The Uncharted series has been one of the most consistently fantastic franchises in gaming history. Uncharted: Drake's Fortune created the foundation, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves pushed the envelope and Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception polished everything to perfection.
Naughty Dog has proven time and time again that it's one of the best studios in the industry, and the entire Uncharted franchise is a testament to that fact.
It's been nearly five years since the last Uncharted game — and according to Naughty Dog, Uncharted 4: A Thief's End marks the end of Nathan Drake's time in the spotlight. Given how great the rest of the series is, A Thief's End has quite the reputation to uphold — but it's not just about living up to the earlier Uncharted games anymore.
In a lot of ways, The Last of Us represents the pinnacle of Naughty Dog's storytelling. The Uncharted franchise has always been full of lovable characters, but the studio's take on the post-apocalypse is unrivaled in the industry.
Long story short, Uncharted 4: A Thief's End won't simply be compared with the other entries in the series, but to a game that is arguably Naughty Dog's strongest work ever. Needless to say, A Thief's End has some major shoes to fill — so, can Naughty Dog possibly exceed such impossible expectations?
Uncharted 4: A Thief's End tells the story of what happens when an adventurer tries to retire. Three years after the events of Drake's Deception, Nathan Drake and Elena have gotten married, settled down and slipped into a comfortable routine — though it's clear that a part of Nate misses the dangerous life he used to lead.
When Samuel Drake, Nathan's older brother, suddenly reappears after disappearing during a botched job years earlier, our hero gets the old gang back together for a quest to find Captain Avery's legendary pirate treasure. On top of all that, there's a big focus on Nate's origin story: the game deals with the origins of the Drake family, along with his relationship with Sam and how he became a treasure hunter in the first place.
All in all, the story of A Thief's End is well-told, but it's nothing revolutionary. The game reuses many of the same story beats and moral quandaries of the rest of the series, and by the end of the game, the overarching plot can feel a bit underwhelming. The ending in particular feels like a mish-mash of different cliches, and it's easy to see the pieces falling into place from a mile away.
That being said, the characterization of A Thief's End is absolutely impeccable. It's easily Naughty Dog's best work yet: the campaign is much more slowly-paced than other games in the series, but it allows for more frequent character-driven interactions, which, in turn, leads to more emotionally-gripping moments. The Last of Us clearly had an influence on how the story of A Thief's End was told, and it definitely works out for the better — but it's a shame that the overarching plot doesn't match up to the individual, character-driven moments.
Uncharted 4: A Thief's End is due out on May 10.
