Uncharted 4: Review round-up and all you need to know

Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, the finale of the Nathan Drake adventure games, is out today, exclusively for the PlayStation 4.

Pre-launch hype has been at fever pitch and with full reviews published, copies on shop shelves and gamers already getting stuck into the storyline – an adventure taking players around the world in search of a long-lost pirate colony – the jury is in…

What the critics say

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"It's impossible to understate just how amazing Uncharted 4 looks", Metro says. The paper particular praises the "almost perfectly realised" characters and the seamless transition between cinematic cutscenes and gameplay.

While Uncharted 4 will surely delight returning fans, "you don't need to have played the previous games to get to grips with this new one", it adds. The storyline is almost a clean slate, with "only a few" returning characters.

Giving it 10/10, GameSpot says: "Uncharted 4's action flows seamlessly along with its narrative", though there are some "minor" mechanical problems. However, there is "always something incredible around the corner to erase the momentary annoyances" and the single player journey is "remarkable".

People will be talking about the game "for years to come", adds the reviewer.

Polygon calls it a "pitch perfect" ending to the series and the new benchmark for other gaming franchises nearing their finale, giving it a 9/10 score. The site singles out the character development – scenes between Nathan and his wife, Elena, carry a "lovely, hilarious, heartbreaking emotional payload".

It also had a go on Uncharted 4's multiplayer, highlighting new elements of depth to the game's run-and-gun competitive mode.

GQ goes so far as to call it their game of the year. "It might just be the best video game ever made. Well, at least it's in the top five..." it adds.

Indeed, praise is almost universal and it's difficult to find publications other than The Wrap returning a negative review.

What you need to know

The Verge has compiled a list of things players should know before getting on with the game. It includes strategy tips, how to enhance the experience with brightness settings and warning players about the likes of lengthy cutscenes, which require quite a lot of free time.

Eurogamer points out a vital day-one update which comes in at a hefty 5GB. It adds the multiplayer feature and several additions to the single-player campaign, as well as general fixes and improvements.

Where to buy it

Retailers on eBay are selling Uncharted 4 for as little as £32, Gizmodo says, though many don't actually offer physical copies, just access to PlayStation Network accounts which have the game. The disc only can be found on the online auction site, too, at around £35 including postage and packaging. "Proceed at your own risk", Gizmodo warns.

Elsewhere, TrustedReviews lists the prices on the high street. Both Tesco and Amazon are retailing copies at £42, though online retailer The Game Collection has it 25p cheaper. Tesco is also doing a console bundle, including the game, a 500GB PS4 and a copy of Doom for £269, while Game has exclusive units of the collector's edition in stock at £124.99.

Downloading the game comes in at £49.99 on the PlayStation Store.