Uncharted 4: A Thief's End PS4 Game Review

Reviewed by Max C. on May 18, 2016

Rating:

Nathan Drakes final adventure is on store shelves. Check out Kidzworlds game review of PlayStation 4s big blockbuster Uncharted 4: A Thiefs End.

By: Max Cannon

Let's get this out of the way, I've never been as excited for a game as I was for Uncharted 4: A Thief's End. I paid extra hard earned cash to get a copy of the game that was originally from Mexico so I could play it before it came out. And after finishing the single player and spending a lot of time with the multiplayer I can confidently say that it was worth every penny. Uncharted 4 is the best game on the PlayStation 4 by miles.

Uncharted 4: A Thief's End Video Review

Uncharted 4 picks up 3 years after the events of Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception. Our hero, Nathan Drake, has put his life of treasure hunting behind him. He's hung up his gun holster and instead works a 9-5 job to fund his quiet life at home with his wife, Elena Fisher. Nathan's long lost brother, Sam Drake, shows back up in his life with a dire request to go on one last adventure in hopes of finding ancient pirate treasure.

Naughty Dog has developed Uncharted 4 as their follow up to 2013's The Last of Us. You'll climb massive mountains, swing across giant chasms, fight merciless mercenaries, and soak in gorgeous views. Many games may make these claims on the back of their box but nothing comes even a little close to the highs delivered by Uncharted. From the thrill of a race across a muddy road to the quiet moments that allow Nathan to catch his breath, every second of this game exudes quality.

Sam and Nathan escape from an armored truck.Courtesy of Sony

Check Out That View

The story is much heavier in this game though not nearly as dire as The Last of Us. And though one twist in the story left a bad taste in my mouth, the acting is better than ever. Nolan North reprises the role of Nathan Drake and famed actor Troy Baker pairs up as Sam. The moments between the fantastic cast of beloved characters are all directed/acted with such finesse it puts other games to shame. Small expressions add so much to this story. A glance to the side, a slight smile, or a groan of pain feels more genuine than ever before. This game moves past the uncanny valley effect, and you actually see life in these character's eyes.

But what everyone will be talking about with Uncharted is the stupidly jaw-dropping graphics. This is far and away the best looking game on consoles and shockingly better looking than almost every other game on PC. Vistas, characters, and animations look out of this world gorgeous. Mud realistically sticks to clothes and a roll through water washes part of the mess away. Though the leaps and climbs aren't possible they feel believable because of the motion captured animation that seems true to an actual self-taught rock climber. Naughty Dog knows how great their game looks and has prepared a photo mode for the game. With the ability to adjust depth of field, add filters, and other effects to your screenshots, you can really take in the stunning world.

Nathan's adventure doesn't just put him in danger.Courtesy of Sony

Locked and Loaded

The gameplay jumps between fast and fluid 3rd person combat to slow and thorough climbing/exploration. The series is famously linear and, while there are some open areas for your encounters, you'll just be moving from A to B but in the most exciting way imaginable. By clicking the left stick you can mark enemies, similar to Metal Gear Solid V or a modern Splinter Cell game, to see them through walls or floors. Adding in an Assassin's Creed style awareness meter to the bad guys and Uncharted 4 is a game that has learned from its competition. Many sections encourage the player to use stealth to silently attack enemies or just sneak past them entirely. Like past Uncharted games when you're seen everything erupts into a stylish action-movie style gunfight. However, unlike past games you can hide once you're already seen and sneak back up on your foes again once they've lost sight of you, it definitely adds a much needed layer to the gameplay.

The mercenaries you'll be fighting are smarter than ever before, grenades and flanking maneuvers will force you to keep on the move. But taking on enemies while partnering up with an A.I. buddy, like Sam, feels better than before. When your partner helps you out with a melee takedown or gets you out of an enemy's grab you feel grateful for their help, instead of frustrated with their stupidity as you would in a lesser game.

While Uncharted may not add anything new to gaming, it does everything as well as it possibly could. The shooting is smooth, the storytelling is unmatched, and the gameplay feels as solid as ever.

But the one thing Uncharted does better than almost any other 3rd person shooter is verticality. Uncharted 4 adds a rope into Nathan's arsenal that allows him to swing through maps and navigate his world in the most stylish way yet, similar to Xbox One's Rise of the Tomb Raider. The rope works into puzzle solving works decently but nothing matches the exhilaration of swinging toward an unsuspecting enemy and silently dropping from the sky to strike him down and snatch up his gun in one move.

Fight alongside some of your favorite characters in the multiplayer.Courtesy of Sony

Heroes vs. Villains

Though the meat of Uncharted 4 is in its spectacular campaign the multiplayer is a crazy amount of fun. While the single player campaign runs at 30 frames per second, the multiplayer doubles it up to 60 fps and it runs incredibly smoothly. The stylish swings, shooting, and swashbuckling fist fights translate very very well to online. The game modes are pretty limited, sadly.

You'll find standard Team Deathmatch and two objective based modes, luckily we can look forward to some co-op coming soon for free. Naughty Dog has announced that all upcoming multiplayer DLC will be free, though you can spend money to unlock some customization stuff quicker. Vanity items such as hats, skins, or taunts can be purchased using Uncharted points, which are purchased with real money, or you can slowly unlock them with relics points which are won through playing rounds.

Sadly, there isn't much progression outside of Team Deathmatch which is the only mode that comes with a ranked option. Aside from that you simply play the game to get more outfits or skills for your guns. A numbered ranking system would be nice for the awesome objective based modes. But the rounds themselves are a blast to play and the maps are stellar and have some radical level design. Any player that decides to not try the multiplayer is really missing out on something that gives a lot of longevity to the game.

Final Thoughts

Uncharted 4: A Thief's End is what has me still playing games. It's a great send off for my favorite gaming hero and is a clear evolution of a series. It's as fun and heartwarming as I could hope for. Play this game.