Uncharted 4 - The Ultimate Critique - Luke Stephens

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TIMESTAAMPS
Intro- 0:00
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The Full Game - 2:54
Conclusion - 3:36:53
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#Uncharted4 #Uncharted

[@LukeStephensTV]

The first 1,000 people to use this link will get a 1 month free trial of Skillshare: skl.sh/lukestephens01221

[@cinematicpassages8884]

Hey Luke...your channel logo looks like the guerrilla games logo 🔥 btw this is my fav uncharted game.

[@jackwhite6637]

Mate, I love your stuff. But I’m an hour into this video and 50% of it is you just literally just explaining what happens step-by-step. At some points you’re so close to even just reading from the screenplay itself. The actual points you make in terms of the story and gameplay are interesting and very fun to listen to. But I hardly ever get to hear them because the majority of what you’re saying is literally just a synopsis. If I needed a synopsis, I’d look elsewhere. I’m only saying this because I love your videos, but I’ve seen this become an increasing issue with your longer videos

[@cinematicpassages8884]

@@jackwhite6637 true...i wish this was more like the death stranding type of analysis.

[@DomSharpeXL]

If we lookedll Clyde’sd wed lol

[@SUPERFunStick]

I know I'm 7 months late but I just found your channel and I love it. I am curious though, about why you consider ND taking control away from the player and effectively giving the player invincibility a genius game design choice... Like, the whole point in gaming is to be able to have control over things in the game. Most gamers would say if they wanted control removed and to be forced to watch the player character move along a set path on rails, with no way to change course, put yourself in danger, or explore and possibly die at all, they'd simply watch a movie or TV show. Honestly that sounds counter intuitive to gaming in it's entirety. Why do you think that's a genius design choice at all?

[@MapleKid242]

I don’t think that Sam dying in the prison was meant to be a “fake out”, but more of an explanation as to why he’s not in the first three games.

[@jaaerbn]

this ^^^

[@aidancampbell4083]

Honestly

[@upon-fe2720]

Yeah this is clearly it to me. Stephens talks like he knows exactly what he's talking about in every video, and I do enjoy listening to him, buuuuut he misses a lot, A LOT, especially when it comes to developer thoughts and intentions.

[@lockekappa500]

@@upon-fe2720 It's disconcerting that as an analyzer of games and media who does this so often, that he could miss an obvious enough intention as something like that. And he does it all the time. I just feel like he has blinders on when he plays/analyzes games. I always know there will be a specific surface level of analysis that he won't pick up on.

[@upon-fe2720]

@@lockekappa500 it's very much a blinkers thing, he's not a particularly good investigator, it's more of a dogmatic investigation where he often reaches a conclusion in theory way before analysing all factors. This can all be easily put down to the fact it's one man (I assume) doing all the playing and all the research with little time to do so. Unless you're a superhuman like Tim Rogers then oversights I think are generally heavily expected, this is KZbin after all, not a peer reviewed encyclopedia of information.

[@ThatBoyAqua]

Something severely underrated about Uncharted 4 is the ability to replay specific “scenarios” in a chapter. If there’s a really fun fight at the end of a chapter you can just start there instead of having to replay the whole chapter leading up to it. It was a god send for trying out different modifiers and skins. Great video btw! 👍

[@dfchang813]

You just did a great Uncharted 2 video that I enjoyed! You make a GREAT point because that encourages a lot of creativity in terms of trying different things to attack an encounter in different ways. I’m REALLY missing that on Halo Infinite where you can’t go back at all. You literally have to start a new save file to replay missions or pick up collectibles you’ve missed which is such a disaster. 🤦🏻‍♂️

[@sillysally-2942]

Are u gonna review uncharted 4 in the future?

[@kevinbarbeau]

It was actually added in an update. I remember when I played the game back in 2016, I had to restart the entire chapter if I wanted to get to a specific part

[@purwantiallan5089]

​@@kevinbarbeauUncharted 4 sometimes feels like an updated Uncharted 2.

[@purwantiallan5089]

​@@dfchang813Uncharted 2 to 4 have a very high replayability unlike Halo Infinite.

[@gleam6370]

Easily My favorite game of all time. growing up with the series and ending it off so astoundingly with uncharted 4 was the best gaming experience of my life

[@midgetsparkle]

What were your thoughts on that uncharted 4.5, the one with the girls on the cover?

[@gleam6370]

@@midgetsparkle I loved it and it may have the best opening to an uncharted game. But it dips a bit once you get to the jungle environment. If it stuck with the urban setting from the start of the game rather than the jungle setting, that’s so overdone in the series, then it would’ve been perfect

[@Jp-1377]

@@gleam6370 i think it was a bit too “greatest hits” of uncharted setpieces

[@timpage9424]

The only game I've been to a midnight release for.

[@guitarhero38633]

I could never imagine this being my favorite game when The Witcher, and The Elder Scrolls exist. Big yikes

[@rahulkuriakose136]

I feel most of the criticism is due to the fatigue of multiple replays. The game has always felt like a love letter to the whole franchise and I wouldn't have wanted them to change anything about it.

[@MarcusTheHeard19]

right? he whines about the semi-open-world portions because he's already played those parts and calls them boring because he knows what to do as if that's a valid criticism for a linear story-based game that the devs know 99% of people are only gonna play through once. Uncharted has never been a series that you're supposed to endlessly replay over and over in quick succession.

[@magicalgirlmel3289]

@@MarcusTheHeard19 Agreed. Hell, you're not even meant to marathon the games now! I played the first three for the first time last year and was sick of it by the end. Granted, part of it is that even in remaster, these games have not aged very well, but part of it was that the shooting galleries burn you out. Uncharted has some really great moments and some, such as the train sequence in 2, still really hold up, but the connective tissue is lacking and putting yourself through the connective tissue too much doesn't help your impressions at all.

[@joeking433]

Don't listen to the naysayers, they're addicted to flashing lights.

[@Melaheidi]

I don’t know, if I was making a “love letter” to a franchise of fun, campy, over the top action adventure games with a supernatural twist, I would try to actually include some of those core things from the franchise, rather than turning it into a gritty character study with hardly any crazy set pieces and no supernatural element at all...

[@onepunch2310]

@@MarcusTheHeard19 it’s like complaining about tlou2 having a more open world like duh there’s hella shit you can find, see, or just skip over. Like in the dlc of uncharted it’s very vast before the hidden city and you can explore all of it sure if you’re replaying it over and over you’re going to know exactly what to do but you also have a whole world to discover and extra stuff to do. It’s meant to be explored but you’re given an option to just follow the main objectives.

[@KomfortfilmHB]

5% critique. 95% explaining the storyline in detail.

[@Diesel_Hydro117]

And?

[@HR1S]

No analysis is his point

[@AngelRamirez-do6tp]

​@Haris Craig that's Luke Stephens entire business model lol. He makes commentary videos and then labels them as 'critiques'.

[@Tattoosbyjosh1]

I’ve honestly never understood people who hate or critique Luke, I’ve watched every game reviewer out there and the way like does his critiques are awesome, instead of talking shit about games he lets you decide if you want to check the game out or not

[@dannyboylan5926]

​@@Tattoosbyjosh1 Correct, but that's not really a critique then...

[@smackedpickle]

The swimming bit after the opening credits is super clever, especially if this is your first Uncharted. Seeing all these exciting sequences before the opening credits, you'll think that you're clearly on another wild adventure once it fades in to Nate underwater, the chapter name comes up as "The Malaysian Job," so you'll think "oh, I must be currently _on_ the Malaysian job," and there's a little bit of fake tension with Jameson suggesting coming up for more air~

[@purwantiallan5089]

Uncharted 2 also has swimming bits after the opening credits.

[@jeffshafer5633]

This game has one of my all time favorite references. Out of all of the pirate captains no one recognizes the one with the monkey symbol. When you look at his portrait its clearly Guybrush Threepwood from the Monkey Island series sporting his outfit from the second game.

[@purwantiallan5089]

Seems like quite a lot of outfits from Uncharted 2 make a return in 4.

[@PureLightning811]

Dude really has bias towards Nadine, especially at the end. Sam and Nate killed the majority of her army and Rafe led them to get killed of course she leaves them to die. In what world. Would she save them after all that they did.

