It had been six years since the release of Sony’s third iteration of the Playstation video game console, the Playstation 3 (PS3) when the fall season of 2012 rolled into existence. Yet, being the Playstation fan that I was at the time, I still opted to wait before purchasing the system. The simple fact was a majority of the games I believed would be exclusive to the console moved to multiple platforms; including the cheaper, yet highly desirable Microsoft Xbox 360. Six years after the system was released in North America and four years after becoming a 360 owner, I finally found a reason to purchase the latest PS” model – the slim, 500-gigabyte version featuring a free game. But I wasn’t just buying the PS3 for one game. The system did feature several exclusives and HD remakes that intrigued me. More importantly, certain games available on both video game consoles that I owned gained higher reviews and recommendations in favor of Sony’s Blu-Ray-playing behemoth. After spending a couple of years investing in my PS3 library, I started picking away at a bucket list of sorts. The Playstation 4 had already come out and entered my home, but there were still games on the previous generation’s console that I wanted to play before calling it a day. One of those games happened to be “Uncharted”.
I blasted through the first three games over the course of a year (with the first actually being a tandem play on my friend’s PS3) and felt excited about what was to come not only following “Uncharted 3”, but also Naughty Dog Studio’s release of the game that convinced me to buy a PS3 in the first place, “The Last of Us”. When “Uncharted 4” was released I joined the thousands upon thousands of others planning to play through the franchise’s promoted final chapter in the Nathan Drake story – walking away feeling incredibly satisfied with the end result and not really needing to revisit the world Naughty Dog crafted for two generations. Yet the company revealed that it had more stories to tell with or without Nathan including an unexpected pairing of minor characters Chloe Frazer & Nadine Ross looking to pick up where their male predecessors left off when the Drake brothers reunited for a treasure hunt.
Did I Complete “Uncharted: The Lost Legacy”?
Originally planned as “Uncharted 4” DLC – making a lot of sense considering the time frame the game is based around, the usage of “4’s” engine, and the game even showing up initially as something connected to “Uncharted 4” when you install it onto you system – “The Lost Legacy” initially seemed to be an experience made for a light romp through the globe-hopping, light-hearted murderous action the series is known for compared its most recent, expansive predecessor. Similar to the previous games, my goals were simple: Complete the story, collect treasure, earn battle-related trophies, and play some multiplayer. After a little under nine hours I watched the credits roll on my first playthrough. Eventually I took myself to task with trying to complete the game on “Crushing” difficulty (which proved to be worlds easier than “4’s” thanks to the usage of bonus “cheats” made available to the player after a successful initial playthrough that range from unlocking almost all the weapons in the game to filtering the screen to make everything look trippy). Trophy cleanup and multiplayer took a few more hours following my successful Crushing playthrough – bringing the total up to eighteen hours – before the Platinum trophy popped onto my screen to congratulate me on completing another “Uncharted” game (and I’m still waiting on that congratulatory e-mail from getting a Platinum trophy in “Uncharted 4”, Sony).
Did “Uncharted: The Lost Legacy” Live Up to the Hype?
As noted earlier, “Uncharted 4” was meant to be the series finale before people were informed otherwise – Nathan Drake’s story is done, but there are more stories in the “Uncharted” universe. Unlike “4” that initially presented a darker, more slower style of story telling, “The Lost Legacy” takes an approach closer resembling the first three numbered “Uncharted” games compared to its most recent predecessor; and it works for the game’s benefit by feeling more like an “Uncharted” game than a majority of “Uncharted 4”. The opening chapters (lasting a little under two hours) quickly introduce the player to the game’s mechanics, protagonists, the series’ version of what Steve Jobs would be if he didn’t become a technological genius and opted to work out constantly while hunting treasure without a moral compass to keep him check (Asav), and the whole reason why all these people are going throughout India’s Western Ghats killing each other, blowing up archeological moments and taking pictures aplenty – the legendary tusk of Ganesh. The game’s strongest narrative point is the bond between Nadine & Chloe, or lack thereof initially. What starts off as a simple business relationship sees the two slowly become more than just two people trying to get some cash off a long lost piece of treasure by simple & eventually heartfelt conversations that feel incredibly natural when two relative strangers are stuck in a jeep together. Before “The Lost Legacy”, Chloe and Nadine’s characters felt one-dimensional and, to a certain extent, unlikable – “The Lost Legacy” definitely alleviates this problem. Kudos to Laura Bailey (Frazer) and Claudia Black (Ross) for providing another fantastic voice acting offering.
