Nathan Drake has been hunting for lost treasures all over the world for almost 10 years now. From his first steps in 2007 when no one was expecting him to his last adventures in 2011 in the Rub Al-Khali desert, our slightly blundering adventurer decided to take a step back by putting aside his obsession for antiques. Several years have passed and it is an aging, calmer and above all wiser Nathan Drake that we discover in Uncharted 4. Now married to Elena Fisher (the blonde journalist who has accompanied him on his wanderings since the first Uncharted), our hero spends happy days in his nice home, while working for Jameson Marine, a modest marine waste recovery company. But this early retirement will obviously last only for a while, the return from beyond the grave of his big brother Samuel will force him to set out again in the footsteps of Henry Avery, a famous pirate of the 4th century who would have left with a treasure invaluable after founding Libertalia, the famous pirate colony that is said to have taken up residence on the coasts of Madagascar. This legend, well known to Malagasy people, is therefore the starting point for the new adventures of Nathan Drake to which Naughty Dog had the good idea to graft the exploits of Captain Avery to make the storyline even more epic. But going back on an adventure alongside his brother will also be an opportunity for Nate to reveal to us little-known parts of his story. Obviously, we won't go further into the detail of the scenario to avoid any spoilers and leave you the surprise intact, but know that with Uncharted XNUMX, Naughty Dog has taken another step forward in terms of narration, and the arrival of Neil Druckmann, writing and producing the game, obviously has something to do with it.
ALL GOOD THINGS COME TO AN END
The one who made himself known to the general public thanks to his exceptional work on The Last of Us once again shows us his great know-how. If the player has always enjoyed traveling alongside Drake in his various treasure hunts, the Uncharted series is especially recognized and expected for its graphics and its staging, worthy of the greatest Hollywood blockbusters. But for Neil Druckmann, the scenario of Uncharted 4 could not only be relayed in the background, especially since these are the last exploits of our Indiana Jones of the video game, Naughty Dog having obviously wanted to turn the page and move on. It is also around this new axis that Uncharted 4 was built, with this obvious desire that we also remember Nate for his story. Also, for this one to be as memorable as possible, a major work in the writing of the different characters has been launched. Nathan Drake of course, with a character and behavior that has changed a lot since his debut. We don't really know his age, but the guy is certainly approaching his forties in this opus. Therefore, this means that Victor Sullivan, AKA Sully, is flirting with the 70 easy brooms, which explains why the latter is no longer as active as before. Nathan's mentor is therefore replaced at short notice by Samuel, whom the player will get to know over the course of the game. From his disappearance to the reunion 15 years later, everything is done so that we can discover our adventurer differently. It is no coincidence that today, Nate is married to Elena, OSEF character from previous Uncharted, who has gained so much charm and intensity that we are obliged to fall in love with her today. .
GRAPHIC MONSTER
But the Neil Druckmann touch isn't just about deeper characters and a more mature story, it's also a certain sense of direction and pacing. Unlike the previous Uncharted, this fourth episode does not seek to make action-porn at all costs by linking crazy action scenes to the point of disgust. Druckmann prefers to take the time to tell things, sometimes even breaking the rhythm and going back to more essential things, highlighting, for example, passages of pure and hard exploration. If Uncharted 4 pushes discovery as much, it is also so that we can measure the graphic gap that has been crossed since the episodes on PS3. With Uncharted 4, Naughty Dog started from scratch, from scratch as our English-speaking neighbors say. New house engine, it was necessary to do justice to the technical capabilities offered by Sony's new console. It may be their first PS4 game, but with Uncharted 4, the Californian studio proves once again how much they master the tools given to them to bring this majestic adventure to life. Visually, it's insolently beautiful, and Uncharted 4 simply puts any game on edge, easy, hands down. Like the previous parts, the game is an invitation to travel and will make us discover the jails of a prison in Panama, the snowy terrain of Scotland, the gloomy caves leading to Libertalia and the turquoise waters that surround the islets of Madagascar. The variety of these environments allows us to be amazed, but above all to offer us different atmospheres. A simple climate change can also transport us completely elsewhere, a bit like the storm that suddenly rises on the shores of Madagascar while Nathan and his brother are looking for Henry Avery's lost boat.
