Uncharted: The Lost Legacy

It's no secret that I love...nay...adore the Uncharted videogame series. It's easily my favorite ever and, in terms of quality, it's pretty much unmatched unless its competing against its cousin The Last of Us, that's also a product of developer, Naughty Dog. 

That aside, Uncharted: The Lost Legacy was the first time I was ever worried about a Naughty Dog, or an Uncharted-branded project. It very much seems like a cash-grab being defined as a $40 standalone title but having the length of a DLC. I was timidly excited for it, but also a bit stunned that Naughty Dog, of all gaming companies, would stoop to the levels of overpriced and potentially lesser-quality DLC. It's a plague in many large gaming companies and not one that I often partake in. 

Naughty Dog is one of those companies that you should never doubt. They don't half-ass things. Ever. Even when you think they might, they tend to blow you out of the water for the [counts on my fingers] about 7th time now. 

"Cause we're the two best friends
that anyone's ever had!"

Uncharted: The Lost Legacy should be priced at $40 and that's where one of it's crowning achievements is. They knew they had a worthwhile story, but they also knew that it wasn't up to the same length as the previous main-series games. At the lower price point, also taking into consideration that this includes Uncharted 4's amazing multiplayer and survival mode, The Lost Legacy is damn near a bargain. 

The first and really only criticism I can pin on The Lost Legacy is that it brings nothing new to the table. In terms of inventiveness of gameplay or setpieces, it's all "been there, done that" to a certain extent. If you've ever played Uncharted, you'll recognize a lot of similar adventures throughout, and I do wish that I could pinpoint at least one huge setpiece that feels highly unique. This standalone truthfully plays a bit like a condensed "Greatest Hits" of Uncharteds before it. For someone who adores this series, that's definitely not a bad thing, but I can imagine that others might be left wanting something just a little more. 

Even still though, and this comes back to the theme of Naughty Dog not half-assing things, the newer "Greatest Hits" elements here are potentially even better than they were before. A perfect example would be a train-based level. Last seen in Uncharted 2, The Lost Legacy's train level not only contains "updated" graphics, but I'd dare say it's better than the previous game's iconic moments. From a pure gameplay and intensity perspective, the train-based level in Legacy is one of the best I've ever played and there are a surprising number of videogame levels that occur on a train. It may not be the most remembered in this series mainly because Uncharted 2s was so groundbreaking, but I'd argue this newer one is better. 

Haven't been outside lately...does real life look this good?

Mama said knock you out! Stealthily...

Other than some casual familiarity though, Lost Legacy shocked me with just how complete it was. If this is a cash-grab, then it's a very well designed and orchestrated one, with a full story, well-explored characters, gameplay that's still some of the industry's best, graphics that still can't be real, and a sense of wonderment and excitement that, at the game's heights, can't be matched. The story follows Nadine Ross and Chloe Frazer, two of the series' better characters in a sea of them, as they search for a mythical object known as The Tusk. I fully admit, I was not as into this game's wild goose-chase for a treasure as past ones but I think it was more personal than anything against the game. I was much more invested in the character development of Chloe in particular that I didn't pay much attention to the historical elements of it, despite them being very interesting. Naughty Dog has become a surprisingly mature company from their days of the first Uncharted and part of what makes their last decade of gaming so great is they not only tell bombastic stories, but they discover their characters as well. Chloe and Nadine don't start off as great friends and The Lost Legacy ends up being an examining look at the evolution of their relationship and from this, each of them feel like fully rounded characters more than they have in any of the previous games. It's a testament to the amazing writing and mo-cap performances that seems to come with every ND-branded game and it's another reason why I don't really even think we need an Uncharted movie; Naughty Dog is already doing it better anyway. 

This story's villain is both memorable and forgettable (confusing I know) in the sense that there are moments where he's brutal and menacing, but then his motives turn out to be rather generic and cliched. Again, I'll walk away from this game with more lingering memories about Chloe and Nadine, but I wish the villain could have been a little more special. Luckily, even though the villain's motives aren't all that exciting, the finale of the game is with the final 2-3 chapters being a whirlwind of a ride that I couldn't stop playing until I finished, which speaks to the game's shortened, but expert pacing. There's clear exposition, rising action, climax, and falling action and I'd argue that the shortness of the game helped it in this regard. 

