Game Tips
Game Tips for Uncharted 4: A Thief's End
Beginner Tips
- Master the Basics First: Before diving into combat-heavy chapters, spend time in the early levels (like the prologue and Chapter 1) practicing climbing, jumping, and the grappling hook. The climbing is context-sensitive: press "X" (PS) or "Space" (PC) to jump, but holding the button will sometimes grab ledges automatically. Learn the rhythm of timed jumps.
- Use Aim Assist on Lower Difficulties: If you're playing on Easy or Normal, enable aim assist in the options. This helps with lining up headshots, especially during chaotic firefights. On Crushing, disable it to improve your own accuracy—but for beginners, it's a lifesaver.
- Collect Treasures Early: Every treasure you find is permanently tracked and contributes to unlockable bonuses like concept art, character skins, and gameplay modifiers. There are missable collectibles—check the Chapter Select screen to see which chapters you missed treasures in.
- Use Stealth Whenever Possible: The game rewards sneaking; you can take down enemies silently from behind using the triangle (PS) or E (PC) button. This conserves ammo and prevents alarms. In many encounters, you can clear entire areas without firing a shot.
- Learn the Grappling Hook: The grappling hook is central to traversal. Press R2 (PS) or mouse button to aim and L2 (PS) or right mouse to fire. You can also use it to zip-line across gaps and even perform a rope takedown (press triangle when close).
- Use Cover Effectively: The cover system is sticky—press circle (PS) or Q (PC) to snap to cover. Lean out to shoot by aiming, but be aware that blindfire (shooting without aiming) is very inaccurate. Always aim for precision shots.
- Manage Ammo Carefully: Ammo is limited, especially on higher difficulties. Pick up weapons from fallen enemies. Notice the ammo types: pistols, rifles, shotguns, and heavy weapons each use separate ammo pools. Drop your current weapon if you find a better one (like the Barok .44 revolver).
- Listen to Enemy Conversations: Enemies often call out your position or discuss patrol routes. Use the listening mode (hold L1 on PS, Alt on PC) to see outlines through walls and plan your approach.
- Use Environmental Kills: Look for explosive barrels, hanging debris (shoot the ropes), and ledges. You can push enemies off cliffs during melee. Also, the rope swing allows you to kick enemies while zipping past.
- Headshots Are King: A single headshot with most pistols or rifles will instantly kill standard enemies. Practice aiming for the head, especially in stealth scenarios (silenced pistol is key).
- Speedrunning Techniques: If you aim for fast completions, learn to skip certain combat encounters. For example, in Chapter 10 (The Twelve Towers), you can run past the first group of enemies in the courtyard without engaging. Use the grappling hook to bypass sections altogether.
- Crushing Difficulty Loadout: On the hardest difficulty, the Barok .44 revolver is your best friend—it one-shots armored enemies and most standard foes. Pair it with the M14 custom rifle for long-range precision. Always keep a heavy weapon like the RPG for armored vehicles.
- Aerial Takedowns: When using the grappling hook, you can perform a melee takedown on an enemy below or to the side. Timing is tight—press triangle (PS) or E (PC) just as you approach the enemy. This is useful for taking out snipers.
- Fluid Combat Combos: Chain melee attacks with gunfire. Start with a punch, then quickly aim and shoot for a quick kill. The game's combat engine allows you to cancel animations.
- Collect All Journal Notes: The journal entries and optional conversations (with Elena, Sam, or Sully) are missable but provide deep lore. Each chapter has a specific number. Use Chapter Select to replay and collect everything for the "Master of Uncharted" trophy.
- Stealth Is Overpowered: In most areas, you can eliminate all enemies without alerting anyone. Use silenced weapons (only the pistol in early chapters; later you can find silenced rifles). Hide bodies in tall grass or behind cover to avoid detection.
- Use Grenades to Flush Enemies: If an enemy is behind cover, throw a grenade near them. They will often roll out, leaving them vulnerable to a headshot. But watch your own positioning—grenades can bounce back.
- Weapon Swap Quickly: Use the weapon wheel (hold L1 on PS, then select with stick) to swap between two guns and your pistol. On PC, number keys work. Get comfortable switching to the right weapon for the situation.
- Vehicle Combat: In chapters with the jeep (e.g., Chapter 11), use the mounted machine gun for suppression. However, the jeep is vulnerable—don't stay still. Use the winch to pull down obstacles and create traps.
