Naughty Dog may have scaled back on the microtransactions in Uncharted 4 by allowing players to unlock everything in-game organically, but they still have a companion app for mobile devices where playing or paying for goods can unlock rewards in Uncharted 4's multiplayer mode.
Eurogamer goes through some of the mechanics and rewards available in the Uncharted 4 companion app called Uncharted: Fortune Hunter. The game is a top-down puzzle title where players will help Nate navigate his way through various mazes, dodging obstacles and attempting to obtain treasure.
The treasure you earn through playing the game and beating maps quickly will enable you to deck out Nate in some custom clothes and new gear. Some of the items you unlock can then be transferred over into Uncharted 4 if you connect your PlayStation Network ID to Uncharted: Fortune Hunter. Players that unlock one-time use boosters, skins and relics can then have those items transferred over into the main game.
However, unlocking goods for Uncharted 4 is no easy task, and according to Eurogamer, some of the top costumes in the game require 15,000 coins. You could either earn the coins the legit way or pay for them by using the orbs you acquire throughout the game. If you don't have enough orbs or enough coins, you can buy a stock of orbs from the cash shop. They come in packs of 20, 60 and 150.
So let's say you wanted one of the top outfits in Uncharted: Fortune Hunter and you don't have 15,000 coins. Well, you could buy a stack of 20 orbs. They don't list the exact price in USD on the iTunes or Google Play store, but they do note that prices for cash shop items range between $0.99 and $9.99. We do know that the stack of 20 orbs in pounds costs £1.49, which likely translates into $1.99.
The 20 orbs can then be used to buy two stacks of 7,500 coins, which can then be used to unlock the costume.
For around $0.99, you can buy a treasure map to reveal the treasure within the in-game maps so you'll know where to get your hands on valuable items. If you simply want to buy your way into unlocking gear in both Uncharted: Fortune Hunter and Uncharted 4 you can buy the 120 stack of orbs for $9.99.
According to the Eurogamer article, you can unlock more than just boosters, relics and outfits for Uncharted 4, you can also unlock sidekicks, multiplayer loadouts and heavy weapons, too.
I don't know how well this will affect the actual multiplayer balance in Uncharted 4 when it goes live with the game's release on May 10th, but it's an interesting situation where Naughty Dog has actively been avoiding using any of the microtransaction schemes that Activision, Ubisoft and EA are known for by introducing a companion app and making it where players can unlock everything by just playing the game. So long as it doesn't turn into a red-thumbed grind, I imagine that players may be okay with this current arrangement for unlocking goods in Uncharted 4.
You can grab Uncharted: Fortune Hunter, for free, from the iTunes app store or the Google Play store.
