Uncharted 4, like the previous games in the series, is broken down into chapters. Having played through the first two chapters, I have a few thoughts.
The Uncharted series is one of my all-time favorite game series to date. I have played the first three games twice each, and loved them greatly. I have been looking forward to Uncharted 4 since it was announced, and so far, I have not been disappointed. It feels very much the way I expect an Uncharted game to play & feel.
The game opens in a way that reminds me of Uncharted 2: It has an exciting sequence that draws the player into both the gameplay and the story. While not all elements of the gameplay are explored in that sequence, it still does a great job of being a hook. Even though I have only just played this section, I can't actually recall how it actually ended and transitioned into the first chapter; I can guess at how it was done, and think I may actually be correct, but this means that the transition was extremely well designed, in my opinion. It was not jarring and did not pull the player out of immersion, making it a forgettable moment in the game.
Chapter one started with a very young Nathan Drake in the Sir Francis Catholic orphanage. The nun mentions his brother, which draws more interest to the current plot than the player may have had previously because this does not feel as interesting as what the player just went through in the prologue. This also sets up the next piece of the chapter where Nathan's brother signals to Nathan. This, of course, draws Nathan to escape the orphanage and launches the player into a tutorial for the most complicated mechanics of the game: climbing & environmental puzzles. They did something here that felt very strong to me as someone who has played the games previously: they put the tutorial prompts on timers. This means that anyone who already knows & remembers how to climb and move throughout the environment will not be bombarded by the prompts, but for the new players who are unsure of what to do, the game still provides the necessary direction. The prompts are cleverly placed over or around the object the player needs to interact with, moving to the edge of the screen to point in that direction when necessary.
During this tutorial sequence, they also introduce a couple of new mechanics: sliding down inclines & the rope. Both of these are new for this game, but both fit the design, feel, and world of Uncharted. Sliding is first introduced in a non-threatening way where the player simply slides down an inclined roof to another landing. The next time they need to slide, however, they are also being taught to jump at the end of the incline, giving the slide a much more dangerous - and therefore Uncharted - feel to it.
The rope is introduced in a similar way. First, the player is introduced to the idea of the rope via plot: the door is locked, to they need to find a way around. Nathan's brother pulls out a grappling hook/rope which is then used to climb up the side of the wall. The next time the player uses the rope: they must use it to jump across a gap. At this point, the player is still not in control of the rope and is simply interacting with it in the world. The third time the rope is needed, Nathan's brother let's him use it, which gives the player the opportunity to learn how to control the rope.
Overall, this tutorial chapter of the game feels very well done. It teaches at a good pace, and reinforces lessons where it should.
The second chapter begins with another tutorial. This tutorial being hand-to-hand combat. The setting works well for the tutorial, and the tutorial does a decent job of teaching the combat mechanics, but the new combat system has been my biggest issue with the game thus far. Having played the previous three games, I have grown very used to a certain button flow when it comes to fighting. However, for this installation of the series, the buttons have been changed: I no longer dodge attacks with ▲ (triangle). Instead, I now must use O (circle) to roll away from punches. I have yet to actually do this properly or in any useful way. Rolling tends to put me farther away than I want to be, and unless I have a gun equipped, I can't see this being the best way to dodge.
The triangle button is now used to break out of a hold. In Uncharted 3, this was done by pressing circle, and it was the first time the mechanic was used. Throughout the chapter, the fighting has felt much less fluid than it had in previous games. The switching of Triangle and Circle feels off. I have faith that as I play the game more, I'll get used to the switch, but I still strongly disagree with the decision to switch the functionality of the buttons. This has been, so far, the biggest design flaw I've encountered in the game.
Overall, the game has been incredible despite playing for barely over an hour. It pulled the player into the story and the gameplay beautifully, and it will likely continue to impress.
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