Choosing to play this title for 10 weeks was not an easy decision at first because I knew nothing about it, only that it had received several positive reviews. However, I am glad that I chose to play this title for such an extended period of time due to the many details I learned about such as the narrative, genre, history, aesthetics, culture, and impact/risks of the game. When it comes to my reasoning as to why I chose to play this game title, I chose it because of the genre it fell within which is the action/adventurous genre which is something I was looking for. I also chose this game based on the positive reviews it had received such as awards it was given as well so I knew this was going to be a good game. As for the three previous games in the Uncharted series, I played them a while back, so I knew I had to play this game title to see where the main character, Nathan Drake would end his legacy. This game title was broken into six different aspects to fully analyze the game to give an honest detailed review which will be further explained throughout the paper.
The first aspect that this game title was broken into was the genre. The game is considered to be an action game as it consists of the main character, Nathan Drake, returning to his old ways of being a treasure hunter where he fights others in gun fights, fist fights, or even performing the craziest and most adrenaline rush parkour stunts. While performing all these actions it can be safe to say that these situations require motor skills and hand-eye coordination. Along with the motor and hand-eye coordination skill, the game also requires puzzle solving to unlock clues to finding the next hint for the treasure which creates several challenges for the player. The other genre of this game which is adventure can be vividly seen in the game as the player plays as the main character who is involved in a plot of mystery or exploration and faces puzzles of various kinds.
The second aspect of this game was the history of the game. Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End is the final game to the Uncharted series featuring the protagonist, Nathan Drake. Prior to this game there are three previous game titles within the series and a side story featuring two other well-known characters, Chloe Frazer, Nadine ross, and Sam Drake, Nathan’s brother. The title of this side story is Uncharted: The Lost Legacy. When it comes to the development of this game, the development for this game began on November 14, 2013 when a teaser trailer was released. In June of 2014, Naughty Dog announced that Neil Druckmann and Bruce Straley, who had codirected Naughty Dog’s previous game The Last of Us, would direct the game. Naughty Dog had the game demo at an E3 conference a showcasing that the game had new combat, a much larger environment, large amounts of destruction, and the return of a beloved character. On March 18, 2016 Naughty Dog had announced that the game had gone gold, meaning that the game was ready to be shipped to stores and was in its final development stage. The game was then initially released on May 10, 2016.
When it comes to the aesthetics of the game, this game has one of the best aesthetics that I have ever experienced when compared to other game titles that I have played. The looks such as the mixture of colors with the detailed surroundings has created a pleasing game to look at. I love it when games take into consideration details that are in the background that some players would not notice. An example of this can be the details on the trees and plants as they follow a current of wind or seem so realistic throughout certain chapters in the game. Another example can be the coordination of the characters as they perform extreme actions such as jumping from buildings to buildings or jumping around highly elevated cliffs. The game succeeds in making the player feel a certain way as it gives the player anxiety to a certain extent. When the main character, Nathan Drake, places himself in tight (life or death) situations whether it be gun fights, the extreme parkour jumps performed at great altitudes, or rushed chases he encounters with the enemy; the player experiences a rush of adrenaline which demonstrates how the game succeeds in being aesthetically pleasing. The game balances itself great with the looks being detailed and having a great color scheme, the feeling it delivers to the player of giving them a good amount of anxiety and adrenaline rush, and then the sound mixed in all together makes the aesthetically pleasing and being a successive game.
The community of players that this game consists of are the players that are not fond of first person shooter games (fps) and are more into playing out a story that requires a large of time to be invested. These individuals enjoy the game for its aesthetics and really pay attention to detail within the game. The reviews on this all have similar comments about the game whether it be from the graphics, to the music, and even plot of the game. The reviews have been evident to be from players who really love the game title and enjoy it in its entirety. Other games such as The Last of Us had a cultural impact on the release of Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End as it influenced the aesthetics of the game. The Last of Us influenced the much darker tone/theme we see in Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End when compared to the previous Uncharted game titles; the fight scenes in both games are very detailed and similar cinematically. The rising trend of FPS games also influenced the releasing of my game title as it forced games to be released away from that trend.
The narrative in this game title can be argued to be the best aspect of the title as it is one of the reasons to why this game received certain awards. The context of this game comes from the three previous titles where the main character, Nathan Drake, goes on several adventures to find treasures that are believed to never have existed. In this particular chapter of his life, Nathan has retired from treasure hunting and has a stable job but is interrupted when his brother, Sam Drake, enters his life once again after being believed to be dead for a couple of years. It is then when the life of hunting treasures begins once again for Nathan alongside his brother which is the basis throughout the game. The way that the game ties in the characters, the story for this game, and the context of it all is very similar to a movie which makes the storytelling in this game so much better when compared to other similar titles such as Tomb Raider. The narrative in this game is so cinematic that it gives the player an experience that nearly no other game can in today’s age of video games.
Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End falls under the edutainment term for particular reasons. Edutainment is a term that is used for videogames being both educational and entertainment for the player. The way it falls under edutainment was because the player learns about certain historical events and people that were real. The player learns about famous figures like Henry Avery, who was a famous pirate who operated in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans in the mid 1690s. The player also learns certain regions of the world as they play the game since the main character, Nathan Drake, has to travel due to his treasure seeking career. The player also learns to solve clever puzzles that include Spanish writing from the past which is where the entertaining part comes in for the player allowing this game to be under the edutainment term. In the entertainment section for this game, the player is entertained due to the cinematic experience it gives to the players which is unique in this day and age of videogames.
After completing the game, I have to say this is one of the best games that I have ever experienced due to its many aspects that I analyzed earlier. This game is fun in so many ways that it just gives the player the feeling to play it all over again. This game is like a movie due to its cinematic feeling that it delivers to the player. People watch movies more than once because they like them for their story, genre, or other aesthetically features and this game is exactly the same which is why players are more inclined to replay the game. I recommend giving this game a try along with its prequels as players will not be disappointed.