Naughty Dog does it again! One of gaming’s most respected studios releases their fourth and final entry in the third-person action/adventure Uncharted series. Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, takes place 3 years after the events of the third game. Once again, players will take control of legendary treasure hunter Nathen Drake on his search for lost pirate treasure.
Nate, now in his late thirties, is finally settling down from the dangerous game of treasure hunting and living a normal life with his journalist wife, Elena Fisher. Drake now works as part of a salvage crew and is happy with his current life, but still daydreams about the thrill of the hunt. However he made a promise to his wife that he was done with his old dangerous lifestyle. But that was before Nate’s long-lost older brother, Sam Drake, emerges back into his life. Sam owes a large debt to an old mob boss and the only way to acquire the money is to pick up the trail of a long lost pirate treasure that the two brothers have been searching for since they were children.
Nate is torn between keeping that fateful promise to his wife and going on another hunt with his brother to save his life from a mob boss who will take it, if Sam does not deliver the money. Nate lies to his wife about travelling to Malaysia for a salvage job and begins his hunt with Sam in secret. From there, the game spirals out of control with twists and turns to keep players intrigued throughout the 15-hour adventure.
The game is absolutely gorgeous, filled with life-like textures and animations. There is an incredible amount of detail put into the different locations and characters that help players feel immersed, topped with an incredible score composed by Harry Gregson-Williams. There are many over the top blockbuster action scenes scattered across the narrative that complement the deep story structure. One moment you’re exploring a lost city from a pirate colony; the next, you’re in the middle of a nail-biting car chase through the slummy streets of Madagascar. The game never feels stale: it’s bright, vibrant and shows the struggle of deep personal relationships within the characters.
Being a third person action/adventure shooter, the game needs to have some top-notch gameplay. I have some good news for you: It does. The gameplay is fresh and fluid, from jumping to swimming and taking cover from a tidal wave of gunfire from the enemies. It’s never dull or slow, but perfectly balanced and well-paced.
Overall, Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End is one of the best games of the generation. It’s a beautifully crafted game filled with powerful character moments, incredible action sequences and a perfectly structured narrative to tie it all together.
Rating= 9.5/10.
What is Journalism?