As per the norm with “Uncharted ” games this one also features incredible graphics. The first four games were highpoints in not only the genre, but also the entire seventh generation and eighth generation of gaming thus far. Though “The Lost Legacy” is more hindered by a set location compared to “4” in an effort to show off the engine’s graphical capabilities yet again, “The Lost Legacy” still pulls off the feat of wowing the player from the moment the game starts with a brightly colored, yet busy Indian market area that slowly morphs in the neon-lit nightlife of an oppressed, third-world town. A majority of the game sees the player taking Chloe & Nadine through a variety of locales from densely, grassy jungles, water-damaged dungeons with monuments of old kings still standing watch, and an open area made for driving the harkens back to the Madagascar section in “Uncharted 4”. The effects of everything from the weather to mud flying off the tires of an off-road vehicle (the actual driving controls are very good as well) are just as impressive as the overall scope of each area of interest. The in-game models are also so incredible that cutscenes mostly aren’t separate cinematics – causing several moments of the “Skip Cinematic” feature not being available for yours truly who thought he watching was an actual movie playing during my second playthrough. Even better is the lack of frame rate stuttering or grandiose problems that would make one think the game has activated “Slow Motion” mode. Not all is perfect with the graphics (some noticeable low resolution areas later in the game), but overall “Uncharted: The Lost Legacy” is a true highpoint when it comes to graphics on gaming consoles. From an audio perspective it can be hit & miss no matter the sound set up you have in place – so put on those subtitles.
With “The Lost Legacy” running off the “Uncharted 4” engine it’s not surprising that a lot of what made “Uncharted 4” so fun from a gameplay perspective returns here. Stealth & stealth takedowns make their return alongside a new silenced pistol that was introduced in “U 4’s” multiplayer to help Chloe stay out of danger while potentially ending the lives of people ready to shoot Frazer down because she wants that tusk. While stealth isn’t as tight or reliable as, say, a “Metal Gear Solid” game, the ability to keep out of enemy sight and avoid unnecessary firefights is reliable mostly throughout the game – though there are sections where no matter how much sneaking the player does to reach the end goal Chloe & Nadine will be forced to get violent. Nadine, who isn’t playable in the single player mode, provides backup for Chloe just like Sam did for his little brother in “Uncharted 4” especially when Nadine decides to get involved and takes down an incoming enemy when he approaches Chloe after they pick a bad hiding spot in a field of tall grass. Similar to “Assassin’s Creed” games, a little marker will appear & fill overhead of enemies who spot Chloe until it turns colors and the enemies start firing. It’s an effective usage of a rather old implementation – the same can be stated about tagging enemies with a tap of the button when zooming in courtesy of a gun’s sights. When it’s time to shoot it out (and there is a lot more action crammed in compared to “Uncharted 4”) the gunplay is just like what was offered in “Uncharted 4” – tight, intuitive & rewarding if you plot those headshots accordingly; especially against more armored foes.
