adrian dominguez

Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me

Unravel the treachery that dates back to your ancestry. Explore madagascar, the secret cities of the wealthiest pirates and more. You’d expect the spirit of Uncharted 4 to be about globe trotting adventure. But in fact the soul comes from the theme of relationships and how time changes them.

A Jump, Climb and Drive Away

Has Playstation’s flagship IP rested on its laurels or taken a leap in its first PS4 iteration? It has done both.

Pacing has slowed down to contain this more intimate story. To reflect that there’s more focus on stealth in large open areas. The combat scenarios have become comparable to predator modes from the arkham games. Visually, Some old techniques have never sat well with me. And I wished for developer Naughty Dog to be above common video game tropes. Turning the screen black and white when being hit by bullets and the way large red spikes appear on screen are dangerously distracting and cause cheap deaths. The game is beautiful and hurts itself when it desaturates the screen when being hit by enemy attack. I would rather see a health bar or blood on drake to indicate damage is taking place. There has to be better techniques and I depend on the expertise of Naughty Dog to figure this out.

The climbing has become laborious. Naughty Dog has a tradition of platforming but in this series scaling cliff sides has become their new jump. In these occasions I just find myself tapping X repeatedly and doing little thinking as Nate will safely grab anything. Where I find this platforming best is during shoot outs where verticality adds a dimension that few third person games can.

Driving segments have been introduced and serve as a new way to admire gorgeous vistas.It’s beautiful but the openness of these areas create chances of getting lost, like when you’re driving in an open madagascar and now your puzzle platforming has turned into puzzle driving.

Not all the driving is tedious. Midway through we are reminded why Uncharted has a reputation for the spectacle with a stand out set piece of rumbling through the slums jumping from flaming car to flaming car, grappling the backs of trucks, shooting motorcycles to cascading explosions.

Set pieces are the most grounded they’ve ever been and that’s a good thing. To prove you can produce spectacle without needing to fall out of planes and be chased by helicopters is a product of this Uncharted’s new direction. A path that took the game to a maturity and served as a parallel to the studio knowing it was time to let frivolous fun behind and grow up.

Can’t Escape The Thrills

How far will you go for a loved one while also being tested on how much you can give up? This is the dilemma our protagonists struggle with. The theme wouldn’t be able to stand on its own if it weren’t for the investment we’ve made to these characters in three previous games. It’s akin to the feelings I get watching franchises like Game of Thrones or Marvel’s Civil War. I’ve seen individuals grow and relationships build.

The pacing has slowed allowing you to sit with emotions. Whether it be the heartache of a marriage going through turmoil or a brotherly bound deceived. You are left to linger with reflection of not just what happened but the history of the series.

The game's story will be as rich as you choose to make it. Environmental storytelling is key to get the full story and symbolism. If you choose to explore a dormant mansion you’ll encounter a story of a family broken apart by the thrill of treasure expeditions. A majority of Avery, the Pyrate who’s treasure you’re after, is told through exploration and notes that can be miss-able, but if read richen the purpose for your actions.

Sailing Away Into The Sunset

A Thief's End should be played for its cinematic experience more so than its game mechanics. Set pieces, boss battles and a satisfying epilogue will be remembered. But amidst the gunfire, explosions, and expedition I fell in love with characters and they will stay in my heart long after the memory of moment to moment gameplay fades away.