While Naughty Dog is known for crafting stellar single-player experiences, the development team’s multiplayer efforts are also of high-quality (if not somewhat overlooked and underappreciated). After trying out the multiplayer beta of Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, the online mode for the studio’s latest software product is shaping up quite nicely as well. Below, you can find five reasons why we think you should give Uncharted 4 multiplayer a shot.
1. 60 Frames Per Second
While the single-player campaign will be 1080p and 30 frames per second, Naughty Dog decided to focus on achieving 60 frames per second at 900p in the online multiplayer. So, although it is not as visually as impressive, playing online feels extremely fast, smooth and responsive. These factors are extremely important as aiming and melee attacks require accuracy.
With that said, we did notice some slight drops in frame rate during some of the more intensive sequences in the multiplayer beta. Hopefully, Naughty Dog will be able to fix the issues with the final product.
2. Mysticals/Sidekicks
A lot of Naughty Dog fans were spilt with the additions of mysticals and sidekicks when both elements were first introduced. Admittedly, we weren’t too fond of the magic abilities and computer-controlled supporting characters either in the beginning either. As we played more of the multiplayer beta, however, we found that these power-ups add plenty of strategy to accompany the gun fights as you can use specials for attacking, support and healing.
These also appear to be well balanced as the mysticals can only be active for a limited amount of time over a relatively small area while the sidekicks can be taken down relatively quickly if you concentrate your fire. Not to mention that you need in-game money in order to buy either of the bonuses, so you are only limited to a few per match at most.
Of course, some players will still prefer mysticals and sidekicks to not be included at all since it can be a little frustrating when you are on the receiving end. Of corsue, Naughty Dog can solve this conundrum by simply including a mode that disables the two in the final game so that everyone will be happy.
3. Time To Kill
Another elements we liked about the multiplayer mode is the time to kill, or the amount of time it takes down an opponent. Something like Call of Duty can end up being frustrating due to the short TTK as you don’t often have time to react. On the other hand, having long TTK can also be annoying as the opponents can feel like bullet sponges.
The time to kill in the multiplayer beta felt just right to us in Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End as you are given enough time to react when getting shot and/or melee a majority of the time. On the other hand, you will be able to down an enemy without much trouble with enough hits.
4. Grappling Hook
Naught Dog also added to the traversal gameplay in the Uncharted 4 multiplayer as players can now use a grappling hook to cross large gaps so that you can move around the level quicker. The same tool can also be utilized for combat as you can melee someone while swinging around, resulting in a one hit knockdown. You can also hold the L1 button to activate a strong melee attack on the ground so that you can take down a full health enemy in one hit instead of three.
As you can see, the grappling hook adds plenty of depth, in addition to a lot of flash, to the gameplay.
5. Teamwork
Last but not least, we really enjoyed how the Uncharted 4 multiplayer is team oriented. When you run out of hit points, you will enter into a down state. If you have a teammate nearby, he or she will be able to get you back up your feet. If you are the one doing the reviving you will earn in-game currency, which you can spend on mysticals, sidekicks and other upgrades.
This mechanic is really important in Team Deathmatch as you won’t earn a point until the enemy is completely KO. Not to mention that you don’t have to kill anyone to have a positive impact on a match.
Needless to say, if you don’t run in a pack, chances are low that you will be able to survive a gun fight, especially if the opposing team is better coordinated. So, even if you have a hard time in previous competitive shooters, the teamwork aspects of the Uncharted 4 multiplayer should be a lot more approachable.
While you may be getting Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End mainly for the single-player campaign, make sure you also give the online multiplayer a shot as it is really well made based on our experience with the beta as we couldn’t stop playing it. You can preorder the upcoming sequel, which is coming out for the PlayStation 4 on May 10th, with this link.