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March 28, 2024, 09:07:55 AM

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Uncharted 4.

Started by mobias, December 06, 2014, 09:07:54 PM

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Sexton Brackets Drugbust

I'm a big fan of the Uncharted series, but I wish they'd redress the balance to put a greater emphasis on puzzles and exploration. They tend to be my favourite parts, and it's always frustrating when a new area that looks like an immense, beautifully crafted puzzle room is actually polished off in seconds, only to become a combat arena.

It's a difficult one, as pacing the story seems to be a key focus for Naughty Dog - and nothing grinds a game to an abrupt halt like a difficult puzzle - so I understand their reluctance, but can't help but wish there was a little less handholding in that regard.

mobias

I remember playing Uncharted 2 a few months after it came out, whilst it was still in the grips of the critical hysteria surrounding it, and for about the first third of the game I really couldn't see what the fuss was about. You seem to spend a lot of time running around on roof tops and swinging from guttering. There is an awful lot of that in the Uncharted games. I think Charlie Brooker described Uncharted as basically a platform game with a lot of bells and whistles. I can see what he means. It is the sort of game you've really just got to soak up the experience of the gameplay elements and story rather than question the logic or realism of it all.

Quote from: Sexton Brackets Drugbust on August 20, 2015, 05:36:57 PM
I'm a big fan of the Uncharted series, but I wish they'd redress the balance to put a greater emphasis on puzzles and exploration.

Sounds like they're certainly focussing in on the exploration element with Uncharted 4 anyway. Each level is apparently a mini open world and its up to you how you traverse and explore it. Be interesting to see how that plays out in reality.

Onken

March 18th, 2016.

It will be out before you know it. Theres a couple of limited editions they've announced too.

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2015/08/31/uncharted-4-launches-march-18th-2016-on-ps4/

brat-sampson

The problem was always they don't really have puzzles as such, just a sequence of levers and pulleys where each just reveals the next one. There's barely any thought involved. Ok, maybe each one will have a picture of an animal and then on the wall or on some ancient scroll each animal will be assigned a number, but that's about it.

Onken

Watching the developers talk and share stories about the Uncharted collection while I eat breakfast. You can see all the menus and options stuff. They mention that log balancing Six Axis controls have been removed and laugh about it ever being there. The new Brutal difficulty sounds great.

http://www.twitch.tv/naughtydog/v/16024633

Onken


Multiplayer looks fast and daft. No interest until now.

Onken

I liked how the statue from Drakes Fortune and lots of the older character like Chloe turned up. Nice to see they're not forgotten. At one point Elena gains superpower and transformed into a Fantastic Four character. Not too sure about that and was not what I was expecting.

I thought we would get closer to The Last of Us multiplayer. I preferred the realism over the shitload of bullets it would take to kill someone in Uncharted 2 & 3's online. I'd see an opponent begin firing and they would have to time to escape to safety around the next corner still alive. That was always frustrating that you had so much health.


Sexton Brackets Drugbust

As Nathan hurls the El Dorado idol from Drake's Fortune as a weapon, isn't Eleanor's 'flame on' something to do with the Djinn from the third game?

Onken

the beta starts at 5pm tomorrow

https://twitter.com/PlayStationEU/status/672056150322475008

i'm too busy with work till friday but would like to hear impressions

Sexton Brackets Drugbust

Quote from: Onken on December 02, 2015, 06:35:39 PM
i'm too busy with work till friday but would like to hear impressions

"Hey kid, I'm goddamn Victor Sullivan."

"Draaaake! I, Zoran Lozaravic, will keeell Yooo!"

Onken



"You've got to be kidding me!"

Sexton Brackets Drugbust

Quote from: Onken on December 03, 2015, 01:00:12 AM
"You've got to be kidding me!"

Too subtle, a proper, professional impressionist knows to cleverly include a declaration of who the impression is of!

"You've gotta be kidding me; Nathan Drake." Would be the elegant solution.

I'll get on this, purely to check out the graphics. Will report back.

Jerzy Bondov

#45
Any cunt playing this? Been sitting waiting for it to find me a game for ten minutes. The tutorial was good though.

Edit, if it doesn't find you any players in a minute or so, quit and try again. I can get a list going but the game isn't starting. First night server troubs I suppose

Onken

New trailer. I really like how they've weathered Drake and made him look old.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=js1EcMCQu6M

I played for about thirty seconds before my wife came up to bed. Annoying. The lighting looked good and it felt smooth. Probably need to play another thirty seconds before my in depth review.


I played an hour of the beta this evening before I went out. Real talk: the mechanics do not support MP as far as I'm concerned. It's a pretty average computer game. I'd say that it's a bit smoother than 3, but I'm only talking SP, and the lighting and destructible environments are impressive but this ain't what Uncharted is about. I've deleted it out of boredom.

Looking forward to what they do with the main game environments and set pieces but it's a rubbish MP.

Onken

Thats disappointing as I really enjoyed TLOU multiplayer.

The new cut scenes are incredible. I couldn't be more hyped.