[@frogglen6350]

I mean Ellie let Abby live after murdering her adoptive father.

[@PureLightning811]

@@frogglen6350 Abby had lost everything by the point and it was clear to Elle that killing her would do nothing. Sam and Nate kill hundreds of solidiers throughout the game and Rafe made a bunch of stupid decision that put her and her group in danger. Not to mention that Elle is suppose to be a good person twisted by rage and grief, whereas Nadine is clearly not written to be a good person.

[@frogglen6350]

@@PureLightning811 Everything as in her friends who aren't good people and have little development? Sure

[@PureLightning811]

@@frogglen6350 I didn’t like the last of us part 2, but it was clear what the point was versus Uncharted.

[@donaldhysa4836]

She was a cold heared mercenary interested only in money. I don't think her men's safety was her highest priority. Yet even after she said she wouldn't go to the ship cause it wasn't worth the risk she went there anyway and instead of taking the gold for herself just decided to kill Nate and Rafe and fuck right back off where she came from, having suddenly discovered she was all to high and mighty to take the treasure. Just nonsense and annoying characters who adds nothing to the game.

[@Banned_Wagon]

Honestly, this was one of my favorite games of all time. It had a compelling and pretty deep story, while still keeping the uncharted adventure and gameplay I’ve come to love. Not to mention the graphics are insane. I highly recommend this game. 9/10

[@purwantiallan5089]

Umi Sonoda and Honoka Kousaka both beaten Uncharted 4 before. Still 9.6/10 even in 2024.

[@m4th1a2]

I actually believe that Nate lying about his treasure hunt while him and Elena are married is much more impactful than if they were just dating. When Elena met Nate, he was cocky, reckless and too adventurous to be in a relationship with even yet, be trusted. He only thought about the fame and fortune that the treasure would give him and money was his only drive in life in order to maintain his arrogance. Every game in the series except Uncharted 4 has begun with Nate searching for adventures while not being in a relationship with Elena, meaning that, despite several attempts with Elena he could never let the adventures behind in order to settle with her. However, as the games unfold Nate starts to value Elena and his love towards her gets stronger and he eventually realises that a relationship with Elena is even more important to him than the treasure itself. As he told Sam, he never got rich from the treasures he found despite the many dangers he faced, but they gave him the oppounity and stability to settle with Elena and live a comfortable life with her through the few riches he actually managed to get. I believe that Nate made Elena think that she had failed to fulfill him due to the fact that he felt the need to lie to her, just in order to go on his adventure with Sam. He managed to revive his cocky and egocentric self in order to feed his own needs while being totally oblivious to the consequenses it could have to their relationship... Just like he did in the past. Furthermore, he made her believe that he would never be able to accept their life together and that he could never thrive in an ordinary life without drifting away from her. He ultimately traded his lust for adventure and riches to get the most important treasure to him: Love.

[@lindseymaher9618]

Beautiful 😭

[@JocieMaMacie]

Wow, yes! This is a gorgeous analysis. That scene where she confronts him is already so heartbreaking, but knowing this just makes it even more crushing. 😭

[@maineman5757]

Also the brotherly love and guilt he feels towards Sam was also up against his love for Elena. Nate feels he doesn't deserve a peaceful life while Sam spent his best years behind bars. This is all evident that he never even told Elena about Sam after all their years together. Nate was never able to truly open up until he settle his emotional debt to Sam and to himself.

[@justintyler5041]

Very well written! I enjoyed your take.

[@purwantiallan5089]

​@@maineman5757why Nate never deserved a peaceful live though?

[@The_Story_Of_Us]

Also, no. Sam cut Rafe loose before he went to Nathan, never wanting to find the treasure with anyone besides his little brother, that’s why Rafe, saying ”I guess you knew this moment was coming, huh?” pistol whips him and kicks him like a stray dog. He did just hack Nathan and Sam’s phone. Sam wasn’t sending him anything because that is ridiculous given Sam’s actual motivations.

[@purwantiallan5089]

Uncharted IV story telling is like the one from Uncharted I.

[@jboi903]

I always thought during the Scotland part that Nate actively didn't ask any questions of Sam because he knew something wasn't quite right but didn't want to open that can of worms/have a reason not to pursue the treasure. I also remember really not trusting Sam at the start. I wanted a bit more of a redemption arc for Sam than we got but I do think Sam's difficult life is a reasonable excuse for having the flaws he has

[@Corey_Tenderson]

Plus, at the end of the game, he does end up giving what treasure he did take to Nate and Elena. He really wasn’t a bad guy, he just wanted the treasure so badly that it blinded him. After all, the reason he almost died and spent all those years in prison was because of the treasure. It was a personal thing more than anything.

[@purwantiallan5089]

​@@Corey_Tendersonhe is a good guy like Drake for sure.

[@brandonw2885]

Sam was actually created by Amy and he was originally portrayed by Todd Stashwick. In addition, Rafe was originally played by Alan Tudyk.

[@MrBazBake]

For all of his exceptional research, I think his understanding of the Amy Hennig event is driven more by auteur theory than the actual timeline of what happened and Amy Hennig's talent as a writer.

[@magicalgirlmel3289]

@@MrBazBake Lately, I've really begun to notice that Luke can sometimes get real tunnel vision in his thoughts, which leads to missing key details outside that narrowed view.

[@3lankfac32]

@@MrBazBake amy hennig isn’t a bad writer but uncharted 4’s writing was a huge improvement then the last 3 and the original patch of the story was pretty boring what we got is way better

[@whodatninja439]

@@MrBazBake he just really stans neil druckman

[@elvickRULES]

@@3lankfac32you only claim it’s better because it’s what you know vs a pitch we didn’t actually experience. “This hamburger is way better than that one someone talked about but never made actually.” How can anyone make such absurd statements and not realize how dumb it is

[@fir3fight176]

Before watching the Video: For me, Uncharted 4 actually is the best action movie I´ve ever seen, even though it's a game I actually played. Many many times I caught myself not actually noticing that I played the game, but more like experiencing it. It's the absolute pinnacle when it comes to "adventure games", it is everything I dreamed of as a kid. Swinging with ropes, fighting on an island in the carribian/Indian (or at least that climate )sea, finding a long-forgotten city ( no supernatural stuff like in the other games, even though I loved them too), explosions and shootouts absolutely everywhere, cool characters, with absolutely no mental problems from all that fighting and almost dying, different settings all over the world. For me, Uncharted 4 is my action movie/game wet dream. edit: for a "action movie" the story is one of an oscar winning movie (in my opinion) edit2: 1 day later and i made it through the critique, our opinions differ on some small points but apart from that i completly agree with everything you say and it was a pleasure listening to you once again, allready awaiting the next one! :D

[@DrewCheech]

I tried to write something myself, but this pretty much covers it. Uncharted 4 was arguably the best game on PS4, a 3 way tie for me between God of War and Red Dead 2.

[@pedronobrega7693]

This sums it up perfectly! 👏👏 I feel the exact same way. It really is the pinnacle of its kind. I wish I could experience it for the first time again. What a ride!

[@toming727]

@@DrewCheech I also found the same, is I’ve gotten older and time is shorter I’ve found joy in just immersing myself in great story telling games. The 3 you list did that for me and I spent some great evenings just playing through those titles and letting myself really sink into them.

[@purwantiallan5089]

​@@DrewCheechand also with GOW RAGNAROK and Horizon Forbidden West.

[@purwantiallan5089]

​@@pedronobrega7693in terms of graphics, Uncharted IV plays like it came out from an Xbox Series X game.

[@RJRedtail]

55:30 Sam was actually in the original draft for Uncharted 4 before Druckmann or Troy Baker were a part of it. This is shown in the very first teaser trailer for Uncharted 4. He was played by a different actor and would've been a more villainous character with some kind of grudge against Nate. I think in the original story Nate did something foolish or selfish that led to Sam's death(or so he thought) and the guilt over that would've been the reason he never told Elena.

[@austinconway3918]

He also wasn't a "Drake" either, which would have made for a better story.

