MovieChat Forums > Uncharted 4: A Thief's End (2016) Discussion > Best Game of the Series

Best Game of the Series

posted 8 years ago by sugarkitty-81195
5 replies | jump to latest

I really, truly believed that Naughty Dog couldn't beat Uncharted 2. But I wholeheartedly believe that this game beat it. It's a close call, but this one is officially the best one. I've already played it through two times:
the first time, rather quickly. I just wanted to get through the game. I paid attention to detail, but not as much.
Then I played it through a second time, at a much slower pace.
I've noticed countless things that, really, I just need to vent about. The attention to detail that Naughty Dog put into this game is simply astounding. It truly is remarkable. So I'm going to go off on all the things I noticed about this game, the thoughts I've had about it. SPOILERS. *******SPOILERS.******** SPOILERS.
---Nathan's character. Seeing his background more fleshed out was incredible. Throughout this series it's been made clear that he has abandonment issues. His mother committing suicide, his father leaving him, and now in this game we learn that his brother, his partner in crime, "died" in front of him. It makes sense why Nathan put so much of his identity into treasure hunting, why he was always so obsessed with it. Learning about history, seeking out adventure, all of that was all he'd ever known. It was his only tie to his past, to his mother, to his brother, to everything that had ever been important to him. It was his identity.
Until he met Elena, and began to mature, find more to life, and realize that he had nothing to prove (which we witness him learn throughout the first 3 games). He finally settles down and tries to move past his old life. But it's clear in the beginning of this game that he hasn't let go of it completely. His attic is his escape, his way of holding onto the past. He stares at the picture and daydreams about adventure. He still hasn't let go completely.
---Then we see Sam come barreling into his life. Sam hasn't had years to get over Avery's treasure, the way Nathan has. Sam is in the same place mentally that we say Nathan in during the first game. His identity is still in treasure hunting. He's held onto those plans that he and Nathan made so long ago, for 15 years. He feels like it's his only way to connect with Nathan. Like if they don't find the treasure, they've failed.
He's heard about Nathan's, his little brother, adventures. All the things that Nathan has been able to accomplish. And Sam feels like, in order to feel like the older brother, he has to lead Nathan on this grand adventure. It's like Nathan says, "why couldn't that be enough?" Why couldn't Sam let go of the treasure, why couldn't the adventure they had experienced be enough? Because Sam felt like if he didn't find the treasure, he would be a failure as a big brother, as a treasure hunter, and as a man. It's incredible the way Naughty Dog was able to bring him into the story, to mirror the Nathan Drake from the first few games, the Nathan Drake that he used to be.
---I also think it's incredible how many examples were provided to Nathan of what comes from an obsession with adventure. There are so many examples. The old lady, Evelyn, who was friends with his mother. You find a letter addressed to her, I believe from her sister, that makes it seem as though she has become alienated from her family. She skipped her father's funeral, and her sibling wants nothing to do with her. She's lost the people closest to her, and by the end of her life, all she has left are the adventures that she has to let go of. "Learning those old pirate's secrets is just one more thing I have to let go of. I guess there's a lot of things that I have to let go of." In the end, Evelyn was left alienated, alone, regretful, and unsatisfied. It's a clear parallel to Nathan, and what could happen to him.
Avery and Tew. Avery was so obsessed with the treasure, that he turned against his own right-hand-man. He started out with an entire colony of people, willing to follow him, standing by him. But he turned against and killed each and every one of them, and in the end, he and Tew simply killed each other. After everything that Avery went through for that treasure, it simply killed him. He had nobody and nothing.
And finally, Rafe. I think Rafe is the greatest example of this. Rafe is so obsessed with the treasure, that in the end, he is alone. He screwed thing up with Nadine, pissing her off, and in the end, she left him to his own devices because of his decisions. In Rafe's final moments, he had nobody else at his side. As he says, he "sacrificed everything" for this treasure. And it bites him in the ass. Nathan, on the other hand, has learned better. And in the end, he has Sam there to toss him the sword and help him win the fight. Rafe is alone, Nathan is not. And in the end, it's because Rafe let his obsession get the best of him. Thankfully, Nathan has learned better.
