Once again I’m back, and this time I am looking into and discussing one of my favorite franchises in all of gaming; the Uncharted series. I will be honest with you, at this stage in my life I knew in 2013 when the new consoles were announced, I would only be picking up either a PS4 or an Xbox One. So I had to think hard about which would be better for me. I came to the conclusion I would have to let the exclusives of each console be the deciding factor. Uncharted almost by itself is the reason I have a PS4. So now that I have beaten the latest (possibly greatest) of the Uncharted games, I’ve decided it would be a great time to make this franchise the latest addition to the “Fear’s Thoughts” blog.
Before I go into each game, I wanted to spend a little bit of time talking about what makes this series as a whole so amazing. See, my friends will tell you, I want a great story out of a game, not just great gameplay. I’ll even play a game with crappy controls and gameplay if the story is great (I played and beat Batman: Dark Tomorrow just to finish the story). This franchise has 4 great self-contained stories, and an amazingly mature over-arching storyline as well. Each game has its own great adventure story, but when you put them all together, you get the story of Nathan Drake and his obsession to find the next be treasure. The way this happens is by the amazing non-cliché relationships in these games. Naughty Dog has really pushed story-telling in games with just the relationships in this series, something that bled into The Last of Us, and was perfected in A Thief’s End. Now, let’s look at the games in order of release. When I get through that, I’ll tell you how I would rank the games in the series. Now just a heads up, there may be some spoilers.
Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune
Now right off the bat, the first thing I remember about this game is the graphics. I had just spent almost 2 years in the 7th generation, but these graphics blew me away. Understand, this is not knocking the 360, but just talking about how much of a step up in graphics Uncharted was. I remember just having Drake run in water, and how I was in awe that only the parts of him that went in the water were wet, and how it dried. Unless I’m wrong, I can’t think of any game at that time that was doing little touches like that. I’m not a guy that gets hung up on graphics, or expects the best, I honestly can’t tell you what framerate a game is running at, but this game blew me away.
The story surprised me at how non-cliché it was. I remember thinking in the beginning how much I liked Sully and it sucked you could clearly see he was going to betray Drake after he returns later in the game. But no, he is one of Drake’s closest allies. Then there is Elena, who is the romance of the series. Not only does she not have the typical comically huge boobs, but she also isn’t a damsel in distress. The wise cracking, the jokes, and the conversations you have in this game, are so rooted in what real people would say and feel, that you can’t help but love these characters. Sure, the zombies or cursed enemies at the end somewhat go against the tone of the game up to that point, but they still fit and add a new challenge to the game.
The gameplay is great and when combined with the adventure style story, it’s like a popcorn action movie. In fact a few months after I had beaten this game, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was released. Being a huge Indiana Jones fan (what kid from the early 80’s wasn’t) I watched the flick. Of course as a gamer that had me wanting to dust off the old Indiana Jones PS2 game I had. Here’s the thing, when that game first released in 2003 I loved it and played it several times over the next few years. Well I popped it in, but all I could think about was how better Uncharted was at capturing the feel of an Indiana Jones adventure. Uncharted out Indiana Jones’d an Indiana Jones game! Of course there was about 5 years and a huge leap in technology involved, but it shows you how great Uncharted is in regards to nailing the adventure style.
For this game, I have to rate it a solid 9.0. Back when it released I would have given it higher, maybe 9.25. This is also the only Uncharted game I have ever fully played 2 times. Once when I bought it, about half after the Indiana movie, and then it was the first game I played through when trophies dropped.
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
When you make a sequel to a game, the goal is to make it bigger and better, keep what works, and improve what doesn’t. Naughty Dog achieved this with Uncharted 2. Not just in the gameplay or the action. Yes, they went bigger, the opening train sequence was amazing, as was later in the game when you play out the whole scenario; but they also really made sure the story was bigger, they built up Sully and Drake’s relationship, started pointing out Drake’s obsession with the chase of treasure, and most importantly for the series, brought back Elena and continued make a real chemistry between them. She wasn’t just some girl for the first game, this was going to be the anchor to Drake. By the end of this game, you were rooting for them to be together, and to stay together in the next games.