Unlike some other games where gunplay can feel limited depending on the amount of weapons and effective AI, “The Lost Legacy” proves to be a great blend of cover-based third person shooting featuring enemies who refuse to stay still & will try to grenade Chloe out of cover before grabbing the protagonist when prone. Rather than take the easy road and reuse the animations from “Uncharted 4” in regards to double team maneuvers & saves concerning Chloe & Nadine, Naughty Dog did motion capturing to make moments like the protagonists pulling off a kickboxing combo that would make a Muay Thai expert blush seem natural in comparison to them executing a simultaneous choke slam as if they were Nathan & Sam Drake (though a majority of the other animations are ripped right from the code that made Nate who he was in “4” from a movement perspective). The overall melee function has been improved from “Uncharted 4” with punching and dodging being mapped to two separate buttons that allows Chloe to set up counterstrikes if the player properly times her actions. Though gun action is more profoundly seen throughout, melee being improved is definitely welcomed compared to the somewhat clunky offering in “4”. From a platforming perspective, “The Lost Legacy” definitely feels like a DLC version of “Uncharted 4” with the same climbing style implemented from the previous game, a grappling hook used to swing from various trees, and a piton for those rather rare moments where rocks can be stabbed for more climbing. For those who didn’t care for “4’s” platforming by condemning the series for going down a more simplified, “Assassin’s Creed” route won’t find much to like here either.
Those who didn’t care for the lack of puzzles in “4” will be happy know that not only are puzzles back, but a lot tougher and interesting than what a majority of its predecessor had to offer. Beyond the simple “line up this to make a picture” puzzles there are several brain testers including one that features stone axe men trying to cut Chloe down for making one wrong step, and another completely hidden unless you go on a map-wide collectibles hunt (the latter featuring a great reward for you trophy hunters). When it comes to the aforementioned collectibles this relatively short game is loaded with them with variety in mind. Chloe can take pictures with her phone, have optional conversations with her ally, and, of course, pick up random pieces of treasure that the player can look at in the pause menu, though have no descriptions.
There’s also the inclusion of the full “Uncharted 4” multiplayer – modes built on shooting groups of enemies in a team format across several different modes including Team Deathmatch and two “Capture” modes (“Capture the Flag” featuring an idol and “Capture the Zone” where one team must overtake three areas to gain points across twelve maps). Leveling up is based on unlocking various weapons, special skills, and clothing items, allowing non-hardcore gamers a mostly even playing field from the start as these grand unlockables have to be purchased during sessions with in-game money that is earned by actually playing the game (though microtransactions are available they don’t hinder the overall multiplayer experience). There’s also “Survival Mode” where up to three online players can team up to take on waves of enemies. The community is still strong and it’s pretty easy to find matches across the various modes..
After some development issues & decision changes that turned this game from a DLC add-on into a full-blown release, “The Lost Legacy” feels exactly like what you’d want from a piece of premium DLC. With a story that barely lasts eight hours (and that’s with a lot of exploration) and multiplayer being solid, but nothing extraordinary, “The Lost Legacy” comes across as something that asks too much from the consumer if they didn’t adore “Uncharted 4” with its forty-dollar price tag (depending on where you live). What’s really rewarding is the fact Naughty Dog has proven the “Uncharted” series can not only live on, but also thrive without Nathan Drake.
Should You Play “Uncharted: The Lost Legacy”?
It’s obvious Naughty Dog listened to unsatisfied “Uncharted 4” players who wanted more puzzles, combat, and a plot not as emotionally heavy while improving some of the gameplay in a well-paced, tight little package that looks great and sounds good. In terms of recommendation, “The Lost Legacy” is an “Uncharted” game that a majority of “Uncharted” players will love (unless you hated everything about the gameplay in “Uncharted 4”), but might feel underwhelmed by the end because of the game’s brevity. Without hunting collectibles or trophies, “The Lost Legacy” can be finished in six hours on “Moderate”/“Normal” difficulty with relative ease. With multiplayer not having the strongest of community numbers, the single player aspect only lasting six to eight hours, and the replay value being rather low, it’s hard to recommend this game at its full, original price unless you really loved “Uncharted 4’s” gameplay and/or enjoy Chloe & Nadine more than any other characters in the series. It’s definitely worth a purchase if you’re an “Uncharted” fan or like “action-adventure” games, but wait until it’s on sale for ten to twenty dollars less.
