Uncharted 4: A Thief's End

The game's online multiplayer allows up to ten players to engage in competitive gameplay in recreations of multiple single-player settings. Players control different characters from the series, and are tasked to defeat their opponents.[14] The game features five multiplayer game types: Command, in which players capture sites to attain points; Ranked and Team Deathmatch, which are deathmatch game types where players kill their opponents; Plunder, a capture the flag game mode in which players seek the idol; and Trials, where players cooperate to defeat non-player characters.[15] Treasures can be found in all maps, which can be used to purchase items and weapons.[16] Multiplayer features "Mysticals"—supernatural power-ups that boost players' ability; for example, the "Wrath of El Dorado" damages all opponents standing next to it, while the "Cintamani Stone" can heal both players and their teammates. Companions, known as Sidekicks, can be summoned to assist players, and have different functions: Hunters immobilize their closest opponent for an easier kill, Saviors provide medical support and ammunition to players, Snipers defend locations with a sniper rifle, and Brutes attack enemies using a heavy machine gun.[17][18] A cooperative survival mode, released in December 2016, features three players fighting against waves of enemies that continually increase in difficulty.[19]

Nolan North (left) and Emily Rose (right) portrayed Nathan Drake and Elena Fisher, respectively, reprising their roles from previous entries in the series.

The main character of Uncharted 4: A Thief's End is Nathan "Nate" Drake (Nolan North), a veteran adventurer and explorer who, following the events of Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception (2011), has retired from fortune hunting alongside his wife Elena Fisher (Emily Rose), a journalist, to a more normal life, and taken up employment with a salvage company in New Orleans. The game introduces Samuel "Sam" Drake (Troy Baker), Nate's older brother, who was presumed dead. Drawn back into his old life of adventure by his brother, Nathan is aided by his long-term friend, fellow adventurer, mentor and father figure Victor "Sully" Sullivan (Richard McGonagle). Their journey to find and recover the long-lost treasure of pirate Henry Avery brings them into conflict with wealthy and dangerous businessman and treasure hunter Rafe Adler (Warren Kole), his partner Nadine Ross (Laura Bailey) who runs the private mercenary group Shoreline, and drug lord Hector Alcazar (Robin Atkin Downes). The child versions of Nate and Sam are portrayed by Britain Dalton and Chase Austin, respectively.[20][21]

Several years before the events of the first game, Nate and Sam hunt for the treasure of pirate Henry Avery, who plundered a fortune during the 1695 Gunsway heist. Alongside Rafe, the Drake brothers infiltrate a Panamanian jail to access the former cell of Avery's first mate, where Nate discovers a hollow St. Dismas idol. When the prison warden who aided them demands a cut, Rafe impulsively kills him, triggering a frantic escape. Nate and Rafe successfully escape, but Sam is shot by guards and presumed dead.

Fifteen years later, following the events of the previous game, Nate has retired in New Orleans with his wife Elena but misses the excitement of his old life. He is visited by Sam, who survived the gunshots and has spent the intervening time incarcerated. He explains that he escaped with drug lord Hector Alcazar, who demands that Sam find Avery's treasure or be killed. Nate agrees to help Sam, lying to Elena that he has accepted a salvaging job in Malaysia which he had refused. Aided by Sully, the Drakes steal a duplicate Dismas idol from an illegal auction in Italy, bringing them into conflict with South African mercenary boss Nadine Ross and her employer, Rafe, who is still searching for Avery's treasure. A map inside the idol leads the Drakes to St. Dismas' cathedral in the Scottish Highlands. There, they discover a hidden temple and a map highlighting King's Bay in Madagascar.

In King's Bay, the Drakes and Sully learn that Avery, Thomas Tew, and ten other pirate captains pooled their treasures. Following clues to a tower in the city, Nate uncovers a map to Libertalia, a fabled pirate utopia founded by the other captains. The group returns to their hotel to find Elena waiting. Upset at Nate's deception and the appearance of Sam, whom Nate had never mentioned, Elena leaves. Nate sends Sully after her. The Drakes follow the map to an island and discover Libertalia. They find evidence of a civil war; the founders stole the city's treasure and moved it across the island to New Devon, an extravagant and well-fortified town built for them. The brothers are cornered by Rafe, who reveals that he released Sam from jail two years ago and that Sam's Alcazar story is a lie, he actually double-crossed Rafe to resume the search with Nate. Deciding that he needs Sam, Rafe prepares to shoot Nate; Sam shields him, but Nate is knocked off a cliff and falls unconscious.

