The Legacy Continues…

If you have a PlayStation 4 then there is a pretty good chance that you have played the Uncharted series. Originally released for the PlayStation 3, the first three Uncharted games were given a re-release on the PlayStation 4 so they are pretty easy and cheap to pick up. If you’ve not actually played them stop reading this and go and purchase them right now, including the more recent Uncharted 4. All of the games are fantastic, portraying Nathan Drake’s adventures.

Uncharted 4 was the last ‘main’ installment of the series, with it being Nathan Drake’s swansong as it were. I weren’t sure how to feel about it at the time and when Uncharted: The Lost Legacy was announced, my feelings were mixed once again. I felt a little like Naughty Dog could ruin the reputation of the much loved series with a half-hearted release. Plus there were questions; was this an Uncharted 4 DLC? Would it have brand new characters?. No, this was a standalone game and the characters were known to the Uncharted universe. Now, my feelings and worries about Uncharted: The Lost Legacy were completely wrong, and Naughty Dog I apologise, because once again, you have produced yet ANOTHER masterpiece.

I’ll start with the story but I won’t be sharing any spoiler details here because well, it just would be a waste and spoilers just doesn’t sit right with me. However, as an outline, the main story of this ‘spin-off’ revolves around Chloe Frazer and Nadine Ross who just like Nathan before them, are on a journey to claim an ancient artifact. I have to comment on Naughty Dog’s ability to write a script. The dialogue and the evolving bond between both Chloe and Nadine is just worth the purchase alone. One thing I did think was a great little touch was the first couple of hours, if you die, you’ll hear Nadine shout ‘Frazer!!!!’. However, once their bond deepens and they become better friends and have a greater understanding of each other, if you die then, you will hear Nadine shout ‘Chloe!!’ instead. It’s just one of the many little things that made me smile about Uncharted: The Lost Legacy.

I also have to comment on the visuals in Uncharted: The Lost Legacy. It seems like every time Naughty Dog make a game, they somehow manage to get a bit more visual power from the console. The Lost Legacy follows that trend, making it for me, the most impressive Uncharted game visually to date. Uncharted: The Lost Legacy has a Photo Mode and you’ll need it at every turn. Some of the photo-esq moments are just breathtaking to say the least, and you’ll find yourself pausing for 10-15 minutes at a time just to get the perfect shot in order to save on to your PlayStation 4 system. As with Uncharted, you’ll find yourself trawling through caves, ruins, and the game also flirts with an open world type system as you drive through waterfall-filled, mud-ridden land in order to get to different points on the map provided. Overall, it is one of the best-looking games I have ever played.

Sound-wise, it’s great once again. Many games struggle to create that atmosphere with the voice cast appointed, and with a game like Uncharted, you have to get the voice actors spot on in order to create that realism. Nolan North was the standout choice for Naughty Dog to take on the role of Nathan Drake, you just knew with every game he would raise the bar in terms of performance. We’ve seen glimpses of Chloe and Nadine’s voice acting skills, but this was their first full adventure together. Could they do the series justice? Of course they could! The way they work together and it portrays on screen is nothing short of sublime.

Gameplay wise, it’s Uncharted. Everything you could do before, you can do here. It’s a formula that has worked spanning across 4 games before, and it looks like Naughty Dog got the mechanics spot on with Uncharted: The Lost Legacy. Puzzles, combat, gun fights, jaw-dropping sequences…. This one checks everything off the standard Uncharted check list Naughty Dog must refer to when creating an Uncharted game. Although gameplay wise it is similar, somehow Naughty Dog have made it feel even fresher, 5 games in to the series. Any bugs or rigidness seen in the old games have completely been washed out, with this feeling like the most rounded Uncharted, gameplay wise to date. Everything you do and see in this game feels right, and there a few moments that will make you go OH, MY, GOD…. Yup, I’ll leave it there!

Length wise, don’t expect the standard set by the ‘main’ games in the Uncharted series. However, that doesn’t mean to say it’s super short either. Pacing it right, I completed it in around 8 and a half hours, which for me, was completely OK. Nothing in the game felt rushed, and the story open and closed the correct way.  If this is the last Uncharted game we see, Naughty Dog have gone out in a blaze of glory. This is phenomenal. For those who want more action after the single-player experience, Multiplayer and Survival modes also make a welcome return. I say welcome but Survival is absolutely brutal. How long can you survive?!?!

A PlayStation 4 Review Code was provided by Sony