u/Greedy_Chemistry_678

So I know how discussions forums like this are now, especially in 2026, but I have to get my thoughts out regardless. Uncharted 4 is the worst game in the series. I remember loving this game when I first played it, but now my mind has changed. I just got done replaying the entire Original Trilogy and wasted no time jumping straight into U4 and I’m not having fun at all. In fact I think it may be my least favorite game in the series now, and I know I’m going to be downvoted up the ass just for saying that, but just try to hear me out. I have several reasons for why I feel this way. Most of my issues with this game stem from the fact that the original Creative Director and Lead Writer Amy Hennig was fired from her position. This game just feels so different than the other 3 in almost every way, as a result of that.

Let’s start with the gameplay. The melee combat is straight ass in this game. The fact that you can’t counter attacks anymore and instead have to stand there and take it is really dumb. In U2 and U3 you could counter attacks and follow up with some of the dopest finishers in all the games. Plus U3 allowed you to fight multiple enemies at once and counter attacks as the enemies were coming at you from behind. It felt like I was playing a Batman Arkham game and more importantly like I was playing as an experienced Treasure Hunter who knew how to hold his own in a fight. In Uncharted 4 all they give you is a janky Dodge/Roll to avoid punches. You can still press Triangle to break free from attacks sure, but it leads to all of the fights in the first few hours of the game feeling like they’re completely scripted, annoying and repetitive. The stealth is also completely pointless too. If I’m playing an action game, I DON’T WANT TO BE FORCED INTO STEALTH. I’ve played plenty of stealth games before, but I don’t play Uncharted for the stealth. I play for the exciting, intense life or death gunfights.

The guns also feel awful to use in this game too. The fact that the reticle has a tiny dot in the middle that is always moving around like I’m playing a little mini game as I’m shooting at people is just terrible design, and the rope doesn’t make the game more fun either. You can use the rope to drop on like one enemy and then you’re locked into combat and can’t use it again. It would’ve been cool if you could’ve used the rope more in combat but you can’t. They gave us the bare minimum with the rope, and the platforming is super repetitious after a certain point too. How many times are they gonna do the whole hand hold/rock/ledge that you jump for that collapses or breaks from your weight? This makes the platforming feel like a chore in the game.

Now onto the characters. I don’t like Nadine. I know how that sounds. Some of you may want to come at me and call me a misogynist for even saying that, but her inclusion in this game feels pointless. Rafe is a much more compelling villain, but Nadine feels like Neil wanting to add a muscle mommy in his game, just because. She has no point or relevance in this story other than to have a boss fight or two with her where she completely steamrolls you and you just have to sit there and take it like a bitch. Again that doesn’t make the combat fun. It just makes it feel scripted and monotonous. I know the villains have never really been a big component in the Uncharted games, but I just don’t feel like Nadine needed to be in this game. I’d take literally anyone else over her.

However the one character I can’t stand is Sam. Why now are we just hearing about this character? Why are we retconning the story from the original trilogy just to shoehorn in another main character that was never mentioned once before? I know the game tries to tell you that Nate thought he was dead and that’s the reason why he was never mentioned, but you’d think Nate would at least tell Elena about Sam. The answer is that Sam Drake was never planned in the original Trilogy and Neil and Bruce decided to make him a big crucial character in U4 that becomes the driving force for why Nate does everything. It’s lazy and forced and I don’t like it. It feels like favoritism. Like Naughty Dog just got done making The Last of Us and they really wanted to cast Troy Baker in another game. I know Amy also had planned Sam being in U4, but her version of the story would’ve been way more interesting imo, by making Sam the villain instead. I’m just not a fan of Neil Druckmann or Bruce Straley’s handling of Sam and would’ve much rather preferred to see Amy’s ideas.

My last big complaint is the tone and the pacing. This game feels like one big walking simulator most of the time. Gun fights are way less frequent than the previous games and most of your time in this game is spent running around, talking with your allies, and looking at stuff. I don’t mind these types of moments in games if they’re using sparingly, to break up the action scenes. However U4 barely has any action in it compared to the first 3 games and there are only like one or two memorable set pieces. The Madagascar chase is obviously the best set piece, but it doesn’t change the fact that you have to play through over an hour of boring gameplay just to get to it. It really feels like 70% of this game is the equivalent to playing a big budget Telltale Game. They swapped out the fun, over-the-top, high octane set pieces and action for one big interactive movie instead, and on a first playthrough that may seem amazing and entertaining, but on repeat playthroughs it just makes the game feel unplayable, because they’re always taking the control away from you. There are also so many damn cutscenes in this game.

