What's so great about Uncharted?

[Aaron D.]

AAA spectacle games aren't really my thing, but one would have to be blind not to recognize the talent that goes into the Uncharted franchise.

Sometimes at the end of the day you just have to square with the idea that something just isn't for you. And more importantly, that doesn't take one iota of away from well-crafted art & entertainment.

I'm not the audience by a long shot. I still think Naughty Dog does incredible work.

 

[Deleted member 679]

Because the platforming is a big part of the combat it's impossible not to be slightly automated. I mean, It's not supposed to be like the old tomb raider games where you are either fighting against its poor combat mechanics or methodically traversing a tomb. Uncharted is about merging both things together so you feel capable as an adventurer. And you can't realistically do that while you're slowly side stepping and aligning yourself up for a 3 ft jump.

The result is traversal that is simple when you're only traversing. But excellent when you're in combat and climbing walls to flank enemies, shooting guys while hanging and dragging guys off ledges. Even the recent trilogy of uncharted-inspired tomb raider games don't offer that.

Now, if uncharted was structured like the old tomb raider games where it's gameplay loops were incredibly seperate, I'd be annoyed by its platforming too. But thankfully they never have been.

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Well, 4 did take it a bit too far, imo.

I know the story behind it with the removed stamina meter, but still, the final product is the same, whatever the reasons for its structure may be.

Completely agree with the post, overall.

 

[Magic Mushroom]

Bland cover shooting applies to UC1 and Golden Abyss, but later games, especially 4 and The Lost Legacy, have some of the best and most dynamic combat around. Also, fun characters, great performances and dialogue, awesome set-pieces and superb graphics. You could of course read some of the reviews, the games are rather acclaimed after all.

 

[Firmament1]

That's being oddly reductive. Maybe it isn't the best third person shooter, platformer, stealth game, etc. but it does blend those mechanics together in a streamlined and satisfying way. Then you throw likeable characters and a lighthearted adventure story on top of that and it's pretty easy to see why people might enjoy the series.

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I personally like games that have really heavy emphasis on a certain aspect, and then just do that really, really well. Kinda why I'm not a fan of a lot of games that like throwing a bunch of mechanics into a pot, and then making a big stew, like Assassin's Creed Odyssey.

 

[Deleted member 679]

I personally like games that have really heavy emphasis on a certain aspect, and then just do that really, really well. Kinda why I'm not a fan of a lot of games that like throwing a bunch of mechanics into a pot, and then making a big stew, like Assassin's Creed Odyssey.

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I guess you weren't bothered by the downgrade in level design in Ninja Gaiden 2, then. :P

I totally get you, though, I love Ninja Gaiden 2 myself.

I'd even bet we have fairly similar tastes, outside of Uncharted, going by your posts in this thread.

 

[Wamb0wneD]

I agree with alot of things.
It has endearing characters and really sweet graphics and setpieces....but that's it. There's no tension in the platforming, no matter how often they act like something is breaking apart right when you jump to it. The cover shooting stopped being cool by Uncharted 3.

 

[antitrop]

The dialogue and voice acting.

 

[Wackamole]

Is this a closet LTTP topic? Did you play the games when they released?
Asking because it's a fast moving industry and LTTP topics are usually by some born-yesterday-life-revolves-around-me kid who has no idea of timeframe.

The answer to your question seems very clear even if you have to think the answers yourself. But you just don't like the games. That's fine. You don't have to pick a fight over every thing you like or dislike. And you can act like this topic is not about that, but it is. It's made to shame people for their taste in games.
To show you're above that.

Anyway, for me it was a combination of popcorny summerflick action adventure game, great setpieces, great voice-acting, great animation, graphics, cover-based third person shooter mechanics (i prefer that over first person), great sound, etc. Uncharted 2 was the best for me. SP, MP & coop.

After 2 it became less great for me. And while 4 had its great moments, it was the most boring of them all.

 

[VanDoughnut]

I think Uncharted is this generations Indiana Jones; for our time. Legendary series we will look back on fondly.

I consider it one of the truly great complete packages in games, where the gameplay, story, art, visuals, attention to detail, voice acting, sound design, everything is excellent. Mostly talking about 2 and 4, best in the series.

Yes the gameplay is one of the main draws lol the melee gets trashed on but nothing clothslining a dude and taking his gun, or getting into a fist fight in the middle of a firefight. There's a lot of ways to mix it up in Uncharted games but a lot of people will kind of hunker down in cover, when the game is giving you all these fun tools that are also usually more effective.

Combined with great level design and set pieces that made everyone reevaluate what set pieces should be.

 

[tarantullama]

What made Uncharted so popular were the big setpiece moments. The toppling building in 2, the sinking ship and airplane section in 3, that car chase in 4. They were cool moments that took a lot of work to pull off. If it didn't have those, I don't think the games would be nearly as popular as they are now.

 

[TransEuropaExpress]

Because the platforming is a big part of the combat it's impossible not to be slightly automated. I mean, It's not supposed to be like the old tomb raider games where you are either fighting against its poor combat mechanics or methodically traversing a tomb. Uncharted is about merging both things together so you feel capable as an adventurer. And you can't realistically do that while you're slowly side stepping and aligning yourself up for a 3 ft jump.

The result is traversal that is simple when you're only traversing. But excellent when you're in combat and climbing walls to flank enemies, shooting guys while hanging and dragging guys off ledges. Even the recent trilogy of uncharted-inspired tomb raider games don't offer that.

Now, if uncharted was structured like the old tomb raider games where it's gameplay loops were incredibly seperate, I'd be annoyed by its platforming too. But thankfully they never have been.

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That's why I said it's not on the game but rather on my preconceived notion. However, I still found the plentiful platforming sections where you literally just press forward incredibly dull and annoying when it just served moving from one firefight arena to the next. If the game had been not what I expected but still exciting to me, I'd obviously have been into them nonetheless, that just wasn't the case for me ultimately.

 

[Fredrik]

Because a movie is a passive medium. I love me some raiders of the lost ark, don't mean I want to play a meh game just because it has the same superficial qualities.

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There is nothing "meh" about Uncharted though, none of them.
The only thing I don't like about them at this point is the stupified marked out climbing sections, and the end bosses, they're always crap. ND needs to start playing Assassin's Creed so they get some ideas how to open up the climbing sections, and maybe some Souls games as well to get some ideas for boss fights.

 

[BarryFishFinger]

The characters
The stories
The graphics
The globe trotting Indiana Jones style combat

All fantastic.

I will say I think it took them until Uncharted 4 to strike the right balance between combat and exploration/puzzles though.

 

[honestrade]

The combat system in Uncharted 3 was great. Gameplay is better than you describe (train level in Uncharted 2 for example). All tell good stories with good characters and are visually great with impressive animations and attention to detail.

 

[Siinova]

I always find these threads disingenuous because no matter what anyone says OP is likely not going to be convinced. So although the thread was qualified with the "I don't want to piss people off" ultimately people are going to be pissed off or annoyed.

 

[Domcorleone]

I love the characters, the spectacle and the dialogue. I feel the best gameplay advances come from U2 and U4 which feel like sandboxes in which you can approach the combat in different ways.

 

[IvanSlavkov]

It's playable Indiana Jones. What's not fun about that

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This and I will add that actually the game play is great, especially in U4 and Lost Legacy!

 

[Betelgeuse]

Much of your criticisms don't really apply to 4 or TLL (though 2 is a masterpiece and 3 is excellent as well). The transition from 3 to 4 saw a big overhaul in mechanics and design, resulting in sandbox gameplay that's highly dynamic and supportive of player agency.

That combined with top-notch character performances, setpieces, and technology give you the primary ingredients of the franchise.

 

[ShutterMunster]

I feel like we get one of these threads every week, lol.

ND is good at cinematic storytelling and the games look great. The end.

 

[Dringus]

The shooting parts often ended up boring me and i dreaded hitting areas i knew were going to be swarmed with enemies... But the set pieces, animations, gorgeous visuals, voice acting, story, attention to detail, etc. all made it worth it for me.

 

[Firmament1]

I guess you weren't bothered by the downgrade in level design in Ninja Gaiden 2, then. :P

I totally get you, though, I love Ninja Gaiden 2 myself.

I'd even bet we have fairly similar tastes, outside of Uncharted, going by your posts in this thread.

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To a small degree, I was, but not too heavily.

Wouldn't mind seeing TN bring that style of level/world design back, though.

 

[AegonSnake]

I'm not trying to piss people off here. I genuinely don't understand why Uncharted is such a loved series.