[@blippitybloo]

I actually came go love Sam like, I think, most people, but damn this sounds so much more compelling. That may be for the fact that Rafe is just not an interesting villain. Hector Alcazar would have been a radically more compelling villian

[@InfiniteXV1]

@@blippitybloo Alcazar is literally the same boring villain we've had in the last 3 games. Where their only goal is power and money. Im not saying rafe is a masterpiece of a villain but hes much better than anything the series did before. Rafe already has the money he just wants the fame and recognition Nate has, I just wish he was actually smart enough to give Nate a challenge when they are finding the treasure. Like let Nadine be the badass villain that challenges us physically and let Rafe challenge us mentally. It will finally give a real sense of urgency to the plot of finding the treasure that the series has been trying to do. But thats just my opinion.

[@SungurEge]

Very true, I don't know why Luke went with that theory. If you compare actor Todd Stashwick's (the original actor that was supposed to play Sam) hairstyle and face, you would see how similar it is even to the current version of Sam's look. I'm sure they changed the face a bit to fit better with Troy's performance capture data, but the hair is literally Todd's hair.

[@whodatninja439]

i would prefer amy hennig's version. it's her characters.

[@dillonkramer1575]

Honestly, this, and red dead redemption 2 just upset me because they are a constant reminder that video games were at their peak of quality and graphic fidelity between 2016 and 2018. Video games in 2023 are honestly not that good and do not look any better, nor do they showcase how good the PS five and Xbox series X truly are. It is just sad that games like uncharted four and red dead redemption to make any game from 2023 just look like a pile of garbage.

[@Nard01]

Great video. But you're wrong about Sam being created for Troy Baker to have a role. When Amy Henning was still directing, Sam was actually going to be a villain in the story. Todd Stashwick was cast as him, with several of his lines already recorded. When the switch from Henning to Druckman and Straley happened they re worked the story, delayed the game and they re cast Troy Baker to be the new voice as Sam.

[@simtin0068]

Just noticed one thing... Sam's character existed before Neil and Bruce took over. So your theory about Sam being written for Troy Baker is probably false. Sam was originally voiced by Todd Stashwick. And if I remember things correctly, he left when Amy Hennig left.

[@brandonw2885]

Same with Alan Tudyk as Rafe.

[@jtrinidad1884]

Idk if I'm remembering correctly but wasn't the first teaser insinuating that original intended idea was a person from Nates's past wanted revenge? Still happy with uncharted 4 we got. Wish I could say something about last of us 2 😔 (just hated the story they went with).

[@brandonw2885]

@@jtrinidad1884 It was Nate's brother in that teaser.

[@AnthonyMcNeil]

@@jtrinidad1884 It's fine to not the story. Not every game will work for everyone. 👍

[@purwantiallan5089]

​@@brandonw2885we could see Alan Tudyk acting as Batman in a Batman Movie soon.

[@madsolar480]

Hi from 2023. I'm playing this game for the first time and am in shock at all the little details they include. Most 2023 games do not even come close to Uncharted. I'm impressed.

[@goncalofernandes9591]

God I hate these types of "critiques" so much. It's 95% filler telling the story of the game (not a synopsis, but every nit and gritty part of it), and only 5% of actual opinion here and there.

[@fatpeglegpirate7231]

My favourite part of this game is the monkey island references and the fact there is a portrait of guybrush and you can literally see his dead body, I love to see old games get the recognition they deserve.

[@purwantiallan5089]

That reference aged well even in 2024.

[@lydz7451]

I also played Uncharted 4 first out of the series. They honestly did a fantastic job making it easy for those of us just jumping in to really understand the story and feel the chemistry between characters without "telling you" there should be chemistry 🤣

[@purwantiallan5089]

Kanon Shibuya also ever played Uncharted 4 once in 2022.

[@TheSpore35]

While not my favorite of the Uncharted franchise, Uncharted 4 easily had the best gameplay

[@brandonw2885]

There was originally a mini sword fight between young Nate and Sam in the mansion, however it was cut for time. There was also supposed to be a setpiece in Scotland revolving around the crane. You can even find the audio files online.

[@Awnos]

So they cut a section that would not only foreshadow the final fight but also teach the mechanics for sword fighting so we would know the mechanics before the final fight? Naughty dog is so stupid.

[@brandonw2885]

@@Awnos Apparently it was so the player would feel out of their element like Nate was, but I don't buy it.

[@Awnos]

@@brandonw2885 It would have been great if you lost the sword fight and then somehow you find a gun and you shoot the guy. The whole series is at its core a shooting game after all.

[@brandonw2885]

@@Awnos That would have been cool, kind of like a Raiders reference.

[@Awnos]

@@brandonw2885 Exactly! What could have been...

[@bretwilliams249]

Uncharted 4 is what finally got me to actually love the series. 1, 2 and 3 were all fine (2 especially stands out) but the fourth main entry is when the series finally found itself for me. The characters are more believable, their motivations are painfully human through their flaws, and the narrative dives into the real problems of everyday life even though it's through the lens of a more modern Indiana Jones type of universe.

[@ianblum22]

Couldn’t agree more. Uncharted 2-3, while having memorable set pieces and clever quippy dialogue never quite distinguished themselves for me. The characters and plot were fun and entertaining, but my praise would more or less stop there. I think this formula really worked for especially Uncharted 2, but it didn’t really capture why I love a game like “The Last of Us.” Uncharted 4, like you, turned that around for me. The narrative, while somewhat conventional, is powered by characters which are given more depth. For example, Nathan has a lot more to work with in terms of emotion, but he loses none of his sense of humor and entertaining dialogue in U4. It’s simply the best of both worlds. It’s everything people loved about Uncharted 1-3, but with added narrative heft and characterization.

[@elvickRULES]

Uh no. Uncharted 4 is very much the worst because it isn’t an Uncharted game in its approach. Just say you don’t like Uncharted. I don’t want dumb ass human drama to the degree U4 went. It should go no deeper than 1-3 did with it. It blended everything so beautifully. U4 doesn’t know what Uncharted actually is. Because Neil was being petty toward Amy. That’s why he also changed Nate’s son into a daughter. Because Amy planned it to be a son.

[@purwantiallan5089]

Karin Asaka still remembered Uncharted IV game very fondly.

[@eklipsing]

I agree with the impression that Sam was introduced in a way that makes him look untrustworthy or slimy, especially considering Nate's behavior/comments towards him in that cutscene and the motorcycle.

[@Synll]

You put so much hard work into all of these critiques, I just wanna let you know I love these type of videos because of your care for them

[@brandonw2885]

Uncharted 4 is easily my favorite game of all time. What a wonderful adventure.

[@PearlBladeBeats]

Where are you getting that Nate was trained? Why do you keep calling him a trained mass murderer? He is just a treasure hunter who kills a lot of people he was never trained by anyone to kill people. Nadine on the other hand? She was trained to murder peope. so I think there is something that would give Nadine the upper hand.

[@theKrabs_11]

Exactly what I’m saying, he stumbles at every large jump, he shakes his hand whenever he hits someone. He’s not trained for any of this

[@MistahJay7]

Doesn't mean the boss fight has to be boring and dumb. Could have had it where we can still kind of win in gameplay but then a cutscene triggers and then she kicks our asses. That's how its'done

[@pochewilson]

@@orangejuice2874you’re talking about a video game where the main character has the grip of gods and arm strength that doesn’t match his physique and you drawn the line of the suspension of disbelief at a fight? Soft.

[@caleb_c]

I agree that Nadine being in the tower makes no sense (tho she could’ve just been searching the area and ran into him), but her beating him does. Nate has never been a trained killer or an expert at hand to hand combat. He can definitely hold his own, but he’s not John Wick. He sort of skates by situations for the most part, with luck literally being the health mechanic in the 1st game (idk if that goes for all of them or not)

[@MisterModder123]

Exactly this! I remember when the original Drake's Fortune came out, and Nate was advertised as a goofy regular person. This is why everytime he took cover, it was a little different, sometimes a bit sloppy. Why he gets caught and the crap beaten out of him so many times in the games. Nadine absolutely is more trained than Nate is; if anything, Nate has just been lucky his whole career

[@SomethingWittyRW]

@@MisterModder123 that might make sense for drake's fortune (even though it really doesn't since the PSVita game takes place before it and by a few years at that) but for any game after that treasure hunting basically became Nate and Sully's full time job. That's training within itself. I can believe someone can use skill and practice to beat a novice that's slightly bigger and heavier than them but Nate by the time of Uncharted 4 is a *seasoned* veteran of this kind of life as well as combat. I really do think that Nadine should've been about the size of Abby maybe slightly taller but I just can't suspend my disbelief when I see Nadine who by comparison to Nate is a literal stick throwing Nate around like a rag doll.

