Uncharted 4: A Thief's End

Uncharted 4: A Thief's End
File:Uncharted 4 box artwork.jpg
Developer(s)	Naughty Dog
Publisher(s)	Sony Interactive Entertainment
Director(s)	Bruce Straley Neil Druckmann
Designer(s)	Kurt Margenau Emilia Schatz Anthony Newman Richard Cambier
Programmer(s)	Christian Gyrling Sandeep Shekar Vincent Marxen Travis Mcintosh Jason Gregory
Artist(s)	Robh Ruppel Erick Pangilinan Tate Mosesian
Writer(s)	Neil Druckmann Josh Scherr
Composer(s)	Henry Jackman
Series	Uncharted
Platforms	PlayStation 4
Release date(s)
Genre(s)	Third-person shooter, action-adventure, platform
Mode(s)	Single-player, multiplayer

Uncharted 4: A Thief's End is an action-adventure third-person shooter video game developed by Naughty Dog and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment for the PlayStation 4 video game console. As the sequel to the 2011 game Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception, it is the conclusion to the Uncharted series starring Nathan Drake.

The story, set several years after the events of Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception, follows series protagonist Nathan Drake, who has retired from fortune hunting, reunite with his older brother Sam and longtime partner Sully to search for clues for the location of Captain Henry Avery’s long-lost treasure to save his brother.

The game was first teased at the PlayStation 4 U.S. launch event on November 14, 2013, as the next main entry in the Uncharted franchise. It was finally unveiled as Uncharted 4: A Thief's End on 9 June 2014, at Sony's press conference during E3, with a small teaser debuting the game's real time visuals. The game was released worldwide on May 10, 2016 and received widespread acclaim from critics, with praise particularly given to the game's gameplay, presentation, narrative and visuals.

Gameplay

Uncharted 4: A Thief's End is an action-adventure game played from a third-person perspective. It also includes elements commonly found in platform games. The player assumes control of Nathan Drake, who is physically adept and is able to jump, sprint, climb, swim, scale narrow ledges and wall-faces to get between points, swing with a rope, use a grappling hook and perform other acrobatic actions. Drake can use various firearms such as assault rifles, pistols and grenades to kill enemies. Stealth elements are incorporated into the game, allowing the player to sneak behind enemies and kill them without being noticed. The melee combat system was reworked to avoid the presence of quick time events, and Drake can now control vehicles directly.

While the game is linear, environments feature multiple paths for the player to explore. Maps are also significantly larger than the previous games in the franchise, with the explorable area being 10 times larger than the previous games. The artificial intelligence (AI) of enemies was enhanced. They are now able to respond to the player's actions more responsively, coordinate tactics, and cooperate with each other. The AI of Drake's companions, including Sam and Sully, were improved and will assist Nathan in combat situations, though the player can not directly command them. A dialogue tree is introduced, though it does not affect the story's progression. The transition between cutscene and gameplay sequences has been described as "seamless". Extra visual filters and modes, such as a zero-gravity mode, bullet time gameplay, and a cel-shaded artstyle, can be unlocked by using points players collected in the main game.

Multiplayer

Competitive multiplayer is featured in the game. Players play as different characters in the series, and are tasked to defeat their opponents. Treasures can be found in all maps, which can be used to purchase new items and weapons. Multiplayer features "Mysticals", supernatural power-ups that boost players' ability. For example, the "Wrath of El Dorado" kills all opponents standing next to it, while the "Cintamani Stone" can heal both players and their teammates. Sidekicks are AI-controlled companions that can be summoned to assist players. The Hunter can hunt its closest opponent, the Savior can provide medical support and ammo to players, the Sniper can defeat opponents through the use of sniper rifles, and the Brute can defeat enemies using heavy firearms. Plunder mode also returns, though it was scaled back to support only eight players. According to Naughty Dog, vehicles for the competitive multiplayer modes, and a cooperative multiplayer mode, could be introduced after the game's launch.

After the final multiplayer beta for the game had ended, some fans expressed their disappointment at the absence of Steve Valentine, the voice actor of fan favourite, Harry Flynn. On March 7, 2016, Naughty Dog community strategist Arne Meyer addressed his absence and claimed that whilst they appreciated the fan feedback, Valentine was offered the role, but could not come to an agreement with the studio and developer to return.

On May 2, 2016, Naughty Dog's lead game designer Robert Cogburn outlined the road map for the game's multiplayer, citing that "all future maps and modes will be included with Uncharted 4 at no additional cost, and all vanity and gameplay in-game store items will be unlockable through gameplay". He also emphasized that this will mean "Uncharted 4's multiplayer community won’t be fragmented by different types of downloadable content (DLC) and that this approach will "represent an entirely new direction for Naughty Dog".