But Uncharted 4 is not only a graphic monster, it is also a game that is full of details, often subtle, that we may not see on the first run, and yet has so much to offer.
But Uncharted 4 is not only a graphic monster, it is also a game that is full of details, often subtle, that we may not see on the first run, and yet has so much to offer. The slush that gradually gets stuck on the tires of the Jeep, the stones that continue to roll and fall after Nate has gone through a slide, the latter's hairstyle that changes after going through the water , butterflies flying over a field of flowers, insects stagnating under the leaves of a tree, Drake chasing mosquitoes around his face when he evolves in the jungle of Madagascar, or wiping his pants when the latter is a little too dirty, this innate sense of detail is present everywhere in the game, and contributes even more to the immersion of the player. Since the PS4 and Xbox One version of GTA 5, we had not been so amazed visually, which is to say how Naughty Dog has set the bar very high. But this obvious beauty does not stop only at the decorations, the characters also enjoy an exceptional rendering. Naughty Dog has hammered it home in recent years, but the number of polygons characters are made of has literally doubled since The Last of Us. at any time by bringing the camera closer. Skin texture, wrinkles, beads of sweat beading on the forehead, visible veins (Laurely and her veins will appreciate), hairiness, here again, everything depends on the detail and it's incredibly accurate. In fact, what is reassuring is that Uncharted 4 is as beautiful as the demos that Naughty Dog gave us at various trade shows and other events such as E3, Paris Games Week or even the PlayStation Experience. . It's sad to say, but it's one of the rare times that a game does not suffer any graphic downgrade. It is even rather the opposite, we did not expect to obtain such a grandiose result. As such, for all the work that has been done, Naughty Dog deserves a standing ovation.
L'HÉRITAGE THE LAST OF US
We were talking about contemplation earlier, this is the first time that the player can take his time to appreciate everything around him. Because Uncharted 4 is also an ode to exploration, thanks in particular to the appearance of much more open levels, as is the case with this famous passage in a Jeep where the player is completely free in his actions, with the possibility of get Drake out of his vehicle at any time. Be careful, we are still far from an open world game à la GTA (and this is clearly not the goal), but being able to get out of the very scripted levels to which the series has always accustomed us gives this episode a new dynamic. You would then think that the entire game was built on this greater opening in the levels, but in reality, it is only a handful of chapters. And even though the guideline of Uncharted 4 is in the end quite close to its predecessors in its structure (fortunately, because some players would have screamed scandal not to find the DNA of the series), the game has considerably gained in interest , depth, and especially lifespan. This has almost doubled since it took us almost 16 hours to complete the adventure, when it took 7/8 hours to finish the Uncharted 3 single-player campaign. There are more chapters (24 ), but it is above all the fact of having certain levels that are larger, more open, calling for exploration, which allows the game to be longer.
All this has a real impact on the gameplay, and here too, Naughty Dog has changed the recipe significantly. In the more open missions, the way of apprehending a situation is now multiple.
All this has a real impact on the gameplay, and here too, Naughty Dog has changed the recipe significantly. In the more open missions, the way of apprehending a situation is now multiple. We can of course use the strong way, by making fists and powder speak, but it is quite possible to play Sam Fisher by eliminating enemies one by one without ever triggering the general alert. Gone are the days when Naughty Dog imposed a style of play on us depending on the proposed mission, Uncharted 4 was strongly inspired by The Last of Us by leaving the player free to eliminate enemies as he sees fit. This is also where we realize the exemplary work that has been done on the level design, always fair and consistent with the environment. Between the tall grass (or large plants), the low walls, the walls to climb, the attachment points to throw his grappling hook, everything has been thought out to offer the player a wide field of action, systematically pushing him to vary its approaches. The arrival of the grappling hook in the game is also a component to take into account, since it is not only used to cross ravines, but also to eliminate enemies in a spectacular way by the airways. The gunfights, which have always been a bit weak in Uncharted games, have also gained in intensity thanks to a cover system that works perfectly and rather exhilarating shooting sensations. But in reality, it is the hand-to-hand combat that has benefited from a real overhaul, with an incredible sense of staging. Here, it is no longer a question of swinging mandalas in any way, each punch is scripted with an AI capable of defending itself and therefore of reversing the situation. You can manage on your own by tapping on Triangle or wait for the intervention of an ally (Sam, Sully or even Elena) who will come to your aid as soon as he has the opportunity. It's impressively realistic, especially since these fights take into account the surrounding environment, with sometimes unsuspected interaction. But where Naughty Dog has gone even further is by integrating complete passages of focused duels between two protagonists. There is for example this fight at the beginning of the mission in the prison of Panama where Nate fights against another prisoner in the courtyard, or even an unexpected confrontation with Nadine Ross, the new antagonist of the game. say no more, because the result is worth the effort.