[@maaaatt]

@@SomethingWittyRW agree with you there - I'm certainly no expert, but think Nadine could've been shown using Nathan's size and momentum against him more than is shown. Even if he's exhausted and punch-drunk, surely given their relative sizes she isn't going to be able to just throw him around like a rag doll? That's a pretty minor complaint though.

[@supersbbrawl4ever]

Well, here's the thing. Nate has had PLENTY of experience, like around 15 years of it, defeating all sorts of opponents in hand-to-hand and trained mercs were no exceptions. I would argue that Lazarevic's men were overall more competent than Shoreline too. In addition, Nate did have plenty of (informal though) training. You're forgetting that Sully was from the Navy, and Sully repeatedly kicked the arses of those half his age, including mercernaries. And as we all know, mercs are almost always former soldiers, who had various degrees of hand-to-hand training and experiences too. Uncharted 4 literally tossed everything that Nate knew out of the window vs Nadine for some reason. Hell, he was clumsier lmao, like he was constantly off-balance each time he missed a punch, which has NEVER happened before outside the Nadine fights. Secondly, Nadine is still much smaller than Nate and has no right to be able to pin him down so easily, especially when Nate himself broke out of grips and pins from enemies a lot bigger and stronger than him in the past. My main issue with the Nadine fights is that Naughty Dog decided to make Nate suddenly forget how to fight. In addition, Nate in 4 is a worse stand-up fighter than in 2 and 3, he doesn't have the ability to dodge and counter punches and stuff, all he can do is dodge roll (like wtf) and escape grapples.

[@KISS_MY_CONVERSE]

agree nathan drake is no former boxer. Nadine is basically cris cyborg or amanda nunez. And her character looks legit. Everyone bee saying Uncharted is woke. But, Nadine character and voice actor is definitely believable. I loved her character.

[@Guru630]

I never thought of nate as a killer, I allways felt like all the killing in the gameplay was somehow removed from the actual story The player can mow down hundreds of enemies while nate can get himself through some dicy situations in his light hearted fashion that doesnt fit a guncrazy mass murderer... and everyone just knows that the gunplay is ramped up for video-Game-purposes while the Story treats it differently

[@coverblown21]

that’s called ludonarrative dissonance

[@rogerkirby6883]

That would fit except Blizarovic (sp?) in uncharted 2 asks Nate how many people he’s killed just in that one day. So that alludes Nate being a mass killer. Most of those kills are portrayed as self defense.

[@onepunch2310]

Kinda how I feel about Lara Croft. I don’t think she’s the type to just run in and start blasting everyone. She’s more like a kill or be killed if necessary. She’ll stealth and kill silently if she has too.

[@LashLaRue3]

I really enjoy these enormous deep dives. Thanks for putting the time in!

[@joehedley4991]

Amy Hennig can't tell a gritty, mature story? Ever heard of Legacy of Kain?

[@timpage9424]

I think Uncharted 2 will always be my favorite because I had never played a game like that before. U4 is incredible though. I think It balances fun and a more adult story in the franchise.

[@dakotabynum5137]

Same

[@purwantiallan5089]

Uncharted 3 is up there with 2.

[@amimim69]

People has problems with woman over powering man sometimes in games... Ellie killed almost all wlf soldiers twice her size but no question was asked there...people can be hypocrate.

[@oinkocuacko1264]

52:44 actually the reason is that nate is really sensible about that, in the place where he has his treasures and stuff there's the white book and the photo that they took on the house when they were kids, if you try to look at it nate immediately puts it away showing that he doesn't want to touch on the topic of his brother, not even when he's alone

[@thund3rstrik329]

Hell yes!!! Been waiting on this one for a while AND IT'S 4 HOURS HOLY SHIT!!! I'm excited about this, time to get some popcorn and sit back and relax

[@tarandamalcheruvu4712]

On the Nadine fight criticism, I really don't see the problem. Nate shoots people and bare knuckle brawls, he's not 'trained' in any way, more of an insticutal fighter in the vain of Ellie and Joel. Nadine is a formally trained mercenary who has extensive experience in taking down opponents bigger and stronger than her. The fact she can run circles around Nate is entirely believable, if not entirely expected? If it was a shootout, that'd be a different story, but Nate has never been established as an incredible fist fighter? He's a scrappy alley brawler, not an MMA champion. I think the Nadine fight is supposed to show that the antagonists have weight behind them, not ND devs having a buff women fetish. And, not gonna lie, that's a really fucking weird conclusion to come to.

[@gamer62589]

Ok explain the fight with her, Drake and Sam

[@Halucidnate]

Thank you. Bro came off a little too heated about that. Buff women are badass

[@gamer62589]

@@Halucidnate He still didn't explain the fight between Her, Drake and Sam

[@Sheabuttertend]

@@gamer62589 They’re not seasoned fighters. Nate has been living a domestic life for three years and Sam has been in prison for 13 years and then held captive (in a way) by Rafe for the next two. They’re just out of the game where it takes place in the story.

[@StelliPastelli]

No better feeling then sitting down with food and seeing that Luke put out a new long video! thanks man for you hard work!! makes my day!

[@JosephM120]

I just finished this game two days ago! Didn’t get around to it until the ps plus library but I’m glad to have the experience fresh for this video

[@GenerallyPwned]

Nadine popping up in that tower was definitely contrived, but the idea of her overpowering Nate is not as wild as you seem to think it is. I've seen petite women who do martial arts overpower people much larger than themselves, and I myself have fought guys much bigger than me with no training when I was younger. On top of that, Nadine isn't any ordinary fighter, she's the head of a South African mercenary group. Those guys are tough. She's probably been in just as many fights as Nate, maybe even more.

[@FraserSouris]

Here's the thing tho. Nate isn't a seasoned expert. His whole character is that he's basically a regular person that gets by the skin of teeth rather than an expert that gets through in a cool way. That's why he still stumbles when he climbs and needs to press O to regain his grip. That's why he gets thrown around when buildings start getting destroyed. And of course, why he's never been great in combat and tends to get lucky more often than not. Look at this batting average, he got knocked out easily by Guerro in Golden Abyss with a single punch. He struggled against Navarro in Drake's Fortune. In Among Thieves, if you try attacking Flynn when he's escorting you, the game will play a cutscene where Flynn dodges Drake's attack and knocks him to the ground with a single punch. Do it again then Flynn will then shoot you after knocking you to the ground. So Nate can't even take on someone with a pistol. And during the boss fight with Lazarevic, if you let him catch you, he basically knocks you around senselss. And In Drake's Deception, Nate gets beaten up by both the pirate captain and by Talbot. Like, canonically, Nate's not that great of a fighter. His "experience" isn't that impressive. His fighting style is little more than brawling. He never uses any proper training or techniques. So I'd argue it's absolutely belivable that someone that actually has martial arts training would be able to squash him. In addition, Nate hasn't even been adventuring for at least a few years by the time Uncharted 4 begins. Put it all together and you have a somewhat rusty and actually unskilled brawler going up against a trained and active martial artist. To use an analogy, imagine a chess player who wins around 50% of his chess games mostly by luck. He doesn't really know the rules of chess too well and never even had formal chess lessons and hasn't even played chess in years. Of course he'd be stomped if he ever went against a grandmaster who has been actively playing chess.

[@holly.sketches.melancholy]

God thank yoi for saying this his rant about how she couldn't possibly beat him was so not correct. Nathan is good with a gun SOMETIMES and even then he is bested by a lot of his foes and ends up getting lucky and escaping. Some trained martial arts combat is specifically taught to use your opponents weight and size against them and someone who isn't trained like Nathan would obviously get their ass handed to them.

[@Diesel_Hydro117]

I'm sorry but those petite women "overpowering" bigger people were most likely staged, look up real fights between men and women where the men aren't holding back, the women are always obliterated, weather it's between trained fighters or not.

