[EDIT: ok here's an actual review instead of a dumb joke]
so awhile ago youtube randomly recommended this trailer (youtube.com/watch?v=BD9dJZ6Dgx4) for this game that I hadn't seen before, even back when I was a hype teenager that was scouring for every piece of early footage I could in hot anticipation of this game. the funny thing is, this 30 second ad now means more to me than every single cinematic showcase Naughty Dog did this for any of their games.
it got me emotional, man -- emotional! for the action mcshooter dude that fits the generic protagonist formula so goddamn well you can easily predict most of his upcoming one liners with ease. or at least, you used to. in this game, Nate feels wholly aware of himself. aware that there is little heroism in his past adventures. aware that the allure of 'greatness' isn't something he can shrug off as easily as he promised he could. and aware that, in spite of all that, he is still tied those obsessions no matter what he does.
Nate's still jokey and overly confident at times, but that's because he's high on the nostalgia of being reunited with his brother who, ironically, fits Nate's old archetype better than the man himself does now, after three games worth (Golden Abyss is not real) of these shenanigans.
what I'm trying to say is that it's very obvious ND respects Nate as a character in this one. not that I'm implying they didn't before but they got better at it. better enough to dedicate a significant chunk of the game's marketing to Nathan Drake himself rather than rather than the usual stunts and extreme action segments that sold prior games.
so what I'm really trying to say here is that they should have done a second Subway promotion for this one.
anything else I can tell you about Uncharted 4 has already been said a thousand times over by now. the game shows a vast improvement of all the gameplay mechanics and aspects of Among Thieves' that felt somewhat stagnant in Drake's Deception. the new approach to shooting -- giving the player a minimalist UI, but one precise enough to tell you exactly where your shots are going and when a bullet kills -- was the right move. they actually did the grappling hook justice by making it a dynamic thing usable in combat. everything feels well paced. soundtrack leaves a hell of a bigger impression on you than any of the previous games. it just feels like the perfect culmination of the series overall.
I'm gonna remember this one, and I'm gonna miss Nate. I suppose if ND ever decide to bring this series back they easily could using Sam or [SPOILER CHARACTER] but I'm just as happy to leave it be. replaying this series with friends was definitely one of the smarter decisions I made this year.
so awhile ago youtube randomly recommended this trailer (youtube.com/watch?v=BD9dJZ6Dgx4) for this game that I hadn't seen before, even back when I was a hype teenager that was scouring for every piece of early footage I could in hot anticipation of this game. the funny thing is, this 30 second ad now means more to me than every single cinematic showcase Naughty Dog did this for any of their games.
it got me emotional, man -- emotional! for the action mcshooter dude that fits the generic protagonist formula so goddamn well you can easily predict most of his upcoming one liners with ease. or at least, you used to. in this game, Nate feels wholly aware of himself. aware that there is little heroism in his past adventures. aware that the allure of 'greatness' isn't something he can shrug off as easily as he promised he could. and aware that, in spite of all that, he is still tied those obsessions no matter what he does.
Nate's still jokey and overly confident at times, but that's because he's high on the nostalgia of being reunited with his brother who, ironically, fits Nate's old archetype better than the man himself does now, after three games worth (Golden Abyss is not real) of these shenanigans.
what I'm trying to say is that it's very obvious ND respects Nate as a character in this one. not that I'm implying they didn't before but they got better at it. better enough to dedicate a significant chunk of the game's marketing to Nathan Drake himself rather than rather than the usual stunts and extreme action segments that sold prior games.
so what I'm really trying to say here is that they should have done a second Subway promotion for this one.
anything else I can tell you about Uncharted 4 has already been said a thousand times over by now. the game shows a vast improvement of all the gameplay mechanics and aspects of Among Thieves' that felt somewhat stagnant in Drake's Deception. the new approach to shooting -- giving the player a minimalist UI, but one precise enough to tell you exactly where your shots are going and when a bullet kills -- was the right move. they actually did the grappling hook justice by making it a dynamic thing usable in combat. everything feels well paced. soundtrack leaves a hell of a bigger impression on you than any of the previous games. it just feels like the perfect culmination of the series overall.
I'm gonna remember this one, and I'm gonna miss Nate. I suppose if ND ever decide to bring this series back they easily could using Sam or [SPOILER CHARACTER] but I'm just as happy to leave it be. replaying this series with friends was definitely one of the smarter decisions I made this year.