4.5/5 ★ – ElementaryGaming's review of Uncharted 4: A Thief's End.

The ultimate "action movie" game. More than any other game in the series, Uncharted 4 is just plain FUN to play. The jumping and climbing and shooting all feel so good and remain engaging. The gameplay has remained more or less unchanged, and the simple cover-based shooting still works well. The graphics have received a noticable upgrade from the previous generation, and the environments are predicably gorgeous to look at. Every single environment pops with color and detail, and feels like a real place. It's easily one of the best-looking games I've ever played, and the stunning detail really adds to the experience. There is an excellent pace to the entire experience, with slower-paced moments evening out the fast-paced action scenes. No style stays around too long, and it feels very well-balanced. Many of the setpieces are on par with, or outdo, anything in the original trilogy. The inclusion of the grappling hook in particular leads to some amazing stunts. This is by far the most cinematic, "movie-like" entry in the series. You will need a higher cutscene tolerance to play through this one, more than the previous three games. Still, the cutscenes are well-done and tell an interesting story. The motion capture and voice acting deserve special recognition as some of the best in gaming- the characters come across as remarkably human. The inclusion of a sudden, previously-unmentioned brother for Drake is questionable, but the story makes it work. A small amount of gameplay sequences just aren't fun or engaging. Wandering a dimly-lit mazelike cellar, or gathering boxes underwater, are slog to get through and are unnecessarily slow. The game also opens up with a flashback stealth sequence, which was an odd choice. Thankfully, these slow sequences don't last too long and are few in number. These sections were likely added in order to make things feel more "cinematic", but just end up hurting the pace. It respects the previous entries in the series in a way that newer entries into established franchises usually fail to do in the 2020s, and wraps up the series very nicely. Overall, it's an incredible game in a series that only got better with each installment. It's the best Uncharted, undoubtedly.