Let's talk about the gameplay first. It's mostly just bland as fuck cover shooting with 2 weapons, and regenerating health. The only exceptions I can think of are the ship graveyard in 3, and a bunch of the levels from 4, where you have to stay on the move during those bits. But otherwise, I can't think of anything that's really good about the shooting in Uncharted. If I wanted a great third-person shooter... I'd play Resident Evil 6.

And the other part of the gaming is platforming. A.k.a completely scripted moments where you just point the stick in the direction of wherever you gotta go, and mash X 90% of the time. 5% of the time, there's a rope where you can fuck around with a bit, and unsurprisingly, those are the most interesting parts of the platforming. And the other 5% is this big magnetic wall that you can stick a knife into to grab onto, and then you mash square instead.

Now the story... What about it? It all ends up being the same shit every time. It's predictable as hell. And there are no stakes at all either, because we all damn well know that the characters are gonna survive, and that only the villains die. The dialogue is also generally kinda... awkward to me. They're just constantly spouting off action film one-liners, and lame jokes. It makes up about half of the characters's dialogue. There are some good moments of relationship building, like in the beginning of Uncharted 4, but they're just so few and far between, I find it kinda hard to care.

I just don't really get why people love this series so much. For me at least, it's among the blandest games on the market.

Also, please don't just say "weLL tHaT's jUSt yOuR oPiNiOn". No shit, it's my opinion. I wasn't trying to say otherwise. To add on to that, don't say "pEoPlE jUsT LikE dIfFeReNt tHiNgS tHaN yOu". Again, fucking duh. I know that. I'm just trying to see the appeal behind this series.

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This is whats so great about Uncharted games. Happy?

 

[AudioEppa]

I love bland gameplay.

Can't get enough of scripted moments.

It's storytelling entertains my basic ass and keeps me motivated to play through that lovable "blend" gameplay.

Uncharted 4 is my greatest gaming experience of all time.

Hopefully this reply satisfies you're need to know, if not. I hope one day you find your inner peace so you're no longer confused by why other people like something beyond you're (possible) low capability of understanding.

Discussing video game is awesome ☺️

MLMR.

 

[JustTom]

Yes, the shooting isn't the best there is.
Yes, the climbing is like climbing on rails.
BUT:
It's like playing an entertaining buddy movie. The characters are fun and get better the further you proceed in the series, peaking in Lost Legacy (imho). I don't always want to play games challenging me like Sekiro does gameplaywise or like NieR Automata storywise. Uncharted is just light entertainment and that's what I need from time to time. I can just play these games mindlessly. And since most gamers are casual gamers, I see why these games are so popular and well received.

 

[Harlequin]

Honestly, I feel like my view on the series would've been very different if Uncharted 2 or 3 had been the first game to be released (or the first entry I played). Drake's Fortune really is the main reason I like the series because, while the sequels may have had vastly superior (but frankly still very generic) gameplay, Drake's Fortune's story and atmosphere are just really special to me in a way that none of the other Uncharted stories are. It may be cheesy and filled with tropes but deliberately so and it uses them to its advantage. And the pacing was just perfect.

Uncharted 2 and 3? Well, they are visually impressive, incredibly polished and they have some of the greatest and grandest set-piece moments in gaming history but I agree with you, OP, the gameplay is pretty generic, the stories became predictable and kind of lacklustre (especially in Uncharted 3's case) and they're just a bit of overrated from a game design perspective (not so in terms of art and tech).

I think Uncharted 4 kind of managed to turn things back around by finally making the gameplay more interesting and having a story that, despite its flaws, managed to be gripping and enjoyable in a way that the series' storytelling hadn't been since the first game.

So yeah, my attachment to the series is largely rooted in how great the first game's story was and how well it managed to make me feel invested in the series' world and characters.

 

[Deleted member 679]

Is this a closet LTTP topic? Did you play the games when they released?
Asking because it's a fast moving industry and LTTP topics are usually by some born-yesterday-life-revolves-around-me kid who has no idea of timeframe.

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I always thought they were great ways of getting more people to discuss an older game than the Community thread that only superfans check out.

Do people really dislike LTTP threads? Honestly asking, because if I got the wrong impression and everyone just kind of hates it, I'll probably avoid making more.