Best. Train. Level. Evaaaa!

The jeep makes a glorious return
-- in an open world!

So...just how short is the game? Not nearly as short as I thought it would be, which was another pleasant surprise. There are 10 Chapters, with Chapter 4 being a "open world" segment that takes some time. All in all I think my first playthrough was around 10 hours -- Photo Mode time not included -- and I was moving at a decent pace but also hunting for collectible treasures. The open world segment works shockingly really well and, if the series decides to continue with these heroines, I hope this aspect returns. It was exciting driving around and hunting for medallions while also encountering enemies at preordained locations and slowly making my way through the story objectives. It could have been a disaster as "open world" is not something ND has done before with this series, but again, you should never doubt them. 

Some other good news is that all of Uncharted's best aspects are along for the ride too. Some of the best gameplay in the industry is back and just as tight as it was in U4. Gunplay is intense, challenging (especially on Crushing mode like I am now), and exciting while traversing is methodical and almost peaceful. There are more than enough exciting setpieces in this edition, especially given the shorter campaign, and most of them left me breathless with an elevated heart rate (can you tell I get really into my games?). One thing that Lost Legacy knocks completely out of the park? Puzzles. I enjoy all the puzzles in each game but find that they're generally just different shades of one another. Lost Legacy has arguably the best puzzles in the entire series (yes, all 5 games) and they're ones that I won't mind playing again on multiple playthroughs. 

Facial expressions in Photo Mode FTW!

Also back are the insane -- like, legitimately insane -- graphics and sound design. Uncharted is a gorgeous, loud, vibrant series and Lost Legacy is no different. It may be mostly contained to the jungle environment that we've seen several times now but towering vistas, intricate historical monuments, and just the minute details of thousands of leaves are enough to make you stop in awe. The sound design has its quiet moments, iconic and fitting original score, and great gun/vehicle sounds that ratchet up the volume when needed. And as always, boy, oh boy, do I love the grenade noises in this game. 

Ho.Lee. Sh****t!! That truck is flying!

Uncharted: The Lost Legacy earns its right to be a part of this series. Having completed it (and immediately starting again on crushing) I realize now that it's less a cash-grab and more of an introductory experiment to gauge the future of the franchise with new protagonists and an open-world aspect. For fans of the series, it's both "more of the same" but also a refreshingly new experience given the fact that Drake, Sully, and Elena are nowhere to be found. While it may not feature any unique traits of its own, outside the open world segments, it compiles and even improves on some of the best and most memorable times this series has experienced. Given it's lower price point AND the fact that it includes some still-stellar multiplayer, it's practically a bargain and one well-worth checking out. 

Fingers crossed this series continues, with Chloe at the helm, because I'm not ready to say my goodbyes yet. If I'm being honest, I'm not sure I'll ever be.

CONS

• The artifact-to-be-hunted and history behind it all wasn't that enticing to me this time
• A brutal villain with forgettable motives
• Nothing highly unique, particularly in the setpieces 

PROS

• Plays like a series of "Greatest Hits" from the series' high points and features some truly pulse-pounding setpieces
• Also maybe the best train level ever
• Chloe and Nadine are fantastic focal points and they become much more well-rounded characters by the time the credits roll. I'd be perfectly happy with them taking the series' mantle from here on out
• Well-suited price point for a shorter, albeit expertly paced campaign
• Throw in the excellent multiplayer and survival modes and you've got a very solid $40 purchase here
• The open-world chapter is a testament to Naughty Dog trying something new, thinking critically about how it would fit into a largely linear series, and completely nailing it. It's a fun little section that worked far better than I'd anticipated
• Gameplay still kicks ass and is tons of fun to control/navigate
• The best puzzle segments of the series
• How do graphics look this good? It hurts!
• Also, Photo Mode FTW once again
• Great sound design and original score. Still the best grenade sound effects in the industry
• In no way a cash grab, The Lost Legacy is a sign *hopefully* of what's to come as the series takes a few new directions. An excellent first step in the right direction

Rath's Review Score | 9.5/10 



 

As is the case with all Naughty Dog games, I take way too many screenshots. Here are some others that I'll share that didn't quite make it into the main body of the review. Enjoy!