[@psguy3]

Uncharted won’t be remember for anything in the history books? Sorry but that just plain wrong, the game design and story have been the leading and lasting effects of the entire franchise. Sure the gun play may seem outdated but it’s not trying to be more than what it is, changing the formula to have only a few guns you carry with you and progress like in the last of us, just doesn’t fit in this franchise where there are guns everywhere, why would I hold onto a certain gun the entire game when enemies I’m taking out have all these different types? I found this to be a lot more subjective and based on personal taste and seemed like actively trying to find something wrong rather than objectively looking at it a lot of the times. I agree that there were low points in the narrative (Sam coming out of nowhere, old lady dying suddenly, Elena somehow finding Nate in the jungle, and Nadine being OP) but that could just as easily be chalked up to different leadership with the direction druckman and Staley were going for to move the franchise to a conclusion. I just think you missed the mark here and got into the franchise way too late to really understand what these games are, and comparing them to games recently who have probably taken considerable inspiration from this series in terms of world building and storytelling.

[@outphase78]

Yeah you gotta take this guy's opinion with a great of salt because he started with UC4 and never got the full experience like those of us who grew up with the game. His bias is so strong and to compare UC4 and then go back to the original trilogy, he messed himself up by skipping to the end and missing out on the magic that the first three games had and we'll forever hold dear in our hearts.

[@rgbtrashcan9148]

I’ve always been jealous of your editing skills Luke and I can definitely tell that class payed off for you!

[@matthewwatson9502]

Woooooo I've been waiting for this video for sooooo long. Thanks luke for coming in clutch

[@PersianGamer36]

I will forever love uncharted since my wife was willing to watch them all sitting next to me and she neeeeever likes doing that. She genuinely loves them all

[@Halucidnate]

Lol Nadine whooping Nate's ass is not a reach. Being an effecient brawler, climber, gunman doesn't exactly stack up to match a trained fighter in a 1v1 Kind of silly what fans will cherry pick. Nate's nearly-meta plot armor is acceptable but Nadine besting him in H2H combat isn't 😅

[@tomkmb4120]

This was good timing, I've just played the first 3 and am about to begin the 4th. I will bookmark this video for later!

[@polunytsya]

So excited for it! Here’s a like in advance because I just love putting your long game critiques in the background while I work instead of lofi 😁👍❤️

[@MarcusTheHeard19]

1:15:30 you know it's possible for there to be people in the world that are just better than Nathan at fighting right? Setting aside the fact that Nathan has been living a suburban life for the last several years he was never established to be some otherwordly fighter who could best anyone in hand-to-hand combat, I always saw him as some bumbling idiot barely scraping his way through these scenarios. I think it's fine that they introduce a character that can put him on his ass instantly that he has to find another way of dealing with rather than just bull-rushing her head on. I'll give you her not having a reason to be going to the tower though that makes no sense. Naughty Dog has never been one to shy away from just making shit up as they go along sometimes though.

[@tieulongdoan4490]

I agree with you there, I was watching this part and keep thinking: "Damn, Luke really doesn't like being beaten by a woman eh with how he went on and on"

[@jond.4519]

She was in here specifically for their diversity quota. I can maybe give you the fight with her and Nate one on one despite the fact in uncharted 3 Nathan best the crap out of MULTIPLE massive brutes hand to hand. But her ve Sam and Nathan ? At the same time? No chance. Also if she’s this good of a fighter why is she nerfed in lost legacy where it’s her and Chloe getting the crap kicked out of them by Asaaav ? Bottom line they wanted their strong female character and then realized she was too strong to be a hero so they had to nerf her in the next game. This is also supported by the massive element that Neil druckman put in TLOU2 with Abby.

[@Pewdsnumber1fan]

@@tieulongdoan4490 agreed. It was honestly quite embarrassing listening to him repeat his point so many times. We get it, she’s a a woman, get over it.

[@MarcusTheHeard19]

@@jond.4519 I haven't played Lost Legacy so I can't speak to what happens in that, but I don't think even her beating Nate and Sam at once is all that unbelievable. Like I said Nathan is out of practice for the most part and Sam has spent the last decade at least in a prison cell and is shown to be a pretty heavy smoker. Nadine is in peak physical condition and an expert in hand-to-hand combat. Say what you want about her being a diversity thing but I don't see that as an issue. If she were a white man would people have had such an issue with this? Why does her being a woman of colour make this such an unbelievable situation? Put Ronda Rousey in the ring with 2 average street brawlers and she'd probably kick their ass from here to Sunday.

[@MarcusTheHeard19]

@@tieulongdoan4490 I know right, He literally goes on and on about it for 5 whole minutes. If he had just mentioned it and moved on I probably wouldn't have even written a comment.

[@octaviotastico]

I have been waiting for this video for too long and it's finally here

[@LukeStephensTV]

Later this week. Then we'll put them all together for the Series critique later this week as well (in time for the remaster collection)

[@curtisricher4351]

luke’s videos are literally the only videos i press the like button for, this dude is a legend

[@braxtonwise9897]

To me the charm is the brilliance of UC4, a story driven by personality and character far more dense than most anything I’ve personally experienced. The series as a whole contains some of my favorite core memories, and perhaps that’s the reason I hold these games to such a high regard… but to this day I haven’t really found anything else quite as rewarding and endearing as this series.

[@NolifeD1]

Luke, if you think Amy Hennig can not or does not want to write grim serious stories, look up Legacy of Kain series. Neil Druckman (though I do appreciate his writing on Uncharted 4 and TLOU 1) has tonnes to learn before he can write as complex a story and characters as Amy did with LoK.

[@glabber2444]

LoK?

[@dfchang813]

@@glabber2444 legacy of Kain. Great PS1 game about vampires that is dark as shit.

[@MrBazBake]

Yeah, it's a little nuts that Luke played Uncharted 4 and decided "Guess Amy Hennig was fired because she can't do drama or serious dialogue." Legacy of friggin Kain... also Uncharted 2 is still the best written game in the series.

[@NolifeD1]

@@glabber2444 Legacy of Kain is a series of 5 action adventure RPG hybrid games that ran on PS1, PS2 and PC from about 1997 to 2003. Amy Hennig directed and wrote 4 or 5 of them.

[@wolfmaster7746]

Didn't Neil Druckman also help write Uncharted 1 and 2?

[@ShakirraR]

"Any Hennig doesn't do dark and gritty" Tell me you've never played Legacy of Kain without telling me you've never played Legacy of Kain... Also, why do people have such a hard time believing that Nadine could kick Nate and Sam's asses? She's a trained martial artist with a military background and they are just 2 scrappy streetfighters at best. It's not that hard to imagine. No one ever questions when people like John Wick or James Bond is able to singlehandedly take out an entire room full of highly trained assassins who are just as skilled as they are, but let one highly skilled woman take on 2 men, who lets be honest, don't really know how to fight all that well, and suddenly it's "unrealistic". Nathan Drake isn't a trained killer, he's just extremely lucky as explained by the developers.

[@unbearifiedbear1885]

_"tell me you've never played LoK without telling me you've never played LoK"_ 😂❤

[@ShakirraR]

@KZbin Censorship Do you not know the difference letters and numbers? The way you type is annoying. Also, if you've never seen a woman beat a man in a fight, then maybe, just maybe, you're the one who needs to be educated.

[@unbearifiedbear1885]

@KZbin Censorship we're talking about creative writing, not sport you *sook* 😂

[@jessiec668]

My impression is similar. Nate is good with a gun, but average for hand to hand combat. I do think the game could have done a better job of portraying the fact that he's not exceptional in a fist fight during the prison scene and playing up his "rustiness" to make the fight more believable though.

[@SoggyWetCheese]

Just finished the critique on the other games, love your channel so far! You got my sub :D

[@joeb0y]

Hey i have been listening to your critiques trying to fall asleep and its help a lot so thanks

[@BangingMash]

I like that UC4 is more down to earth, and felt like a truly wonderful treasure hunt. That said, it is ridiculous to think that these same characters fought off zombies at El Dorado & and blue super-human guardians at Shambala. It’s like the franchise’s biggest battle is not knowing whether to embrace or reject the more fantastical elements.