Plot

The game begins in medias res with treasure hunter brothers Nathan "Nate" (Nolan North) and Samuel "Sam" Drake (Troy Baker) driving toward an island in a storm while fighting off armed thugs in boats before their boat is scuttled. Years before, when Nate (Britain Dalton) is living in the St. Francis orphanage, he is visited by Sam (Chase Austin), who was kicked out for criminal activities. After helping him sneak out, Sam tells Nate he is leaving for a job that will keep him away for a few years, before cheering him up by telling him that he knows where their late mother's effects were sold.

Years later (before the events of the first game), the two are on the trail of infamous pirate Henry Avery, who enacted the largest heist in history in 1695, with plunder worth 400 million dollars taken from the Mughal Ganj-i-Sawai (anglicized the Gunsway). Teaming up with wealthy treasure hunter Rafe Adler (Warren Kole), the brothers sneak into a Panamanian jail where Avery's first mate, Burnes, was hanged. Aided by corrupt guard Vargas (Hemky Madera), Nate sneaks into Burnes' tower cell, where he finds a St. Dismas cross with the inscription digna factis recipimus (latin: we receive the due reward of our deeds) (Luke 23:41), that points to the treasure being in the St. Dismas cathedral in the Scottish Highlands. When the three try to leave, Vargas, who has discovered what they are after, tries to blackmail them into giving him a cut. Rafe responds by stabbing him to death, forcing them to flee. Sam is shot during the escape, leaving Nate so distraught at his apparent death that he gives up the search while Rafe continues without him.

Fifteen years later (three years after the third game) Nate has retired from treasure hunting and now works for a salvage company in New Orleans while attempting to enjoy a peaceful life with his wife Elena (Emily Rose), though he misses the life of adventure. One early morning, he is visited at the office by Sam, who explains that he was saved by doctors and sentenced to life imprisonment for Vargas' death. However, he claims that he was broken out by his cellmate, drug lord Hector Alcazar (Robin Atkin Downes), who gives Sam three months to find the treasure or suffer his wrath. Though reluctant at first, Nate eventually agrees to help Sam while telling Elena that he's taken a salvage job in Malaysia.

After learning of a cross similar to the one in Panama being sold at auction at the Rossi estate in Italy, the two team up with Nate's mentor Victor "Sully" Sullivan (Richard McGonagle) and sneak into the auction to steal it. Also at the auction is Rafe, who has subsequently hired the services of Nadine Ross (Laura Bailey) and her private military company, Shoreline. After several close calls, they manage to steal the cross, inside which is a map hinting that the next clue is not in the St. Dismas cathedral, but the graveyard near it.

Arriving in the Scottish Highlands and sneaking past Shoreline soldiers, Nate and Sam find a series of passages under one of the tombs leading to a room with a scale: on one side is another cross and on another is a group of copper coins. Seeing through the trick, Nate makes Sam take one of the coins, which reveals a map pointing to King's Bay in Madagascar. They are cornered by Nadine, who Sam tricks into springing the scale's trap allowing the two to escape. During this time, Nate begins to suspect that Avery was recruiting other pirates for something.

Following a clue in the form of an engraving of a volcano on the coin, the three head to a dormant volcano in King's Bay. Inside, they learn that Avery, Thomas Tew, and ten other pirates pooled their treasures together into one massive hoard. The next clue to the hoard's location is in one of twelve towers in King's Bay. Though Shoreline searches them all, another marking on the other side of the coin narrows it to two. While Sam goes to one, Nate and Sully go to the other, which turns out to be the right one. After circumnavigating the various tests, Nate realizes where they're headed. Before he can tell Sam, he is contacted by Rafe, who reveals that he has been tracking them using the GPS in their phones and tries to get him to give up the chase. Nate refuses and, after disposing of the phone, rescues Sam from Rafe's men. Back at the hotel, Nate and Sam explain to Sully that the clues point to Libertalia, a remote pirate colony of which Avery and the other captains seem to be the Founders. Before they can set out, Nate is confronted by Elena, who has realised he was lying to her and is not happy. Further angered when she meets Sam, whom Nate had never mentioned, she leaves, and when Nate refuses to give up the quest to go after her, Sully goes instead.

