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[AngelOFDeath]

first page, so many greys now.

I am really liking the game for its slowed down approach when it comes to exploration, makes me sit back and view the land.

Personally I am scratching my eyes because of certain levels different approach to the same location. I got so used to the trilogy's linear progression that I think every other different turn has a hidden treasure.

 

[autoduelist]

I just tested my copy. I moved the left stick and Nathan Drake did, in fact, walk. So, yes, it's a walking sim, especially if you ignore everything else the game offers.

 

[Skilletor]

The most amazing part of this thread is how there are so many bans, and yet people keep coming in saying similar stuff.

 

[orthodoxy1095]

 

[The_Lump]

Clickbaity headline, but I have to say I fully agree with this:

Not a lot, interactively. Sometimes you simply watch cutscenes and have zero input whatsoever. The rest of the time you're being funnelled through intentionally frictionless scripted puzzles or button-tapping your way through automated platforming sequences. Technically you're still "playing" the game, but your agency is left out of your hands.

As much as I enjoy the experience of playing these games and they are spectactualr both technically and cinematically, I can't help but occasionally think "what am I actually doing" -(mechanically speaking, of course)

 

[Ratrat]

There were walking sims on ps1 and Im sure much before that as well.

 

[Sami+]

"Walking simulator" is such a stupid and patronizing term for what's essentially a modern spin on the Adventure genre. Can't believe it caught on.

 

[LowEndTorque]

Having now actually read the article, OP seems to misrepresent what it's about. It highlights the importance of down time in a story game. This is very topical for me as I just finished an experiment and wrote a paper about exactly this.

This is how I read the article too. Overall, the article is complementing ND's absolute mastery over pacing and tempo. They go on to suggest that ND paved the way for games like Everybody's Gone to Rapture and Dear Esther.

I don't agree with their suggestion. UC is an action-adventure game at its core to me rather than a "walking simulator in action game's clothing" or whatever. The downtime is just an evolution of the genre that sets a new bar in pacing, story telling and character development (and subsequently, immersion). But that's my opinion and the writer of the article has his.

That said, the title of the article is inflammatory and stupid, especially use of the term "walking simulator". The title of the article (not the content) is just fuel for the usual drive-by garbage from haters and fanboys.

 

[rothbart]

So while most ads on Eurogamer's article were blocked, at least one prominent one made it through Ad Blocker Plus for me. After seeing what a terrible click-bait article this was, focusing on Uncharted 4 the week of its release, I made sure to go ahead and manually add that last ad window and its contents to my ABP profile.

I would've been happy to leave the occasional ad to display, but this type of content deserves NO reward in my opinion.

The author is entitled to his opinion and I'm equally entitled to my opinion of his opinion as well as my opinion of Eurogamer greenlighting a clearly opportunistic attempt at pageviews aimed squarely at an almost universally praised game the week it launches. As others have said, if it was a general commentary on the state of games lately, he could've been more generic or used multiple examples, but instead it homes in on Uncharted like there's something inherently wrong with a game that currently has thirty two 100's on metacritic. I would assume that to be a pretty good indicator to any developer that their game was successful... that they did a great job producing a product that people loved.

 

[maverick40]

Why are people getting banned?

I just finished the game this morning and loved every second of it but you can definitively see the last of us DNA in it

 

[scitek]

I've been less than impressed with the "gameplay" through chapter 10. It may pick up later, but it's already taken way too long. Doom has been a nice palate cleanser.

 

[NYR94]

I'm not a fan of the term because it sounds derisory to me, but I don't mind the "walking simulator" aspects of Uncharted 4 because I feel like they fall under the larger umbrella of "down time." I find action/adventure games more enjoyable when there are moments of quiet time (meaning no enemy encounters) in between the gun fights and loud action set pieces. When it's done perfectly (and I'm not saying UC4 does this), you get the superb pacing we see in games like TLOU, RE4 and MGS3. I guess the problem is finding that sweet spot where the mix of action and less interactive exploration is good.

 

[MiamiWesker]

Stupid term aside they are absolutely right. U4 pacing is even worse off than U3, it is a constant switch from action back to other activities of which a lot of it is either mostky automatic platforming or literally just walking around and pressing X on highlighted objects. There are entire chapters toward the end that have no action what so ever, when the action should be at its max intensity this game just slowly stumbles toward the end.