- Boss Fights: The final boss (Rafe) is a melee-focused sword fight. Learn to parry by pressing triangle (PS) or E (PC) at the right moment. Dodge his lunges and follow up with quick attacks.
- Follow the Glowing Clues: Treasures often emit a faint glow, especially in dark areas. Also, Nathan will remark if something interesting is nearby (e.g., "Hmm, what's that?"). Listen for audio cues.
- Check Every Corner: Levels are linear but have hidden alcoves. Use the camera to look around corners. For example, in Chapter 9 (Those Who Prove Worthy), the labyrinth has several side chambers with treasures.
- Use the Winch: The jeep's winch can be attached to certain objects (wooden beams, statues) to pull them down. This opens new paths or reveals hidden treasures.
- Climb High: Many collectibles are placed on ledges above the main path. If you see a handhold indicator (white paint), go up. Sometimes you need to backtrack to reach a higher vantage point.
- Ridge Lines: In open areas like Madagascar (Chapter 11), look for ridge lines that connect different areas. You can drive the jeep over them to find optional ruins with treasures.
- Treasures: There are 109 treasures scattered across all chapters. They unlock concept art, character models, and in-game filters. Use a guide or the in-game tracker (check pause menu > treasures) to see which chapters you've completed.
- Journal Entries: Sam's journal appears in certain chapters. Interact with it to read lore about Avery and the pirate treasure. These don't affect gameplay but are required for the "Lost in the Jungle" trophy.
- Optional Conversations: In some chapters, you can initiate dialogue with your companions (e.g., talk to Elena during the jeep ride). These are missable and often trigger by walking near them.
- Unlockable Bonuses: Once you complete the game, you can spend your accumulated treasures in the Bonus menu. Unlock filters (e.g., cel-shaded, retro), character skins (e.g., Nate from previous games), and weapon skins.
- Versatile Loadout: For most playthroughs, equip a silenced pistol (starting weapon), a semi-automatic rifle (like the M14 or HK9), and a powerful revolver like the Barok .44. The revolver is slow but deals massive damage.
- Armored Enemies: On Crushing, armored enemies (with helmets/vests) appear frequently. Use the Barok .44 for helmets or shoot their legs/arms. The Mettler M-30 rifle can also penetrate armor with a headshot.
- Close Quarters: In tight corridors, switch to a shotgun (e.g., the m30 or the Repeater). A single blast at close range will kill most enemies. Use the slide mechanic to close distance quickly.
- Heavy Weapons: Pick up the RPG or M79 grenade launcher for dealing with vehicles or groups. But they are heavy and slow to reload—use only when necessary.
- Ammo: Replenished from dead enemies or ammo crates (rare). Conserve ammo by using stealth.
- Health: Automatically regenerates after a short time out of combat. No health packs.
- Collectibles: Used only to unlock bonuses in the main menu. There is no in-game shop.
- Tips for Progression: Focus on finding as many collectibles as possible on your first playthrough, then use Chapter Select to mop up the rest.
- PS4/PS5: Use the touchpad for quick weapon wheel navigation. The controller speaker provides audio cues (e.g., journal page turn). On PS5, adaptive triggers offer resistance when aiming heavy weapons—toggle this off if you find it distracting.
- PC: Adjust mouse sensitivity to your preference; medium is good for precision. Use the quick save feature (F5) frequently before tough fights. The game supports keyboard rebinding—set grappling hook to a convenient key.
- All Platforms: Enable subtitles to avoid missing dialogue during action sequences. You can also change the difficulty mid-game via the pause menu without penalty.
- Photo Mode: Pause and press share button (PS) or F6 (PC) to enter photo mode. You can adjust depth of field, filters, and character poses for stunning shots.
- Auto-Aim: On Easy difficulty, enable auto-aim for stress-free shooting. But note that it can be disorienting when multiple enemies are present.
- Chase Sequences: During vehicle chases (e.g., motorcycle in Chapter 13), look for shortcuts like ramps or alleys. This can reduce the time needed to escape.
- Replay Chapters: After finishing the game, use Chapter Select to revisit areas for missed collectibles or to try different combat approaches.
- Speedrun Tips: If going for a fast run, skip all optional dialogue and cutscenes can be skipped (hold circle on PS or Esc on PC). Memorize enemy placements to avoid unnecessary fights.
Intermediate Strategies
Advanced Optimizations
Combat Tips
Exploration Tips
Resources and Collectibles
Builds / Loadout Advice
Economy (In-Game Resources)
Uncharted 4 does not have a traditional economy system like currency. Instead, resources are limited to: