Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End is one of the best-looking console games in existence, that much is pretty obvious to anyone who has played it. However, what perhaps isn’t quite well so documented is the game’s physics effects—something which Naughty Dog has gone to town with for Nathan Drake’s epic swan song.
Whether it’s a pile of rocks shuffling down a steep slope (this GIF has people on Reddit going crazy) or a market place wrecked by explosive gunfire, Uncharted 4 packs some truly impressive physics effects that help complement the immaculate facial expressions and stunning vistas.
Fortunately, pixel wizards Digital Foundry were on hand (via Eurogamer) to help expound upon Naughty Dog’s jaw-dropping tech:
"Uncharted 4 makes extensive usage of both pre-calculated ‘cinematic physics’ and real-time on the fly physics. Most of what players encounter will be of the real-time variety. The rocky sections where players are asked to slide take an interesting approach where, upon contact, chunks of rocks are spawned and proceed to realistically slide downwards. When combined with the motion blur and particles, the effect is convincing.
"The game also features a robust wind simulation which allows the artists to control the speed and strength of the gusts. This can impact things such as hair, grass, and trees leading to a variety of possible scenarios. The more cinematic physics tend to be limited to scripted sequences, such as the jeep escape sequence shown at E3, but display some impressive results."
Uncharted 4 takes place three years after the events of its predecessor, and sees Nate coming out of retirement as a fortune hunter to help out his long-lost brother, Sam. Together with Victor Sullivan, the Brothers Drake embark on a globetrotting hunt for the lost pirate treasure horde of Henry Avery, all the while pursued by a group of relentless mercenaries.
Released last Tuesday, Uncharted 4 debuted at the top of the U.K. All Format Chart and gave the series its best ever launch to date. The game also managed to fend off some stiff competition from the likes of the multiplatform shooter, DOOM.