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Uncharted 4: A Thief's End

When I was 11 years of age, playing video games was the one thing that I cared most about. I was in elementary school, I didn't care about girls, I was not social every day, I didn't know what I wanted with my life, and I didn't know too much about the world around me. What kept me truly sane during times of grueling math-tests and the like, was video games. Whether I was playing Pokémon on my GameBoy or Shadow of the Colossus on the PS2, they were there for me right there from the start, to provide me with an escape from the trivial, the ordinary, the predictable. Games gave me the opportunity to enjoy the trials and tribulations of others, and they even had the good graces to take me along for the ride!

My passion for this wonderful medium reached new heights when I got the PlayStation 3 for Christmas in 2007, and just a few weeks later, I received Uncharted: Drake's Fortune for my birthday. As my first game with a rating of 16+ and a promise of a treasure hunt in an exotic jungle on the back of the cover, I was beyond excited - and I was not disappointed. The first adventure of Nathan Drake was stunningly beautiful at the time, fast-paced, exciting, challenging for an 11-year old, clever, and quite funny. As the years passed, a thoroughly strong love for this series and for the developers, Naughty Dog, followed.

It is weird then, to think that we have reached this point. The year is 2016, the young lad you read about in the opening paragraphs is now 20 years of age, a bit less of a video gamer perhaps, but no less fond of Naughty Dog. They very recently released their fourth helping of treasure hunting with Nathan Drake, but the difference this time around is that this is the last one. With Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, the geniuses over at Naughty Dog have officially ended their over a decade-worth's work on this marvelous series. Whether their next project will be a new IP or the highly-anticipated sequel to one of the best games of all time, The Last of Us, the fact of the matter remains - Nathan Drake will not be part of their ventures.
I began the game with different emotions than the ones I usually have when starting a Naughty Dog-game; the excitement was there, the drooling from my mouth was there, but it was also an added sense of melancholy and, dare I say it, deep sadness. That is how much this series has come to mean to me throughout the years, and I while I was confident that Naughty Dog would deliver a supreme game, I just hoped I would feel it was a worthy send-off for Nathan Drake.

I literally just finished the game, I am writing my thoughts as I have them, but I can happily say that Naughty Dog not only delivered a game worthy of the Uncharted-brand - they exceeded all my expectations and once again delivered a truly spectacular game that shows how much they as developers have matured with this series. It is not quite as good as The Last of Us - although it would quite frankly be unfair to expect it to be - but that doesn't remove any of its merit, because Uncharted 4 has a lot of them. It is exciting, tense, dark, clever, explosive, grim, funny, atmospheric, gorgeous and unexpectedly emotional. It is a completely unforgettable experience that warrants a perfect score - a 10 out of 10.

The important element of gameplay that I feel is crucial to discuss when it comes to Uncharted 4, is the fact that it has DNA from The Last of Us all over it. There are times that this game feels more like a fusion of the two titles than anything else, as it works with elements introduced with the post-apocalyptic adventure that fundamentally changes how the game plays. As of such, it has drawn criticism from fans for not feeling like Uncharted after all, and that Neill Druckmann and Bruce Straley, the game directors, borrowed too much from their previous title. Although I understand where they're coming from, I could not disagree more.

There is no doubt about it, however - Uncharted 4 feels different than the others in the series. It is more slow-paced in comparison, there is less gunfights, and there is more focus on dialogue, character interactions, and story. The easygoing nature of the previous games, that emphasized style over substance, were indeed subjects for my praise, and still are, but this is admittedly much more to my liking. This is Naughty Dog perfectly blending style and substance. The set-pieces are there, the intense action, the exhilarating moments of Drake defying death again and again in the most spectacular ways, but they are perfectly balanced by chapters of nothing happening but exploring, conversing with your partner, finding notes and the like. And not only that - the mood is darker, the characterizations are more nuanced, and the story is very well-done, carrying on the trend of improving the story-component for every game in the series.

And speaking of the story - although it is a treasure hunt, like we are used to by this point, what makes this story stand out so much, and elevates the game above and beyond the other Uncharted-games, is the relationship between Drake and his brother Sam. I was worried that one game was not a long enough time to establish a relationship with this character, since I would be too focused on Nathan, Sully, Elena - like I've always been. But what this game does so brilliantly is that it cuts out all the unnecessary additions of side-characters we've seen in the past, and focused squarely on the characters you care about. And Sam is a fantastic partner to Nathan, who Naughty Dog manages to establish fully, and Troy Baker, the voice actor, gives plenty of charm and character. By the end of the game, I could not imagine an Uncharted-game without him, quite simply. As for the story itself? The less said about that the better, because Naughty Dog has truly spared no expense with their final chapter. It is long, exciting, rewarding, thoroughly emotional and keeps you at the edge of your seat - or with your hands firmly grasped around your controller, to be more appropriate.

