Uncharted 4: A Thief’s Review

Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End combines melancholy and chaos to create an unforgettable ending for this iconic series. The original Uncharted trilogy for PlayStation 3 feels like experiencing an adrenaline-pumping blockbuster action movie. Uncharted 4 boldly presses the brakes for the seemingly unstoppable thrill of this series. With a touching deconstruction of its iconic main character Nathan Drake, Uncharted 4 takes a subverting look at the genre at the long-term impacts of its swashbuckling lifestyle.

Released in 2016, Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End contains the unrivaled production value of Naughty Dog. Unfortunately, the gameplay is relatively safe compared to the pleasantly emotional angle in which the story succeeds. Although derivative, I still had a lot of fun playing Uncharted 4.

History

Treasure hunter, parkour superhuman, and joke machine Nathan Drake was well established as a favorite child of the games arriving in his latest chapter. Therefore, I admire the courageous invitation of the writers to completely dissect the flaws of this charming hero. Uncharted 4 shows the cost of Drake’s ambitious push that has carried him throughout his career as an adventurer. The writers do this by taking us deeper than ever into his personal life, creating a credible conflict between the regrets of his past and the reality of his present.

The re-emergence of Nathan’s long-thought dead brother, Samuel Drake, awakens in him childhood dreams of finding Henry Avery’s pirate treasure. However, leaving for the treasure directly interferes with Drake’s current married lifestyle. He and his wife Elena have given up on crazy adventures in favor of arguing over who washes the dishes. I felt a sense of fatalistic lament as Nathan’s web of lies and greed come back to affect those dear to him. The parallels to Henry Avery’s failed pirate utopia add further weight to Drake’s need to bury the Peter Pan inside him.

But, when the Uncharted 4 adventure really kicks in, I once again got a big goofy smile on my face. Watching the infectious personalities of Nathan, Samuel, Sully and Elena working each other is a pleasure. Rafe’s sleazy arrogance makes him a fun villain. But I wish Nadine had more character besides being good with her punches.

The flow of history is extremely heavy for McGuffin. However, a targeted third act eliminates a lot of the baggage. This allows the characters to face their failures head on. And it leads to an ending that feels satisfying in its thoughtfulness and restraint.