Recently replaying Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End for the umpteenth time, this globetrotting, treasure hunting journey is still one of the best romps in gaming history. The whole Uncharted series still embodies a terrific sense of pulpy adventure. But, 10 years on, I’m beginning to feel a bit uneasy that what was once PlayStation’s dominant series is feeling a bit side-lined in favor of serious, bleaker fare. Perhaps Uncharted 4 is simply destined to be an all-timer, but where’s the competition?
Instead, developer Naughty Dog has well and truly entered The Last of Us mines, giving us some of the console’s most harrowing drama in a miserable post-apocalypse with extremely fluid stealth combat that features some of the most violent, grittiest action I’ve ever seen. Likewise, while God of War has softened, it’s still set in a bleak, brutal, and draining world. Even the arcadey joy of Saros is all about being trapped in an unforgiving loop.
A thief’s return
Yes, Uncharted 4 did close the book on Nathan Drake’s adventures, giving him a final ending. But the standalone, shorter Uncharted: The Lost Legacy dropped just a year later, elegantly shifting lead adventuring duties to Chloe Frazer and Nadine Ross (with Sam Drake in a supporting role). It felt like Naughty Dog still had plenty of ways to grow the Uncharted series and to continue to deliver thrilling adventures, and then it just kind of stopped.
It’s a shame because, while Uncharted 3 was beginning to get a bit stale, Uncharted 4 was a serious shot in the arm that used the jump from PS3 to PS4 to push Naughty Dog’s design, showing the series’ action-packed formula could still innovate. Whether that’s the wide-linear level that has you driving a 4×4 through a semi-open muddy world to track down artifacts, or the simple yet joyous addition of a physics-based grapple hook. Not only does flinging your rope mix up the series’ simple-yet-effective ledge-hopping platforming, but it can constantly be used in enemy encounters to flank foes, getting the drop on tightly wound combat arenas from almost any angle.
Uncharted 4 also introduces dynamic stealth into those combat encounters, trading Nathan Drake’s invisible Indiana Jones-like hat for Rambo’s sweatband for a bit of guerilla warfare. Slipping in and out of alerts, you can pick off enemies one by one, then lose them with some deft jumping and crouching before moving in to finish more of them off. At points, some encounters can be skipped entirely if Nate can navigate unseen to an exit.
The DNA of these moments in Uncharted 4 can totally be felt in The Last of Us Part 2, where Ellie’s ability to go prone and lose enemies makes for superbly satisfying and tense stealth through its overgrown urban environments. But, with its more grounded nature, it sings best when Ellie is carefully crawling around haggard couches to slice an enemy’s throat, which hits different to Nathan Drake swinging into the action while unloading a full assault rifle clip and then jumping into a thug’s face.
One type of combat encounter isn’t necessarily better than the other, and to be honest I prefer each on different days depending on the mood I’m in. But, while The Last of Us Part 2 had the benefit of evolving on Uncharted 4’s modes of play, it’s a shame that the baton hasn’t yet been passed back. I can only imagine what a new Uncharted that could evolve on its sister series’ own innovations would look like.
It’s not like Uncharted 4 even needs to innovate all that much to be a great time, though. This story of Nathan Drake, retired from treasure hunting, drawn back into a life of adventure for one last job is simply fantastic, and a commitment to having you play through some incredible set-pieces feels joyous to experience whenever I revisit it – just like a favorite, popcorn-munching movie.
The level with the heist, where you’re grappling around that fancy manor and then blending into the auction, before stealthing through a high-security lockdown! The crumbling clock tower that leads directly into having Nate fight through a convoy and then ending with a high-speed chase through the streets of King’s Bay! The Hardy Boys-like flashback where the Drake brothers sneak out of the catholic school in which they were raised by jumping across rooftops! Every chapter is a delight. It doesn’t need to be more than it is – a tight, well-structured single-player campaign – for me to want to return to it. It all comes from the heightened sense of reality that embraces the larger-than-life possibilities that a great adventure yarn can pull us into.
Bleak concepts can feel like a shortcut to being taken seriously, something the relatively young medium of gaming definitely wants. It’s perhaps telling that the Tomb Raider reboot trilogy that released around the same time as the Uncharted PS3 trilogy, which seemed to be closely inspired by it, slowly got bleaker and bleaker as it went on, until a wincing Lara Croft was brutally stabbing guards from behind.
Yet, that’s also why I’m beginning to feel hopeful again. The upcoming Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis promises a return to the vibes of the PS1 original, with a confident and quippy Lara Croft ready to joyously raid some tombs. Likewise, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle felt like a return to those sensibilities in how it easily slipped on the tone of the ’80s movies (which, naturally, also inspired Uncharted). It’s interesting that both of those games explicitly return to classic concepts, and while I don’t necessarily need a new Uncharted to star a younger Nathan Drake on an older adventure, I’d welcome it just as much as the series breaking completely new ground.
But, I’m just asking for something more, whether that’s Uncharted or another blockbuster series that can capture that sense of adventure. While I appreciate that gaming can immerse me into serious worlds better than other mediums, making me think deeply about unforgiving worlds, injustice, or how bad violence might be by casting me within them – it’s a shame to feel like we’re getting fewer releases that can lean shamelessly and confidently into being a romp like Uncharted. Uncharted 4 is still one of the greats, totally nailing that pulpy tone while juggling moments of character drama, extreme action, and some winks to camera, even 10 years on. But, 10 years from now, I hope to have some new favorites as well.
Check out the best Uncharted games for which one you should boot up next!
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