Post by Ryan_MYeah on Aug 26, 2017 19:55:11 GMT
Man, this game was great. You guys know how much I love the Uncharted series at this point, and I was so excited to get one more go in before Naughty Dog calls it quits. While it isn't nearly as good as 2 or 4, it's still tremendous fun, and certainly better than the first game (I'd be willing to argue it's better than 3).
After the heavy emphasis on character present in 4, this game actually felt closer to the original roots of Uncharted than that one did. The focus feels much more streamlined with a smaller cast of characters, placing you more directly into the epic set pieces and action beats. There's also a great emphasis on exploration as well. In one chapter in the Western Ghats, it doubles down on the massive scope and freedom to explore that the Twelve Towers delivered on, feeling like an open world side quest, with a huge amount of space (and content) to cover, and rewards you really well for your trouble. Puzzles are also well placed and continually intriguing, my favorite being where you have to step on tiles in a certain order, in order to avoid giant statues with axes and hammers striking you.
Visually speaking, the game continues to look stunning. Taking place entirely within India, the culture and the mystifying philosophy and legends of the land become almost like a character in their own right. Photo Mode in games is something I have never been one to care for, but the environments and the vertigo inducing heights of the game just gave me so much awe. And they also get to shine really well during the action scenes, and if you thought 4 was a little too reserved in that area, they've heard you, and have upscaled without sacrificing coherency. Much of the game owes some obvious debt to 2, with a ton of little fan-servive moments thrown in, which really makes sense given Chloe's central involvement. It's especially apparent in the climax, which plays like a mix of 2's train sequence and 4's Madagascar convoy, concluding with a final duel that plays like Talbot's and Rafe's final fights. It may owe a lot to the other games, but it's one of the series' greatest set-pieces.
But character certainly isn't lost amidst all the action. In fact, thanks to the smaller cast this time around, they've managed to find a nice balance between the moments of intimacy and spectacular grandeur. It's the classic Uncharted mold (heroes race an evil dude to the ancient treasure), but still carrying the great bonding moments that made 4 a success. The once reluctant Chloe who'd cower away when things got hot and heavy now takes a more direct role, allowing us to see how she became this jaded constantly shifting her stance given the dangers of a situation, forced to confront personal links so strong that even she can't back away from it. Paired up with the disgraced Nadine, just as skeptical of the dangers of treasure-hunting since the quest for Avery's treasure, but now smoothing into this lovable, it not well tempered partner, and you get a terrific double act between the two wounded, and excitable souls.
However, there is a trade off to this, in that the game follows back into the territory of weak villains. Asav is certainly a threatening character, but he is basically an amalgamation of Lazarevic and Rafe. This heritage obsessed war mongerer that wants to use the game's MacGuffin, the Tusk of Ganesh, to inspire his troops rebelling against the Indian government. He's as stock a villain as you can really get, and I wish this was one area of Uncharted where they had hewed closer to A Thief's End.
All in all, though, its still a great, thoroughly entertaining time, as you expect of Uncharted. Even if you can beat the game in just over five hours (over 7 if you try your hand at the massive side quest), the value (especially at the slashed 39 dollar price tag) definitely makes the experience worth it. It's just another great adventure in the Uncharted universe, and being Naughty Dog's last hurrah here, I can't wait for what they've got coming next.
The Last of Us Part II can't get here sooner, though...
After the heavy emphasis on character present in 4, this game actually felt closer to the original roots of Uncharted than that one did. The focus feels much more streamlined with a smaller cast of characters, placing you more directly into the epic set pieces and action beats. There's also a great emphasis on exploration as well. In one chapter in the Western Ghats, it doubles down on the massive scope and freedom to explore that the Twelve Towers delivered on, feeling like an open world side quest, with a huge amount of space (and content) to cover, and rewards you really well for your trouble. Puzzles are also well placed and continually intriguing, my favorite being where you have to step on tiles in a certain order, in order to avoid giant statues with axes and hammers striking you.
Visually speaking, the game continues to look stunning. Taking place entirely within India, the culture and the mystifying philosophy and legends of the land become almost like a character in their own right. Photo Mode in games is something I have never been one to care for, but the environments and the vertigo inducing heights of the game just gave me so much awe. And they also get to shine really well during the action scenes, and if you thought 4 was a little too reserved in that area, they've heard you, and have upscaled without sacrificing coherency. Much of the game owes some obvious debt to 2, with a ton of little fan-servive moments thrown in, which really makes sense given Chloe's central involvement. It's especially apparent in the climax, which plays like a mix of 2's train sequence and 4's Madagascar convoy, concluding with a final duel that plays like Talbot's and Rafe's final fights. It may owe a lot to the other games, but it's one of the series' greatest set-pieces.
But character certainly isn't lost amidst all the action. In fact, thanks to the smaller cast this time around, they've managed to find a nice balance between the moments of intimacy and spectacular grandeur. It's the classic Uncharted mold (heroes race an evil dude to the ancient treasure), but still carrying the great bonding moments that made 4 a success. The once reluctant Chloe who'd cower away when things got hot and heavy now takes a more direct role, allowing us to see how she became this jaded constantly shifting her stance given the dangers of a situation, forced to confront personal links so strong that even she can't back away from it. Paired up with the disgraced Nadine, just as skeptical of the dangers of treasure-hunting since the quest for Avery's treasure, but now smoothing into this lovable, it not well tempered partner, and you get a terrific double act between the two wounded, and excitable souls.
Sam also makes a return. He's hilarious. Keep giving Troy Baker more work.
However, there is a trade off to this, in that the game follows back into the territory of weak villains. Asav is certainly a threatening character, but he is basically an amalgamation of Lazarevic and Rafe. This heritage obsessed war mongerer that wants to use the game's MacGuffin, the Tusk of Ganesh, to inspire his troops rebelling against the Indian government. He's as stock a villain as you can really get, and I wish this was one area of Uncharted where they had hewed closer to A Thief's End.
All in all, though, its still a great, thoroughly entertaining time, as you expect of Uncharted. Even if you can beat the game in just over five hours (over 7 if you try your hand at the massive side quest), the value (especially at the slashed 39 dollar price tag) definitely makes the experience worth it. It's just another great adventure in the Uncharted universe, and being Naughty Dog's last hurrah here, I can't wait for what they've got coming next.
The Last of Us Part II can't get here sooner, though...