So, what was the deal with the really high scores for Uncharted 4?

[Casual Shinji]

When I play a game I like my input to make a difference, that I am(atleast partially) creating the entertainment for myself. It's what makes a game different from a movie(or any other passive form of entertainment). With Uncharted you can only follow the exact steps that Naughty Dog laid out for you with zero deviation from the beaten path. It's an interactive movie that pretends to not be an interactive movie. Uncharted is worse even, as interactive movies atleast gives you some choice during certain moments and Uncharted gives you none. And even as a movie, Uncharted would have been a real shitty one.

How is that any different from many other linear games though? I can't remember Half-Life 2 or Prince of Persia: Sands of Time giving me any real leeway in how to progress, except for in what order I defeated enemies.

 

[Danbo Jambo]

I've never played an Uncharted game until last month when my mate borrowed me the Remastered collection.

The first game I found very dull until about the 4th chapter, then I really enjoyed it for what it was - a popcorn, dumb-fun shooter with a few extra puzzle/climbing/vehicle sections thrown in. It lost it's way a bit towards the end - the vehicle sections were awful, and the puzzle + climbing sections didn't really add much other than to break up the action - but overall it was a fun 7.5/10 experience for me.

However, I'm just playing through Uncharted 2 and it's been fairly bad all round so far (I've just started Chapter 18). The gunplay seems to have de-volved as has the game as a whole. There seems to be countless climbing sections which are dull and predictable as hell (seriously, nothing in the game doesn't break - from chairs, to pipes, to ledges - the whole world is stuck together using sellotape, and it gets tiresome seeing every jump met with a slip or break etc.). There's loads of trial and error, and pretty much every death I've suffered has been laughable due to it usually coming out of nowhere or down to just plain bad design (I don't think I've died once in a combat scenario). So far it'd get a 4/10 from me, and I'm only forcing my way through it so I can play the 3rd installment. They've took a light, fun game and padded it out with gumph it didn't need, throwing near-misses in every other second and removing any tension from the game.

Overall I'm unimpressed so far. Neither games are much more than dumb fun at best; at worst a Michael Bay-esq action movie which mostly plays itself, and has so much going off you switch off to it.

 

[stroopwafel]

How is that any different from many other linear games though? I can't remember Half-Life 2 or Prince of Persia: Sands of Time giving me any real leeway in how to progress, except for in what order I defeated enemies.

I don't mind a game being linear but that's different from a game being completely scripted. A game could have set objectives and only one outcome but that still wouldn't be the same as being taken by the hand and entirely guided through scripted sequences like in Uncharted.

 

[Phoenixmgs_v1legacy]

The problem with Uncharted's action gameplay is that it contridicts itself. It's designed for you to keep on the move; running, jumping, punching, shooting. Going for that sort of scrappy Indiana Jones type action. But it punishes you for doing so by quickly whittling your health away once you reveal yourself, forcing you to bunker down behind cover 80% of the time like it's a tactical shooter, and waiting for your health to regenerate.

This is something Uncharted could've used; A special combo or sequence of attack that would reset your damage/danger indicator partly or all the way. This would give the jack-of-all-trades combat a chance to shine better. Uncharted 4 was a slight step in the right direction by making the arenas more open, giving you a chance to pull back once things got too fierce. But the health system was still crummy.

Uncharted, for the most part, is too much of a whack-a-mole cover shooter. I don't think it has THAT much to do with the gameplay per se. Somehow Uncharted 2 never really felt whack-a-mole-y for me, I recall I was able to stay mobile in most gunfights, and the lowest difficulty I played on was Hard. I think it might've had the most to do with level design for the shootouts and for the most part the shootouts were shorter with less waves of enemies (especially compared to the 1st game). The gunplay was also probably the best in series, the 1st game is not very good at all and the 4th game I HATED that almost all the automatics had such horrible recoil.

I'm not really sure if someway to get health back would really work in Uncharted. Vanquish is probably my favorite TPS and I loved how it gave you the tools to not need cover while being barraged by bullets; however, you had a power suit which you can't give to Drake. I think subtle adjustments to invincibility frames on the roll (and melee, which seemed like an auto death in 4), proper gunplay mechanics (as mentioned previously), adjustment to health / health regen delay, and others I think is all you need to make Uncharted fun.

However, I'm just playing through Uncharted 2 and it's been fairly bad all round so far (I've just started Chapter 18). The gunplay seems to have de-volved as has the game as a whole. There seems to be countless climbing sections which are dull and predictable as hell (seriously, nothing in the game doesn't break - from chairs, to pipes, to ledges - the whole world is stuck together using sellotape, and it gets tiresome seeing every jump met with a slip or break etc.). There's loads of trial and error, and pretty much every death I've suffered has been laughable due to it usually coming out of nowhere or down to just plain bad design (I don't think I've died once in a combat scenario). So far it'd get a 4/10 from me, and I'm only forcing my way through it so I can play the 3rd installment. They've took a light, fun game and padded it out with gumph it didn't need, throwing near-misses in every other second and removing any tension from the game.