---Rafe. I think it's absolutely fascinating how his character played out. He basically turned into Avery. In the beginning, you could tell that he was bad news. Then he kills Vargas, and we get our first glimpse of the scariness lurking inside Rafe. Then we see him continuously be evil throughout the game, but he still seems like a ticking time bomb. Then the final scene comes along, and BOOM, the true Rafe finally shows himself.
He rambles on and on about Nathan's past adventures. Finally it's obvious just how much this guy hates Nathan's guts. This guy has spent 15 years of his life, with all the money and fortune that a person could need at his disposal, searching for Avery's treasure. And while he's had zero luck, Nathan has repeatedly had success after success. And the jealousy has been boiling up in Rafe for 15 years. He literally SHOT a person when they said that Nathan Drake was a legend. That's intense. And shows just how crazy Rafe has become. He would rather stay in the burning ship, instead of allow Nathan, or Sam, escape. His line 'i've had everything handed to me on a god d*amn silver platter" is so frightening. Here's a person with everything, and it's still not enough for him. He descends into madness just as much at Avery did.
---Avery. Oh my god. This was the most fascinating story that Uncharted has ever told. This storyline made me want to learn everything I could about pirates. About Libertalia, whether it existed or not. I don't think I've ever been so intrigued by the Uncharted lore. There was nothing supernatural about it, and there didn't need to be. The scene where Nate and Elena come to the front of New Devon, and find the remains of a massacre, are haunting. It's beautiful and awful all at the same time. And brings about an exchange that sent shivers up my spine.
"I have to wonder if this was always the plan."
"What...To slaughter all the colonists?"
"No...To lure them here in hopes of finding a utopia. Only to rob them of everything that they have."
My god. Forget the supernatural. You don't need it. You go through this game expecting to find, well, a pirate utopia. Just like the colonists did. And as you explore it further, you see it unravel. You start to see the darkness in the supposed haven. And then it hits you that this was probably always the plan. Avery's plan was probably always to end up being the sole owner of Libertalia's wealth. The utopia that Nathan, and so many others, have wondered about, was nothing but a death trap. I get shivers down my spine just thinking about it. Avery massacred EVERYONE. And then strung up their body parts in tunnels right below his mansion. Tied them up like mummies and left them to die. That is absolutely brutal. And yet somehow, so darn fascinating.
---The scene with the pirate captains sitting all at a table is absolutely haunting, too. As Nathan says, "these are some of histories greatest pirates, and they all perished in an instant." I love the reactions that this brings about in Nathan. He's clearly in awe, his fascination with history coming to life. He's so passionate about discovering what happened to these men. And Elena sees that.
When Elena says "it's incredible" to Nathan, I think she's seeing that passion in him. She loves his passion for history and adventure. It's a part of who he is, and he can't deny it, and neither can she. And it scares her. She doesn't know what it means for their relationship. But she knows that it's simply a part of him, and she loves it, even if it scares her. I think this was the moment that Elena realized that they oversteered in trying to live a normal life. This was the moment that she realized, adventure and history were a part of the fabric of Nathan's personality. And it was also a part of hers. She missed it just as much as he did. I think this moment, surrounded by dead pirates, is what triggered Elena's decision to buy the company for Nathan later on it the game.
This game is the second greatest game I've ever had the pleasure of playing, second only to The Last of Us. I believe it deserves to be game of the year. I think Naughty Dog deserves a standing ovation. They gave Uncharted the happy ending that it deserved. In fact I don't remember the last time I was this satisfied with an ending. It made me nostalgic, is made me emotional, it made me happy, it did everything that an ending to a series should do. It did the older games justice, and paid Nathan Drake, and the other characters, the respect they deserved.
Well, I think I've sufficiently written an essay. And if anyone reads this essay, feel free to respond. I always get super interested in good storylines, and finding all these super intense details that others might not care about. Let me know if you agree with any of my points, or have any other thoughts on this!

