with my copy of the game. Maybe I got the Uncharted 5 by a cosmic accident, because I've experienced none of these flaws you guys talk about in long, broad walls of text.
 

jogu

Member
Only speedrun left, should be easy right?

Fuck crushing
exploding mummies and last fight (why didn't i figure out that you could use slow motion before dying 50 times)?
 

Alienous

Member
Reading some posts in NeoGAF makes me wonder if there is anything wrong with my copy of the game. Maybe I got the Uncharted 5 by a cosmic accident, because I've experienced none of these flaws you guys talk about in long, broad walls of text.

No, I'm sure there are people who like Superman 64 too. Experiences are subjective, and all.
 
I didn't see that reply.

Is brain-dead not implicating difficulty? Alongside the other posters point about it being impossible to fail?

That's now how I meant it, though my understanding of braindead in this context isn't universally accepted. My reply is on this page (100ppp).

The first few world of any Mario platformer game are easy, but the player has more moment-to-moment control and influence over their character. Even if it ultimately doesn't affect the outcome of reaching the end of the level, players can run back and forth and there's aerial control during jumps. There's never a series of jumps or a whole level that can be made by randomly mashing the jump button while holding right.

Sometimes, Uncharted's traversal becomes more involving, but all too often, it's just moving up a cliff wall, the only challenge being figuring out where to go. A lot of people just don't find automation to be engaging — it's not an all-or-nothing deal, but generally, the more people feel like they're just watching what's going on rather than having direct influence over it, it'll be un-engaging from a gameplay perspective. If there's nothing else substantial going on (story development, action, etc.), then it'll probably be boring for them.

Like I said earlier in this thread, Grow Home is not difficult, but the gameplay that it focuses on gives the player a high degree of control over the player-character's movement, and climbing up high always has the possibility of falling to death, or losing a lot of climbing progress. uncharted's traversal is also easy, but when it focuses purely on the climbing without nothing else going on, there's no input for holding onto a ledge that the player has to worry about, nor do they have control over grabbing a ledge (just holding circle to NOT grab onto ledges, which is spotty in this game compared to Uncharted 3 for some reason, at least in multiplayer). Outside of combat or set-pieces, the timing of pressing X doesn't matter, and the time it takes to get somewhere doesn't matter.

It's why I said I like the driving segments and the grappling hook swinging most as far as traversal goes — you can swing or drive in any direction, and the intensity/speed of movement gives the player high degree of control of where/how Drake/the jeep is moving.

Reading some posts in NeoGAF makes me wonder if there is anything wrong with my copy of the game. Maybe I got the Uncharted 5 by a cosmic accident, because I've experienced none of these flaws you guys talk about in long, broad walls of text.

Like what?
 
That's the second time someone has used a popularly hated piece of media to express the diversity of opinions people can have.

Amazing.
 
That's the second time someone has used a popularly hated piece of media to express the diversity of opinions people can have.

Amazing.

It's used in response to someone essentially complaining about and/or dismissing discussion of a game taking place, sounding as if the notion someone could dislike something in this game is just completely out of the question, which is ridiculous for even the best games in existence, let alone UC4.

What's so "amazing," about that?

Here's where I replied to you by the way.
 
It's used in response to someone essentially complaining about and/or dismissing discussion of a game taking place, sounding as if the notion someone could dislike something in this game is just completely out of the question, which is ridiculous for even the best games in existence, let alone UC4.

What's so "amazing," about that?

Here's where I replied to you by the way.

I read that reply but didn't reply as I was offering another person my view on the matter and you offered me yours and it was clear we just disagree on alot of fundamental stuff.

And it's amazing because it comes off just as bad as the obnoxious "I see no flaws" comment.

As for you agency comments: we'll have to agree to disagree. We are operating on two wildly diffrent definitions of agency. I believe I'm using the more widely accepted definition.

The issues you talk about, I would prescribe more to the level design then agency over Nates actions, because as you yourself say, it can be more involving but usually isn't. However, the underlying control of Nate is the same throughout, more involving or not.
 
Some of these MP maps make me yearn for some single player encounters that had weather effects. We got some snow but maaaan I wish we got to fight during a storm.
 

krioto

Member
So glad I went full media blackout - just finished chapter 12 - man, that whole
jeep/rope/truck chase scene
is fantastic
 

autoduelist

Member
just finished all SP trophies. Loved the game, but never enjoy collecting stuff.

and thank everything in the world for slo-mo unlock for the epilogue trophy because there is no way in hell i could have done that full speed
 
Some of these MP maps make me yearn for some single player encounters that had weather effects. We got some snow but maaaan I wish we got to fight during a storm.