Now that does mean every game needs constant action to be good. I love games that mix gameplay elements but I want all elements to be good gameplay. As nice as some of the enhancements are to the platforming and exploration it's still hugely lacking in any real quality gameplay. Platforming is still mostly automatic with almost no test of skill or danger of death. The majority of exploration is simply there for a small story moment rather than the discovery of optional gameplay moments like the few extra gun battles you can find in Madagascar. Meanwhile the gunplay has improved and instead of focusing the game on the aspect that improved the most they spend most of the time doing the other stuff which isn't that great from a gameplay perspective.

I assume the reason for this is to emphasize story. I like a good story and the storytelling elements of U4 are off the charts. But at what point are you hurting the flow of the game when you constantly take away the best gameplay moments to focus on stuff that has little to no meaningful gameplay elements. This is a trend I see more and more off, the truth is it is far easier to please the masses when you create beautiful sequences that are not challenging, that almost have no player input but create a great story moment. People don't want to be frustrated and the deeper the gameplay mechanics the more open the game is for certain type of people to become frustrated with some elements.

U4 seemed to take that philosophy to heart. Action much improved everything else as basic as possible to make sure story is the main component. To me that is terrible for game flow. I was not satisfied with one gun fight at a time, I want hours of constant engaging gameplay, and the downtime segments did not deliver that. And there doesn't need to be a sacrifice of either, I don't believe simplistic gameplay is needed for good storytelling. TLOU had better balance to me and the downtime had actual gathering of material needed for the action, it kept you managing your character. For me U4 was paced too oddly, it never hit the constant highs of U2.

 

[Nafai1123]

Apparently Eurogamer doesn't even know what a "walking sim" is or how that phrase is commonly used among the gaming community. I have never, ever heard someone refer to Uncharted as a walking sim.

 

[kamineko]

The article is.... better than I expected?

UC4 does take a lot of chances with pacing, slowing things down to examine items or have optional conversations, for exploration. That doesn't make UC4 a "walking simulator," but it definitely utilizes tactics common to them.

The article is right to point out that it is remarkable that UC4 can offer up these experiences--they are atypical to typical shooter gameplay, risks that Naughty Dog somehow carries off through quality writing and presentation.

It seems like "walking simulator" is such a loaded term that perhaps it has made level-headed discussion difficult, but I see another reason for using it beyond controversy and clicks: it accurately conveys what a unique game experience Uncharted 4 is as a mix of design approaches and influences, some of them unexpected.

Not everbody loves the game, which is fine, but it's undoubtedly the most Uncharted of all the Uncharted titles, and emphasis on more slowly-paced story beats is part of that evolution

 

[Leatherface]

Guess I love me a good "walking simulator" then because gaming doesn't get much better than Uncharted 4.

 

[Tizoc]

Clickbaity headline, but I have to say I fully agree with this:

Not really since they used ' '
Though I see where they're coming from; Having played the game and am at the final 2 chapters, much of the game is more Adventure than shooty bangy. There are a few nice puzzles and straight forward platforming.
The game would've been better off without the shooty bang sections.

 

[mujun]

As much as I enjoy the experience of playing these games and they are spectactualr both technically and cinematically, I can't help but occasionally think "what am I actually doing" -(mechanically speaking, of course)

This is how I feel. It's a fun ride but the cutscenes are too long and too numerous for my liking, the platforming doesn't do anything for me and I feel like I'm actually doing something fun gameplay wise at most 50% of the time I'm playing.

 

[Skilletor]

Why are people getting banned?

I just finished the game this morning and loved every second of it but you can definitively see the last of us DNA in it

Because they're not reading the article. lol

 

[NYR94]

I do agree that while playing through UC4 it seems like Naughty Dog pared down some of the other elements of the game to push the storytelling to the forefront and focus on character moments. I think part of the challenge was introducing a brand new character in Sam and wanting to make players care about him and his relationship with Nate the way they care about the other main characters like Elena and Sully who have been series regulars. So by doing this right from the beginning the story is in "catch up mode" in terms of Sam because he's brand new but also very important.

 

[scitek]

The article is.... better than I expected?

UC4 does take a lot of chances with pacing, slowing things down to examine items or have optional conversations, for exploration. That doesn't make UC4 a "walking simulator," but it definitely utilizes tactics common to them.

The article is right to point out that it is remarkable that UC4 can offer up these experiences--they are atypical to typical shooter gameplay, risks that Naughty Dog somehow carries off through quality writing and presentation.

