So I've been doing a replay of the trilogy back to back.
What surprised me was how much of a shooter the first two games were. My mind always saw these games as a male Tomb Raider game. But that's not really true for 1 and 2 at all. 1 and 2 are straight up corridor shooters with a treasure hunting theme. And the gunplay in both games hold up way better than I thought. But holy hell do u kill so much in these games.
Even though 1 gets flak for its repetitive shootouts I'm pretty positive u kill way more dudes in 2 and there's more shootouts in 2 as well, but spiced up with set pieces, which is an awesome addition.
Also 1 and 2 are closer in tone to each other. Both feel like those lighthearted action movies with the characters are constantly quipping one liners and stuff. 2 also looks graphically like a refined 1, which had that distinctive sheen/shininess to everything (PS3 versions btw, not the remasters).
So now getting to 3, I was expecting more of the same. People often say 4 is where they matured but I couldn't disagree more.
Tone:- Game felt much more serious and personal this time I was caught offguard coming fresh of 2. Nate himself seems a bit tired yet way more obsessed at the same time. Clearly he's going through something (later revealed to be a breakup with Elena), and a need to prove himself. And it's reflected in all the characters, they speak with more warmth to each other, you get the sense that these guys are closer than ever before and are kind of tired of the whole treasure hunting aspect except Nate, who time, isn't even doing it for the money now.
Then the actual atmosphere itself, with the music, locales and art direction feeling much more darker. (Graphically I think it's a bigger jump than I remember.) I love the warnings Francis Drake scribbled on the walls in Chapter 10, which actually creeped me out way more than anything in the previous cursed hunts. The soundtrack is way moodier and sinister sounding too.
The whole theme of the game is illusion and deception. We get to see Nate's flaws this time, his faked lineage, his obsession, the villains themselves are mysterious (Talbot's disappearing acts are considered plot holes, but I can easily choke that up to magic tricks like wires and pulleys, afterall these guys main form is offence is mentally wearing down their enemies, and the director later confirmed this too iirc.) I think 3 is the one game that wears it themes is the most non-subtle way and I love that.
Narrative and Pacing:- The first two games have way better traditional pacing. They are paced evenly and it makes for a satisfying action experience. However 3 tries something unique, it holds back with the shootouts in the first half of the game and instead goes all in on puzzles (pretty sure there's more puzzles in 3 than 1 and 2 combined and they are higher quality than any other games' puzzles, yes even compared to the ones in 4.)
You know how we get into flow states in a game once u get used to the combat and AI? UC3's first half whatever little shootouts there were, are extremely short. I didn't even shoot enough to get a feel of the combat. First half has like: two epic chase scenes, two brawls fights, a lot of cool ass puzzles/crypts/tomb raiding, varied locales. some epic setpieces etc. And the combat itself is harder, more dynamic with the looser melee, bigger complex arenas, guns sounding like something from Heat, and even tho enemies dont flinch anymore (they do play an animation when hit but won't get staggered in place) meaning you have to keep moving faster. It feels way different than 1 and 2. Less repetitive imo.
So when Sully gets kidnapped is when the game shifts its pacing back into traditional Uncharted. And goes ALL in on the action, probably some of the best action ever conceived in a video game to this day. It's shootouts after shootouts because Nate isn't hunting for treasure, he's trying to fix his fuck up, save Sully and get the fuck out. The universe keeps torturing Nate as he is pushed to his limits physically and mentally. (Sully's death gave us the most angry Nate we have ever seen.)
Nate by the end of UC3 felt like he genuinely went through shit and got a wake up call from the universe. I still love that ending 'swapped it out for something better'.
So yeah, the OG trilogy holds up way better than I thought. I grew tired of linear games and kinda resented these games as I grew older, but now that I replayed them they have so many other good aspects that elevate it.
Edit:- Also does anyone else feel like 3 has a Tintin vibe?
Big agree, I remember it being a huge step up in lots of ways when it dropped. Far more modern naughty dog and probably their first step in the direction we see now
i played 2 twice in a row. what an incredible game and the online multiplayer was imo fucking fun. Back in the days where that was mandatory.