Now alone, Nate and Sam set out for Libertalia, following more clues on several remote islands that eventually point to the right one. Returning to where the story began, Nate washes up on the shore of the island and, after several fights with Shoreline, finds Sam. Together, they make it to Libertalia, where they find evidence of a civil war between the Founders and the colonists after the Founders stole all the gold for themselves. In the Treasury building, they learn that, to protect the gold, the Founders moved it to the town of New Devon on the other side of island. On the way, they are cornered near a cliff by Rafe, who reveals that he was the one who released Sam from jail; Hector Alcazar died six months before. As Nate reels from the deception, Rafe deems him no longer needed and tries to shoot him. Sam takes the bullet, but Nate is still knocked off the cliff.

Nate is found alive by Elena, who changed her mind and found him with help from Sully. Nate then tells her the truth about himself: when he and Sam tried to steal their mother's possessions, they were caught by Evelyn (Merle Dandridge), an old woman who lived there. Upon learning who they were, she revealed that their mother, Cassandra Morgan, was a historian who worked for her, specializing in Francis Drake. After the woman suddenly died due to her failing health, the two fled with their mother's journal and honored her theory about Drake having illegitimate descendants by changing their names from Nathan and Samuel Morgan, to Nathan and Samuel Drake. They stayed together from then until Sam's supposed death.

Understanding now that his past was too painful for him to discuss, Elena agrees to help Nate save Sam, as he no longer cares about the treasure. On the way to New Devon, they discuss Rafe and Nadine's motivations: he wants to build his own reputation, while she wants to repair that of her family and company. In Tew's house in New Devon, they learn that he and Avery poisoned the other Founders and tried to leave with the treasure. Arriving at Avery's house, they enter its catacombs and, avoiding numerous traps, arrive at a ship graveyard, where they save Sam from Shoreline and Sully saves Nate. Though Nate seems to convince Sam to give up, he changes his mind after they're separated.

The three try to follow him, but Elena and Sully are soon unable to continue, forcing Nate to go alone. He eventually arrives at the cavern containing Avery's ship and the treasure, where he sees Rafe force Nadine (who is satisfied with the smaller caches dotted around Libertalia and wary of Avery's traps) to assist him in securing the ship. Soon after, a triggered trap causes an explosion on the ship, which Nate runs onto to find the treasure and Sam trapped under a beam. Though Rafe has Nadine disarm Nate, she then turns on Rafe. Pointing out the corpses of Avery and Tew, who killed each other over the treasure, she leaves the three of them behind while she flees. Fed up with the Drakes and wanting the treasure for himself, Rafe engages Nate in a duel using Avery and Tew's swords, which ends with Nate dropping a net full of gold on top of him, crushing Rafe to death. Nate creates another explosion that floods the room, allowing him to free Sam, and they return to their friends and leave in Sully's plane.

Nate and Elena return home while Sam and Sully decide to partner up. Back home, Nate's boss announces that he's selling the company, and Nate is the new owner. Elena explains that Sam gave her what little gold he got from Libertalia and she plans to revive her old show, acknowledging that they both still need some adventure in their life. Their first job: the one in Malaysia he lied to her about.

Years later, Nate and Elena are living on an island with their daughter Cassie (Kaitlyn Dever). When Cassie discovers objects from her parents' adventures, Nate begins to tell her their story.

Development

On November 14, 2013, Naughty Dog released a teaser trailer for a new Uncharted game, saying that it would be released for the PlayStation 4. The trailer featured voice over by Todd Stashwick, who was to play Sam, Nathan Drake's older brother, in the game. The trailer shows an ancient map of the African continent while the voice over can be heard. The map stops at Madagascar and Île Sainte-Marie is marked, which was part of Francis Drake's travel route. A Latin sentence is written next to the drawing of a skull: Hodie mecum eris in paradiso (which translates to "Today shalt thou be with me in paradise"), a quote from the Gospel of Luke 23:43.

In March 2014, it was announced that Amy Hennig, the series writer and creative director, and Justin Richmond, the game director of Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception and Uncharted 4: A Thief's End at the time, had both left the studio, joining Visceral Games and Riot Games, respectively. In April 2014, Todd Stashwick, who voiced the narrator in the teaser trailer and was set to play Sam in the game, was announced to no longer be involved in the game, with the role being recast.

In June 2014, Naughty Dog co-president Evan Wells revealed that game directors for The Last of Us, Neil Druckmann and Bruce Straley, were now leading the project in Hennig's absence. As a result, many of the story elements and eight months of shooting were scrapped and abandoned. At the Sony E3 2014 press conference in June 2014, the title of the game was revealed to be Uncharted 4: A Thief's End along with a 2015 release window. On December 6, 2014, a gameplay demo of Uncharted 4 was shown as the initial presentation of the PlayStation Experience. Troy Baker later confirmed via Twitter that he had voiced Drake's older brother Sam, who appeared in the demo opposite Nathan Drake. Although some critics asserted that the game suffered a graphical downgrade when comparing the demo to the E3 2014 teaser trailer, Naughty Dog explained that the art direction was different in the demo, which resulted in an altering look in visuals.

