It's incredible how much 'Uncharted' has changed over 10 years
Naughty Dog
"Uncharted 4: A Thief's End" is undoubtedly going to be remembered as one of the most gorgeous games of this generation.
The thing is, the same thing was said about every other "Uncharted" game that preceded it.
Let's take a look at just how much the series has progressed:
"Uncharted: Drake's Fortune" vs. "Uncharted 4: A Thief's End"
Drag the image sliders left and right to compare the original "Uncharted" game to "Uncharted 4: A Thief's End"
At the time, "Uncharted: Drake's Fortune" was at the cutting edge of the system's graphical capabilities. In his original review for Game Informer, Matt Helgeson said "Uncharted: Drake's Fortune" was one of the most gorgeous games he had ever seen, calling the graphical quality "almost photorealistic."
Now, it almost looks cartoony and simplistic compared to "Uncharted 4: A Thief's End."
"Uncharted 2: Among Thieves" vs. "Uncharted 4: A Thief's End"
Drag the image sliders left and right to compare the second "Uncharted" game to "Uncharted 4: A Thief's End"
Again, "Uncharted 2: Among Thieves" was universally praised by critics at the time of its 2009 initial release for its top-of-the-line graphics. Chris Roper's review in IGN said its visuals "rank amongst the best in gaming."
The big takeaway, in addition to just how much "Uncharted" has progressed in such a short amount of time, is that we always think the latest iteration of a game is the best it will ever look.
It's pretty difficult to imagine "Uncharted 4: A Thief's End" looking any better, but if there's one thing we've learned from the history of the franchise, progress is inevitable.
"Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception" vs "Uncharted 4: A Thief's End"
Drag the image sliders left and right to compare the third "Uncharted" game to "Uncharted 4: A Thief's End"
Speaking about "Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception," Justin Richmond, game director, said, “We were, at any given point, using 100% [of the PlayStation 3’s power]. We were using everything we possibly could."
If anything, the beauty of "Uncharted 4: A Thief's End" speaks as much to the added power of the PlayStation 4 relative to the PlayStation 3 as it does to Naughty Dog's ability to push the tech as far as it can possibly go.
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