A thief returns - Should you play Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection?

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If you’re unfamiliar with the Uncharted series, where have you been?! The first game in the franchise, Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, was released for the PlayStation 3 in 2007 and introduced gamers to Nathan Drake, a treasure hunter who travels the world to uncover historical mysteries. The series made developer Naughty Dog even more of a household name than it already was at the time, spawning several sequels and even a movie starring Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg. (I’ll hold my opinions on that one for now.) With the release of Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection, now is the perfect time to jump into this adventure if you haven’t already.

THE STORY

Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection is a remastered collection Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End and Uncharted: The Lost Legacy. In Uncharted 4, Nathan Drake is forced out of retirement and back into action after his presumed dead brother resurfaces. Meanwhile, Uncharted: The Lost Legacy follows new protagonist Chloe Frazer (first introduced in 2011’s Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception), who has traveled to India in search of the Golden Tusk of Ganesh. And don’t worry; even if you’re not familiar with the series, you can pick up the collection and figure out what’s going on without much trouble.

PLATFORMS

Both games launched on PlayStation 4 originally, but Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection makes these adventures available on PlayStation 5 and PC (a noteworthy first for the series).

TIME PLAYED

I spent an incredibly lazy Sunday afternoon sinking about six hours of gameplay between both of these titles. I made it to Chapter 7 Of Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End and Chapter 3 of Uncharted: The Lost Legacy. With twenty-two chapters total in Uncharted 4 and nine chapters in The Lost Legacy, I still have more than half of both campaigns left. However, even this sliver of the full experience was more than enough to appreciate both titles’ incredible gameplay, stories, and visuals.

WHAT’S AWESOME

• The visuals. Quite frankly, both games look great and feel like you’re in an Indiana Jones-styled adventure. This was true of the games during their initial PlayStation 4 launches, and with the remastered versions in Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection, you’re really getting the benefit of the increased power of the PlayStation 5. Naughty Dog has always been very good at utilizing the full visual capabilities of whatever Playstation hardware they’re working with, going all the way back to Crash Bandicoot on the original PlayStation. This collection doesn’t disappoint on that front.

• The narrative. The cool story is really what keeps folks coming back to the Uncharted series for more—enough that it even inspired a movie. These games feel like true high adventures, complete with exploring a variety of exotic locations and uncovering tales that weave in actual historical figures (albeit undeniably embellished versions of them).

WHAT SUCKS

• Uhhh, that’s a hard one. Both these games were fun to play, but I suppose if there’s one drawback, this is a remastered collection of two games at the later end of a series. If you’re expecting something new, you won’t really find it here, and if you’re looking for a complete collection that includes the first three games, that’s not part of this package either. Still, for those that love Uncharted or are new to the series, it’s well worth the time.

SHOULD YOU PLAY IT?

Absolutely, yes! Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End won dozens of Game of the Year awards, while Uncharted: A Lost Legacy builds and expands on the series with a cool, Tomb Raider-like protagonist. If you’ve played these two games before, you might be less eager to jump back in. On the other hand, it still might be worth checking out the Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection just to flex the power of your PlayStation 5 or to see how Uncharted feels on PC for the first time. Just know what you’re getting into, and don’t expect any major changes in the story, voice acting, or gameplay.

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