The game needed more themed/gimmick encounters, period. This is where smaller, "filler" combat becomes a positive and allows Naughty Dog to flex their encounter design talents.

I can't believe they used up all the crazier gimmicks in the first 3 games, then in UC4 when we finally have great mechanics, so little is done with them. The snowstorm from 2, the sandstorm from 3, the ship and vertical combat in 3, the fist fights in 3..... y'know EVERYTHING in 3, pretty much. This stuff would be so much better in UC4.
 
The game needed more themed/gimmick encounters, period. This is where smaller, "filler" combat becomes a positive and allows Naughty Dog to flex their encounter design talents.

I can't believe they used up all the crazier gimmicks in the first 3 games, then in UC4 when we finally have great mechanics, so little is done with them. The snowstorm from 2, the sandstorm from 3, the ship and vertical combat in 3, the fist fights in 3..... y'know EVERYTHING in 3, pretty much. This stuff would be so much better in UC4.

Yeah pretty much. Like I love what we got, but I love the stuff we didn't get even more.
 
I read that reply but didn't reply as I was offering another person my view on the matter and you offered me yours and it was clear we just disagree on alot of fundamental stuff.

And it's amazing because it comes off just as bad as the obnoxious "I see no flaws" comment.

As for you agency comments: we'll have to agree to disagree. We are operating on two wildly diffrent definitions of agency. I believe I'm using the more widely accepted definition.

The issues you talk about, I would prescribe more to the level design then agency over Nates actions, because as you yourself say, it can be more involving but usually isn't. However, the underlying control of Nate is the same throughout, more involving or not.
Don't worry bro, I know what you mean.

People start using words that are just so above and beyond what their actual sentiment is. It's a bit deranged but it is what it is.

This is what people talk about when negativity pushes them off. Don't worry about those guys. I get you fam.
 
The game needed more themed/gimmick encounters, period. This is where smaller, "filler" combat becomes a positive and allows Naughty Dog to flex their encounter design talents.

I can't believe they used up all the crazier gimmicks in the first 3 games, then in UC4 when we finally have great mechanics, so little is done with them. The snowstorm from 2, the sandstorm from 3, the ship and vertical combat in 3, the fist fights in 3..... y'know EVERYTHING in 3, pretty much. This stuff would be so much better in UC4.
3's encounters (even the sloppier ones) would be great with 4's gameplay, not to mention the crazier stuff.

If there's co-op adventure in 4, it could take the same approach as 3 and have repurposed environments, so...
 

TheStruggler

Report me for trolling ND/TLoU2 threads
I think a flaw of the uncharted games is that all the villains are really dumb. A constant line you hear in the games is "do you really think _________ would have figured it out by him/her self". I kind of wish in this game Nate met his match. Not just a villain that was powerful financially but also just as smart as Nathan, instead Nate is a step behind having to catch up etc. Would have had different pacing. All the villains are just kind of dumb. They have the idiot that doesnt match Nate and then the muscle villain beside.
 
Don't worry bro, I know what you mean.

People start using words that are just so above and beyond what their actual sentiment is. It's a bit deranged but it is what it is.

This is what people talk about when negativity pushes them off. Don't worry about those guys. I get you fam.

Ignore all criticism of the game brehs

Reject a usage of a word then never explain your perspective of it, BRUHS
 
3's encounters (even the sloppier ones) would be great with 4's gameplay, not to mention the crazier stuff.
That's my takeaway after playing both 3 and 4 back to back. If all the Uncharteds had UC4's presentation and mechanics UC3 would be right up there with UC2, if not even more impressive.
 
Call me crazy but I think fistfighting in 3 is MUCH more fun than in 4.

Roll and grapple on circle
Slow
Enemies abusing lack of stagger/i-frames and rushing into gunfire to initiate fights.
A bunch of boring brawls against the same brute

Yeah, you're crazy. UC4's is simplified and used more for aesthetics than depth, but it's more fun and satisfying. I thought the game needed way more tight encounters that force a mix of hand-to-hand and gunplay on the player, whereas in UC3 I completely disliked them.
 
Roll and grapple on circle
Slow
Enemies abusing lack of stagger/i-frames and rushing into gunfire to initiate fights.
A bunch of boring brawls against the same brute

Yeah, you're crazy. UC4's is simplified and used more for aesthetics than depth, but it's more fun and satisfying. I thought the game needed way more tight encounters that force a mix of hand-to-hand and gunplay on the player, whereas in UC3 I completely disliked them.

I thought 4's arenas were tight enough and filled with enough dudes that I used melee all the time. I have over 1000 kills and like 400 some I killed via melee
 
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