WE WILL MISS YOU NATE...
The list of qualities around Uncharted 4 could stop there, but that would be underestimating the know-how of Naughty Dog, which has no equal in highlighting its actors. If Nathan Drake, Sully, Samuel and Elena are also endearing, it is also thanks to the actors who embody them. Nolan North and Troy Baker obviously carry the game on their shoulders, but the others are not however relegated to the rank of stooges, quite the contrary. We've already mentioned it, but Elena has never been so interesting and endearing, while Rafe Adler and Nadine Ross, the two villains in this story, have never been so mesmerizing. We also want to take our hat off to the interpretation of Rafe, who is by far the most charismatic and cynical bad guy in the Uncharted universe. This perfect cast is also mixed with dialogues as exquisite as they are amusing, which do not stop only at the cinematics (made from the game engine, by the way, thus removing any barrier between the two), since the characters continue to be talkative even in game. Not only do they respond to each other, but the dialogue engine is able to adapt in real time to Nathan's actions. The jokes and punchlines fuse, with precision in the action as long as it commands respect. As in GTA 5, it's constantly talking and listening to them also allows you to unearth some crisp anecdotes between them. Pure happiness.
If Nathan Drake, Sully, Samuel and Elena are also endearing, it is also thanks to the actors who embody them. Nolan North and Troy Baker obviously carry the game on their shoulders, but the others are not however relegated to the rank of stooges, quite the contrary.
Anyway, Uncharted 4 offers its share of anthological sequences which will remain, it is certain, in the memories. The whole sequence in Madagascar is moreover a jewel of immersion, staging, frantic action and graphic slap in the face where the game goes from discovering a market (where the local population speaks French), to a shootout sequence mixed with a Jeep chase where Drake is dragged through the mud behind a truck with his grapple. A demo that caused a sensation at E3 2015. But what is especially appreciable in Uncharted 4 is that the developers no longer seek to sensationalize at all costs, by betting on the overbidding of actions as was the case with Uncharted 2. As we have already written, the rhythm is more calm, better controlled shall we even say, giving a real and justified meaning to what is happening on the screen. Naughty Dog is no longer in the same state of mind as in 2009 and the studio no longer needs to prove to the world that it knows how to create entertainment. It's time to highlight his story, Drake's last, so that he leaves as he came, that is to say with the honors and the applause of the players. As such, it is successful, even if the playwrights would certainly have imagined a different end clap.
A MULTI ALSO OF HIGH QUALITY
Already very complete and perfectly balanced in its single player mode, Uncharted 4 has not forgotten to add a multiplayer part either, so that players can continue to enjoy Nathan Drake a little more one last time. Like the previous sections, the multiplayer is square and extremely effective. There are 4 game modes, ranging from simple Team Deathmatch to Capture Totems or territories for a total of 8 maps, inspired of course by places discovered in history. What is rather cool in this multiplayer is to be able to embody the different protagonists of the game, from Nathan to Rafe, via Sam, Rafe or even Nadine. Better, it is also possible to find old well-known figures like Katherine Marlowe, the villain of episode 3. But the multiplayer has also taken advantage of these 4 years of development to evolve in the right direction, in particular thanks to the introduction a purely virtual currency, allowing you to buy bonuses to improve your skills in the game. Basically, each player has bonuses and specific powers that can be used for a few gold coins and also according to the class that has been selected. There are strikers that come to the aid (a sniper or a tank equipped with a gatling), or it is possible to take advantage of mystical powers such as the ability to move like lightning, or to invoke Wrath of the El Dorado, an Aztec totem capable of swinging remote-controlled fireballs. In short, you will have understood it, the multi is far from being a gimmick thrown out of the blue, it has been able to take advantage of past experiences to also renew itself brilliantly.
