Don't cry because it's over, be happy that it didn't end like Dexter.
Of course Sony wasn't going to just let Uncharted run its course on the PS3, so they brought their moneymaker onto the PS4... and it's glorious. Naughty Dog once again brought their A game in order to prove that if someone can make the most out of Sony's hardware it's them.
Picking off a few years after Uncharted 3, Nathan and ELena have been married for a while now, leading a normal, mundane life. That is until Naughty Dog decides to alter Uncharted's canon once again, turns out that Nathan had a long-lost brother that he thought was dead, who also taught him how to use the Rope tool, a tool which he gets just use in this game and this game only. But that's OK, we should be used to Uncharted's flimsy plot-devices since the writing is as sharp as ever. The story is very interesting all the way throughout, and the franchise's staple conversations are kept in and are as good as ever. That said, you shouldn't come into Uncharted 4 expecting an fresh, original story because that's never been Uncharted's style, this is an action movie-style plot through and through, with most plot twists being unsurprising or predictable... but at least they are well written, so it's fun seeing everything unravel.
A lot of familiar faces return to send off Uncharted as we knew it.
Not much has changed, for good or bad. Nathan and his AI-controlled buddies are as nimble and athletic as ever, being able to climb, cling onto or vault on various surfaces and objects. There'll be a lot of climbing and parkouring around, as per usual, and this game introduces a rope into your move repertoire. L1 can be used to throw your rope towards designated poles or objects in order to swing around... or climb up or down the rope. Heck, sometimes you'll have to tie objects with your rope and then pull them towards you. The rope is more than just a gimmick and made for some fun new platforming sections.
Another change is the addition of bigger areas, which, as a consequence, also meant the addition of vehicles. There're a few instances in the game in which you'll have to traverse long distances by car or boat. These control well, and I admit that there were some very entertaining puzzles involving the car's winch, but I don't think I'm a fan of these open areas. The game works better when it's a linear adventure, these vehicle sections felt like they made the narrative fall into a lull. Sure, you can explore and find secret collectibles, but... why bother? Rewards aren't tangible, hell, the reward in Uncharted is to follow the story, not to go out of your way for little trinkets. Still, I appreciate the idea of bigger areas, I just think they don't fit the game very well.
It's not even funny how great the game looks.
Combat has changed even less, in close quarters Nate can punch, dodge or mash triangle when he falls victim to a grab. Gunplay is pretty much exactly the same as before, so there's nothing to add on that front. If anything, I felt shootouts were much fairer than in previous games, presumably because normal enemies aren't as much of damage sponges as they used to be. Plus, stealth works better here than in any other Uncharted game, with the addition of tall grass in order to hide... or hide bodies with stealth kills.
As a whole, the game manages to capture most of the action and excitement that made the series so special but... the bar has simply been raised TOO high by previous games. Shootouts, chases, escaping falling buildings are all very exciting, and the phenomenal graphics makes everything look amazing but it's missing such unique, epic set-pieces as the train battle from Uncharted 2 or the sinking ship from Uncharted 3. I didn't feel as if I was doing anything that I hadn't done in a previous Uncharted game, even if it looked better than ever before.
Everything is better with aerial punches.
Uncharted 4 is everything it needed to be and everything it should've been for Uncharted's first foray into the PS4. It's also a fitting end to the franchise that basically defined the PS3. I think we should all take a moment to appreciate just how much the franchise has evolved from that crappy little PS3 game that had imprecise controls, unfair combat and stupid QTEs to the brilliant bar-setter it became.
9.0 out of 10
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