My Thoughts on Uncharted: A Thief's End.

Uncharted: A Thief's End is the fourth game in the Uncharted series developed by Naughty Dog. The game follows its usual protagonist, Nathan Drake through an Indiana Jones style treasure hunting adventure. This time around, we are introduced to Drake's older brother Sam, which Nathan believed to be dead from a previous treasure hunt. There are also the usual characters; Elena, Sullivan,  and a new team of "villains" – Nadine Ross, leader of the for-profit military organisation Shoreline, and Rafe Adler, former partner of the Drake brothers. The characters relationships are meticulously tied in with the plot, which is a very effective storytelling technique. Rather than simply relying on the game's interactivity, Naughty Dog also uses the story to strengthen the player's connection to the game, story, and characters.

As we explore Nate inside his domestic environment, players are able to see him in a more intimate setting. Nate play's with a toy gun, hitting targets as if to relive the old treasure hunting days. Later in this chapter, Nate plays a videogame, which happens to be Crash Bandicoot – a nod to a Naughty Dog classic. This was a really neat feature and although the mechanics were awful only being able to use the d-pad, I still thoroughly enjoyed the nostalgia factor. 

Two chapter's in the game were played as the younger Nathan Drake, sneaking out of his orphanage to break into a mansion with Sam Drake and discover secrets about their mother's past. This, along with seeing Nate in his domestic environment really added to his character and broke the "invincible climbing, shooting, jumping action hero" boundary. This back story was a great addition and gave more dimension to the Uncharted world.

The gameplay is fairly typical of an Uncharted game. There are the usual advancements one would expect as videogames progress and span across console generations. The mechanics work well with varying difficulty levels to suit a range of players preferences, and the actions of performing mechanics did feel instinctual. There are environmental puzzles placed throughout the game which offer an alternative to shooting encounters. I found this to be a welcomed change compared to the other games where the constant wave of enemies seemed rigid and unrealistic. As always, the environment was stunning where gameplay sequences panned out so that the player could experience the full extent of the danger, excitement, and beauty in treasure hunting.

There was a subtle feminist stance on the representation of female characters in this game, much like The Lost Legacy. Since a large portion of videogame audiences are female (2016 ESA reported that women make up 41% of game players) the representation of women in videogames is important for developers to consider.

While there are many female characters in videogames, they appear to suffer the same fate as other fictional characters. To name only a few issues, these women are often secondary characters typecast into certain gendered roles (Princess Peach), are sexualised and therefore, objectified (Duke Nukem Forever), or these women perpetuate unrealistic body standards that harm youth and our perception of how women should look (Dead or Alive). While it is true, that this can occur with male characters too, it does not have the same consequences attached and in any case should not be used as an argument to validate how women can be represented.

Representing female characters in positions of power, in a realistic way, and where they maintain some form of equitable control in their relationships with men (not necessarily sexual) is important because it combats the accepted aspects of casual sexism in day-to-day life. Although it appears Elena cooked dinner for herself and Nate while he was "working" (*cough*, playing with the toy gun in the attic), she doesn't have it ready on the table waiting for him but instead asks him to get it while she works. When trying to get their car up an old pirate elevator, Nate immediately shuts Elena down when she rhetorically asks whether the elevator will work. Nate presents a logical and assertive argument, that the elevator will not work because of the age, weather and unknown engineering skills of the pirates. Before he can finish, Elena simply says "got it" as the elevator starts to move down. Drake's very rational reply, is met with the stark reality that although he could be right, it does not mean he is. Likewise, Nadine fights in hand-to-hand combat like the champ she is. And as a military leader it makes sense that she could throw a punch, dodge a punch, and land a punch just as well if not better than Drake could.

Adding to the short but increasing line of complex female characters in videogames, Elena and Nadine consistently undermine their male characters expectations of them. These women are strong in many ways simply because they are.

In terms of game design, I thought that this Uncharted game was a great step in the direction of linking the gameplay with narrative. Although the gameplay was standard for an action-adventure shooter, it did take steps to increase the types of interactions that the player can have, thus increasing the scope of connection between the player and system. I appreciated the representation of its female character's, it's visually stunning environment, and the way it developed more of Nathan Drake's past. It was definitely one of my favourite of the Uncharted series.