Post by fgdj2000 on Jun 28, 2016 12:21:14 GMT -5
Back to topic. Finished the game two days ago. Really fun experience and a series worth replaying some time down the line. I pretty much agree with A.G. though I didn't quite feel as invested in the series as I had only played the first one before last year when I caught up with the sequels (actually before the release of the Collection). I liked the more open environments and the varied locations. Sam seamlessly fitted in with the other characters and was a great addition and his absence from the previous games was explained pretty good. I love how the ending first teases at a possible sequel featuring Sam and Sully, but then jumps ahead some 15 years down the line to the happily ever after for all the characters. Surprisingly, I found also myself actually caring for the fate of the Libertalia colony itself which is something that didn't happen in the games previously - except maybe Uncharted 1, where we learned Sir Francis Drake's ultimate fate.
That being said, the game suffered from pretty much the same flaws as the previous games, such as sometimes tediously drawn out shootouts (particularly towards the end) and moments where I got stuck because I didn't know what the game wanted me to do rather than failing at the task ahead. These problems weren't as much of a problem as in the earlier games though. Gameplay-wise there is a constant improvement throughout the series, though the games never really reinvented themselves in the way the Metal Gear games did (which isn't a criticism, just something I noticed).
Overall nice conlusion to the overall series and a way better conclusion than Uncharted 3 was. Especially the finally boss was epic, even though it was a glorified quicktime event, though not to an extend where you felt your input didn't matter. Great middle-ground between UC2 (with its player agency) and UC3 (which was visually more impressive but came at the cost of player agency). Plus the villains were actually great and memorable in this game. As for the character animations: Facial animations were pretty impressive in cutscenes and there was some impressive texture work. However, within the actual gameplay (I used the photo-mode a lot) they looked a bit lifeless, which I never felt in MGSV. Nate actually was the biggest problem for me. He fell into some sort of uncanny valley and I always felt he didn't quite look right (I liked the busted nose, though^^). Sully and Sam on the other hand where totally nailed and with Elena it hit some sort of middle ground for me. She looked impressive and very lifelike. However, I felt she didn't look quite right as the Elena we knew from the previous games. Cassie was also fun and reminded me of both her parents.
Overall, I had a lot of fun with this series and recommend it to anyone who likes these very scripted story-driven games.
That being said, the game suffered from pretty much the same flaws as the previous games, such as sometimes tediously drawn out shootouts (particularly towards the end) and moments where I got stuck because I didn't know what the game wanted me to do rather than failing at the task ahead. These problems weren't as much of a problem as in the earlier games though. Gameplay-wise there is a constant improvement throughout the series, though the games never really reinvented themselves in the way the Metal Gear games did (which isn't a criticism, just something I noticed).
Overall nice conlusion to the overall series and a way better conclusion than Uncharted 3 was. Especially the finally boss was epic, even though it was a glorified quicktime event, though not to an extend where you felt your input didn't matter. Great middle-ground between UC2 (with its player agency) and UC3 (which was visually more impressive but came at the cost of player agency). Plus the villains were actually great and memorable in this game. As for the character animations: Facial animations were pretty impressive in cutscenes and there was some impressive texture work. However, within the actual gameplay (I used the photo-mode a lot) they looked a bit lifeless, which I never felt in MGSV. Nate actually was the biggest problem for me. He fell into some sort of uncanny valley and I always felt he didn't quite look right (I liked the busted nose, though^^). Sully and Sam on the other hand where totally nailed and with Elena it hit some sort of middle ground for me. She looked impressive and very lifelike. However, I felt she didn't look quite right as the Elena we knew from the previous games. Cassie was also fun and reminded me of both her parents.
Overall, I had a lot of fun with this series and recommend it to anyone who likes these very scripted story-driven games.
