Uncharted: The Fourth Labyrinth

I've played both Uncharted games and seen the "Eye of Indra" motion comic, so naturally I was excited for a novel based on the series. It was a bit different from what I expected, but I wasn't disappointed. A couple of reviews here have said that it didn't feel like an Uncharted story, and while the tone was somewhat different from that of the games, I did enjoy seeing what the characters of Uncharted were like when they weren't having shootouts or climbing walls every two minutes.Basically, the plot is that Drake and Sully's old archaeologist friend gets mysteriously murdered, so they team up with his daughter to find the treasure he was looking for. There seemed to be a bit more of an Indiana Jones influence here than in the games, given that there was archaeology involved for purposes other than just grabbing loot. I did notice that while I was reading it, I noticed that the basic plot seemed familiar, which I first thought was because I'd read the product description a while ago, but then I realized that the upcoming "Uncharted: Golden Labyrinth" is about Drake and Sully helping the granddaughter of an archaeologist who's gone missing. So even though UGL isn't out yet, I'm hoping it's not going to have too much deja vu.The author expects you to know basically who Drake and Sully are, which isn't unusual for a licensed book, but there really wasn't much initial characterization. One minor thing that sort of bugged me was how frequently random pop-culture references were thrown in for the characters to say and think. I know Nate is supposed to be literate in pop culture, but it took me right out the story when a character says "It's a trap" and Drake is mentioned as wanting to make a Star Wars reference. I cringed a bit. I was also a little put off by how all of the female characters in the book seemed to have been created around "female character" archetypes rather than being unique and developed in their own right--the aforementioned archaeologist's daughter was motivated by trying to fulfill her father's work, she had a lot of spirit but Drake and Sully were trying to keep her safe, but then she could hold her own, but then one time she couldn't when required by the plot, and so on. I know Uncharted uses a lot of old pulp novel cliches, but usually it uses the elements in a way that isn't quite so predictable.One thing I really liked was the pacing. There was a sense of progression for the heroes toward their goal that also seemed similar to Indiana Jones, in a good way. Locations on five different continents are visited throughout the story, adding some variety and color. There are also numerous scenes where everyone sits around and manages to solve ancient puzzles which no one's been able to figure out for thousands of years with a bit of armchair history. I also liked these, although there are a lot of historical figures and legends that are casually name-dropped without any explanation for readers who might not be familiar with the details. There are also a couple of chapter cliffhangers that seem to set up an interesting situation to get out of, but then the next chapter starts with the situation having been resolved. This was probably the strangest part of the book for me, since it's 300 pages with largish print because of the book's size format; it's not like they needed to trim it down.As far as series continuity goes, they seem to be going with the "standalone adventure" approach they've been following for the various media. There is a single offhand reference that seems to place it sometime before the first game, but there's really not much external continuity you need to keep track of. There are a few references to events that happened X years ago, but the timing is mostly unimportant. The background information does drop a few hints as to Drake's origins and upbringing, but not much more than Naughty Dog has already explained in interviews.If you're a fan of the series and you're kind of on the fence about this one, what you'll want to take away is that this is its own story and doesn't have much to do with the main story of the games (probably, I can't say for sure since the third game isn't out yet), but it's still an entertaining read in its own right.

I've been a fan of the Uncharted series ever since the first game was announced, and I can tell you that this book is just as entertaining and fun as the games themselves. This is the first book that I've ever binge-read. Although it gets pretty dark in the last few chapters, this story would have made for a more superior movie than the one we got with Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg!

This is the first book from the Uncharted IP. In the interests of full disclosure, I guess I should say that I'm a big fans of the first two games and I have pre-ordered the third.Fans of the games really should check out The Fourth Labyrinth. Without spoiling the story, Drake and Sully embark on a worldwide adventure with Sully's "niece." In this respect, the book sticks pretty close to the format of the games: Drake, Sully, treasure, and a girl. The pacing, however, is a lot different from the games. While the games are fairly combat heavy, this book focuses a bit more on the exploration and cloak & dagger aspects to the adventure. This really isn't a bad thing, because it provides a lot of insight into how Drake thinks and operates; insight that simply isn't available in the games. Drake's relationship with his own family is briefly explored (and I mean brief) and his relationship with Sully is really explored. The combat does pick up a bit towards the end. Overall, the book is a real page turner and a quick and fun read.Even better, since the author worked closely with Naughty Dog and Amy Hennig, this story (I think) can be considered part of the Uncharted canon. Of course, that's probably another reason to pick it up.So, why not five stars? First, this book isn't likely to interest anyone not already drawn into the series. For example, Drake's physical appearance is actually never described in the book. For those of us that have spent numerous hours guiding him through the games, this is no big deal. But, if I just picked up the book without the benefit of the games, my only clue to his appearance would be the cover art (which is not great). Second (and more frustrating for fans of the series), this book does nothing really to advance the IP. As a fan, you could skip this book entirely and you wouldn't be any worse off in terms of understanding the Uncharted mythos. It's not as if this book explains (or links to) anything in the games. Thus, it's really just a stand alone adventure, albeit it with characters we're really invested in.All this being said, if you consider yourself a fan of the series, I'm sure you really will enjoy this book. I highly recommend it.