On June 16, 2015, a new demo was showcased at the end of Sony's E3 Press Conference. The demo featured a much bigger environment, large amounts of destruction, new combat moves, and the return of Nathan Drake's mentor, Victor Sullivan. An extended trailer at an E3 press briefing also revealed the return of Nathan's wife Elena Fisher. On July 8, 2015, it was announced that Robin Atkin Downes would be involved in the game. While Naughty Dog originally targeted a rate of 60 frames per second for the whole game, it was announced that 30 frames per second was being targeted for the campaign, while 60 frames per second was still being targeted for the multiplayer modes. Naughty Dog previously expressed difficulties in getting the game to reach 60 frames per second, but at some point explained that they'd drop the idea if it compromised the player's experience of playing the game. During The Game Awards 2015, a new character, Nadine Ross (voiced and motion captured by American voice actress Laura Bailey), was revealed. It was later unveiled that Naughty Dog had also contracted Malaysia-based Passion Republic for the design of select in-game art assets.

On March 18, 2016, Naughty Dog announced that development of Uncharted 4 was completed and that the game went gold. A Sony Interactive Entertainment marketing manager said that Uncharted 4 was "PlayStation's largest ever software investment" whilst being their "biggest ever marketing campaign" for a game in the UK.

The game's original score was written by Henry Jackman, with additional music by Alex Belcher, replacing former series composer Greg Edmonson. The score was co-produced by Jackman and SIE's senior music manager Jonathan Mayer, and was recorded with an orchestra at AIR Studios in London. The official soundtrack was released digitally on iTunes, Amazon Music, and Google Play Music alongside the game's launch on May 10, 2016, physically on CD by La-La Land Records on May 17, 2016, and on vinyl by iam8bit sometime in late 2016.

Release

Uncharted 4 was originally set to be released in 2015. On March 11, 2015, Naughty Dog confirmed that the game was delayed to March 18, 2016 to allow for additional development time. It was delayed again on December 24, 2015 to April 26, 2016. On June 4, 2015, Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection, which is a remastered collection of the first three games in the series, was announced for the PlayStation 4. Players who purchased the collection gained access to Uncharted 4's multiplayer beta which started on December 4, 2015 and ended on December 13, 2015. The collection released on October 9, 2015 in North America.

On August 31, 2015, a Special Edition, Libertalia Collector's Edition and Digital Deluxe Edition, which includes several different in-game items and bonuses, were announced by Sony. The series' first single-player downloadable content was also announced on the same day. Naughty Dog added that they decided to develop this add-on for Uncharted 4 because it worked well in their previous game, The Last of Us. An artbook of the game, called The Art of Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, was also launched in the first quarter of 2016.

A preview of the game was attached to the theatrical premier of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. On February 4, 2016, Sony announced a Limited Edition Uncharted 4 PlayStation 4 bundle, releasing on the same day as the game. It includes a Limited Edition 500GB PS4 console in gray blue color featuring a silk-screened image of Nathan Drake, as well as a matching DualShock 4 and a copy of the game.

On March 1, 2016, Sony announced that Uncharted 4: A Thief's End would be delayed once again, to allow a simultaneous worldwide release on May 10, 2016.On April 26, which was the previous release date, Amazon.com began prematurely shipping copies of the game. In a possibly related incident on April 27, Shuhei Yoshida stated that copies of the game were stolen while in transit to retail in the UK. Naughty Dog employees expressed disappointment in gamers not hesitating to share knowledge of spoilers on the internet.

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score Aggregator Score Metacritic 93/100 Review scores Publication Score Destructoid 9.5/10 EGM 9/10 Game Informer 9.5/10 Game Revolution GameSpot 10/10 GamesRadar GamesTM 9/10 Giant Bomb IGN 9/10 OPM (UK) 10/10 Polygon 9/10 VideoGamer.com 8/10 The Escapist

Uncharted 4: A Thief's End received universal acclaim. It currently holds an aggregated score of 93 on Metacritic, based on 103 reviews. It is the highest scored game on Metacritic for 2016.

