I've been replaying Naughty Dog's games and man, gameplay is not their strong suit

[MeltedDreams]

Uncharted 1-3 have aged badly. I played U3 for first time last year and my experience on Crushing was 5/10. I was sick and tired of their predictable encounter design with enemies spawning right behind you after you have cleared the first wave or two. Kinda similar to U1 from what i remember.
My favourite from Naughty Dog action-adventure/cinematic era is TLoU by far. Not perfect, but the stealth, melee and gunplay feels better on top of having ND's best story yet.

 

[Kemono]

You forgot to remind us about the metacritic score.

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I talked about the multiplayer because people love the gameplay. The metacritic is mostly about the singleplayer.

It's ok if you don't like the game. It's not for everyone.

 

[Desfrog]

I will be get the TLOU2 later in the month if only for one play through, but I hope it flows better, has vastly improved AI and gameplay. I'm not holding my breath though. I think it is fair to say these games just aren't really for me though even though I like to dip into them every now and then...

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Based on preview impressions ND seem to have made some serious strides.

 

[AWestCoastDirtyBird]

Naughty Dog have always been a shit game developer. That's why they gave up on making gameplay focused games in favour of interactive movies. They know that they can't create a game with good gameplay; instead they sell themselves on their art, animation, programming and cutscene making prowess.

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You forgot the /s

 

[Asbsand]

Naughty Dog was at their best when they strung together half-cutscene stuff with gameplay without ripping out the controls. It was why we called them "set-pieces" because it felt like you were playing the part of an action movie set where all the fireworks and explosions are set to fire and the cameraman yells "Action!", and it was never that believable but it was exciting and well put together. I think over time Naughty Dog has become easily the most over-praised developers on the old board and ResetEra for things that are just sort of meh to me. When UC4 was about to release I thought it looked okay but just graphically and the polish of its mechanics. I played it to completion and I think there's a lot of specific things it does with implementation of action or exploration that other games do better. Since Naughty Dog started going away from their forte, which was linear, focused action that always moves forward even granting you leeway to "fail" as a tidal wave slows down in your steps, they have become less impressive to me.

And even Uncharted 2 and 3 which are their best games from a game-perspective I always felt a bit of... letdown some time after I finished it. It always felt like "that was good but I'm not gonna replay that game for YEARS." because that's just how linear and controlled it is. There's little room for the player to give themselves an alternative experience. You're always just playing into the pre-placed props of the designers and it's all just about how they set up those props for you to follow.

The Last of Us has such a good story, I can better replay that to really sink in all the best moments of dialogue with the characters that exude their meaning. But then, I thought the stealth, crafting and gunplay is just great but not really the selling point either. I think TLOU2 looks the same. It's more of TLOU1 with expanded context but we're all just here to watch the cutscenes and see the gameplay tie into the next one.

 

[Magic Mushroom]

Strong disagree. I can't think of many third-person games that combine the mobility, the amount of options in combat, the verticality and the open level design that allows for multiple approaches. There's a reason TLoU 2 previews make comparisons to the gameplay of The Phantom Pain, which is probably best in class.

 

[Tibarn]

I kind of agree, specially about Uncharted 1-3.

TLOU has some brilliant touches but it's clear to me that the effort was used to make the animations blend and feel natural, some elements of the game like close combat or the IA integration feel rough.

They have improved though, U4 plays better than the original trilogy and I'm sure that TLOU2 will play fine enough.

And the forced walking sections is something I fully agree, it's REALLY bad in U4 and after replaying TLOU recently I thought that the game had too much scavenging areas. This is the big drawback of prioritizing presentation in your games: you need to force the player to notice all the details you created.

At the end, I don't think that any ND modern game is that great, I play them for a change of pace between more complex games and because they look nice, but their priorities are not what I really prefer from a videogame.

 

[Qudi]

Eh each to their own. Im playing tlou and uc4 multiplayer because of the gameplay. It shines when you play against real players.

Tlou2 will be on the level of MGSV considering how many praised the gameplay in the previews.

 

[Tophat Jones]

I have always really enjoyed their gameplay. Guess I'm just one of the lucky ones.