Wish Christopher Golden would pen a good few more Nathan Drake adventures. A really great read. It vibes so well with the PS4 games. Really well done. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

When I bought this book, I did so fully believing it wasn't going to be particularly good. I've not read anything else by this author before, so it was no judgement on their writing capabilities, I've just read several novels based on computer games and none have been up to much really. I was pleasantly surprised then that the opening chapter seemed to have just as much fun and excitement as the games had and that I could actually picture how the scene would play out as a game. The book is well-paced and loyal to the feel and nature of the games while obviously making the adjustments that are needed for the jump in medium. The much-loved male characters from the games (Drake and Sully, obviously!) are present and on top form with their banter and it's only a small criticism that Elena wasn't there - but as this is something of a prequel to the games, I can forgive it easily enough. The new characters are nicely written too, with Jada be suitably sympathetic and likeable without really trying too hard to force the reader to understand and warm to her. Fortunately, there isn't a heavy theme of obligatory romance either, which was something that concerned me at the inclusion of a new female character. It's not that I'd have particularly minded it, but the cliche would have irked me a little and if Drake starts getting a new girl in every iteration of the franchise, we might as well start calling him Captain Kirk. So yeah, happy that it was kind of hinted at but in the end didn't come to anything.Overall, a fun read for fans of the game and a nice addition to the franchise.

La verdad llevaba ya tiempo buscando éste libro que originalmente fue lanzado hace 5 años aproximadamente, gracias a que Amazon llegó a México es que finalmente pude comprarlo y a un excelente precio, nada que ver al precio en Amazon USA demasiado caro.Basicamente el libro podria considerarse un spin-off de la ya legendaria saga Uncharted ya que en si no hace referencia directa a los acontecimientos ya vistos en Uncharted Drake Fortune y Uncharted 2 (salvo una pequeña mención de El Dorado). Este libro salió antes de Uncharted 3 por lo que tampoco tenemos alguna referencia de los acontecimientos de Uncharted 3, la historia de esta aventura de Nate y Sully no es canónica pero no por eso deja de ser bastante interesante, de nueva cuenta Nate y Sully se alistan para viajar alrededor del mundo en busca de un mito, no contare nada de la historia para no perder el interes del que lea esta reseña y se animen a comprar este libro.Seas o no seas un fan de Uncharted debes leerlo, aunque si ya estas familiarizado con Nate podras entender el papel de algunos personajes mejor, si buscas algo nuevo que leer este libro cumplira con tus expectativas, aunque debo decir que el libro NO VIENE EN ESPAÑOL asi que si tienes un buen nivel de inglés podras leerlo sin ningun problema.Hablando ya del empaque y tiempo de entrega debo decir que el libro venia perfectamente cuidado en un empaque tipo sobre tamaño carta con sus respectivas burbujas de proteccion, el producto llego en 3 dias que es lo que era el tiempo estimadoAnimense a comprarlo ya que Amazon cumple lo que promete, precios bajos y entregas rapidas y muy bien cuidadas.

First time I read this story and it’s great

I like Uncharted: The Fourth Labyrinth because it is like the Uncharted Video Games which I have played on my PS4. I have played Uncharted 1 to 4 and The Lost Legacy on my PS4 a few years ago. I have not played Uncharted: The Golden Abyss because I do not own a Playstation Vita and Sony did not port it to the PS4. So it looks like I will never play that Uncharted game. I am about to start reading Chapter 13 as of this review and from what I have read so far, I am enjoying it. I did not know the Uncharted video game franchise won awards. I would like to watch the Uncharted movie when it is released on the market.