Steven Hansen of Destructoid scored the game a 9.5 out of 10, writing, "Stunning art direction; satisfying game feel; a willingness to shake up third-person action conventions, to know when to introduce variety, or let a foot up off the gas; excellent dialogue that reveals a lot without oversharing; and a heck of a conclusion. A thief couldn't ask for a better end." Electronic Gaming Monthly's Nick Plessas scored the game a 9 out of 10, summarizing with: "Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End is a true work of art, and the only time the slightest apprehension may surface is when one compares it to the titanic installments that came before." Andrew Reiner of Game Informer also scored the game a 9.5 out of 10, writing, "A Thief's End is the best Uncharted yet, delivering a story I didn’t want to end, and an adventure that concludes with a hell of a payoff." Reiner applauded the world design, story, gameplay, soundtrack and voice acting.

Mike Mahardy from GameSpot scored the game a perfect 10/10, saying: "Uncharted 4 is a challenge to the medium. In its writing, in its design, in its understanding of what makes games unique, Uncharted 4 is something to aspire to. It's a shining example. And we'll be talking about it for years to come." In giving the game a score of 4/5, Leon Hurley for GamesRadar commended the visuals, the combat and exploration, which he said was the best in the series, and the larger environments. However, Hurley disliked Sam for feeling like an unnecessary character, and the first portion of the game for not being as well paced as the later portion.

Daniel Ryckert of Giant Bomb scored the game a 5/5, writing: "This is one of the most fully-realized action campaigns of all time, and it sets a new bar of quality for what’s possible in the genre." Polygon's Griffin McElroy gave the game a score of 9/10, particularly praising the narrative and saying: "Uncharted 4 delivers a thrilling, moving conclusion to the series."

Lucy O'Brien of IGN scored the game a 9/10, praising the story, visuals, gameplay and multiplayer, but criticized the elongated pacing of the third act of the story. She closed her review by stating: "Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End is a remarkable achievement in blockbuster storytelling and graphical beauty. Though it’s let down by a lack of imagination and some self-indulgence, especially in a third act that drags on far too long, Uncharted 4 carries on the series’ proud tradition of peerless polish and style, with a great multiplayer component to boot. Most importantly, it’s a gentle sendoff to the rag-tag group of characters we’ve known for nine years. A worthy thief’s end, indeed."

Keith Stuart of The Guardian scored the game 5 stars, saying that Uncharted 4 is in the category of video games that "everyone should experience". He went on to say the efforts of Nathan Drake's return for one last treasure hunt resulted in "a beautiful and exciting gaming experience that transcends it flaws."

While Uncharted 4's more diverse combat options received praise, reviewers were divided as to whether protracted gunfights and "bullet sponge" enemies, two of the series' more divisive elements, had been sufficiently trimmed down.

Uncharted 4 also received praise from other studios and figureheads in the gaming industry. Prior to launch, Phil Spencer, president of Microsoft's Xbox division, tweeted that "it will be a great game". Spencer would later follow up his tweet by further congratulating Shuhei Yoshida and Naughty Dog "on another great Uncharted with #Uncharted4, amazing work.". Similarly, game developer Remedy Entertainment praised the game, thanking Naughty Dog for "raising the bar". Remedy also sent Naughty Dog a signed copy of their game Quantum Break, with a personal message of congratulations.

Sales

In the UK, Uncharted 4: A Thief's End had the strongest first week debut of the series, selling 66% better than its predecessor and becoming the best-selling retail game in the UK. In Japan, Uncharted 4: A Thief's End was also the top selling game in the week of May 9 to 15, selling 128,725 copies, thereby making it the best first week debut for an Uncharted game in the region. The game sold more than 2.7 million copies worldwide in the first week after its release, and became the fastest-selling game developed by a first-party Sony studio for the PlayStation 4 in the PAL region and North America.

Controversies

The revelation that white voice actress Laura Bailey was voicing new character and villain Nadine Ross, who is of Black South African descent, lead to some backlash. Neil Druckmann cited websites like NeoGAF in the complaints of racial underrepresentation in acting in general. Druckmann further explained that when the character was incepted, her ethnicity was not yet determined. Bailey was chosen from the audition of casting calls from a pool of actors of black, white, American, and South African heritage, believed by Druckmann to be the best candidate for the role. Druckmann also noted that a Caucasian character in the game is voiced by a black voice actor. Merle Dandridge, who voices Evelyn and a nun in-game, is of African-American descent. Speaking on the controversy, Bailey stated that she did not know the character's skin tone when she came to the audition.

On February 24, 2016, Naughty Dog released the story trailer. One scene of the trailer included a photograph that turned out to be a concept art image for Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag. This was quickly spotted by Ubisoft employee Azaizia Aymar and once this was realized, the trailer was taken down on the very same day and reuploaded with a new frame. In response, Naughty Dog stated they had made a "regrettable mistake", and apologized to Ubisoft, claiming that they would take full responsibility for the error.

External links

• Official website