Since the company’s debut in the gaming landscape in 1994, PlayStation has always had an excellent line-up of first-party exclusives. Titles likeCrash Bandicoot,Metal Gear Solid, andGran Turismomade the original PlayStation an immediate standout in the market, and over the years, PlayStation’s exclusive line-up has only continued to grow more impressive. More recently, PlayStation has cemented itself as the leader of the AAA market, with titles likeUncharted,The Last of Us, and of course,God of War Ragnarokall being some of the greatest gaming experiences ever made, and there’s one intriguing gameplay element they all share.
As well as all being third-person, behind-the-shoulder action-adventure games,God of War Ragnarok,The Last of Us, andUnchartedall use boats in at least one significant sequence. Though the controls of all three series' boats are pretty similar, their narrative and practical uses differ quite a bit between games, as does the critical reception of each of these sequences.
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How Boats Are Used in PlayStation First-Party Games
Chronologically, the first big boat sequence to occur in these three first-party PlayStation franchises is in theUnchartedseries. InUncharted: Drake’s Fortune, players will be forced onto the back of a jetski at a few different moments in their adventure. The controls are a little clunky in these segments, but what’s worse is the odd spike in difficulty during these stages. Cover is practically non-existent during these jetski sequences, yet players are constantly bombarded by enemy fire and explosives. While these sections are designed to be intense action set pieces, they can end up being some of the game’s most frustrating moments.
InUncharted 4: A Thief’s End, boats are used a little differently. While the game’s intro sees players embark on a fairly standard boat chase, a later chapter lets players control the boat freely, using it to hop between a collection of small islands to solve a puzzle. Though Naughty Dog’s attempt at something new should be praised, this mission is one ofUncharted 4’s most divisive, with some critics and fans condemning the slow pacing and lackluster puzzle design.
InGod of War2018, boats play a more prominent role, acting as the title’s main form of exploration. Though most ofGod of Waris fairly linear, a few key areas in the Nine Realms let players explore freely on their boat, being able to dock at specific areas and embark on side quests. The boat not only acts as a seamless way to traverse the game’s deceptively expansive areas but also gives way to some world-building. This is achieved with the protagonists drumming up lengthy discussions about characters and lore while exploring, withMimir using humor inGod of Warto break the tension of the game. InGod of War Ragnarok, boats are still used for the same effect in areas such as Svartalfheim, but they’re mostly replaced by a wolf-led sled in Midgard.
The Last of Us Part 2offers some of the most simplistic boat gameplay of the lot, borrowing from bothUnchartedandGod of War, but not really making the vehicle a focal point of the narrative or gameplay. Toward the end ofEllie’s journey inThe Last of Us Part 2’s Seattle, she steals a boat from a group of WLF soldiers. Once on the boat, players are forced to move through the flooded streets of Seattle in a pretty linear fashion, only being able to stop off at a handful of locations to collect some loot. The boat inThe Last of Us Part 2doesn’t share the same level of freedom asGod of War’s, but it also isn’t used in too many action-oriented set pieces. Instead, it’s mainly used to propel the game’s story forward and break up the game’s pacing.
God of War Ragnarokis available on PS4 and PS5.