Nathan and Sam Trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOmPDvVz3MA

Nadine and Sully Trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Jfs4yzKnaw

Spoiler alert
dialogue choices!
[close]

Onken

Quote from: Onken on August 31, 2015, 10:45:37 PM
March 18th, 2016.

It will be out before you know it. Theres a couple of limited editions they've announced too.

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2015/08/31/uncharted-4-launches-march-18th-2016-on-ps4/

Delayed a month. April 27th, 2016.

Benevolent Despot

Mmm, well, I have received the remastered trilogy having not played them before. My first thoughts are quite negative. The first major negative is an in-game crash which has corrupted my save file on the first game and lost me the entirety of my progress (about half way through). This hasn't happened to me in any game for years. Up until that point I'd say it was quite a boring game, so I don't think my patience can last a repeat play - I've started on the 2nd game now instead. The gunplay is weak and unsatisfying, the enemies have boring AI and all look the same (there seems to be about 5 character models for hundreds of mercs). The environments in the first game were pretty sparse and boring, I guess this could be forgiven for a 2007 game - maybe. Standard shit dialogue as per all major media these days.

We'll see how it goes with the other games. Right now I'm thinking emperor's new clothes.

mobias

Play Uncharted 2 right to the end. If my memory serves me correctly the first third of the game is pretty dull but it really picks up after that. It has some truly amazing set pieces later on.

If you don't like Uncharted 2 by the end you won't like the third one. U3 is definitely inferior but its a decent game for those that liked the earlier games. It does have a few amazing set pieces like the sinking boat scene. Thats one thing you really play Uncharted for - the set pieces.

Uncharted has got to where it is a franchise simply by some of the incredibly imaginative gameplay ideas and story set pieces. Thats where its originality lies. Elsewhere it can be incredibly derivative. I get the impression thats what some of the franchises more die hard fans kind of forget. It has all been done before, but just not quite in same imaginative away with the same AAA production values. 

The Last of Us really proved the pedigree of the Naughty Dog studio so thats partly what you're buying into with your enjoyment of their games.

I motored through UC1 recently on pure momentum and goodwill but it was deeply flawed, too much gunplay and poor controls, and pushed through UC2 which was an enormous improvement in terms of character, feel, graphics and set pieces. I deleted the collection about a third of the way through UC3, just after the château, because I was bored. The platforming is just hold in whichever direction and hammer jump, there's no skill to it and no consequences, thus no excitement or challenge. The shooting is completely weightless and there's no sense of impact. The graphics and characters and environment are great but not enough to play through the same game play beats for the third time (for the second time). There's also the enormous ludonarrative dissonance issue, whereby I can't possibly enjoy the witty repartee of a psychopath. I also find the constant snark really wearing. A bit of sincerity wouldn't go amiss.

I think that's why TLOU is so successful and so brilliant. The characterisation is much much better, for the most part, and the game) violence is both dialled back and up, you understand why you need to be ruthless and the visceral impact is quite revolting at times. It only falters with the gamey 'gimme a boost' shit and the raft crap, although that does have a logical explanation given Ellie's post-apocalyptic upbringing, but it's still quite shit. Anyway, yeah, Uncharted is overrated in a general sense but extremely successful in limited areas, and well worth the ride. Just not one after another, and they've yet to make a wholly enjoyable and cohesive entry.

mobias


mobias


biggytitbo

Quote from: The Boston Crab on December 28, 2015, 10:24:56 PM
There's also the enormous ludonarrative dissonance issue, whereby I can't possibly enjoy the witty repartee of a psychopath. I also find the constant snark really wearing. A bit of sincerity wouldn't go amiss.


I've heard this mentioned before but seems odd to single out unchartered when it occurs in countless other games and many many films aswell. One of the inspirations of the game is Indiana Jones and one of that film series most fsmous and beloved moments is Indy simply murdering some bloke waving some swords about in raiders, purely as a throwaway gag. It's an interesting dilemma for modern games hthough, as they become more realistic so do the baddies you have to kill, which makes it seem more problematic when they were just a few coloured pixels.


Consignia

All I can say about Uncharted is; the first was an okish fun game that I picked up on it's budget release, the second was great and I enjoyed almost every minute, the third was a huge let down and the Vita instalment was a nice smallish side story. I do think it speaks volumes that I cannot elucidate any of those points, and really have no desire to go through any of them again. I imagine the fourth will be a similar story. I believe Sony really pushed them as flagship titles and that's why they are held with such high regards with out being much, relative, cop. But that's how all AAA gaming is, a lot of bluster and no real trousers.

Jerzy Bondov

I played the three Uncharteds for the first time on PS4, in the space of a couple of months. I thought the third one was the best. It had the craziest action but the combat was also the most interesting. The levels are wider and the sneaking is serviceable enough so you can break contact with the baddies and reengage on your terms. They send a lot of tough guys to rush you and keep you moving. I'd heard the shipyard was horrible frustrating rubbish but I thought it was amazing fun. Probably because I'm the best. It also didn't have a fucking shit final boss like in the second game.

I played a bit of the Vita game when I first got my Vita and didn't think much of it but I'll give it another go. I'm a convert - I think they're great games.