 

[BeaconofTruth]

There is nothing "meh" about Uncharted though, none of them.
The only thing I don't like about them at this point is the stupified marked out climbing sections, and the end bosses, they're always crap. ND needs to start playing Assassin's Creed so they get some ideas how to open up the climbing sections, and maybe some Souls games as well to get some ideas for boss fights.

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Sure there is, up until 4 the actual moment to moment shooting was at best meh, in the case of 1 straight up limp. The melee stuff is a bunch of canned animation shit where you mash away, mad drawn out.

A lot of time is spent on platforming that is brain dead and has the player doing very little beyond move the stick forward or doing puzzles the game directly gives you the answer to, so there is little to no thought involved.

Mixed between combat that is your standard wack-a-mole cover shooting. Get in cover, get your aim right lay down some fire and duck back behind cover to heal, rinse n repeat.

The tacked on stealth is your basic line of sight stealth with one button takedowns.

The pacing has often been questionable in these games.

It does a bunch of things gameplay wise, none of it particularly well. It has tons of room for improvement across the board gameplay wise.

 

[Kain-Nosgoth]

its graphically impressive and is very well animated, and it also has a good dialogue flow. Thats mostly it, gameplay is very shallow. I also dont like it very much.

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same, it's nice to make once for the impressive work that went into it, all the attention to details in really great, but i never find it particulary fun to play, i don't even like the humor or the characters themselves

they're average games to me

 

[AdaWong]

Chloe Frazer.

 

[TheSpaceBetween]

I mostly love it for the things you don't like. The back and forth banter between very well written and endearing characters, the multitude of great set pieces in each game, incredible animation, art direction, and visual fidelity. And the fact that it is a lighthearted romp is a strength as well. I love the adventure game feel (despite it actually being linear), and it has a great mix of traversal, combat, and puzzles.

I wasn't a big fan of 4, but the first three are among the best games of last gen, and I really enjoyed TLL as well.

 

[ShinyKyurem]

I wish I knew, it's rather boring to me.

 

[Iwao]

There are hundreds of reviews out there for Uncharted 1-4 and The Lost Legacy. You can pick just a handful and read why they are well liked. I don't believe there is no ulterior motive here, because you could have just made the thread title "here's the problems I have the with Uncharted series" and come across as a bit more earnest.

This is whats so great about Uncharted games. Happy?

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Awful gameplay /s

 

[OmegaX]

It the series ended with the first one, nobody would have shed a tear. UC1 was so bad.
UC2 is so much better. It's not revolutionary or anything but it was fun.

 

[overcast]

Incredibly polished, rock solid controls, great storytelling, fun/memorable cast of characters, actually a great third person shooter, and a nice sense of world building in a Indiana Jones way.

Oh yeah, brilliant set pieces. It should be obvious why people love uncharted. Especially the flawlessly paced Uncharted 2.

 

[NediarPT88]

Uncharted 2 was crazy good for its time.

It nailed spectable and gameplay together without relying on QTEs, set-pieces were amazing. That fucking train sequence and also the one where you jump from truck to truck... shit was incredible.

Controlling Drake felt great, it has some intense combat scenarios, great graphics and animations, likeable characters with good writing and voice acting...

What's not to like?

Uncharted 3 and 4 aren't as good.

 

[Wackamole]

I always thought they were great ways of getting more people to discuss an older game than the Community thread that only superfans check out.

Do people really dislike LTTP threads? Honestly asking, because if I got the wrong impression and everyone just kind of hates it, I'll probably avoid making more.

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Nah, make any thread you want. But often times they're made for the wrong reasons imo.
It's a fast moving industry. As long as people make these threads with integrity and with a timeframe in their mind it's okay.
Often it's "Okay, i played this game. What's the big deal, convince me." I think a lot of people like those threads though.

 

[Imitation Of Life]

I feel like we get one of these threads every week, lol.

ND is good at cinematic storytelling and the games look great. The end.

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Pretty much.

 

[John Omaha]

I genuinely don't understand why Uncharted is such a loved series.

Let's talk about the gameplay first.

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Based on your Ninja Gaiden avatar, I'll go ahead and assume you have a pretty high standard for what you consider good and/or complex gameplay.

As someone who's much more interested in gameplay over graphics, I've played 2, 3 and 4 to completion and also felt that the series' gameplay was mediocre at best... until I started paying attention to other popular games in the western AAA sphere. When comparing Uncharted to third-person clunkfests like GTA V and RDR 2, you realize that even though the former's gameplay is just OK, it's still head and shoulders above the latter. Add to that the high production values, blockbuster movie feel and well-written characters, and it's not hard to understand why many enjoy the series.