TLOU has my favorite combat of theirs and I cannot wait to see what they can do with 7 years and a full console generation of advancement.

 

[get2sammyb]

I don't think the original Uncharted trilogy has aged particularly well, but I think Uncharted 4 and The Lost Legacy play great. And The Last of Us is excellent as well.

 

[AudioEppa]

I disagree and I'm not going to challenge your opinion, is what it is. I find their gameplay very simple and I like it that way. Any or no improvements is cool by me. ND's presentation of storytelling and visuals is why they are a top three video game developer.

I like my narrative deep, gameplay not at all. Probably going to play Part 2 on easy this time because I've been waiting years to experience / continue one of the best narrative games ever crafted by a studio, not craft shit 100 different ways lol

 

[Wariobenotware]

I only liked TLOU multiplayer as far as gameplay is concerned. The multiplayer cut out all the garbage scripted segments from the single player and the brain dead ennemy AI, as well as the piss poor enemy variety. When you were playing against real people trying to survive, it made TLOU's mechanics really shine and it was the best game Naughty Dog made on the gameplay end but the Single Player really didn't deliver on that front. You had to jump in the multiplayer to get that fill.

I won''t buy TLOU2 until it has a multiplayer mode. It was BY FAR the best part of the original game. Usually MP modes in SP games are the definiton of tacked on, but in the case of TLOU the opposite was true.

As far as Uncharted goes, it is painfully mediocre. Uncharted 4 is slightly better but there are far better TPS games out there.

The platformers that Naughty Dog made are a mixed bag. Crash 2 and the first Jak and Daxter are perfectly fine but the rest are bad.

 

[Praedyth]

Their difficulty scaling is bad, but I don't think their gameplay is.

 

[Ebnas]

I talked about the multiplayer because people love the gameplay. The metacritic is mostly about the singleplayer.

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Never touched the multiplayer, but if gameplay was balanced for MP in mind, then it makes sense why the singleplayer levels felt like such a slog. AI and upgrade paths would be an afterthought in that case.

 

[Deleted member 364]

This is something which has always intrigued me since I honestly cannot tell the difference between 30fps and 60fps. I would like to know if I am the only one who cannot tell the difference since I wonder if something is broken in me! :D

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I'd say play Uncharted 4 SP and then MP back to back and compare how they look and feel in action. (iirc UC4 mp is 60fps).

 

[Kittens McMittens]

My nephew was playing through all of the UC series recently and I saw him struggle for ages at that part. I kept on telling him to drop it down to easy, because crap like that kept happening. The combat is seriously garbage in the UC games. There's no shame in putting it on the easiest setting and treating it like an interactive action movie.

 

[Manu]

I think they've gotten better with each subsequent game. I went from outright disliking Uncharted 1 and thinking 2 was just okay, to loving the gameplay in TLoU and the PS4 Uncharted games.

 

[AcademicSaucer]

It really isnt

 

[bes.gen]

gunplay in uc4 actually feels fantastic, when you are mobile and use the verticality.
but its hard to do that at higher difficulty levels.
so you stay behind covers and it feels like a standart cover/shooter then ,i agree.

 

[tazmin]

One of the reason why I stopped playing Last of Us and just watched someone else play it

 

[DaleCooper]

The Uncharteds and TLOU have great cutscenes. But the gameplay segments are mediocre. Just serviceable enough to justify it being a game instead of a movie.

I have never wanted to go back and play the games on a higher difficulty. It seems pointless when the main attraction is the story and its "wow moments".

 

[petermarinus]

You could say the same for Souls. Or most games really

"I suck at the game, thus the gameplay must be pretty bad.; Rfactor, pcars, asetto. Those games suck I can barely even finish a race. Whereas in Forza I can rewind and be a driver number one!"

 

[Deleted member 54073]

Another day, another thread having a pop at Naughty Dog.

 

[Deleted member 59109]

This is only the case for their games after PS2. Their games before Uncharted all have really great gameplay.

