Uncharted 4: A Thief's End Reviews
Naughty Dog spoiled us with The Last of Us. As such, it was always going to be a difficult task for Uncharted 4 to meet those standards, let alone exceed them. The unfortunate thing is that whilst it has improved on certain aspects over the previous Uncharted entries - namely stealth, a little more freedom, and a real sense of discovery in hunting down a long lost treasure - there are a few too many slip-ups with regards to plot and characters, with lacking combat and set pieces also contributing to the pitfalls. It is undeniably gorgeous to look at, and the fun is definitely there on multiple occasions, but it is missing that Uncharted charm that made the series so great in the first place.
A visual tour de force, Uncharted 4 rarely drops its cinematic facade and reminds you that it's a video game. The visuals and presentation elevate the fairly ho-hum gameplay.
Oh, but it does have multiplayer, which is arguably the meatiest gameplay component of the game, and should extend the life of the product beyond the single-player campaign.
A great game held back by some tired tropes.
Uncharted 4 is a great game with minor flaws that hold it back from reaching Naughty Dog's previous heights, but don't let these minor gripes stop you from experiencing a wonderful game.
Breathtaking visuals, thrilling events, and a clear if moderate improvement in gameplay. Nevertheless gameplay remains its weakest point, with passable gun-play, automatic platforming, simple puzzles and shallow exploration. This might not be the leap part 2 was, but it’s a fitting finale for the series.
Review in Arabic | Read full review
Here's the problem: I really like ice cream, but maybe a scoop or two, at most 4! Certainly not a whole carton! What I mean is when you repeat something that's good, no matter how good it may be in the end, it'll lose its charm and though all in all Uncharted 4 gives new elements in an exciting story, it loses its grip and turns the experience to something normal (compared to previous entries).
Review in Persian | Read full review
An interesting and superbly told story, with far more emphasis on character and mature themes. Redesigned gunplay makes the combat rewarding in ways it never was before, and large arenas encourage constant movement. Uncharted 4: A Thief's End is visually stunning, and the best we've seen on console. Naughty Dog have produced a fine farewell to one of PlayStation's most beloved characters.
In terms of giving the fans what they want, I'm certain Naughty Dog has nailed every part of the brief that it was given. Uncharted 4 shows a truly masterful eye for detail and is near perfect in mechanical execution.
It would be easy to dismiss Uncharted 4: A Thief's End as a jack of all trades and a master of none, and in terms of gameplay, that would be true
Uncharted 4 never pretends to be anything other than the sum of its highly-polished parts. Its initial aim of interrogating the ability of adventure fiction to mature seems assured in the knowledge that it doesn't need to.
Uncharted 4 is not perfect, and creases in its well-worn formula still crop up from time to time. But with a welcome change in composition of its base feature set, it proves the series can still be relevant despite a few missteps.
Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End is a culmination of hard work, dedication, and being able to evolve. Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End is a culmination of hard work, dedication, and being able to evolve. While the Naughty Dog did show its ability to evolve compared to other entries in the series, Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End ultimately feels like there was a level of security that was taken as well as boundaries not being pushed all the way.
Uncharted 4 cares about its characters, but not as much as it cares about its thrills, and it doesn't quite unite these two goals as seamlessly as Uncharted 2 did. The game tips its hand when, early on, Sam asks Nathan about the best thing to happen to him in the 15 years they were apart, and the options on display focus on Drake's adventures and don't even let you mention falling in love with and marrying Elena. As good as Uncharted 4 is at being the type of game it aspires to be, it also seems to argue, unwittingly or not, that no matter the budget and number of designers and amount of development time you devote to them, this type of game can't be much more than the sum of its thrills.
This is an adventure that not only rounds off the story of Nathan Drake in the best possible way, but also sets a new standard for what lavish action adventures should look like.
Review in Swedish | Read full review
A fun and fitting end for Nathan Drake
A confident, assured sequel, and a strong end to the series.
Despite the early stops and starts, Uncharted 4 finds its feet at the end and provides an eventually satisfying end to Nate's fortunes.
Uncharted 4: A Thief's End is a fitting finale for the hero that's been knocking around with the PlayStation brand for almost a decade. There's highs and lows, and while it's not a perfect game, it does a helluva lot more right than it does wrong. The story is so-so but that's what we kinda expected. What really shines are the characters, the locales and the gameplay. Four out of five ain't bad. If you've a passing interest in story-driven shooters, give this one a go and then do it again to try out the different playstyles/collect the trophies. It's been worth the wait.
With amazing production values, characters I cared about, an entertaining story and plenty to see and do along the way, Uncharted 4: A Thief's End may not be the best game in the series overall, but it is a fitting conclusion that shows Naughty Dog continues to deliver the goods with their games.