Like I said everything was improved. They added a stealth mechanic to the game that worked well, though not really used. They also made hand to hand combat an option. The environments stay amazing, with huge temples to explore, cities, and snow covered mountains as well. The Jokes in the game were funny as well, standing out from the previous games. I still have a laugh when I think about the final line of the game…clowns haha!
This was also the game in the series that really pushed its set pieces. As mentioned, there is an amazing train sequence in the game. It’s a testament to how well it’s done that it in included in the game as a prologue and again in its spot in the story. Before that, the train vs helicopter sequence is one of the most exciting in all of gaming.
What I loved about this game as well is that the treasure you were looking for had some supernatural elements to it, but also had a grounded feel to it. There was a great sense of mystery to the treasure as well.
Overall I’d have to give this game a 9.5, it is damn near perfection. If there is any fault in this game, and series, it’s that the enemies can be bullet sponges, which while making the shootouts more dramatic, also can lead to frustration.
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception
The other relationship of the game is Elena and Drake’s. You find out that after the events of Uncharted 2, they were married, but somewhere along the way separated. I mentioned before about how Drake’s love of the chase when it comes to treasure had been mentioned, well here it is brought out in the open. The love he has for the chase has caused his marriage to be on the verge of failing, and once you meet up with Elena, there is an odd tension where you can tell they both want to be with each other, but Drake’s obsession is coming between them. What I love about it, is that it feels natural. Luckily by the end of the game, Drake is able to mend things, and you finally get the sense that Drake and Elena will have that happy every after life you wanted for them.
They upped the set pieces in this game as well, with 2 major ones sticking out in my mind. First you will find yourself on a cruise ship that becomes damaged and begins to sink, leaving you rushing out. This combines gunfights and platforming, plus the tension of getting out before you drown. Then later in the game is the scene that most of the advertising was base on, and that’s you fighting your way out of a crashing cargo plane. This is a great scene, both are really, but the plane scene sets up a dessert scene that is just beautiful to look at.
Speaking of that, again the graphics are amazing in this game. They also had plenty of varied environments in the game as well. There is a Syrian castle, an old mansion (that gets set on fire), a market place, and a dessert. All have a great look, and all help make this feel like a worldly adventure.
The gameplay is as great as ever. This series does a great job with pacing so that you don’t feel like you are platforming too long, or just in one shootout after another. I did still seem to have an issue with enemies becoming bullet sponges, something that made the pirate level hell. In fact that one level has been my excuses for why I felt like Uncharted 2 was slightly better game.
Overall I’d have to give this game a 9.25. Again, if the enemies were not bullet sponges, or at least they had been toned down in that one area, this would rival Uncharted 2. But this is still an amazing game, and not a disappointment in the least.
Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
So here we are, the final game in the series. Could it possibly live up to the hype it got, or be as good as the previous 3? Would it be a fitting end to the series and the story? I can honestly say it is. I won’t go into too many story detail, since this is still fresh, but the story is great. It has great mystery, tension, and adventure elements in it. What makes the story so well done, is while they do pull the “hey look, it’s the brother never mentioned in the last games who you thought was dead, but he is alive” card, Sam fits in with the story the franchise has been telling.
The story starts off and you see Drake in a normal 9-5, even turning down a chance at adventure, as he is trying to keep his promise to Elena and stay out of dangerous situations. But you can just tell (with one scene really driving the fact home) that Drake misses the chase. I’ve never felt like Drake cared that much for the treasure outside of the first game, but more the chase. The idea he can find this lost city or whatever it may be, not so much getting rich or famous is what drives Drake. So when Sam enters the picture, with a chance to find a treasure they have been chasing since they were kids, and also has a reason why Drake has to help him, Drake jumps on it. The catch to this is Drake lies to Elena to protect her in his mind, only for her to find out and almost loses her. You can tell in the beginning of the quest, he is enjoying it for that simple chase of the treasure I talked about. Later in the game his reason for being on the trip is challenged, and you get several scenes and moments of Drake realizing what his obsession with treasure hunting is costing him. For the first time, you can tell he understands that he wants Elena more than the chase. Sam on the other hand, is still where Drake was and is willing to risk it all just to have the chance to find the treasure.
