Uncharted 4 is a game developed by Naughty Dog for the PS4 in 2016. It marks the final game in the Uncharted franchise. A franchise I’ve loved since playing the first game on the PS3. It’s going to be tough seeing Nathan Drake go, but the question I have to answer today is whether this game is a fitting goodbye to a gaming icon or a sign that Naughty Dog should stick to three games per franchise. Let’s find out in my mighty review of… Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End!

Being an Uncharted game, its main focus is on the story, so that seems like a fitting place to start. Spoilers for the first three Uncharted games are to follow, so if you haven’t played them yet… do that. Seriously, don’t let me ruin anything for you. Last chance aaaaaaand now that everyone watching is caught up, Nathan Drake has left the treasure hunting life and settled down after marrying Elena. He’s got a house, pays his bills, and works as a diver for a recovery company when his brother Sam pays him a visit. 

Sam was presumed dead after a failed hunt for the treasure of captain Henry Avery, but was instead in prison for the past 15 years. He escaped prison with the help of Hector Alcazar, who demands Sam finds the treasure and splits it with him or be killed. Sam recruits Nate and Sully in his quest and the team is off to find the treasure. Racing them there are the powerhouse team of Rafe Adler, the guy who teamed up with them on their first attempt, and Nadine Ross, the owner of a large army.

The story is, as expected, fantastic. Nate and Sam have a chemistry that flows very naturally throughout the story. It was risky adding in a new character this close to the end, but it really paid off. The banter between all of the characters is fun to listen to. Nadine is a badass villain and Rafe just oozes douchebag from every orifice. And the plot takes really interesting twists and turns all leading up to a very satisfying conclusion that will bring a smile and a tear to the face of any Uncharted fan.

However, I do have some grievances. Early in the story Nate makes a really stupid decision by leaving Elena to go on his journey. Not only does this leave her out of the story for the majority of the game, but it also seems really out of character for Nate. On top of that, the middle of the story is pretty weak in terms of creativity. It devolves into going from place to place and finding new clues without much else really happening. That’s not to say it’s not interesting, but it feels like key plot moments could have been spread out more.

    Part of the reason the game keeps your attention is its presentation. Beautiful environments with little details added all over the place. Character models are incredibly lifelike and there’s just so much going on the I’m officially convinced Naughty Dog has wizard working to squeeze every ounce of power out of the PS4. The music is incredible as well. Scores that cover the full spectrum of emotion while playing and suit the environment appropriately. All of this comes to a head in the masterful set pieces the Uncharted series is known for. If there’s one compliment I can give, it’s that this game has playable sequences that would be cutscenes in other games.

    The main gameplay can be split up into 4 sections: combat, climbing, puzzle solving, and character building. The combat in this game is really polished. It’s a cover based shooter with plenty of variety in terms of enemies and weapons. Some tend to be more useful than others, but overall playing this game on average difficulty shouldn’t cause too much of a problem for most players. Combat also involves a few fist fights. These are mostly unchanged from the previous game, but I do like the inclusion of team attacks with NPCs. 

Alternatively, there are also stealth sections in which players have the ability to take out their enemies without getting into a firefight. This is really fun, but your allies still suffer from what I like to call Ellie syndrome, in which they run out into the open to get behind cover, even running directly in front of an enemy, without getting seen. Not having to babysit is nice, but it definitely lessens the game’s sense of immersion. The only other complaint I have is how predictable these sections are. You’ll frequently go through a room with barricades and conveniently placed hiding spots everywhere and you know that as soon as the cutscene is over you’re about to light the place up.

The climbing in this game is both improved and somehow less fluid than in previous Uncharted titles. Let me explain. In the previous games there were these yellow lines on ledges to indicate they could be used as platforms. In this game, the climbable platforms are still noticeable, but they blend in with the environment more, making it much more believable. Also aiding in traversal are the ability to slide and the grapple hook. The sliding is fun, but the grapple hook is a downright blast. Spider Drake is the best superhero. Unfortunately, as fun as this all is, reaching ledges can be clunky sometimes. If you’re not holding the analog stick at the exact angle to grab the next ledge, Nate won’t move. Assassin’s Creed had this down by game two, so it’s just a bit disappointing Uncharted couldn’t do the same.

The puzzles in Uncharted 4 are really easy. Like painfully easy. It’s really disappointing because they were some of my favorite parts in previous titles, but here it feels like they were thrown in out of necessity rather than because they brought something new to the table. What worse is that if you don’t figure it out after a short period of time, the characters will just point out the clue, negating the reason for the puzzle in the first place. It’s still cool to see the ancient structures and it’s nice to get away from the action every now and again, but overall I’d have to call these parts disappointing.

Lastly, there are the character building moments. These involve walking from place to place, maybe doing some simple platforming while conversing with a character, or just taking a nice afternoon drive through Madagascar. You would think in a campaign that’s 17 to 20 hours long that these would feel like unnecessary padding or boring diversions from the action, but when you have characters this interesting and a story this exciting, it’s nice to kick back and relax every once in a while to appreciate the world that Naughty Dog created.

After completing the campaign you’ll have multiplayer waiting for you. Competitive multiplayer in Uncharted is really fun, offering all of the game mechanics of single player with balanced and stable online gameplay. There are plenty of modes with unique map designs and weapon loadouts that suit all kinds of players, but I do wish they had included free for all and search and destroy modes as well. Beyond that there’s the cooperative survival mode in which players can work together to fend off waves of enemies culminating in a boss at level 10. Between this and the new update that includes a cooperative campaign, Uncharted 4 certainly has all of its bases covered when it comes to multiplayer content.

    In the end, Uncharted 4 is another fantastic entry in the franchise and a wonderful conclusion to the story of one of gaming’s greatest heroes. It does have flaws, but those are quickly trounced by the beautiful worlds, engaging story, engaging gameplay, and expansive multiplayer. That’s why I’m giving Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End a 9.5 out of 10. Like I said, it’s an incredible game, but the small flaws that do exist just keep it from getting that perfect score. However, they don’t stop it from taking a well-deserved spot on the Mightynifty Must-Play List. That being said I hope you enjoyed this review. If you did, be sure to like and subscribe to see more mighty reviews, dissections, and other gaming content. And as always, have a mighty nifty day today!