It seems like "walking simulator" is such a loaded term that perhaps it has made level-headed discussion difficult, but I see another reason for using it beyond controversy and clicks: it accurately conveys what a unique game experience Uncharted 4 is as a mix of design approaches and influences, some of them unexpected.

Not everbody loves the game, which is fine, but it's undoubtedly the most Uncharted of all the Uncharted titles, and emphasis on more slowly-paced story beats is part of that evolution

This. Exactly. I actually want to see how the story ends because the presentation is so well done, but as far as being a game I'll come back to repeatedly because of its mechanics, it's probably not even on that list for me.

 

[Morrigan Stark]

It's a walking simulator if you think "walking simulator" means linear action game.

Resident Evil 4 is a walking simulator by the same metric.

Neither is it non-existent.

Uncharted 4 in particular gives you multiple segments of the game where you can progress forward in mulitple directions, explore a wider-than-usual environment or approach enemies either by stealthing past them, stealth killing them or engaging in a gun-fight.

Good post.

They were banned for "LOL gaming "press" click-bait bullshit" one liners.

Rightfully so.

Side note:

Will never understand why "clickbaiting" is supposed to be offensive in a medium that actually lives of clicks and provides content for fucking free.

Uhh... I don't know what being free has to do with anything. Clickbait is just the Internet equivalent of sensational or provocative headlines in tabloid. It's derided because it's considered attention whoring.

In this case, being dismissive of the whole article because it misuses the term "walking sim" is not necessarily fair, but at the same time, the author of the article did seemingly purposefully use provocative language ("walking sim" is considered pejorative by many people, even fans of the actual games considered walking sims...) to talk about something else. Now when you actually read the article you realize that it's not so much that he was trying to be clickbaity, as he really, truly misunderstands what "walking sims" refer to, lol. (And yes, I've read it, but I completely disagree with his comparisons and his conclusions.)

"Walking simulator" is such a stupid and patronizing term for what's essentially a modern spin on the Adventure genre. Can't believe it caught on.

I find that they have very little in common with classic adventure games, tbh.

 

[dead souls]

All these types of articles and discussions just show how immature and shallow a lot of the people in our industry are still. Could you imagine a film journalist complaining about a film because it doesnt have enough shooting and explosions?

I get a lot of people are about adhd fun at all times, but those still/always exist. They arent going away! Some slower more story bases titles should be rejoiced.

Why even compare film and games? One medium can actually tell stories worth experiencing and the other is gaming.

Narrative gaming is and always will be a creative dead end.

 

[Tizoc]

Neither is it non-existent.

Uncharted 4 in particular gives you multiple segments of the game where you can progress forward in mulitple directions, explore a wider-than-usual environment or approach enemies either by stealthing past them, stealth killing them or engaging in a gun-fight.

Doesn't mean much when the end result is the same and you have that one singular path to progress through.
You're giving a wide area to explore, when that part of the game comes, but you don't gain anything from straying from the main path other than fancy visuals that you can take screenshots of.

As much as I enjoyed stealth killing enemies, I'd get fed up and just fire at them since it makes no difference whether i put a bullet in them or snap their neck.

Now flinging an arrow into someone's face? That's my kind of stealth kill~

 

[Abstruse Moose]

-Wait for a huge game to come out that everyone wants.
-Write a bunch of click bait articles
-Profit

 

[Imbarkus]

"Walking simulator" is such a stupid and patronizing term for what's essentially a modern spin on the Adventure genre. Can't believe it caught on.

It caught on because it's intentionally dismissive. Like Murder Simulator. Now the Uncharted series has the lucky distinction of being accused of being both.

I prefer the term Interactive Theatre. The more we use "Walking Simulator" the more we denigrate good creative work.

 

[Tizoc]

I find that they have very little in common with classic adventure games, tbh.

How many classic adventure games have you played?
Mind you the classic Castlevania games are forever the superior walking simulators.

 

[BLACK AMERICAN PSYCHO]

-Wait for a huge game to come out that everyone wants.
-Write a bunch of click bait articles
-Profit

Yup can't even blame them when people continue to fall for it. Get dat paper yourope gamer.

 

[Storm Raider]

-Wait for a huge game to come out that everyone wants.
-Write a bunch of click bait articles
-Profit

Don't say anything negative about Eurogamer™, our moderator overlords are looking to ban any citizen not obeying their employers. Can't criticize the article and their intentions either.