 

[Rex Dart: Eskimo Spy]

ND designs gameplay around presentation, to make it look like:
-There's a lot more going on than there actually is.
-It looks like you're doing way more than you actually are.
-You "feel" like you're doing things and making choices when your agency is actually minimal.

If you strip back the colossal production values and actually look at what you the player are doing and deciding in black and white, moment by moment, it's suddenly a lot less impressive. Just more cinematically impressive. *Drags self behind jeep*.

 

[Deleted member 23046]

 

[Babadook]

Replaying old games is not necessarily more telling than your old experience was. Their gameplay was great for its time. U2, TLoU and U4 had superb gameplay.

 

[Eden-prime]

I see..

I think it comes down to a matter of preferences, though it seems some people have grown tired of scripted sequences which is understandable.

Still, i feel each new entry is a step-up gameplay wise especially TLOU MP which is really addictive. As far as i know from different previews, TLOU2 gameplay has much more depth than ever before. It's going to be their best yet.

 

[Raigor]

Never liked UC1-4-LLC and TLOU combat, I only play ND games for story and visuals.

Thankfully TLOu 2 looks to be much better in combat department.

 

[Tiny Chihuahueño]

If you think that's bad try playing Gears of War. It's basically the same, but you're also a tank who can barely move.

 

[joshcam19]

I don't know how you can play either of the PS4 Uncharted's or TLOU and think the gameplay is not very solid. The recent Uncharted games are every bit as refined as any 3rd person shooter (tried one of newer gears and it's similar but you are a tank in gears, shooting is equally responsive and refined) and TLOU does go for a certain feel but even the stealth is very solid in that game, especially at higher difficulties. It's not complicated but it's striped down to the necessities and builds the proper level of tension.

 

[tutomos]

I think Naughty Dog is great at creating gameplay played by the mass. The number of people who finished their games is higher than in most other games. It's a testament to their gameplay design, which is a strong suit for them. We've seen games with good presentation and good stories fail both critically and commercially, precisely because they don't have great gameplay unlike in Naughty Dog's games.

 

[Big G]

I sorta felt this way before The Last of Us, but TLoU/UC4/TLL are each very strong in the gameplay department.

 

[Futabaisthebest<3]

Now you wonder why they develop the game that long.

 

[Jorjk]

Compared to the ps3 trilogy, UC4 made great improvements to gunfights and stealth mechanics. Though I agree that gameplay was not the strongest component.
However I feel that in TLOU, gameplay mechanics perfectly fit the theme, and I enjoyed encounters (even failed stealth ones) just as much as I did the characters and story. Higher difficulties also force you to use all tools you have and strategise before every encounter so you can feel the gameplay strength on survivor.
I am very happy to read previews all mention improved gameplay and more fluidity. If the game delivers on all its promises, I think we re in for one huge GOAT.

Overall I would say PS3 remasters aren't the best way to judge the studio's strength in gameplay in 2020. UC4/Lost Legacy and TLOU paint a much better picture.

 

[Messofanego]

Been bringing up these same criticisms since Uncharted 2. Uncharted 4 is just not much fun to play unless I crank down the difficulty. The whole point of mobility is destroyed when I'm a sitting duck on the rope or jumping around, forcing me to stick to cover. The trial and error on stealth sections without any stealth tools like distraction methods (whistling, rocks), silenced pistol (only in parts of just a couple of games), compared to so many good stealth games or games with stealth sections is just baffling. Like only grass cover and stealth kills is so barebones. I don't even think their storytelling is that hot. Great characterisation but the way it's conveyed to the player only shines when in-game characters chat to each other and develop, otherwise there's nothing new or interesting there compared to other narrative-heavy games. Sam, what an annoying and forced addition. I want more Cutter.

I disagree. UC4 has the best TPS mechanics in the industry and I fully expect TLOU2 to build on them, with its own unique spin of course.

Naughty Dog is one of the best studios on earth and their gameplay chops are a big reason why.

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With their record on crunch and what their employees have said over the years, I disagree.

 

[Necron]

Strangely, everything previously to Uncharted I really enjoyed regarding the gameplay.

Crash Bandicoot and the Jak&Daxter series are some of my favourite games.