I'm shocked you're not enjoying Uncharted 2 more than the 1st. I bought Uncharted on day 1 and thought it was at best average way back then let alone of how poorly it has aged. In fact, the demo of Uncharted 2 had to convince me to pick it up considering I did not at all care for the 1st game. The gunplay was horrible in the first game along with it being the game in the series you easily spend the most time in cover. Perhaps the biggest problem was how bullet spongy enemies were to the point where headshots were the only way to kill outside power weapons. It made an assault rifle nothing but a pistol with more ammo as with either gun you were just going for headshots and I actually preferred a pistol over an AR, which is very poor gun mechanics. Uncharted actually played best against the creatures due to being able to use automatic guns properly as they had much less health. You do need to play on at least Hard on the Uncharted sequels as after the 1st game, Normal is pretty much Easy with Easy being pretty much impossible to die (I recall from doing some trophies on Easy). Uncharted 1's Hard is basically Crushing mode in the sequels. Everything breaking while climbing is pretty annoying (which continues on in all the sequels) and Uncharted 4 easily has the most climbing.

I don't mind a game being linear but that's different from a game being completely scripted. A game could have set objectives and only one outcome but that still wouldn't be the same as being taken by the hand and entirely guided through scripted sequences like in Uncharted.

I don't really see how Uncharted is more scripted than any other linear TPS. Outside of the occasional set-piece that is basically just a slightly interactive cutscene I really don't see it at all. And there are plenty of great set-pieces like the train levels in Uncharted 2. I can definitely see how the climbing sections can be seen as basically cutscenes as there's really only one path with you just tapping X while a bunch of lame falling bricks, pipes, etc. Uncharted's platforming isn't "real" platforming either where you press jump near the edge and an animation basically plays to get you character to the other side (to where there really isn't jumping physics involved at all), but that's almost every game nowadays.

 

[King Billi]

What exactly equals "substantive" quality in your mind?

When I play a game I like my input to make a difference, that I am(atleast partially) creating the entertainment for myself. It's what makes a game different from a movie(or any other passive form of entertainment). With Uncharted you can only follow the exact steps that Naughty Dog laid out for you with zero deviation from the beaten path. It's an interactive movie that pretends to not be an interactive movie. Uncharted is worse even, as interactive movies atleast gives you some choice during certain moments and Uncharted gives you none. And even as a movie, Uncharted would have been a real shitty one.

Really? That's what makes games different from movies?

Nearly 90% of the games I can think of are almost entirely linear with hardly any player agency in how they progress, you're always going to be confined by the mechanics of the game and that remains true of some of the most popular and acclaimed games of all time.

Out of interest what are some specific examples?

In any case it still isn't a critical fault for a game to have a linear design, it allows to developers to better craft and refine the experience resulting in more Polish and design. You get a smoother experience with less chance of bugs or glitches.

 

[Casual Shinji]

How is that any different from many other linear games though? I can't remember Half-Life 2 or Prince of Persia: Sands of Time giving me any real leeway in how to progress, except for in what order I defeated enemies.

I don't mind a game being linear but that's different from a game being completely scripted. A game could have set objectives and only one outcome but that still wouldn't be the same as being taken by the hand and entirely guided through scripted sequences like in Uncharted.

Well, it's not completely scripted. Even the parts that are scripted don't lock you onto rails with zero deviation. The only real fully scripted sequence in the game is where you're on the motorcycle with Sam getting chased by the armored truck.

That doesn't mean some scripted moments aren't completely shit though, primarily the fist fights.

 

[stroopwafel]

Well, it's not completely scripted. Even the parts that are scripted don't lock you onto rails with zero deviation. The only real fully scripted sequence in the game is where you're on the motorcycle with Sam getting chased by the armored truck.

That doesn't mean some scripted moments aren't completely shit though, primarily the fist fights.

Yeah, but I guess it's also the accumulative effect of scripted moments and long and boring cutscenes that overshadow what little gameplay Uncharted might have. I mean, if you take away the cutscenes, the wall climbing, the traversal through a straight line and the scripted moments what do you have left? At best a half-decent tps which comes in bursts and is over way too quick and then it's back to the boring stuff again.

 

[Casual Shinji]

Yeah, but I guess it's also the accumulative effect of scripted moments and long and boring cutscenes that overshadow what little gameplay Uncharted might have. I mean, if you take away the cutscenes, the wall climbing, the traversal through a straight line and the scripted moments what do you have left? At best a half-decent tps which comes in bursts and is over way too quick and then it's back to the boring stuff again.