[@Frank-kq4te]

This game is a masterpiece, with slight slides in the plot and characters here and there, but is as close to perfection as a human product can get.

[@calvinnigh5489]

Figure out how to use hyperboles better. This is the worst use of the word ‘masterpiece’ that a human could ever produce.

[@Frank-kq4te]

@@calvinnigh5489 Mine is not an hyperbole, i am not exaggerating anything here, wich is the hyperbole's role, uncharted 4 is naughty dog's masterpiece. Figure out how to use comments better.

[@hefoughtabear118]

@@calvinnigh5489 worst use? At the very least the way the story tackles addiction and mid life crises in the form of a treasure hunt action adventure by putting the relationship of a married man and woman as the thematic center of the story is pretty masterful regardless of whatever gameplay problems there are

[@sebastianzuzi311]

@@calvinnigh5489 bro you calling his use of masterpiece "the worst ever" actually makes you the one to use extreme and unfitting hyperbole as well, ya hypocrite ding dong

[@ShadyPaperclips]

@@calvinnigh5489 ironic

[@brando8408]

One last video before bed.

[@fskate2]

I really enjoy watching your reviews and general videos, especially on AC; however, I do have one small counter argument to the first Nadine and Nathan fight. Your argument, that Nathan should be more evenly matched in the fight, as seen around the 1:20:00 mark, is something I would disagree with strongly. Nadine, in that fight, shows an immediate level of expertise in a few martial arts. She seems to be using aikido, for her grappling pins and wrist locks, and uses karate kicks throughout the fight. The kicks include a few sidekicks, hook kicks, and roundhouses. These techniques require a good deal of fighting experience to use confidently in a fight, especially without any setup. Her stance, which differs from traditional karate, could suggest boxing experience, but the flat-footedness + push kick + clinch-knees suggests muay thai. Nate should be physically stronger; however, her smooth and sharp technique in kicks and grappling would give her a definite advantage in both range and understanding/application of leverage. Women may be at a physical disadvantage, but they have no disadvantages in gaining expertise. The overwhelming gap in expertise between the two should lead to Nadine winning most fights. Usually, Nate is fighting opponents that aren’t particularly competent in hand-to-hand fighting - they just swing wildly and Nate then counters

[@ryanhutcheson457]

Bullshit.

[@supersbbrawl4ever]

Bullshit. Nate was trained by an ex-Navy, who we all know is Sully. Secondly, Nate beat the pants out of numerous mercenaries, like Lazarevic's men and Shoreline mercs, and they are former soldiers 99% of the time. Hell, Lazarevic's higher-ranked soldiers showed strong competency in employing grapples and counters too, particularly the armbar. Let's not ignore the fact that Nadine somehow had an easier time pinning Nate down than the enemies who are around or even a lot bigger than Nate himself. Besides, it's blatantly obvious that Nate was gimped mechanically in the Nadine fights. We never saw him stumble whenever his punches miss vs other enemies, yet he stumbled vs Nadine? Come on now.

[@fskate2]

@@supersbbrawl4ever Military training, in regards to hand-to-hand combat, is not sufficient for high-level competition. If it were, most/many UFC champs would be veterans. The games are incredibly generous to Nate in every respect. He doesn’t tire after climbing, his opponents can’t seem to shoot him as accurately as he can, etc. Throughout the games, we see him show a pre-dominantly boxing-focused game-plan in fights; however, his technique is embarrassing. He doesn’t guard the chin or bring his hands back after punching, relying instead on head-movement (which is excellent) and throwing wild haymakers. He can only counter because his opponents telegraph their punches to such extreme degrees. Nate is familiar with kickboxing and basic jiujitsu, but not to a degree worth respecting. His roundhouse kicks lack both snap and hip rotation. His go-to grappling submission is the RNC, but not much else. In regard to the Nadine fight, wins in fighting depend on being able to control the distance and establish a game-plan - at least once, but preferably throughout the fight. Nadine shows a vastly superior level of experience, in terms of how clean her techniques are. She controls the distance the entire fight, being able to snipe Nate with roundhouses that stun him, which is why he stumbles. She closes the distance at will, landing clean punches, that reflect more of a karate style than boxing. She establishes the clinch without fail, with believable setups. Her takedowns or clinch transitions depend on leverage to off-balance Nate, which negates the need for weight-advantages. She controls the top-position without much resistance, but we’ve never seen Nate display competent bottom-game jiujitsu. In short, Nate is excellent at slipping telegraphed techniques, but shows limited technical ability in fighting, relying more on the environment and counter punching. If she were a man with the same height/reach/weight, no one would debate that male-Nadine deserved to win

[@supersbbrawl4ever]

@@fskate2 The thing is that Nate's stand-up technique has clearly declined in 4 compared to 2 and 3. His reflexes back then were clearly a lot sharper, and in 4 he no longer dodged punches too, he just... tries to straight-up overpower his opponents and thus became more of a slugger. Also in 4 he swung his punches way more, while in 2 and 3 he actually employed more jabs, hooks and didn't throw his punches as much. Look at how he broke out of armbars and wristlocks from Lazarevic's soldiers. Even his kicks were faster in those games, and his midsection roundhouses were actually kinda spot on. Weirdly though, he's gotten better at breaking out of grapples in 4 and even learned a couple of new moves somehow during his retirement.

[@maxwellpaynewell5305]

You make a very strong argument, but there is one part of this whole equation I feel is being neglected: the dodge roll. The melee tutorial in the prison where Nate fights that Latino dude (who seems to be of a similar level of skill to Nate) specifically shows that you can dodge roll around enemies when they try to hit you, but it is strangely unusable during the Nadine fights, to my memory. I am in no way insinuating that Nate should be able to roll around a fighter as clearly experienced and quick-reflexed as Nadine, but the fact that he can't even try if you press Circle screams "we gimped him on purpose" to me. Ideally, there should have been an animation where he tries, but she easily catches him and kicks him or something, then lets him get back to his feet and mock him for trying something so dumb. Shows and tells her higher level of fighting experience, as well as providing another punchline for the whole sequence. But no, all you can do is throw wild punches and fail to counter his strikes. So while I am still open to the idea of getting your (the player) ass handed to you by Nadine as a show of Nate's mortality and the threat Nadine poses, I think the sequence is not as well handled as it should have been.

[@maaaatt]

Naughty Dog: no other studio has the attention to detail to apply physics to minute details of the environment. Rockstar: hold my horse testicles.

[@n8dawg85]

I’m halfway through my second run of UC4 and i forgot how stunning this game looks (especially the later chapters on the island). I often appreciate a game much more the second time through as you tend to stop and marvel at the views more so. I can’t wait to replay it for a 3rd time on the ps5 upgrade + it comes with lost legacy which i haven’t played yet 🙌

[@pedronobrega7693]

Yes!! Finally! 😁 Gotta grab some popcorn for this one. 🍿🙌

[@TheMarq16]

This is a game I've been intending to replay but didn't want to put in the time. This video is a PERFECT substitute.

[@TheMarine316]

I’ve never heard anybody refer to uncharted 4 as “dumbed down or lost its soul” it’s my favorite, the best written & most mature of the franchise, just this morning I saw a poll for what’s your favorite of the franchise & uncharted 4 had the majority of the votes, it’s subjective, not everyone will like it like others do but that’s a first I’ve heard of people saying things like “ the over commercialization”

[@sebastianzuzi311]

it actually feels like the most emotionally complex one imo xd

[@TheMarine316]

@@sebastianzuzi311 that’s a good thing, especially when talking about a journey coming to an end.

[@sebastianzuzi311]

@@TheMarine316 100%

[@austinmonty5536]

It’s just Luke Stephens tryna sound smarter than he actually is. He does this a lot makes overtly simple remarks and uses some long obscure version of the word to try and trick people into thinking what he is saying is original, fresh, and worth hearing. Got to kinda tune out his comments like that.