Overall I don’t hold Uncharted 4 in the same light that I used to. There are aspects of the story that I do enjoy believe it or not, but it just feels like Naughty Dog was more focused on following up there big success with The Last of Us and creating a big giant 12-15 hour interactive movie instead of giving us another Uncharted. I could go on but I feel like I’ve already written enough. I really feel like this game suffers from the same issues that games like Resident Evil 9 Requiem suffer from for example. I’m only bringing that game up because it’s recent and has the same core issue. Uncharted 4 is super fun and entertaining to play for your first playthrough, but incredibly boring and unsatisfying on repeat playthroughs, and I feel like most people who glaze the game have only played it once. What are your guys thoughts? I know I kind of let loose with this post but if you made it this far thanks for sticking around. I’d like to hopefully get some people to be constructive about this. I’m bracing myself for all the downvotes too lol

So I’ve been with this series for a long time now. My first introduction was when The Nathan Drake collection was first released back in 2015. I’ve played all the games multiple times and I know most people either prefer U2 or U4 as their favorites, and that has been my opinion too, up until recently.

The past few weeks I’ve been replaying The Nathan Drake collection again and going for every trophy including the bonus ones. I’ve 100% completed U1 and U2, even on Brutal difficulty, and have had a blast, even during some of the SUPER BS SECTIONS ON BRUTAL lol However, something interesting happened when I jumped into U3. I didn’t really remember anything about the story in the game and when I wrapped up my first run on Crushing, I think I enjoyed it the most out of all three games.

I mean when it comes to the gameplay the hand to hand Arkham Asylum inspired Combat is soooo much fun. I love beating the shit out of one enemy and then pressing the triangle button mid fight in order to parry someone coming at me from behind. That simple mechanic really makes you feel like a badass and all of the environmental items you can use during the hand to hand fights add a whole other layer of enjoyment to them. I’m surprised this melee combat wasn’t carried over to U4. Gunfights feel a lot better too in U3, because the weapons are a lot more fun to play with. Such as the Arm Micro (WHICH IS LEAPS AND BOUNDS BETTER THAN THE UZI), all of the scoped weapons like the G-Mal, the Tau Sniper, and the damn Pak-80 which is super OP whenever you can get your hands on it. Not to mention the fact that U3 has the loudest most beefy gun sound effects out of all games.

The set pieces are so much fun too. The opening brawl in the pub, the foot chase through Cartagena, the burning building section in France, the foot chase with Talbot, the sinking ship section, the plane sequence, etc. U3 has sooo many of these peak moments that keep the story moving at a break neck pace and you always feel like you’re a part of the action because they rarely take the control away from you.

All of these aforementioned things really come together to make you feel like you’re taking part in your own action movie. Now when it comes to the story, this is where I feel like most people don’t like this game as much. I will admit there are a few things that happen randomly in the story that feel kind of lazy compared to other games. Like the whole ship graveyard sequence where they make you think Sully is captured only to do the whole “OH NO HE WAS NEVER HERE”!!! 😱 Nate conveniently washing up on shore and finding which apartment Elena was in. Also the laziest part in the game for me being the part where the characters literally stumble into the building in Yemen that they were trying to reach by accident. It feels more like the developers had super cool ideas for levels and decided to try and craft the story around those moments, which can lead to some of the game feeling like filler. Here’s the thing though. I don’t really care, because all of the areas you go to in U3 are absolutely stunning.

Overall the story could be better in certain areas and the villains could’ve been more interesting, but I really feel like this game is more about the main characters. Charlie Cutter is such an awesome new character for instance and seeing him and Nate work out the clues and riddles together during the Syria section was a very unique and compelling dynamic. I wish they had brought Charlie back for future games and instead they fucking replaced him with Sam Drake, because Neil and Bruce felt like they had to have him in there as a big brand new character for some reason. It honestly pisses me off that U4 retconned Nate’s backstory from U3 and decided to give him a big brother who he spent all his childhood years hanging around with when they both realized Nate couldn’t go back to the orphanage. I loved the story in U3 way more, because it showed us the bond that Nate had with Sully growing up. I mean Nate and Sully is one of the biggest focal points of U3’s story. I much rather prefer the upbringing that Nate had in U3’s story than the retconned bullshit in U4. That’s just me. People are gonna try to come up with their own justifications for how both origin stories are still in continuity with each other and I respectfully disagree. Amy had an origin story already established and Neil and Bruce ruined it, just so they could cast Troy Baker in another game.

The characters in U3 are just so much more compelling than any of the other games. Every character has their moment to shine and the scenes feel much more intimate because of it. U3 is also the funniest game of them all too. I chucked and laughed so fucking much during all of the cutscenes and witty dialogue moments. I just don’t understand why people overlook this game as much as they do. It brought the original Trilogy to a beautiful close and despite its flaws, it’s such a satisfying game to play and experience.