Uncharted: The Lost Legacy Review — Life After Drake?

Much like spaghetti with no meat, Uncharted: The Lost Legacy is still a delicious experience, but it’s lacking a little something: Nathan Drake. Despite the phenomenal gameplay, Naughty Dog’s endearing and incredibly likable protagonist has always been the heart of the franchise, but since his treasure-hunting days coming to a close in Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, the series needed a new face to take it forward. It gets two, in the shape of Chloe Frazer and Nadine Ross (from Uncharted 2 and 4 respectively), and while they’re a great addition and add a tough feminine though to the series, one can’t help to miss Drake and his charming one-liners.

That’s not to say that Uncharted: The Lost Legacy isn’t a good game. It’s brilliance, in fact. And it’s even a good Uncharted game, which is saying a lot. Taking on the role of the Australian anti-hero from Among Thieves, you team up with tough-as-nails South African mercenary Nadine Ross, who decide to put their differences aside to go after an ancient artifact. Each has their own reason for pursuing the difficult-to-find item, and in typical Naughty Dog fashion, the story evolves interestingly as the two have to quell their uneasy alliance in order to work together. There’s some genuinely compelling moments that fans of the series will feel an air of familiarity with.

During The Lost Legacy‘s 10 hour playtime, you’ll get to experience a quintessential Uncharted game. Once again, shooting, exploring, explosions, set-pieces and some breathtaking platforming are all part of the bag, and they’re done excellently, with some larger, more diverse environments from previous Uncharted games.

There’s also a heightened element of stealth, giving players the opportunity to really work their way through a scenario, using silent takedowns, and avoiding any detection. There are also loot crates scattered in each location, with a new lock-picking mechanic introduced for the first-time in the series, allowing you to quickly get your hands on a powerful weapon for the fight that’s ensuing.

And if there’s one thing an Uncharted game will always guarantee, it’s a visual spectacle. The Lost Legacy is no difference and pushes the high-bar set by Uncharted 4 a little further, although this is a somewhat smaller-scale adventure than previous titles.

Verdict

Uncharted: The Lost Legacy is a brilliant addition to the Uncharted universe. There’s no denying that a little something is missing with the absence of series protagonist, Nathan Drake, but the new heroines and expanded ideas do confirm that there’s life in the Uncharted series beyond that charming, treasure-hunting bastard. A must-play for Uncharted fans.