[@Sashakawaiicat]

Part of me doesn’t want to say this, because I know some people don’t want to hear it…but the ridiculous focus on the fact that Nadine beat Nate is frankly because she’s a woman. That’s it. If some basic looking dude had kicked Nates ass, we’d all play the fight, expect its there to establish the character is a good fighter and move on. I’ve listened to what you’ve said and I do believe that you’re correct in that the fight is there to obviously highlight that Nadine is an exceptional fighter (and honestly that’s ok in my opinion) but the idea that a woman has to be incredibly buff and enormous to be able to throw Nate around like that or beat him in a fight is incredibly silly. Nadine is clearly fit, I do not think she needs to be incredibly larger than Nate to beat him and combined with her being fit as said before she’s also a decent fighter. The point that we know that nate has beaten strong opponents means absolutely nothing because that shouldn’t mean that he can beat everyone he comes across. I love these games but we all know that alot of the operates on Nathan not only being skilled but also being very lucky. I appreciate the fact that in the last of us 2 the times when we see Abby taken down, the characters who do so are physically bigger and stronger than her, it does make it more believable because she herself is also incredibly fit, but Nathan is not Abby, like people joke about her appearance for a reason, they gave her an impressive body. Nate on the other hand is relatively fit I guess, but he doesn’t have a very remarkable appearance let’s say that. When I came across the Nadine fight and she threw me out the window, I went “ok, she a badass.” And moved on, because that’s really all it’s there for, she kicked Nates ass, now we know she’s tough and we’re probably gonna have to fight her later, ok on to the next scene. *edit. I hadn’t gotten to the part where you mentioned the second fight and your disbelief that she could kick these two guys ass seems based on literally nothing and I genuinely can’t understand why this is something that is even being mentioned. I enjoy video games, I love movies and I know I’ve seen many scenes of some average looking woman, a lot of them relatively thin because that’s usually how women look in movies in particularly kicking the shit out of some supposedly bad ass dude, I know this isn’t new! And Nadine isn’t even average, I know I’ve seen this before, and those scenes are never talked about, we accept that these women are skilled, they can beat up a man, how did we get to the point where a woman beating a man or even two men is something that someone can’t wrap their minds around? Is it something that’s new to video games or something, I know part of it has to be related to the fact that we play as Nate so we get to see him be a bad ass and he’s the main dude, but come on.

[@blastmedia3218]

I think this is spot on. It was the same situation with Abbey’s muscles. You have a woman with an outstanding quality that seems somewhat unusual and people hyper focus on it as if it’s any more unbelievable than the insane shit these games are full of. Literally no one cared that Nate could fist fight waves of brutes in Uncharted 3.

[@Sheabuttertend]

You’re awesome and thanks so much for saying it. It seems to be a lot of fans just insecure about their own masculinity since they see themselves as Nate. He’s been swimming and sitting on couches for three years, give him a break.

[@pabloruiz821]

Madagascar chase has to be one of the best game levels ever, feel like it is wildly underrated

[@mechwarrior83]

Dude your narration is just fantastic. How did I end up watching a 3 hour video on a series I never even played? 🙏🏼

[@PattersonLoiterSquad]

interesting that you had a different experience than most w this game. this being your introduction to the series and as well as not knowing who Sam was right off the bat. the first E3 tease of this revealed that Sam was Drakes brother so i was gonna say i’m jealous you had that as a mystery to you but i guess it really doesn’t change much in my pov when it comes tit he story anyway.

[@theeasybreezy6493]

I’m tired of everyone complaining about Nadine whooping Nate’s ass… for fuck sake she is trained in hand to hand combat where Nate learned everything by himself. There is a huge skill gap between them it’s no surprise that she was able to beat him and even so Nate managed to land some good hits. Anyone who says it was unrealistic that she beat him doesn’t know anything about fighting. You honestly believe if you’re not a trained fighter that you could beat Amanda Nunes (former UFC bantamweight champ.) you’re delusional

[@Pewdsnumber1fan]

Agreed. To be honest it just sounded like he was hating on the fact that she was a woman, they way he repeated his point several times. It was annoying to listen to.

[@tomuschrysos]

Have you seen how much of a physical rock she is too? I wasn't surprised she whooped his ass at all.

[@supersbbrawl4ever]

@@tomuschrysos Nate still has like 50 pounds on her minimum lmao.

[@supersbbrawl4ever]

@TheEasyBreezy Firstly, Nate isn't some average Joe, so that Amanda Nunes comparison is moronic. Secondly Nate has fought and rekt countless mercenaries, who are almost always ex-soldiers, in hand-to-hand combat and he didn't learn how to fight by himself. You forget that Sully was formerly from the Navy and he did teach Nate a lot. Thirdly, the main issue is that Nate was handicapped vs Nadine and thus made it objectively terrible game design. If you want Nadine to win without Nate landing many hits, make the whole thing a damn cutscene or something. In addition, I find it hilarious how Nadine managed to keep Nate pinned down more successfully than the much bigger enemies Nate dealt with.

[@tomuschrysos]

@@supersbbrawl4ever Nah she definitely is closer because of the muscle. Remember my man Nate hasn't done fighting shit for over 2 years. Doesn't take much to lose your skills when you're sitting around and just working.

[@rpmgarage3rpm593]

True gaming journalism at its finest. This is the only channel I truly trust will output wholly accurate, and unbiased thoughts on these amazing games and they’re developers. I’ve been a very diligent subscriber of Luke’s for almost 3 years now and am also a patron of his. and whether he sees this or not, or just a viewer of his sees this, I thank him for giving us the best, honest, and most entertaining gaming channel on KZbin. Always excited to see a new critique or video pop of on my feed. Stay safe Luke + family, and everyone else who digs far down enough in the comments to see this pure appreciate post for our main man Luke

[@LightyDust]

Luke, i love your content so much! Thank you!

[@johnkapnias]

Honestly, I don't care about what people say about this game. It is the only game that I love to revisit and replay now and then. I am not saying that Uncharted 4 is the best game out there, but it's the best game FOR ME. It was an amazing end to an incredible franchise and to an incredible character, Nathan Drake. I can say, without hesitation, that Uncharted 4 for me is a masterpiece. I really miss Uncharted and I would love to see Nate back in action, but no matter how much I want it, I don't think that it is the right thing because his story has ended. Sic Parvis Magna everybody

[@lockekappa500]

It's absolutely the best Uncharted, it's not even close. You'd have to be oblivious to all the reasons why that is true if you think so. (whether gameplay or story reasons)

[@whalisten]

​@@lockekappa500IKR! Uncharted 4 was the first of the series I've ever played and after beating it I tried the other 3 and I just couldn't.

[@Lonita]

Haven’t watched the full video yet but i personally love uncharted 4, it remains my favourite game of all time for a lot of different reasons. One of the biggest stand outs for me is this game felt more personal and i felt way more connected to it compared to the past 3. The past 3 just felt like adrenaline rushes whilst uncharted 4 felt like i was watching people i’ve known for a long time go through this adventure and i was there with them. Yes it has flaws, it is not perfect by any means but to me, it is perfect and i value it so highly. Can’t wait to watch the rest of this video though, always love these reviews!

[@kathyweber6133]

Hi, watching this in 2024:)) !!! I've just finished playing U4 a couple of days ago and KZbin seems to know that I already miss playing it for the first time. Thank you algorithm for suggesting this video, love it! Growing up watching my friend's older brother play Uncharted I was more than thrilled to finally have the time to play through the series myself and dive back into nostalgia. Somehow I managed to remain completely oblivous what U4 is about, but I am glad in the end. I do agree with you, that as an enjoyer of TLOU, I too carry the same appreciation for the mechanics as well as differing story/character realization compared to the previous parts. I see Uncharted 4 as an homage to this series that accompanied many of us for years and is great end to a story that gets better during its last part. Can't wait to replay it!

[@MrMajorDirt]

First of all, these are my favorite content of your channel man, so good! often watch these in the morning before work kicks in or at nights to chill. always delivers. keep it up. As for the game, just beat it for the second time, gotta say it drags on a bit too much in certain sections. same issue TLOU2 had. And holy shit the combat annoyed the shit outta me, the screen flinch when you get shot at, not letting you to shoot back infuriated me so much lol. overall i put 4 after 1 and 2.

[@kentonwoods9972]

You can easily see the monumental work put into this, great job! I’ve never played the Uncharted series (never had a PlayStation) but these videos definitely make me want to try it out! I would love if you did a similar analysis on the three Tomb Raider reboot games, as they are similar to Uncharted and are my favorite games of all time.