In some small way, I kind of always hoped we could get a new Jak and Daxter game from them... but I feel that ship has sailed.

 

[Marble]

To bad you feel that way OP. I strongly disagree however. Their games play excellent, in my opinion. Especially for what they try to do: give you a cinematic lineair and extremely smooth experience.

This is coming from a hardcore gameplay guy, by the way. Bloodborne is my GOAT because of the gameplay.

Naughty Dog games have that unique ability to make gameplay look like it's a cutscene. The contextual hand that touches the wall when you walk right past it and the extremely well executed animations, to give to examples, really add to the gameplay and immersion of the game.

Since The Last of Us they really excel in the gameplay department. I'm playing through part 1 as we speak and combat encounters still play out differently then all of my previous playthroughs. The floaty camera and weapons sway really add to that feeling of tension, just as the real time crafting mechanic. You can go in guns blazing, completely stealthy, use melee, distractions, bricks, bottles, molotovs, bombs, shivs. Or just leave everybody alone.

Same with Uncharted 4 en TLL. Really awesome gunplay combined with beautiful environments and silky smooth animation, make it a joy to control and play, for me personally.

Hot take: critically acclaimed games from studio's like Rockstar and CDPR are leagues behind in the gameplay department. They continuously disconnect me in regards of immersion, because they control just so badly.

 

[Deleted member 59109]

Strangely, everything previously to Uncharted I really enjoyed regarding the gameplay.

Crash Bandicoot and the Jak&Daxter series are some of my favourite games.

In some small way, I kind of always hoped we could get a new Jak and Daxter game from them... but I feel that ship has sailed.

Click to shrink...

Yeah this. ND just isn't the right company anymore for Jak/Daxter unfortunately

 

[hikarutilmitt]

This is also one of the reasons I never buy their games day one and wait for a sale. The gameplay is always just so-so but I appreciate the environments, set pieces and usually the story a lot, just not $60 a lot.

 

[AllChan7]

I personally loved the gameplay of TLoU more than Uncharted 4's. Uncharted 4 is still a great game but I think the whole of the game makes up for its decently good gunplay.

 

[Rover_]

what? ND is currently the best third person gameplay.

 

[Osahi]

Uncharted trilogy was great for its time, but has aged a bit.

But TLOU has some of the best stealth and third person shooting gameplay of last gen, with great AI and an amazing loot and craft on the spot system. On higher difficulty levels and in MP it's absolute ace

U4 has amazing TPS gameplay, combined with the great navigation options (grapple hook etc). outside of combat it's servicable.

can't comment yet on TLOU2

 

[RivalGT]

Replaying the demo for UC2 on PS4 for me was enough to not want to ever play it again. Some games just don't age well. I really enjoyed my time when the game originally came out, so I have no issue with games not holding up over time.

 

[VitalitySensor]

Disliking Naughty Dog in any way guarantees an execution on Resetera

 

[Arex]

The gameplay for the earlier Uncharted games didn't really age well indeed. Uncharted 4 and Last of Us I find it better though.

 

[APizzaPie]

The platforming in their games are brain dead and any interesting combat sandboxes they introduce are ruined by the bullet sponge enemy types. Remedy is far ahead of them when it comes to crafting third person combat that feels good to play. Although their games suffer from crap tier boss fights as well. At the end of the day though, I play ND games for the amazing visuals and for the narrative, the gameplay usually doesn't get in the way.

 

[Deleted member 31333]

I don't mind the combat. Sometimes I even love it. I just hate the enemy spawning. Even on a first play through you know when you entered a combat arena which is fine but when you clear the room, enemies shouldn't spawn from some hidden monster closet behind you. If they got rid of that part of the combat, I would be a lot happier.

 

[kingPaPi]

The last of us and uc4 I had a ton of fun with.

 

[Mighty Twig]

I agree OP. I'm often disappointed with gameplay segments in new Naughty Dog gameplay videos. I'd like them to try a different genre entirely because their 3rd person shooter gunplay, stealth, traversal segments are so run of the mill. Their cutscenes are fantastic though.

10/10.