Elena rescues Nate, who reveals his past: as teenagers, he and Sam discovered that their mother, a brilliant historian, was researching Libertalia. The boys, after nearly being caught by cops due to breaking into the house of the person associated with their mother, decided to start new lives by changing their surname to Drake to honor their mother's theory about Francis Drake's descendants. In New Devon, Nate and Elena learn that Libertalia descended into conflict over the treasure. Tew and Avery poisoned the other founders and absconded with the hoard, but Tew betrayed Avery.

The group rescues Sam and convinces him to escape with them, but he soon decides to pursue the treasure. Following Sam's trail, Nate finds Avery's treasure-laden ship in a cavern. Having collected a large amount of treasure, Nadine refuses to risk more of Avery's traps, but Rafe coerces her by bribing her men. Aboard the ship, Sam triggers a trap, starting a fire and pinning him beneath rubble. Nate confronts Rafe and Nadine in the ship hold, where the skeletons of Avery and Tew lie, having killed each other over the treasure. Nadine betrays Rafe and leaves him with Nate and Sam to die. Rafe challenges Nate to a sword fight. Nate drops a bundle of treasure on Rafe, killing him, and frees Sam. The pair return to Sully's plane, and the group escapes.

Sam and Sully team up for a new job while Nate and Elena return home. Elena explains that Sam recovered some of the gold and gave it to her. Realizing that they both need adventure in their lives, she buys the salvage company for which Nate worked, installing Nate as the owner, and plans to revive her old exploration show. Years later, Nate and Elena have become successful salvagers. After their teenage daughter Cassie (Kaitlyn Dever) discovers relics from their adventures, Nate decides to tell her their story.

Uncharted 4: A Thief's End received "universal acclaim" according to review aggregator Metacritic.[67] It is the joint sixth-highest rated PlayStation 4 game on Metacritic.[76][lower-alpha 4] Reviewers praised the gameplay mechanics, narrative, emotional depth, visual design, and the multiplayer mode. IGN's Lucy O'Brien wrote that the game is "a remarkable achievement in blockbuster storytelling and graphical beauty";[73] GameSpot's Mike Mahardy similarly named it a "breathtaking marvel of a game".[70] GamesTM considered it "a masterful piece of storytelling",[77] and Electronic Gaming Monthly's Nick Plessas declared it "a true work of art".[78]

Giant Bomb's Dan Ryckert considered the game's graphics to be the best on any console, particularly praising the character details and open environments.[72] Steven Hansen of Destructoid described the art direction as "stunning",[68] while Andrew Reiner of Game Informer described the game as "a work of art".[69] GamesRadar's Leon Hurley praised the minute graphical details that made the game's characters feel more alive.[71] GameSpot's Mahardy noted that the game's cinematography, both in gameplay and during cutscenes, "amplifies the wonder of this gorgeous world".[70] The Escapist's Liz Finnegan described the game as "painfully beautiful",[79] and Sam Loveridge of Digital Spy lauded Naughty Dog's ability to create "cleverly crafted stunning vistas".[80]

Griffin McElroy of Polygon felt that the game's narrative was nuanced in contrast to its predecessors.[74] Destructoid's Hansen praised the game's writers for bringing the narrative to a cohesive conclusion.[68] Game Informer's Reiner particularly appreciated the writing for Henry Avery, lauding the writers for turning his secrets into "tantalizing story material";[69] conversely, Ars Technica's Kyle Orland found that the enthusiasm of the characters "fails to be infectious for the player".[81] Mahardy of GameSpot wrote that the game's set pieces are the best in the series and among the best in video gaming.[70] Finnegan of The Escapist felt that the "action never feels unnaturally halted in order to relay relevant pieces of the story".[79] Plessas of Electronic Gaming Monthly found enjoyment in the game's subtler interactions more than the overall narrative.[78] Zack Handlen of The A.V. Club lauded the game's dramatic moments.[82] Steven Burns of VideoGamer.com felt that, while the game's story was better than its predecessors, it had too much padding that slowed it down.[75]

Uncharted 4 was praised for taking advantage of the PlayStation 4's hardware for improved visual fidelity and more open-ended gameplay and environments.