[@popularparzy5317]

This is literally perfect timing. I just finished the game for the first time 15 minutes ago and in my opinion it Is an absolute masterpiece. Honestly one of the best games I've ever played!

[@portfoliodigitaldavidfcrespo]

Lets goooooooooooo been waiting months for this video

[@soup8786]

How would anyone think its dumbed down? Its deeper with better writing than the others. Its a 10/10 absolutely amazing.

[@oMOdiFIcaTIon]

I’ll continue to maintain that Nadine overpowering Nate in the beginning makes perfect sense. At the end of the day, Nate’s just some dumb treasure hunter while Nadine has an extensive military background. Yes, he’s killed literally thousands of people at this point; but the topic of cutscenes contradicting gameplay is something you’ve mentioned on numerous occasions. That’s just a video game sin we’ve accepted at this point. When it comes to hand-to-hand combat, it was rightfully one-sided in my opinion

[@ah4902]

and he had been retired for some time at that point. I alwyas think it's funny when people point out Nadine as unreleastic but ignore unrealistic things that Nate does

[@MyEvilTaco]

Perhaps but it’s just a bit to convenient when he can parkour through gaps that would make the most experienced hardcore jumper blush. And the illusion of that whole fight scene could had been a whole cut scene rather than a scripted event

[@darekforeman535]

This! Nate isn't a trained fighter. He is a scrappy and resourceful guy, and is usually running for his life. He's a brawler. Nadine is military trained and obviously trained in some form of martial arts. She's not small at all, so I don't see any issues that other people whine and complain about.

[@supersbbrawl4ever]

Did you all forget that Sully, an ex-Navy, trained Nate? Or that Nate still beat the shit outta countless mercenaries, who are pretty much all former soldiers and thus trained in h2h combat in various degrees? If you actually played U2, you might have noticed that Lazarevic's men had a lot of guys who were pretty decent with their fists.

[@krustykruss9685]

the whole nate getting his ass kicked criticism is really stupid and nonsensical nitpicking. i'll grant you that it's contrived that Nadine just happened to be at the same place same time as nate in that moment. But you have to just accept that It's okay for the protagonist to lose a fist fight, especially this early in the narrative. The games have never insinuated Nate is the best martial artist in the world. He just happens to beat every single person he's come across, and murdered people with guns. That doesnt mean he's the heavyweight champ of the world, and it certainly doesnt mean there isn't anybody in the known universe capable of besting him at least once. All you have to do is look at the fight itself. There is nothing wrong with observing that Nadine just has better technique than Nate and that in this instance, Narratively, it works best for Nate to lose and to establish Nadine as a threat. It follows the old storytelling rule of show dont tell. The audience is being shown that the villain is a physical threat to the protagonist. There's really nothing to gain, Narratively speaking, from Nate winning that fight, and there's plenty to gain from Nadine winning.

[@3aco]

I totally agree with you.. people with knowledge of matrial arts will be able to tell from Nadin's movement that she is an expert compared to Nate.

[@ryanhutcheson457]

@@3aco You obviously don't do martial arts then.

[@boringrays]

of course it's OK for the protag to lose a fight every once in a while but make it believable, derr NaDiNe FiGhT gOoD, but so does nate, hes fought people with at LEAST basic (that means there are more that are better then there arent) cqc techniques sure let her get lucky once, twice if you push it and beyond but in the end it so immersion breaking and that's the greatest sin a piece of media can commit and that's the problem overall with this situation, it's that a woman fought 2 fully fit men in a fight and won is just that unbelievable, and if you believe otherwise, you obviously haven't been around enough and just going by belief, and that's just a denial of reality

[@holly.sketches.melancholy]

"WOmAn TiNy CaNt BeAt MaN LaRgE" like just because Nadine is a small woman. If it was a man he wouldn't have a criticism about it. Nate has lost fights before to other men, and just because Nadine isn't a she hulk that negates her ability/ obvious martial arts training. So dumb.

[@holly.sketches.melancholy]

@Orange Juice it's not a realistic game, they are fictional characters in a fictional world hunting fictional treasure. God forbid a woman trained in martial arts throws a rusty treasure hunter out a window lol. No one ever said anything about feminism either I think that is a bit of a reach. TO BE COMPLETELY TRANSPARENT: I don't think that Nadia would be able to take on both Sam and Nathan at the same time. I just think the criticism is nitpicking, like sure we can suspend our disbelief for every other unrealistic thing in the game except for if it has tits and is strong.

[@bengough6772]

First one I played, first game in years that made me smile just for having a super fun time. Really brilliant adventure

[@OfficialAndies]

Ooo this should be good, will save for later in the week when I have more time

[@SierraLevenson]

Missed opportunity at 2:02:47 "their attention to detail is off the charts"... You might wanna say it's UNCHARTED 😂

[@sij748]

Uncharted 4 is my favourite game in the Uncharted franchise. It has improved gameplay, graphics and storyline compared to its PS3 counterparts. Naughty Dog undoubtedly used the experience gained from developing the first 3 games plus utilising the improved performance of PS4 hardware to produce a more polished and well rounded game compared to what we saw previously in the franchise. It’s not perfect, but very good.

[@InfiniteXV1]

I still play the mp till this day. Its just so fun, I even get matches consistently which is pretty surprising. Thought that most people would play the story and be done with the game.

[@thedylanfarnumlook7687]

Dude, you should have researched Hennig some more. You would’ve learned that, as the head writer of the Legacy of Kain series, she absolutely could have handled the darker, more mature tone.

[@urbiznesnunuv6938]

Came for the critique, stayed for you utterly demolishing the quartering harder than Nadine demolished Nate.

[@jackolantern_8239]

Luke you're wrong about the 'fakeout' it is done so Nathan thinks his brother is dead and thus it explains his lack of presence or mention throughout the series. Also you're wrong about Nathan and Elena's marriage. They got married between UC2 and UC3 but then separated from each other. Your point about Troy is incorrect too - I wish you had done some more thorough research for this video. Sam existed as a character when Amy was in charge of the project (a different characterisation but still Nathan's brother).

[@christopherrusch]

why is this 4 hours

[@devonkantola-bosch5346]

Cant wait for the podcast version!

[@krisyums]

I've been waiting for this critique for a long time and I appreciate your work, Luke

[@highwind1991]

Also sure you could say that many individual aspects have been done better in other games but I think that Uncharted 4 and especially the other games in the series are just fun games to kind of give you a little bit of everything and put it all together in a good entertaining blend. I love revisiting these games because they are just so fast paced, well written, fun enough to interact with, tightly constructed and gorgeous to look at. And also one of the best games that you could show other people who don't play games. I remember back in the day I used to say that if you want the perfect date night video game, Uncharted 2 was the best choice. Because if your significant other doesn't know anything about games, that person could watch you play Uncharted 2 and be gripped to their seats the entire time

[@lowiqhighping2239]

I still remember when my uncle sat on my bed just to watch me play Uncharted 2 because he was so impressed by the graphics and the gameplay.

[@pmac206]

That first fight with Nadine never bothered me I took it that she’s really good at hand to hand combat . At first Drake thinks it’s going yo be easy but he finds out real quick lol . Even when you fight her later on with Sam she holds her own . She’s just good at what she does .

[@alexbarn3841]

Nobody is that good at hand to hand combat, the best hand to hand fighter in the world is still gonna get absolutely rocked by two lesser, but still skilled fighters. Yet she kicks both Sam and Nate’s asses at the same time.

[@DravenZord]

This was actually my first start with the uncharted series as well. I was major late to the party. but I couldn't put the game down. it was such a rush playing through it the first time, that I had to play it again to really take everything in. I was hooked instantly, and recently finished the Nathan Drake collection.

[@itsaboutwhatsfair1532]

It's my favorite game n u made a 4 hour video on it 🥺🥺🥺❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@FabledEmperor]

libertalia did something that not many games in recent memory have done for me. It made me want to explore every inch of that space, i wanted to know everything i possibly could about the city, the people that lived in it and ran it, and what happened to it, in my opinon the lore for the city was incredible and stands as something I'll compare other spaces to in the future.

[@808keanukillah20]

51:21 he literally says he's married

[@Michael_Marinelli_]

This will be a day long remembered.