No argument from me there.

Uncharted 4 is very overzealous in its "quiet, character moments". Again, something that fit perfectly in The Last of Us, but not too well in here. I liked Drake chilling around at home, and the market section with the apple and the lemur, as well as the epiloge. But the two intros at the orphanage and the prison were a drag, and the second flashback in the mansion was a complete buzzkill.

Most of the problems I have with Uncharted 4 are story related, and not so much gameplay. If the story had been tightened up, most of those slow-crawl moments could've been alleviated.

 

[Danbo Jambo]

[

I'm shocked you're not enjoying Uncharted 2 more than the 1st. I bought Uncharted on day 1 and thought it was at best average way back then let alone of how poorly it has aged. In fact, the demo of Uncharted 2 had to convince me to pick it up considering I did not at all care for the 1st game. The gunplay was horrible in the first game along with it being the game in the series you easily spend the most time in cover. Perhaps the biggest problem was how bullet spongy enemies were to the point where headshots were the only way to kill outside power weapons. It made an assault rifle nothing but a pistol with more ammo as with either gun you were just going for headshots and I actually preferred a pistol over an AR, which is very poor gun mechanics. Uncharted actually played best against the creatures due to being able to use automatic guns properly as they had much less health. You do need to play on at least Hard on the Uncharted sequels as after the 1st game, Normal is pretty much Easy with Easy being pretty much impossible to die (I recall from doing some trophies on Easy). Uncharted 1's Hard is basically Crushing mode in the sequels. Everything breaking while climbing is pretty annoying (which continues on in all the sequels) and Uncharted 4 easily has the most climbing.

I just really enjoyed headshotting with a pistol in Uncharted 1. The fact that there were far fewer climbing and puzzle sections really helped too.

I've just quit Uncharted 2 tonight. I just can't grind through it any more, and find the additional climbin/exploring parts dull as hell. I'd try it on a more difficult level if the game had me hooked, but I'm 60% in now and it's just dull. All the set-peices and "action" sequences just feel so, so detched from me. It reminds me of Dragons Lair in that there's often little freedom of control needed to be successful.

 

[wings012]

I'll chalk it up to mainstream lowest common denominator appeal.

I've only played Unchartered 4, the beginning bit at a friend's place. After an hour or so I was tired of having my hand held everywhere and played Broforce instead.

I've had acquaintances who can't stand any freedom in games cause they instantly feel lost. Like whatever floats your boat.

 

[Hieronymusgoa]

Did you play the previous Uncharted games, since this game really is one of the best endings to a series I've ever played and it works best when you have connection with the characters that developed through (otherwise the cutscenes fall flat). I also did not see the game as scripted hallway, Linear? for sure, but the areas are just big enough to not really notice it, heck in the point with the jeep you can explore freely. It's inoffensive but for me that's a good thing in today's "mature" game market. I do think the current gen platforming is just bad and doesn't requite much skills but at least there are beautiful scenery added (the clock tower). Don't remember much wall hugging since the enemies constantly forced me to run away due to grenade spamming.

Shit, Uncharted 4 might enter the Deus Ex and Thief clubs in "I really want to play the game now"

Since I don't own a console I watched all Uncharted games as Let's Plays on Youtube because I wanted to know what was all the fuss about. And I had the same experience and that as someone as unimmersed as someone watching a game instead of playing it. The cutscenes where so crazy well done and much better than most Hollywood movies and the action seemed to be challenging without being frustrating. The ending of Uncharted 4 was f'ing awesome, too. Emotional and all. I can totally understand why people would go crazy for these games. Still, not something I'd play but I can appreciate a product which is very very very well made even if it is not for me.

 

[SmallHatLogan]

The Uncharted series is very much the lowest common denominator, Hollywood blockbuster of video games. I googled Raiders of the Lost Ark (the obvious movie comparison) and we have 96% on Rotten Tomatoes and 85% on Metacritic. Plus the previous and current console generations have been the eras of story, graphics, and set pieces. If you nail those three things you're guaranteed critical acclaim even if the gameplay is hot garbage.

So while I might think it's a load of bollocks it's really no surprise that Uncharted has been so successful.

 

[Phoenixmgs_v1legacy]

The Uncharted series is very much the lowest common denominator, Hollywood blockbuster of video games. I googled Raiders of the Lost Ark (the obvious movie comparison) and we have 96% on Rotten Tomatoes and 85% on Metacritic. Plus the previous and current console generations have been the eras of story, graphics, and set pieces. If you nail those three things you're guaranteed critical acclaim even if the gameplay is hot garbage.

So while I might think it's a load of bollocks it's really no surprise that Uncharted has been so successful.