 

[Agent 47]

I mean you enjoy RE6 which is full of QTE actions, less compelling gameplay than the platforming in Uncharted games, but that gets a pass because...? Also, comparing the gameplay of RE6 to Uncharted is apples to oranges.

 

[LakeEarth]

Played Uncharted 3 and had about the same opinion as the OP. I enjoyed some of the game, but too damn much of it was cutscene or scripted moments where you had very little control over (basically QTEs but with just enough control to fool you into thinking it isn't one). Story and presentation was top notch, but I still ended up dropping it halfway.

 

[Kupo Kupopo]

I always thought they were great ways of getting more people to discuss an older game than the Community thread that only superfans check out.

Do people really dislike LTTP threads? Honestly asking, because if I got the wrong impression and everyone just kind of hates it, I'll probably avoid making more.

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there's 'lttp' threads, & there's 'i just played this game y'all loved years back, &, me? well, i think it sucked' threads. i think most people enjoy 'lttp' threads...

 

[Bricktop]

1) Doesn't "understand" why extremely popular game is popular.
2) Props up shit game as "excellent" counter to said popular game
3) Has to preemptively CoUnTeR VaLiD rEsPoNsEs with stupid meme talk because he knows before he even posts that his thread is basically "why do people like things I don't" nonsense.

If you HONESTLY can't understand why people love this series after years of reviews, previews, articles, videos, player testimonials, etc. then something is off in your head, I'm sure there is a pill you can take that will help you.

I always thought they were great ways of getting more people to discuss an older game than the Community thread that only superfans check out.

Do people really dislike LTTP threads? Honestly asking, because if I got the wrong impression and everyone just kind of hates it, I'll probably avoid making more.

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LTTP threads can be great, but many times it's just someone wanting to tear down a good game a decade later because they don't agree with the prevailing wisdom.

 

[Ploid 6.0]

It's playable Indiana Jones. What's not fun about that

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This was what my first thought was. The characters, the story, the set pieces, and action. It's like a blockbuster game.

 

[Tabs2002]

Standards have changed. Gameplay doesn't matter as much as it used to. It's all about setpieces now and scripted gameplay

 

[Terror-Billy]

Everyone will tell you it's about the characters, story and all thag crap. As someone who doesn't give a crap about stories I can say: Uncharted is a blast to play. It's a great experience in terms of fun factor, set pieces, visuals and overall gameplay. That's probably why I love the first 3 and loathe the 4th. It's a great series tbqh. The only modern Sony franchise I can actually enjoy.

 

[Ricky_R]

The main problem is trying to understand it when all you need to do is accept it.

 

[BeaconofTruth]

Nah, make any thread you want. But often times they're made for the wrong reasons imo.
It's a fast moving industry. As long as people make these threads with integrity and with a timeframe in their mind it's okay.
Often it's "Okay, i played this game. What's the big deal, convince me." I think a lot of people like those threads though.

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The only thing that's going to age that poorly over time is going to be the visuals, and a game isn't that good if the only thing special about is the production value.

It isn't like the tps has evolved in any sort of interesting way over the years that Uncharted has become obsolete. Shit Red Dead 2 is the big cutting edge game of last year that sold a shit ton and it's a way clunkier brand of cover shooting than even Uncharted is.

Good gameplay ages perfectly fine, if said gameplay was only good in 07, it wasn't that good to begin with.

 

[DeoGame]

The Set Pieces. I've struggled to find any other game that quite competes with some of the iconic moments such as the intro of Uncharted 2.

 

[Tyaren]

It's a playable blockbuster action adventure movie like Indiana Jones. That's what's fun about it. Add to that one of the best if not THE best production values in video games and you have a winner. :)

 

[tr1b0re]

In addition to what others have mentioned, the setpieces

There really isn't any other game in the industry that I can think of that does setpieces quite on the scale of the Uncharted games

Every one of them is a spectacle that clearly took a TON of work and passion to pull of, and something about that I just love

Plus playing an Uncharted game just makes me feel...happy, its kinda hard to explain, but even with it's occasionally dark themes, something about the games just feels comfortable and satisfying