I've had a rough relationship with Uncharted, played the UC2 when I picked up my PS3 in '09 and was blown away, went back to UC1 and decided it wasn't worth finishing. Few years later went into UC3 expecting to be blown away and was disappointed on almost every front, I got to the Sully's not dead twist and decided it was another Uncharted game not worth finishing due to frustrating bullet sponge enemies and awful encounter design (forcing you to break stealth and spawning waves of enemies). As a whole though I love Uncharted and would consider myself a fan. When I saw the new footage and direction of UC4 I was all in, the gameplay looked like a major step up, the new mechanics seemed to add some much needed depth and variety. I have to say after completing the game a few days ago and giving myself some time to think it over, I think UC4 is another disappointment and another step down from UC3.

This is the first Uncharted game I've legitimately enjoyed in the gameplay department, at least in theory, the rope adds some really fantastic movement opportunities and I love that a legitimate method of completing most 'combat arena' portions is sneaking through and running away. Normal difficulty is a blast to play and a great balance between running and gunning, hiding, taking cover and pulling off insane acrobatics. However, higher difficulty's break the game and forces you into the pop'n stop gameplay that has become so tired last generation. It seems like the game doesn't want you to play in the way that is actually fun, it's like you're a kid going over to a friend's house and only have fun when he leaves the room.

This may be controversial but I really think UC4 has the weakest characters in the entire main series. The dialogue and banter falls under into a few big categories

a) inconsequential or uninteresting

b) eye roll worthy and stilted jokes

c) infodumps

I still felt an intimate connection with Nate in the early chapters, a few parts even made me tear up. But for some reason I found myself caring less about the characters as the game went on, probably for the reasons mentioned above. I had the same problem (of caring less the more time I spent with them) with The Last of Us, so maybe it has something to do with Druckman's writing, and the Alcazar reveal leading to a much less interesting last act (having Nadine's army thinned out and low on morale, tensions with Rafe higher than ever and Alcazar arrive in the last act with a small group of vicious henchmen as an indifferent third party would lead to some interesting moments and fitting reason to up the stakes after most of the character conflicts have reached a resolution). The game felt both too short and too long (zero resolution with Nadine, rushed last act and an epilogue that is unnecessary and overstays its welcome). I did come around on TLOU a second time around, and maybe a second playthrough of UC4 would yield similar results but it has left such a empty feeling where my love of the Uncharted series was I don't care enough to try. I really hope some more of Hennig's UC4 comes out so I can at least imagine a real conclusion to the series. Overall: UC2>UC3>UC4>UC1