3 I played once and was super excited. It has some of the best set piece action scenes ever put in a game. But didn't love it. Probably a me problem and just where I was at in 2011 or whatever it was.
4 I played like this calendar year on steam deck and omfg, I'll put it up for the running in best game of all time. The only problem is that's not 100% linear when in the stupid jeep scenes. (but I get it, they were showcasing whatever playstation console it came out on)
I'm of the opinion that growing up means I don't have time for this mindless meandering that open world games provide. Some people might! The Wheel of Time has 15 entries. Doctor Who is essentially endless. I love Uncharted-- it tells me what I need to know and has sick set pieces. I would play a hundred games like that, because I can pretty much only play over the weekend and it provides me a lot of satisfaction.
any other suggestions? Detroit: Become Human is another one
Not a you problem. For some the coolness of the setpieces and more Nate & Sully time outweighs everything else. Like the story and pacing that are all over the place, gunplay that is just off and the section in the shio graveyard and the ship where the whole story grinds to a halt.
tbh I don't even remember any of that, just the cargo crate plane scene in the beginning. Probably says all we need to know when I can tell you everything about 2 and 4.
For me Uncharted 1 and 3 are the ones that felt like a chore to play through to the end. Didn't feel this at all with Uncharted 2 and 4.
I feel like Uncharted 3 has the most underwhelming "Ancient ruins" of all the games. Legit felt nothing when Ubar was revealed.
If you liked Detroit: Become Human you may want to check out Quantic Dream's other games, they're all kind of like that in various ways but obviously less advanced
Agree on 4 being a contender for best of all time. I loved the Jeep sections, searching for the tokens was peak Safari Adventure
Don't you mean the boat? The jeep was linear IIRC.
no I mean the (entirely optional) safari part where you can get out and explore little buildings and stuff, looking for relics. They actually do a good job of making it linear if you so desire. Where you need to actually go is super obvious.
But it is totally optional, the boat is way worse.
OH I see what you're saying. When I was talking about the boat, I was talking about how you do the boat part in the beginning during the storm where your boat eventually crashes into the island, then you do a flashback to young nathan in Panama, then you go back to current time, and eventually work yourself backup the boat. But yah there were a couple of pseudo linear parts to the game.
Presumably talking about the expansion
I recently watched The Adventures of Tintin (2011) and it reminded me so much of Uncharted 3. There are a lot of parallels in the setpieces, characters and general action. Definitely some Tintin vibes there!
Gotta disagree with you on the graphics, 2 felt like an absolutely massive step up from 1 on that front whilst 3 was more of a refined version of 2.
On 3, it feels like they just did the 7th gen thing where they crush the blacks and add aggressive ambient occlusion to everything. There are many parts of 2 that look better than 3 IMO.
Maybe its the PC gamer in me used to older stuff on new machines, but I thought 2 graphics were more complicated, but not really bette… at least on PS5.
See, i disagree tbh. UC2’s environment definitely had more clutter and details than UC1 but the actual shaders and texture work was only slightly above UC1, especially character clothes, faces and environmental stuff like bricks all had that unique sheen that’s only seen in 1 and 2. Do note that I’m talking about the PS3 versions.
UC3 looks like an PS4 game back ported to 3. The buildings all still look lifelike, texture work is a massive step up, even better than PS3 TLOU, lighting and shadows, character skins, not to mention the actual environment itself looks way more cluttered.
The main improvement definitely is getting rid of the sheen that was ever present in 1 and 2.
I think the reason people were more impressed with UC2’s graphics is the fact that they did more with the visuals, more variety rather than staying in one setting like 1, you go to so many places in 2.
But actual technical stuff is more impressive in 3. Not to mention i much prefer the art direction in 3 but that one’s a personal preference.
The music of part 3 is underated. “Drake’s Return” is a fantastic track. Love it.
Thanks, recently played 2 (had played way back when on ps3), had a good time but was thinking of either abandoning the series or skipping to 4.
