Important Notes - Uncharted 4: A Thief's End

Important Notes for Uncharted 4: A Thief's End

Overview

This section covers critical warnings, common pitfalls, irreversible choices, missable content, difficulty spikes, grinding traps, save management advice, and things players often regret not knowing earlier. Uncharted 4 is a linear single-player campaign with a separate multiplayer component. Pay close attention to avoid losing progress, missing achievements, or getting stuck in challenging spots.

Warnings & Pitfalls

No Manual Saves Mid-Chapter: The game uses an autosave system. You can manually save only at major checkpoints (usually at chapter starts or after resting at campfires). Do not rely on saving before optional conversations—those opportunities are bound to the current playthrough.

Crushing Difficulty Unlocks on First Playthrough: You can select Crushing difficulty from the start, but it's very punishing. Enemies deal massive damage, and stealth is often required. Consider a Normal or Hard playthrough first to learn encounters.

Weapon Upgrades Are Persistent but Limited: Upgrades purchased with collectibles (like the AK-47 or pistol) carry over in the same save slot, but you cannot refund them. Prioritize upgrades that suit your playstyle (e.g., accuracy over recoil).

Modifiers & Cheats Disable Trophies: On PS4/PS5, enabling any bonus modifier (e.g., infinite ammo, one-shot kills) permanently disables trophy progression for that save file. Use modifiers only after earning all desired trophies, or on a separate slot.

PC Version: Mods and Trainers Can Corrupt Saves: Using external mods or trainers may cause save file corruption or prevent cloud sync. Always back up your save folder (usually located at `%USERPROFILE%\Documents\Uncharted 4` on Windows).

Irreversible Choices & Missable Content

No Branching Story Choices: Every player reaches the same ending. However, optional interactions and collectibles are missable.

Missable Treasures: There are 109 treasures spread across chapters. Many are in side paths or require backtracking before story triggers. Use a collectible guide to avoid missing any—especially in chapters like "The Lure of Adventure" (Chapter 4) and "Once a Thief…" (Chapter 13).

Optional Conversations: During certain sequences (e.g., with Elena, Sam, or Sully), you can initiate optional dialogue that adds narrative depth. If you move too far forward or trigger a scripted event, these conversations may become inaccessible forever. Look for character prompts or glowing objects to activate them.

Journal Entries & Notes: Hidden journal entries and notes (e.g., from Nate’s past) are scattered similarly to treasures. Some only appear after specific story beats—check back in already visited areas if you return.

Trophies with Time Sensitivity: "I Don't Even Have Aim Assist" (complete game on Crushing without aim assist) and "Stealth First" (don’t fire a gun in a chapter) require careful planning. Some chapters allow no alerts—reload checkpoints if spotted.

Difficulty Spikes

The Auction House (Chapter 11): An early stealth section patrolled by many guards. If detected, you face heavy gunfire. Use cover, silenced pistol, and take out isolated enemies first.

The Ship Graveyard (Chapter 15): Large open area with multiple waves of armored enemies. Ammo is plentiful, but headshots are crucial. Grapple between boats to gain height advantage.

The Giant “Libertalia” Battle (Chapter 18): Final combat gauntlet before the epilogue. Enemies are relentless, grenades are frequent, and cover can be destroyed. Use the mounted gun on the balcony and prioritize heavily armored foes.

Crushing Difficulty Everywhere: On Crushing, nearly every encounter becomes a spike. Memorize enemy spawns, use stealth for initial kills, and conserve ammo for minigun/shield enemies.

Grinding Traps

No Grind Required: There is no experience system or loot grind in the campaign. All progress is story-driven. The only "grind" is collecting treasures for upgrades or trophies, which is purely optional.

Treasure Hunting Is Pure Exploration: You do not need to collect all treasures for any gameplay advantage—only for trophies or the in-game upgrades. Focus on enjoying the story first, then clean up via chapter select.

Multiplayer Grinding (Optional): If you play the multiplayer mode, currency (Uncharted Points, Relics) can be earned slowly. Avoid microtransactions unless you want cosmetics quickly. The multiplayer is purely cosmetic—no pay-to-win.

Online Etiquette & Anti-Cheat Notes

Single-Player Only: The campaign has no online components. No etiquette needed.

Multiplayer Modes: Team Deathmatch, King of the Hill, etc. If you play online, be respectful: don't team kill in co-op modes, use voice chat politely, and avoid exploiting glitches (e.g., out-of-bounds spots).

Anti-Cheat: On PC, the game uses basic detection for online play; mods and trainers are generally safe for single-player but may lead to VAC bans if injected into multiplayer (very rare). For safeguards, never run mods while playing online.

Save Management Advice

Autosave Frequency: The game autosaves often at checkpoint markers (e.g., after completing a puzzle, reaching a new area, or finishing a conversation). You can manually save only at campfires (PS4/PS5: press Triangle at campfire; PC: interact with campfire).

Multiple Save Slots: Use separate save slots for different purposes:

Chapter Select: After completing the game, you can replay any chapter to collect missed items. This does not overwrite your story save—collectibles carry forward to the main save. Perfect for cleaning up trophies.

Cloud Saves: On PS4/PS5, enable auto-upload to PSN cloud backup. On PC, Steam Cloud handles saves automatically—ensure you have a backup if you mod.

Things Players Commonly Regret Not Knowing Earlier

You Can Change Difficulty Mid-Game: If an encounter feels too hard, pause and switch to a lower difficulty in the options. The only trophy restriction is that Crushing must be done entirely on Crushing without lowering.

The Grappling Hook Is More Versatile Than It Seems: You can swing from anchors to gain momentum, zip between walls, and even use it to pull enemies off ledges in combat. Practice in Chapter 5.

Rope Melee Attacks Are Effective: When using the rope, press the attack button while swinging to kick or pull enemies. This instantly downs regular foes on Normal/Hard.

Driving Sections (Chapters 8, 10, 13): You can ignore many enemies by driving past them, but you’ll miss treasures. If you want a clean run, know that some fights are skippable.

Auto-Aim Is Actually Fair: On PS4/PS5, the default auto-aim assists only on controller – it helps but doesn’t make it easy. PC users can use mouse for precision.

Your Upgrades Transfer to New Game+: If you start a New Game+ after completing the story, you keep all weapon upgrades, treasures, and collectibles. Use this for a smoother Crushing run.

Epilogue Chapter 20 Has Missable Content: The epilogue contains several optional conversations and treasures. Many players miss them because they rush to finish the story. Take your time before triggering the final cutscene.

Use Photo Mode Creatively: You can pause and enter photo mode at any time. Use it to locate hidden collectibles by adjusting the camera angle – a nice trick for hard-to-see treasures.

The Journal Maps Show Treasure Regions: Nate’s journal sometimes sketches maps with treasure locations. Check it often – the sketches are vague but help narrow down search areas.

Silent Weapon Firing: On PC, you cannot suppress all weapons outside of the silenced pistol and a few others. Learn which weapons are audible and which are not (e.g., the M9 is quieter than the AK).

By keeping these notes in mind, you’ll avoid frustration, missables, and wasted time, ensuring a smooth and enjoyable treasure hunt with Nathan Drake.