Uncharted: The Lost Legacy Review
Bottom Line: Nathan Drake Who? Uncharted: The Lost Legacy puts some our favorite video game women front and center crafting a short yet memorable narrative game.
It wouldn’t be fair to judge Uncharted: The Lost Legacy without having played the rest of the Uncharted series because let’s be real: Nathan Drake’s adventures are the gold standard for game narratives. That’s not to say that Lost Legacy is a bad game, it’s a beautiful, action packed, and a wonderfully written video game that expands on fan-favorite characters from the previous Uncharted games. However, it’s simply not on the same level as the previous four titles (not including Abyss on the PS Vita) and part of this is that the plot is too short and the villain is too one dimensional. This makes it feel like a kickass DLC, but a weaker Uncharted Title.
We know how this story plays out
For those that don’t know, this was originally meant to be a DLC for Uncharted 4: Thief’s End. While the story has been expanded from the original DLC plan, it still clings to those original roots in some regards. The game plays out at about 6 hours, which is closer to a Call of Duty game campaign. As a result of this length, Lost Legacy’s story plays out rather linearly in terms of plot.
We know every Uncharted Game plays like an Indiana Jones adventure: there’s a legend, a bad guy, and a crazy ride of an adventure. In this case, we have the legendary myth of Ganesha’s broken tusk, and needlessly bad for the sake of being pure evil bad guy that wants the tusk for money, and of course a crazy fun adventure in India.
Graphics, Gameplay, Characters, oh my!
The gameplay and game mechanics are taken right out of an Uncharted title and they are fantastic per usual. Filled with fun unrealistic shootouts, puzzles, and lots of climbing, players know what to expect and embrace it. Even the score is wonderfully crafted by Henry Jackman is great. While the technical aspects of the game are rendered beautifully, the real drawing point of this game is the main characters, Chloe and Nadine, and their relationship. We had met both characters before, but to get to learn more about their journeys and personalities and not just have them appear in the wings when Nathan Drake needs a helping hand or enemy in Nadine’s case, it was a rewarding experience. In this game, Chloe plays more like the familiar Nathan Drake character as she’s stubborn and cocky whereas Nadine becomes this mix of Sully and Elena, making Chloe think through problems rather than jump in and improvise.
A mediocre Uncharted game is still a great game
Lost Legacy showcases what Uncharted does best though — strong character development and immersive environments. I loved savoring every moment and drawing out open world levels to hear the banter between the two characters as they grow to become friends throughout the plot. Both characters are so incredibly human that at points you lose yourself to the fact that you are playing a game. When a game does this well, it shows because, so few games do this well. As for the environments, I can only praise the designers and environment and lighting teams. Every location looks like a real-life painting. I found myself taking screenshots because the renderings of locations were stellar. I would be lying to myself that throughout playing the game that I was thinking about traveling to India in real life, so yes, it is that good.
Worth playing again?
Ultimately this is what playing games comes down to: Is it good enough to play again or do I part ways with the game. And I have to say that Uncharted: Lost Legacy is a game I would pick up again in a few years. Embodying Chloe Frazer is a dream. She’s a tough woman that can handle a leading role with Nadine. I am excited to see if future titles will follow these two ladies or if Naughty Dog will cycle through some of the other complex supporting characters we encountered on Nathan Drake’s journey. I’d be interested in having a Sam Drake game or even Charlie Cutter and Chloe Frazer. Just more Uncharted please!