REVIEWGame: Uncharted 4: A Thief’s EndDeveloper: Naughty DogGenre: Action-adventure, third-person shooterPlatform: PlayStation 4Verdict: A contender for Game of the Year and a must-play for anyone who’s a fan of a good story.  

 By SHIVE PREMA

Developer Naughty Dog continues to push the boundaries of video game storytelling in this heartfelt and introspective finale to the Uncharted series, A Thief’s End.

Set three years after the events of Uncharted 3, series protagonist Nathan Drake (Nolan North) has settled down with his now-wife Elena (Emily Rose) and left his tomb-raiding days behind him.

However, the return of his long lost older brother Sam (Troy Baker) sees Drake thrust back into a world of shooting and looting in search of pirate treasure.

Thankfully, A Thief’s End does away with the supernatural elements of the previous instalments to tell a much more personal and focused story.

Stand-out performances from all cast members put the characters and their relationships at the forefront of A Thief’s Ends’ storyline.

The brotherly bond between Nate and Sam is beautifully characterised; they’re competitive, make little digs at each other and know each other in a way that only brothers can.

The ever-turbulent relationship between Nate and Elena is put to the test with Nate struggling to negotiate his feelings for Elena with his thirst for exploring.

The acting is enhanced by motion capture that realistically presents facial expressions, eye movements and even tears for full emotional impact.

A graphics masterpiece, A Thief’s End puts the PlayStation 4 through its paces to showcase a variety of beautifully designed environments.

If the devil really is in the detail, then Uncharted 4 is satanic. From the crunch of snow beneath feet to the way light bounces off objects, it all adds a commendable level of immersion. 

Players are given the option of playing stealthily or all guns blazing. Although the stealth mechanics are quite basic, it is a refreshing departure from the linear shooting galleries that plagued past titles.

Nate’s new tool, a grappling hook, adds verticality to levels, allowing him to swing around and get the drop on enemies.

The cinematic set pieces that the series has become known for hurtle the story forward between gunfights and puzzle sections.

The pacing slows down midway through the game and throws a few repetitive enemy encounters and platforming sections into the mix. It feels a little self-indulgent, but at this point Naughty Dog have more than earned it. 

Uncharted 4’s multi-player mode is fun, frantic and a little bit silly. In what other game can you swing from a grappling hook to air punch an enemy and then nail Drake’s Hotline Bling dance in celebration?

An extensive range of unlocks including new characters, weapons and gear give the game high replay value.

In an age where paid downloadable content is the norm, it’s refreshing that Naughty Dog has pledged free content including maps and game modes over the next year to keep the game fresh.

Uncharted 4 isn’t just a testament to how far the series has come, but how far Naughty Dog has come as a studio and how far gaming has come in general.

“Sic Parvis Magna” or “Greatness from small beginnings” – the motto of Sir Francis Drake, from whom Nathan Drake gets his name – best describes Naughty Dog , which has come a long way from its first published title, Math Jam (1985) on the Apple II.

A playable Crash Bandicoot mini-game, complete with that familiar PlayStation 1 start-up sound, harkens back to these “small beginnings”.

It’s amazing to see how far we’ve come and how much potential there is for storytelling in games.