Here's a hot take: I don't like this game very much. I think the story makes a lot of mistakes. The extremely slow pacing at times, Elena basically teleporting to Madagascar just for the argument scene to happen, Sam Drake basically being the villain of the entire thing and facing little to no consequences for his actions, there's a lot wrong here. Even Sam's lie is absolutely atrocious. The fact that a literal Google search could've derailed his whole plan yet Sully and Nate still fall for his ruse is SO FUCKING STUPID. Not to mention, Nadine, a character who serves as a sort of big adversary for Drake, is extremely underutilized and plays little to no role in the story. And it doesn't end there. The game doesn't understand what tone it's trying to go for. Is it trying to take on a more gritty, Last of Us-like approach for Nate's final adventure by portraying our beloved characters as grey, heavily toning down some of its usual over-the-top antics, and making Nathan Drake's last adventure an introspective character study? Or is it trying to be an over-the-top, action romp that indulges on its unrealistic, action blockbuster style to wrap up the character's story with a fun final adventure? I CAN'T ANSWER THIS FOR YOU BECAUSE EVEN THE GAME DOESN'T KNOW. Druckmann and Straley couldn't make up their mind on whether they wanted this to be a Last of Us game or an Uncharted game, so instead we get this weird mishmash of ideas that work against each other. Not only that, but it negatively impacts the game's pacing. Uncharted games are known for being fast-paced and featuring a ton of action, and this game doesn't have that. Rather, it slows things down to make the game's story more cinematic, with a ton of dialogue, cutscenes, and way too much parkour. The combat, which is also watered down from Uncharted 3, isn't present for long enough to balance this, so most times you're doing mundane things like slowly driving up a muddy hill after tying a winch around a tree or jumping onto something to balance a beam Elena can cross and it really just serves to pad out the runtime and nothing more. These moments have little to nothing memorable about them and make the game feel like busy work, and although I thought this was in service for a more grounded Uncharted game, the game then goes on to create some of the most bombastic, unrealistic setpieces in series history. And although I should've been enjoying these moments, they actually made me livid. If you were capable of creating such sequences this entire time, WHY ARE THEY BARELY IN THE GAME?

Now that all of my complaints are out of the way, let me explain why the game still has a solid score. The game gives Nathan Drake an incredible sendoff. The ending of this game alone is a 10/10 and had me in tears. Nate risking his life one last time to save someone he cares about rather than for the treasure was an incredible conclusion to his arc in this game. Speaking of which, I love how the game uses its theme of obsession to drag Nate back to the life he once missed. Not only that, but how the trail to Henry Avery's treasure shows the outcome of that very obsession, with Tew and Avery's past mirroring Nate, Sam, and Rafe. It's genius and although not everything the story attempts to do succeeds, this does. The graphics are absolutely incredible and the production's high quality is undeniable. Despite my complaints about the game's slower moments, I think one segment of the game is incredible, and that's Chapter 12. They give you an entire island to explore to your heart's content, but unlike the other open areas of the game, this one isn't hollow and actually has a ton of things to see. Not only that, but the game lets you find your own way to your destination, respecting the player's intelligence and letting them take the wheel for once. It's one of my favorite chapters in the entire game. Rafe is a pretty good antagonist as well due to his history with the Drake brothers and the fact that he's just an ordinary rich guy who wants the treasure for glory just like everyone else in the business. The simplicity of his character is what makes him stand out in a series known for cartoonishly evil villains. Hell, there was a moment where he even made Nate and Sam look like the villains later in the game. I wish he had more screentime (it would've easily filled in some of the boring patches of the game) but to be fair, there wasn't a lot to his character either, so I'm actually okay with the decision of letting him take a backseat for most of the game. I thought the first 7 chapters and the last 4 chapters were incredible. The game has a very strong beginning and end. Chapter 21 was another highlight, showing us how much better the game would've been if they had used the grappling hook and parkour segments to their fullest potential. And finally, the setpieces. As much as they take a backseat in this game, the few times they are here leave a mark. The entirety of Chapter 20 is one of my favorite segments of all time. The car chase is an incredible evolution of the convoy segments of 2 and 3. The adrenaline of Chapter 15's ambush reminded me of what this franchise is capable of. We needed more of that.

In conclusion, this game is a mess but its heart is in the right place, and that's what saves this game. That and the Multiplayer and Survival modes, they are awesome. Fighting Henry Avery as a Djinn while playing as Charlie Cutter? Sign me the fuck up.