With the Uncharted 4 release date coming up next month, developers gave many an opportunity to try out the gameplay at an event last week. The results are in, and it seems the final title in the series employs some new elements and untrodden territory.
The phrase “wide linear” is being tossed around Naughty Dog studios at the moment to describe the open world-ish direction of the final Uncharted game. It essentially denotes a format of gameplay that promotes the independent player exploration of an open world set up, with a linearity of narrative. You can basically explore along the path the narrative creates. We see in this in the expansive Madagascar environment showed off in the demo. Nate is provided with a hefty Jeep with which players can freely traverse the landscape to ultimately take on a pirate gang.
Along the way, commentators have noted the leap in graphics from the series’ PS3 ancestry. The field of vision is extended, with graphical devotion to intimate details of the environment being praised for bringing new depth to the artwork. We’ve already seen what Naughty Dog have done with Nate’s face – the incredible level of realism bringing us closer and closer to the uncanny valley with each screenshot, and this holds up in character animation in-game.
Combat mechanics have been tweaked, giving players the opportunity to re-hide after being initially spotted by an enemy instead of having the whole gang immediately aware of your presence. So we’re seeing a heightened level of stealth in the new title.
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