"Uncharted 4: A Thief's End" - Review

IGoodbye Nathan Drake

What kind of legacy do you want to leave behind? What is the history you want to create?

I do not normally review video games. To put it simply, the reason is that I do not have enough time to keep up with new releases, or the money for that matter. I also just do not have much experience critiquing games, despite being a gamer all my life. However, Uncharted 4: A Thief's End is a different kind of game for me. This is a series that I have been playing for nearly 10 years now and I consider it a big part of who I am today as far as movie and video game taste goes, as well as storytelling sensibilities when I work on my original writing projects. I have been following the development of Uncharted 4 for almost 5 years now with much anticipation, especially with the knowledge that it was going to wrap up the story of one of the best modern characters. Two months ago, I eagerly pre-ordered the giant Libertalia collector's edition for the game and this week I finally got it in my begging hands. It sort of became the reason why I was late on my Captain America: Civil War review (which you can now read here). After sitting down and playing the game almost completely uninterrupted all the way though, I can safely say that Uncharted 4: A Thief's End is not only the best Uncharted game, but a new standard for video game writing and design on level with Naughty Dog's also excellent The Last of Us.

Uncharted 4: A Thief's End picks up roughly three years after the events of Drake's Deception with a now married Nathan Drake living a "normal" life with Elena Fisher. They have vowed to leave their dangerous lives behind and set up more traditional roots. They are happily married, but Nathan is still unfulfilled. He misses the life he used to lead, but he respects the life he currently has. In comes Sam, Nathan's long lost brother who was believed to be dead. Sam becomes the catalyst for a series of events and circumstances that gets Nathan back into the treasure hunting game, complete with new adversaries racing to get to it first just like old times. However, the stakes are a lot more personal this time and it quickly becomes a game of life and death  that challenges who Nathan Drake is and what he has now become as a man with a troubled history.

In case you could not tell, this is a slightly darker and more melancholy Uncharted experience. Neil Druckmann, the director of The Last of Us, stepped in for Amy Hennig for this final game and it shows. There is a great deal of complexity to the plot and characters this time around and it is generally a slower and more somber story. There are still some amazing set pieces and unexpected action, but there is more weight to the proceedings to say the least. I believe this is the best thing about the game. Uncharted 1-3 almost works as a prologue to this game. They were always a little slack in substance, but full of colorful and likable characters. They work as pulpy adventure stories of the grandest scale, often with the "fate of the world" in the balance. The third one teased more emotional complexity by showing some back story to Nathan and Victor Sullivan that worked well, but is only a small taste of the developments in number four. A Thief's End draws its intrigue and thrills from a more grounded and personal stakes that have more urgency to them than any of the previous games. The original trilogy works as an introduction to Nathan Drake's character and the much more human story that the final game tells and it is all the more riveting because of it. The fact that the three original games are now available as a single package to play before A Thief's End is perfect in my opinion because it feels like a two act story by that perspective. You have the adventures and then you have the emotional fallout during one last ride.

The writing and performances by the very capable cast are elevated to another level here with many moments of subtle poignancy. There is a remarkable exploration of what it means to have a history and to have a family, as well as the dangers of greed while searching the meaning of an individual life that gives the story food for thought that works incredibly well. This is also conveyed through a deeply developed backstory behind the treasure that you are seeking involving pirate captain Henry Avery that you also get to discover throughout the game by finding old letters and observing your environment. Both of these things make every sequence where the action picks up and the sh*t hits the fan all the more engaging and intense. As a player, you have a hand in the progress of this story and the game rewards you for it. There are some lines of dialogue that are meant for Nathan Drake, but also work as a meta-commentary for the player as well. I will not spoil anything about the final couple of levels of the game or the fun Easter Eggs and callbacks that you are able to discover in the game, but know that they are rather unexpected and provide a great deal of context for how Naughty Dog studios views the fans that made their success possible. 

The gameplay carries over from the previous games impeccably, but with a weight that feels amazing. The original trilogy often felt a little "floaty"in the way that combat and exploration felt. This time around, guns feel weighty and have true impact. One of the best things I noticed are grenades. In past games, they were strong but often felt more like firecrackers or something similar. In A Thief's End, grenades explode with a vicious bite with realistic fire effects and real damage done to the environment around you. Instead of just being loud noise, they have created a power of their own and they drastically change the feel of firefights, as well as how you encounter them. The game also honored the roots of the original game by taking away the ability to toss back grenades toward enemies and it is more intense as a result. Every time one went off, the hair on the back of my neck rose and shivers went down my spine.

The look of the game is astounding. My jaw dropped almost every moment whenever something new appeared on screen. Environments and weather effects are gorgeous and affecting. Character animations are detailed and full of personality. There is a level of gritty realism to go along with the beauty that makes the game look like a piece of art in every frame. This impressive appearance goes hand in hand with the gameplay. Just shooting guns or swinging from ropes feel more real and consequential and it changed the way I played the game. It all feels and looking incredible. It is almost hard to believe what the team at Naughty Dog was able to accomplish. This is a whole other stratosphere of game design that no other team working today has come close to.

Does the game work well as a conclusion for the series? Absolutely. It covers new ground while also remembering what made the original games work so well. Every character reaches the end point they were destined for in meaningful ways. The gameplay and graphics are in a masterclass of design and ambition. It is a poignant and exciting little bow on the story of Uncharted that is actually quite overwhelming and emotional knowing that this is truly the end. To everyone at Naughty Dog, congratulations on the incredible work on this series over the years. I am excited to see what you do next.

To Nathan Drake: Thank you for taking us along on your adventures. They are priceless memories formed over years that I will not forget. It has truly been an amazing journey and A Thief's End is the treasure at the end of it.

Grade: A+.

Uncharted 4: A Thief's End is now available from your favorite retailer and digitally.

Do you have any suggestions for other games for me to review? Let me know on Reddit or in the comments down below! I would love to hear from you!