I've played a lot of games. A lot of games that had amazing stories. Stories that pulled me in. Sucked me into another world. Another reality. Persona, Bioshock, Beyond, and especially Metal Gear Solid, have all (in my personal opinion) changed the way storytelling is done in videogames. Essential tidbits of awesomeness that really suck you in.
Uncharted did the same.
I loved the Uncharted series. I played the hell out of the second one. Every jewel and achievement. Just for the fulfillment of knowing I've experienced the whole thing. Uncharted 4 really hit it spot on with the storytelling and directing. It's as if i'm PLAYING a movie. No HUD really sets that into perspective. The different set pieces meld in with the combat, and visa versa. The directing really put the characters together. Jumping from a rope through a window of a huge castle, then throwing you into the combat with no pause. It really gave me a Kojima vibe, for he was particularly excellent at that. Really helped me get close (if not closer) to Nathan and Sully, and all the other pals of the Drakeman.
The story was great also. It was a true example of a treasure hunting action story. A thief goes to a legendary place and walks away with nothing. It came out a little deja vu- ey to be honest. Nathan goes treasure hunting and runs into a bad guy that fights him, and he ends up with nothing... almost. Naughty Dog kind of changed that with this installment. Still, a super good story nonetheless. It really had a deep focus on family, and a sense of wonder. Every which way you turn, you run into another weird conversation with the usual quips the gang spits out 90% of the game. With the addition of the awesome voice acting, It makes this game much more memorable than the others.
Graphics-wise, this is probably THE best-looking game on a console. Maybe even on PC. Every facial detail, like hair, wrinkles while they're talking, the fact that the reflected light changes color if you shine it on, let's say, bronze. Naughty Dog really outdid themselves with they're graphics engine. Whenever i'd walk atop a cliff, i would see this vast expanse of beautifully green tress and mountains, i would pause and just stare at the wonder of this beautiful island. With all the post-processing perfection that they did, i'm a little surprised it didn't blow up my PS4. I really wish it was on PC, so I could truly appreciate the whole engine.
As great as this gem is, I had some criticisms over the combat. The cover and the climbing really didn't meld well with the shooting. Sometimes I would want to grab something as cover and I would just stand up for some reason, as if I hit an invisible wall or something. It happened a little too often, but I ended up adapting to it, which is usually the case with any game. The AI hasn't even improved though. Since Uncharted 3, the AI that Naughty uses is really weird. The allies would just run around when you're trying to sneak, right in front of an enemy. The enemies are also pretty annoying. They would just run straight at you, even with a lame old pistol. It really ruined the immersion. Still, with the annoyances, this game is still a prime action game.
From sword-fighting, to jumping off of collapsing buildings. From, awesome car scenes, to finding those damn treasures. I enjoyed every moment of Uncharted 4. This game redefines the action noire-esque genre that Naughty Dog does so well. I mean, being able to play Crash Bandicoot in-game IS pretty sweet.