The game's characters and relationships received particular praise. Hansen of Destructoid felt that the character relationships were not overshadowed by the game's action, particularly praising the performance of Emily Rose as Elena for "perfectly and subtly conveying the intricacies of her relationship".[68] Polygon's McElroy felt that the chemistry between the two characters was at its best in Uncharted 4.[74] Giant Bomb's Ryckert echoed this sentiment, adding that the conversations between Nathan and Sam Drake felt "more natural than hammy".[72] GameSpot's Mahardy wrote that the additional details revealed about Nathan are "painfully human", helping to bring the characters to life.[70] Hurley of GamesRadar felt that the addition of Sam and his backstory crowded the narrative and that removing the character would have improved the game.[71] Stephen Totilo of Kotaku considered Sam to be "more of a plot device for others to react to than a compelling character on his own".[83]

Mahardy of GameSpot wrote that the game's action "flows seamlessly alongside its narrative", praising the addition of stealth combat and its similarity to The Last of Us.[70] Giant Bomb's Ryckert felt that the player's companions were more fleshed-out than in previous entries.[72] Tom Hoggins of The Telegraph described the game's firearm gameplay as "punchy and pleasing", appreciating the fast pace of combat scenarios.[84] Destructoid's Hansen described the game's puzzles as "fluid and dynamic", particularly lauding the addition of the grappling hook.[68] Game Informer's Reiner echoed the latter sentiment, noting that the grappling hook enhances exploration and combat, but felt that the game's set pieces delivered less exciting moments than in previous games.[69]

Game Informer's Reiner wrote that the game's "environments are so vast that they take on the illusion of open worlds".[69] IGN's O'Brien found the addition of choices in the game refreshing.[73] Hoggins of The Telegraph felt that the game's open environments make the player feel like "more of an adventurer".[84] Loveridge of Digital Spy appreciated the additional freedom granted by the new combat options, allowing the player to map their tactics in advance.[80] Hurley of GamesRadar praised the improved gameplay, but felt that some nonlinear moments such as optional interactions and dialogue were "a little overcooked" in comparison to previous entries.[71] Keith Stuart of The Guardian found the game's linearity to be immersion-breaking, particularly criticizing the repetition in traversal.[85] USgamer's Mike Williams felt that the open driving level "robs the game of its pacing" despite granting the feeling of a larger scale.[86]

Critics shared generally positive reviews for Uncharted 4's multiplayer component but felt that the single-player mode took precedence.[70] O'Brien of IGN wrote that the multiplayer game types "embody the series' most enjoyable qualities",[73] while Hurley of GamesRadar felt that it benefited from the new mechanics introduced in the single-player story.[71] Polygon's McElroy considered the multiplayer mode "extremely easy to pick up on",[74] and Loveridge of Digital Spy found the multiplayer approachable and enjoyable.[80] Game Informer's Reiner described the multiplayer combat as "fevered" and exciting, but encountered issues with loading matches.[69] Giant Bomb's Ryckert considered the multiplayer "basic", noting that players are unlikely to return for long.[72]

Within seven days of its release, Uncharted 4 sold over 2.7 million units, making it the fastest-selling first-party PlayStation 4 game.[87] Three weeks after its release, the game had grossed over $56 million in digital sales.[88] By December 2016, the game had sold 8.7 million copies, making it one of the best-selling PlayStation 4 games.[89] By May 2019, the game had sold over 15 million copies.[90] In the United States, it was the best-selling retail game in May 2016.[91] In the United Kingdom, the game topped the charts, achieving the strongest debut of the series with a 66% increase in first-week sales over Uncharted 3.[92] In Japan, the game topped the charts in its first week, with over 128,000 units sold;[93] it remained atop the charts the following week, with an additional 21,000 units sold.[94]

Following its previews at E3, Uncharted 4 was nominated for numerous awards, including Best PlayStation Game from several gaming publications.[95][96] After its release, the game garnered awards and nominations in a variety of categories with particular praise for its gameplay mechanics, narrative, emotional depth, visual design, and multiplayer. At The Game Awards 2016, Uncharted 4 was nominated for eight awards, winning two: Best Narrative and Best Performance for North.[97] The game received ten nominations at the 20th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards and four awards, including Adventure Game of the Year and Outstanding Achievement in Story.[98] It was nominated for four awards at the 6th Annual New York Video Game Awards[99] and seven at the 17th Annual Game Developers Choice Awards.[100]

The game won Outstanding Character Animation in a Video Game at the 44th Annie Awards,[101] Outstanding Visual Effects in a Real-Time Project at the 15th Visual Effects Society Awards,[102] and Outstanding Achievement in Videogame Writing at the 67th Writers Guild of America Awards.[103] At the 2017 SXSW Gaming Awards, the game won five awards out of eight nominations, including Video Game of the Year, Excellence in Narrative, and Most Memorable Character.[104] The game received eight nominations at the 13th British Academy Games Awards,[105] ultimately winning Best Game.[106]