While Sully is in the game, his relationship with Drake takes a backseat to Elena and Sam. This is a good idea, as we have seen why Sully and Drake have the connection they do in the previous game. Sam is great because I thought going into it, Sam would end up an enemy, but no, just a somewhat troubled brother who cares about Drake. Elena and Drake also have a great ending to the story that fits them. The story also ends with an epilogue that accomplishes two things for the story. First we see what the future holds for everyone, and secondly its Naughty Dogs’ way of saying this is the end of the Uncharted franchise. I compare it to the ending of a TV show like Friends; it’s sad it’s over, but the ending was great, wrapped up the story, and leaves us satisfied as far as the story goes.
The only real negative I have about the story, is that there are 1 too many “Sorry but the princess is in another castle” moments when it comes to where the treasure is located. I have no issue going to different places, I have no issue with the length of the game, I just felt like there could have been one less moment of finding out the treasure was somewhere else.
Graphics for this game are mind blowing. Seriously this is the best looking game I have ever seen. I have so many pictures from this game that just show off how amazing the world looks. I’ve felt like so far in this console generation we have seen a few standout titles in terms of being fresh. Shadows of Mordor brought in a great new system with the nemesis system. Batman Arkham Knight and Metal Gear Solid 5 showed us what action games can do. Uncharted 4, while being amazing in so many ways, really showed just how beautiful games this generation can look.
Gameplay wise this game excels again. The chapters are not open world, but they are open areas. This leads to more options as far as combat and traversal goes. With a new grappling hook, this also adds to different combat attacks and ways to get from point A to point B. There is even a few driving segments, which in a series that has never really used vehicles too much, you have to be a little worried about the controls. The best part is they control great. The only issue I had was again the enemies seem to be bullet sponges at times. This isn’t at all times, so I’m thinking this is a spike the developers use to make the firefights seem more intense.
While this game doesn’t have 1 or 2 major set pieces, it does still have some amazing moments. From a convoy scene that has you being dragged behind a vehicle, exploding skeletons, and several moments where the Earth is falling from under your feet keep the adventure and excitement high. I think this works well and prevents the story from shoehorning in big moments. These all feel natural to the story and the place they are in allowing the pace to stay smooth and keep the fun high. I have to give this game a strong 9.5, it really is almost perfect.
Conclusion
So this has been one of my smaller posts about a franchise. The main takeaway I’ve gotten from writing this is that while the games are beautiful and handle like a dream, its Naughty Dog’s writing of the characters that have the most impact on me. Not just strong characters, but strong relationships. I am so glad that the “Dude Raider” game that first caught my eye became one of the strongest franchises in gaming, and one of my top favorites. There is a part in this game where Sam talks about once he found the treasure he thought he would feel satisfied, but he feels empty (paraphrasing) instead. In a way that’s how I feel as I am now done with the game (of course I plan on replaying the franchise at some point). I love the ending, and the ride this franchise has taken me on. I love the fact that Naughty Dog hasn’t tried to milk this franchise like so many other developers do. I’m very pleased with the final chapter and the fact they went out on top of their game. We don’t have to worry about a disappointing installment. But I feel somewhat empty inside knowing the ride is over. Knowing that I won’t ever take Nathan Drake, Sully, Elena, or Chloe (I missed her in the last game) on a new adventure leaves me a little sad. While that might sound like downer of an ending to this post, I think it means Naughty Dog nailed it with this series, and I am very pleased that back in January of 2008, I decided I would give Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune a try.
Ranking Order
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception
Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune
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