Remember before when I mentioned that this game as Last of Us-DNA flowing through its veins? Well, that statement holds true in many ways. First of all, the whole game is a lot more open and expansive than before. Like The Last of Us, you are always walking towards a set goal, but the world provides you with plenty of options to stay of the beaten path and run somewhere else and explore. This makes the game feel different than before, like I've mentioned, but I also feel it vastly improves the Uncharted-formula we've grown accustomed to. It made me feel like a bit of a treasure hunter myself, because I was constantly scouring the area, trying to find treasures, lost letters, or notes for Drake's diary. This adds for a thoroughly more rewarding and long-lasting gameplay - I spent under 10 hours for Drake's other adventures, if I remember correctly, but I spent a total of 21 hours with this installment! So if you want a piece of advice from me, always look for distractions to add to the experience, and optional conversations that pop up with a button prompt - they add a lot to the overall experience.

The expansive nature of the environment also adds for some truly terrific shoot-outs. Although there are fewer of them this time around, they all feel different because of the many options you have. If you are like me, who tries to tread stealthily, there are plenty of ways to play around with that style of play. There are different routes, different levels, etc - all add up to form a tense and exciting style of action. And, like always, if you have to go guns blazing, the firefights are always hectic and, in short, a blast to go through. And, with the fact that these particular sequences are fewer, but more open and expanded, they feel more satisfying and rewarding after the final mercenary has been dealt with - or avoided. And the set-pieces, the moments that feel like you are in a Hollywood blockbuster, are back, and with a big, loud bang. Although nothing in here can beat the plane-sequence from Uncharted 3 in terms of scale, there are moments here that are truly dazzling, and that left me stunned and with my jaw dropped to floor. Moments like that is what makes Uncharted.....Uncharted, and while much of this game feels different and rejuvenated, Naughty Dog certainly hasn't forgot that fundamental element.

And of course - you cannot write about a Naughty Dog game without talking about the one thing that is undeniably part of their DNA - they make the most technically superior games for any home console. They have harvested the heightened power of the PlayStation 4 this time around, and nothing I say can justify the result. This game is so stunningly beautiful that I spent over two hours of my playtime standing perfectly still on the ground, just gazing into the environment. Whether in an ocean, in a cave, in a lush jungle, in a fancy, uptight building, Scottish highlands, you will be constantly impressed by what Naughty Dog has achieved, and it makes you wonder how they are the only ones capable of actually doing this. No other developer has design like this, and the graphical fidelity to pull it off. It is, quite simply, unparalleled. The open, expansive nature I mentioned earlier makes the graphics stand out even more, as there is a lot more than just a straight path to follow, and there is a time where you sense Naughty Dog has slacked off. It is absolutely gorgeous. The lighting in particular should be singled out for praise. Also, equally as important in creating a believable world, is the great voice acting. Nolan North, Troy Baker, Emily Rose and Richard McGonagle truly make their characters of Nate, Sam, Elena and Sully into believable, well-realized people that is a key reason as to why you forge such a tight bond with them. In addition, the music this time around is at its best, and adds the appropriate tone to any setting.

Well, I think I've gone on enough. I've shared some thoughts on what I deemed important to discuss. I bet you are thinking that all I do is singing Naughty Dog's praises, and this was nothing but a post of me refusing to see or write about criticism. And you might be correct. Because when it comes to Naughty Dog, I saw the light back in 2007 and have never looked back. I really do think they make the best games on the market these days, and they have done nothing but build upon that belief with this absolutely tremendous game. This is a massive achievement that can't be overlooked, and even though there may be occasional camera problems and silly nitpicking like that, they make no difference to me. I write this caringly about Uncharted 4 because I think it is a downright masterpiece. It has galvanized the Uncharted-formula and infused some new features, added to the scope and expanded the areas you play in. It has put a focus on story and characterization, which shines through in the gameplay just as much as the cut-scenes. It is darker, more grounded, more unpredictable, more clever, and much more fun to play - which I didn't think was possible. It is charming, sad, funny, nostalgic, tense and gorgeous. But the highest praise I can offer this game is that is it made me think back to those days in 2007, playing Drake's first adventure, and falling in love with the series, and it made me fall in love all over again.

It is the reason why I play video games.

Samlet karakter: 10/10
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