You've convinced me to give 3 a chance
3 is not bad. Anyone that suggested you skip 3 is crazy. 3 may not be everyone’s favourite, but if you got through 1, then you sure as shit can get through 3 and enjoy 3 more due to the pure action factor.
Dude they’re all fantastic. I’d rate them 4 > 2 > 3 > 1 but they’re all well worth your time. Play it for sure.
3 is my favorite in the series tbh, the idea of skipping it and going to 4 is wild given that 4 is not as good (but still pretty good).
3 has the best scene in the series
People who played the games as they came out were disappointed specifically by the writing in 3, because among other things, it didn't deliver a satisfying conclusion for all of the characters. It didn't feel like a proper ending. Instead, 3 felt like just another middle chapter. UC4 exists as a proper conclusion to Drake and the gang because 3 couldn't deliver on that. So that might be where the sentiment is coming from
Story-wise 4 makes almost no reference to 3 whatsoever and many to 1 and 2
3 is a better Uncharted 2 than Uncharted 2 is.
Uncharted 2 just came first
3 is a rushed product and you can feel it towards the end. It’s a good game, but worse than 2 and 4. 1 has the bonus to be the first in the series so I would place it last. But still, a good game and I loved the 3D mode on PS3 back then when 3D TVs were a thing. Also the coop mode was fun.
My first PS3 game
These are my wife and I’s favorite games to play together. The tight narrative and linear action really helped us get into it. The mechanics are simple but they do a lot with it and the shootouts are easy enough that neither of us felt like old people stumbling through a game.
I've only played Legacy of Thieves edition, since it's the only one available on PC. I was inspired to play it by the Tomb Raider Survivor trilogy. I thought it was pretty good.
3 was great, but man, I just wish 2 wasn't the only one with a decent final boss fight. Every game after it just went for a QTE-fest with cool scenery
Thank you for writing this. I've only played the first three so far as they released and held 1 as my favourite for its simplicity, cohesion and crazy horror turn that none of the others came close to matching. 2 and 3 were neat but neither stuck out to me like 1 did and I remember being disappointed. Over a decade later, I need to replay them and have another fresh look.
I recently played the series as well. I think 3 maintains the pacing and storytelling style of 1 and 2 for the most part. The hallucination sequences were a bit of a drag. 4 however, changes it up in a bad way with the slow walk and talk sections. The genre shift from adventure stories (very well written genre pieces) to small personal drama with paint by numbers action sections (press forward and hold A to adventure) surrounding it was a big mistake. Dramas are great, but so are adventure stories and the latter are more complex in some ways (action sequences simply have more parts to direct). It seemed like that story should not have been in an Uncharted game. In Uncharted the story should largely be told through the action.
personally like the walk and talks but it is unsettling to have your control hijacked. not great design. Not sure how i'd fix it as a programmer but I do know that is never great.
What are the drawbacks to having them talk while the player moves freely?
i think you're forced to a walk while it's happening, and the only drawback otherwise would be game design that figures out a way to not get somewhere before you're allowed to. but either way idk it's not a huge deal. maybe just have a cutscene instead where you don't feel throttled.
I played through 4 on the PS4 and it was a drag. Few proper set pieces, girlboss main Villain who keeps kicking Nate’s ass the whole game and you dont even kill her at the end cuz cant do that cuz shes a woman, slow forced walking, tons of talking, and the stealth system felt under baked. You could tell Neil Druckman was at the helm.
Agreed with ur opinion about 4. I think 3 is the most balanced Uncharted game and the one that’s most replayable.
Tomb Raider 2013 is also mostly a corridor shooter
Ok?
When people say Uncharted is like Tomb Raider they mean the Tomb Raider reboots, which are definitely like Uncharted.
The old Tomb Raiders are quite different with a focus on puzzle solving and exploring ruins.
No, the Tomb Raider comparisons started when Uncharted 1 came out, long before the reboot TR series existed.
In fact, when the TR reboots started up I remember people comparing them to Uncharted.