 

[Ishida]

-Wait for a huge game to come out that everyone wants.
-Write a bunch of click bait articles
-Profit

Watch out. There's a ton of people in this thread banned for not agreeing with the article. Check the first page. I suggest you edit your post.

 

[Neiteio]

I think it's kinda weird for them to bring up Nate being a white hetero dude out of nowhere, but in general I get the point that UC4 can be a bit mindless at times with regards to traversal.

Most handholds are fairly obvious, and the timing/skill involved going from point A to B is minimal. "Platforming" in UC4 (said with heavy air-quotes) is more like a framing device for taking in gorgeous vistas, incidental animations, scripted spectacle and witty banter. So in that sense, yes, a bit like a walking simulator.

But to its credit, UC4 tries to mix up things a bit more than UC1-3. In particular, I like sliding to zigzag across slopes and approach previous structures from new angles, revealing new handholds. The level design folds in on itself, making thorough use of space, which is nice.

 

[GamingOblivion]

People are getting banned for disagreeing with the article and people are having to warn others to not get banned as well? What is this, GameFAQS? NeoGAF is supposed to be better than this. Your better than this, mods.

In any case, that article really is bad. Why pick on UC4 in particular compared to the other games? Because it gave you room to breathe? Because it had far more character interaction than the others?

 

[NYR94]

The other problem I have with walking simulator is what else are you going to have characters do in a game that is about searching for treasure in exotic locales? Aren't they supposed to walk through the jungle or cave and talk to each other? Isn't that what adventurers do in these type of stories in between the shootouts and puzzle solving? It always felt natural to me. It also helps that the locations are gorgeous and the characters are well written with some very clever banter between them.

 

[Zoloft Sonic]

"But on a purely mechanical level, leading Drake up through a boxcar dangling off a cliff is no more interactive than selecting Henry's potentially flirtatious dialogue in Firewatch or guiding Kaitlin Greenbriar through her family's new abode in Gone Home."


I'm honestly surprised anyone is finally saying this.

Uncharted is a 'soft' platformer (as opposed to skill-based) with shooting components. It exists mostly to show off graphical interest, big, seamless presentation moments, and Spielberg-lite, aka 'good, for a game' storytelling and writing.

Was that harsh? Meh, been a long time coming. The Uncharted series isn't as different from The Order:1886 as most people like to think.

 

[charsace]

Uncharted's scenario's have become more tailored to the story and they released more games in the series. Usually games feel more disjointed in regards to the plot and game play scenarios working together. As ND games have evolved this has become less and less the case.

 

[tuxfool]

Watch out. There's a ton of people in this thread banned for not agreeing with the article. Check the first page. I suggest you edit your post.

They were banned for not reading the article. Like the person you're responding to.

 

[mujun]

Don't say anything negative about Eurogamer™, our moderator overlords are looking to ban any citizen not obeying their employers. Can't criticize the article and their intentions either.

Really?

You sure it's not people throwing around words like "stupid" instead of actually coming up with an argument as to why the article is wrong who are getting into trouble.

 

[Neiteio]

I think the banned posters were singled out for drive-by posts that dismiss the article without explaining why, which is fanboy-ish and bad for discussion.

 

[Ishida]

I think the banned posters were singled out for drive-by posts that dismiss the article without explaining why, which is fanboy-ish and bad for discussion.

Not all of them. I saw plenty of users that explained with detail why they thought the article was bad, and they still got banned. It's not all one liners.

 

[Coolbgdog12]

Wait, people are getting banned because they disagreed with the article? This isn't real life is it?? My goodness. This isn't a good look, at all.

 

[GamingOblivion]

I think the banned posters were singled out for drive-by posts that dismiss the article without explaining why, which is fanboy-ish and bad for discussion.

And yet the others who posted drive-by posts without criticizing the article were not banned. Are drive-by posts only bad when you disagree with the article?

 

[tuxfool]

Not all of them. I saw plenty of users that explained with detail why they thought the article was bad, and they still got banned. It's not all one liners.

Examples?

 

[nib95]

Whilst I disagree with some of the basic premise of the article, as I've detailed earlier in the thread, the content within at least makes for some pertinent discussion. However the title of the article is definitely somewhat sensationalist and incendiary. It's a shame, because with a more reasonable and less provocative title, there could have been a much more interesting and lengthier discussion than will likely otherwise take place. I get that it's the content of the article that matters, but lets not pretend that titles to these things can't or shouldn't be subject to scrutiny either.

