Replaying this via the PS5 re-release has been a great reminder that Uncharted 4 is VERY much the crown jewel of the Uncharted series.
The set pieces, the action and the plot are all better than they've ever been because they are all fueled by extremely strong character motivations. I think that's the main thing that sets UC4 apart. Drake has always been this quipy hero but A Thief's End gives a lot of weight to his actions and make him more complex in a way that shouldn't work but absolutely does. Likewise, Sam, Nadine and Rafe are all excellent additions and fit right in with the rest of the cast. Sam especially grew on me to the point where he's up there beside Sully and Elena as one of my favourite side characters in the series.
The developers do such a good job of adding all these new things that shake things up while also reinvigorating the core gameplay (Stealth actually works now!!). And they achieve it all while making UC4 so faithful and true to Uncharted. It's an absolute miracle this game turned out this good despite the development hell behind the scenes.
There's maybe one bad section in the game (fuck you exploding mummies) but otherwise Uncharted 4 is absolutely stellar from beginning to end. A Thief's End sets a high bar for third person action games that I feel most games not made by Naughty Dog still can't reach in 2022.
The set pieces, the action and the plot are all better than they've ever been because they are all fueled by extremely strong character motivations. I think that's the main thing that sets UC4 apart. Drake has always been this quipy hero but A Thief's End gives a lot of weight to his actions and make him more complex in a way that shouldn't work but absolutely does. Likewise, Sam, Nadine and Rafe are all excellent additions and fit right in with the rest of the cast. Sam especially grew on me to the point where he's up there beside Sully and Elena as one of my favourite side characters in the series.
The developers do such a good job of adding all these new things that shake things up while also reinvigorating the core gameplay (Stealth actually works now!!). And they achieve it all while making UC4 so faithful and true to Uncharted. It's an absolute miracle this game turned out this good despite the development hell behind the scenes.
There's maybe one bad section in the game (fuck you exploding mummies) but otherwise Uncharted 4 is absolutely stellar from beginning to end. A Thief's End sets a high bar for third person action games that I feel most games not made by Naughty Dog still can't reach in 2022.