[–] uzair-36867 8 years ago

Im gonna take my time reading this, because im yet to play the game after my exams and feel it may become the best game ive ever played (which is currently Uncharted 2).

[–] sugarkitty-81195 8 years ago

Haha definitely wait. My post is mostly ramblings, just random thoughts that I had about the game. Lots of spoilers, lots of random points that you might not even find interesting! But good luck playing the game, take your time with it and enjoy every moment of it!

[–] uzair-36867 8 years ago

Then i wont read it right now i guess :) do not want spoilers

[–] Hannibal_Manhunter89 8 years ago

1. Uncharted: Drake's Fortune
2. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
3. Uncharted 4: A Thief's End
4. Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception
5. Uncharted: Golden Abyss

[–] Ciaobaby-Rides-Again 8 years ago

I've just about wrapped up my third play-through of this game on "hard" (which isn't).

First off: Make no mistake; I am so very grateful that I get another outing with Nate and Co. But it saddens me that it couldn't have been better. I missed Chloe and Charlie. They should have been in on the franchise finale. I missed Sully, too. He deserved a bigger role. Instead, he was shoved aside for most of the game to make room for a new character that we're supposed to accept as an old character. I mean, come on.

Yes, the graphics are improved. Yes, there's more world to explore (until we take the time to explore it). Yes, the playing time is expanded. But - short of dismissing all of that as nothing more than lipstick on a pig - I have to point out that underneath it all, the story is kind of flat and cliched. It was supposed to be exciting.

The game attempts to drop us into the action in media res, but the opening scene lacks the energy, tension, shock, and urgency that U2 delivered with its memorable train wreck sequence. It's followed by too many early noncritical segments that suck away the game's initial momentum before it's had a chance to actually establish any momentum.

And all in the name of setting up two of the game's intrusive and unlikely premises:

- the deus ex machina revelation that Nate's past (and, it would follow, the specific surrogate familial relationship between Nate and Sully that has always underscored Nate's story and his character) has always been misunderstood and misrepresented through an act of narrative omission all along, and

- after three years (that's right, isn't it? only three years?), both Nate's and Elena's lives and interests have lost all meaning, motivation, and momentum.

While I don't think either premise should have been necessary for a good game, the latter - especially - seemed wasteful and bothersome. Distracting and unnecessary. And I won't bother complaining about product placement, other than to say it's not subtle and makes me think of the early seasons of Hawaii Five-O.

It takes forever for U4 to find its stride and direction. We're in a boat. We're in an orphanage. We're in a prison. We're at work. We're playing Crash Bandicoot. We're in Scotland. We're back at the orphanage. No, we're back in prison.

We're getting old. And we're still waiting for the plot to find itself and really start moving forward.

And that's before it slows down and starts looking for its keys, again. There are far too many "we get it" moments cluttering the first third of the game. The prison-break segments are fun (it's a Panamanian jail, get it?), but Sam's escape scene is a wtf moment that belongs in the video game annals (I nearly went with "anal" - that's how strongly I feel about this). Because it doesn't actually happen. Sam made the episode up.

This may not bother the casual gamer, but it's a real problem in terms of writing. Sam may be an unreliable narrator, but the presentation of his fictional account of his escape as a playable game segment at the same level as every "real" event in the game is clumsy narration. It's contrived. Characters are allowed to lie, but when the "lie" is presented as a part of the larger narrative, then it's not the character but the game that's lying. I don't think they spent much time pondering that, and that's part of my problem with the game. Uncharted has never been guilty of excess. Or of sloppy writing or craftsmanship. It's always been tight and focussed. Before this.

Whatever.

I've been informed that the team running this production were committed to making Nate's final adventure a "more mature" event. Hence, they replaced the X-Files-style critters and plot twists with sophomoric soap opera. That's not mature. That's what an immature audience imagines mature looks like.

Frankly, Nate and Elena and Sully deserved better. They deserved expert pacing, climbing tension and suspense, breathtaking action, brilliant dialogue, original setpieces ...

And tighter editing.

They deserved it. And so did we.