I must admit, this is also the first time I've personally seen a requirement on GAF for a an explanation of why you dislike something, as oppose to just being able to outright say you dislike it without explanation. It's good in a way, as you get more thoughtful discussion, but the requirement is new to me.

 

[tuxfool]

Whilst I disagree with some of the basic premise of the article, as I've detailed earlier in the thread, the content within at least makes for some pertinent discussion. However the title of the article is definitely somewhat sensationalist and incendiary. It's a shame, because with a more reasonable and less provocative title, there could have been a much more interesting and lengthier discussion than will likely otherwise take place. I get that it's the content of the article that matters, but lets not pretend that titles to these things can't or shouldn't be subject to scrutiny either.

Then maybe people should learn to read articles and not just their titles?

People are starting to get wise about reacting to hot takes on twitter. Shouldn't people get wise to the fact that titles don't really represent the depth of opinion worth commenting on?

 

[Jawmuncher]

Stupid term aside they are absolutely right. U4 pacing is even worse off than U3, it is a constant switch from action back to other activities of which a lot of it is either mostky automatic platforming or literally just walking around and pressing X on highlighted objects. There are entire chapters toward the end that have no action what so ever, when the action should be at its max intensity this game just slowly stumbles toward the end.

Now that does mean every game needs constant action to be good. I love games that mix gameplay elements but I want all elements to be good gameplay. As nice as some of the enhancements are to the platforming and exploration it's still hugely lacking in any real quality gameplay. Platforming is still mostly automatic with almost no test of skill or danger of death. The majority of exploration is simply there for a small story moment rather than the discovery of optional gameplay moments like the few extra gun battles you can find in Madagascar. Meanwhile the gunplay has improved and instead of focusing the game on the aspect that improved the most they spend most of the time doing the other stuff which isn't that great from a gameplay perspective.

I assume the reason for this is to emphasize story. I like a good story and the storytelling elements of U4 are off the charts. But at what point are you hurting the flow of the game when you constantly take away the best gameplay moments to focus on stuff that has little to no meaningful gameplay elements. This is a trend I see more and more off, the truth is it is far easier to please the masses when you create beautiful sequences that are not challenging, that almost have no player input but create a great story moment. People don't want to be frustrated and the deeper the gameplay mechanics the more open the game is for certain type of people to become frustrated with some elements.

U4 seemed to take that philosophy to heart. Action much improved everything else as basic as possible to make sure story is the main component. To me that is terrible for game flow. I was not satisfied with one gun fight at a time, I want hours of constant engaging gameplay, and the downtime segments did not deliver that. And there doesn't need to be a sacrifice of either, I don't believe simplistic gameplay is needed for good storytelling. TLOU had better balance to me and the downtime had actual gathering of material needed for the action, it kept you managing your character. For me U4 was paced too oddly, it never hit the constant highs of U2.

Sums up my feelings Perfectly

 

[Majukun]

"Walking simulator" is such a stupid and patronizing term for what's essentially a modern spin on the Adventure genre. Can't believe it caught on.

a "walking simulator" is not really a "spin" on anything,let alone a "modern" one
it's just giving you a good looking set piece and make you explore it with not really much interactivity in it only than the bare essencial to give you an incentive to continue exploring

 

[Air Zombie Meat]

Wait, people are getting banned because they disagreed with the article? This isn't real life is it?? My goodness. This isn't a good look, at all.

They got banned for making assumptions based on the title. It's not an anti Uncharted hit piece like so many seem to think. You just have to read the thread or (gasp) the actual article to understand that. Personally I think the thread title should be changed because people are still rushing in here to react to it without realising they probably agree with the things said in the article.

 

[wachie]

Technically most games are walking and running simulators but Eurogamer had to go with that baity headline for the clicks. Going by the same metric, Batman was a driving simulator.

As stated by many the change in the series is a very welcome change and pointed out as a good change by most reviewers. I think ND brought the TLOU pace to UC4 and not surprisingly it works very well here too. I would be very happy if more devs took this approach then not.

 

[JustenP88]

"Walking Simulator" is one of the most annoying gaming memes to come about over the last few years. Exploration of beautiful locations is a bigger part of this game than previous entries in the series, and I think that's for the better.

 

[Easy_D]

"How ND uses the quiet moments to their advantage to tell a story in UC4"

Something like that.

Yes because using a title that just sings praise over Uncharted 4 is good, while a title that questions your view on the game is bad. Pleeeease.