This demonstrates one of the main issues with video game criticism. Uncharted is the game equivalent of a movie blockbuster, which there's nothing wrong with. However, those movies don't win Oscars whereas Uncharted is a game that has been up for and won game of the year. Even Raiders of the Lost Ark only sits at an 85% on Metacritic vs Uncharted's mid-90s scores. RottenTomatoes is just a percentage of likes/dislikes so it's not like its average review score is 96/100. The video game medium is still very immature in both produced content and in criticism.

 

[Danbo Jambo]

I've never played an Uncharted game until last month when my mate borrowed me the Remastered collection.

The first game I found very dull until about the 4th chapter, then I really enjoyed it for what it was - a popcorn, dumb-fun shooter with a few extra puzzle/climbing/vehicle sections thrown in. It lost it's way a bit towards the end - the vehicle sections were awful, and the puzzle + climbing sections didn't really add much other than to break up the action - but overall it was a fun 7.5/10 experience for me.

However, I'm just playing through Uncharted 2 and it's been fairly bad all round so far (I've just started Chapter 18). The gunplay seems to have de-volved as has the game as a whole. There seems to be countless climbing sections which are dull and predictable as hell (seriously, nothing in the game doesn't break - from chairs, to pipes, to ledges - the whole world is stuck together using sellotape, and it gets tiresome seeing every jump met with a slip or break etc.). There's loads of trial and error, and pretty much every death I've suffered has been laughable due to it usually coming out of nowhere or down to just plain bad design (I don't think I've died once in a combat scenario). So far it'd get a 4/10 from me, and I'm only forcing my way through it so I can play the 3rd installment. They've took a light, fun game and padded it out with gumph it didn't need, throwing near-misses in every other second and removing any tension from the game.

Overall I'm unimpressed so far. Neither games are much more than dumb fun at best; at worst a Michael Bay-esq action movie which mostly plays itself, and has so much going off you switch off to it.

Whoaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa, hold the phone a sec.

So I posted this earlier this week and stand by it. I quit Uncharted 2 and pretty much hated every second of playing it.

But because I fairly enjoyed Uncharted 1 I decided to watch Uncharted 2's story finish on Youtibe, and give Uncharted 3 a go.

Boom! What a difference. Uncharted 3 is still based around the same things, but it's excecuted, so, so, so much better IMO. It drew me in straight from the off and 8 chapters in I'm absolutely loving it. The humour is funnier, the banter is better, there's more of a challenge, the combat feels better, the climbing/puzzle sections are far, FAR better (they now feel more exciting and purposeful), and overall it's a really great game.

Uncharted 3 would get a 9/10 from me so far. I'll see how I feel when I finish it, but so far so good.

I also think the London begining is a really nice change from the exotic scenery we've been used to. The detail in the pub & underground base is just brilliant, and it's one of the few games which I've actually taken time with to stop and admire the detail in the environments. it feels very hand-crafted in parts like Morrowind.

 

[Danbo Jambo]

Just finished Uncharted 3. Brilliant.

Way better designed and paced than the second, does lose it's way a bit towards the end (one section where you're walking in the desert is pointless as hell and just BORES), but overall it was a great experience.

Faster, slicker, more exciting, more tense, and way better than the second.

 

[B-Cell_v1legacy]

They are accessible. any one can play. they are more like interactive movies than games.

 

[Saltyk]

What they do, they do well. That's probably an understatement, though. Not to mention, if you played and enjoyed the previous games, this was the best send off for a series ever. The only thing that would of made it better was if Chloe got more than a mere mention in the game[footnote]Where was Chloe? She was my favorite character in Uncharted 2.[/footnote].

If you don't like it, that's fine. Plenty of people love games that I don't care about. I gotta be honest, I found Fallout 3 to be boring and turned it off after a few hours. It also didn't help that some areas seemed to be effectively impossible to access if you were low level. And I didn't really like the gameplay. That's right, a game that most of this site seems to think was the best game ever, I didn't even enjoy.

 

[SmallHatLogan]

Just another rant by someone that is dissecting a game because he was expecting Skyrim or some other open world game than appreciating a game for what it is.

Final Fight, Streets of Rage are terrible games. I mean, you just walk to the right beating things up over and over again even though they are beat em up games. Lame, hallways galore, yuck.

/sarcasm.

By that logic there are no bad games at all, only games that people can't appreciate for what they are.

 

[Weaver]

I never liked them much either. They're big and flashy and nice looking but the shooting mechanics feel awful and the gameplay is pretty bog-standard Tomb Raider style stuff elsewise. Controlling Nathan Drake never really felt that good (and i mean mechanically) compared to other action adventure games to me.

I remember finally getting round to playing the first one a few years after its release and I was absolutely baffled that it scored so high.