Uncharted The Lost Legacy: Life without Nathan Drake

The guys and gals at developer Naughty Dog must be sorcerers of some kind because they keep creating magic with the PlayStation when it comes to the Uncharted games.

I mean, man, is there any other game on a console out there right now that looks as good as Uncharted The Lost Legacy? I seriously mean it. It’s as if Naughty Dog has turned up Uncharted to 11 on the visuals scale then added another few notches to the dial just for good measure. Just look at these images captured from the game. See what I mean?

The Lost Legacy is the first Uncharted game not to feature Nathan Drake, the main character of the previous games in the series – and I think it’s all the better for it. This time Chloe Frazer (who you control) and Nadine Ross are front and centre as they explore temples, caverns and ruins in jungle India to find the legendary Tusk of Ganesh. Oh, course, it’s not plan sailing: There’s a fellow treasure hunter and bad guy out to get them – and the Tusk of Ganesh – at the same time!

Gamers familiar with the Uncharted games will feel right at home with the game play, which is a mix of combat, traversal and environmental puzzles, with many of the ones in The Lost Legacy requiring a little bit of thought to crack them. They’re not impossible but with a couple I had to work through things one step at a time before things clicked. That said, a couple of puzzles did frustrate the hell out of me, requiring me to take a break, take a deep breath and come to it later with a clear head. That seemed to work.

Combat is generally solid, although I was frustrated at times when the game seemed to throw loads of enemies at you all at once, often meaning I’d die in quick succession before overcoming the odds. As you’d expect with an Uncharted games, you’ll be guiding Chloe through some jaw-droppingly gorgeous environments that made me second guess that I was playing the game on a standard PlayStation 4. It really does look that impressive.

The story is pretty solid, the motion capture and voice acting outstanding, and there’s a good relationship developing between Nadine and Chloe as they explore deeper and deeper into the jungles, trading one-liners and quips. Naughty Dog seems to be masters at those little things that make their virtual characters seems so real: The way Chloe cocks her head to the side as she plucks a bobby pin from her hair before she picks a log, the way a character brushes their hand along a rock face as they squeeze through a gap, the way they get covered in grime and scratches as the adventure unfolds. Magicians, I tell you, magicians!

At times in the combat I thought enemy numbers seemed to overwhelming (I was playing on normal difficulty) and I died a few times, mainly after I’d mistime a jumps (something that happened quite frequently when it involved rappelling over gaping chasms using a rope), sending Chloe plummeting metres to her death. There are plenty of treasure to collect for those who like to be a completionist when it comes to finding all there is to offer, as well as spots where you can take photos of your adventures that Chloe can view on her smart phone later.

The Lost Legacy was originally slated as downloadable content for Uncharted 4 but Naughty Dog decided it deserved to stand on its own feet rather than become DLC: I’m glad it made that decision. I didn’t miss Nathan Drake once in this Uncharted adventure and it shows that an entertaining romp in the Uncharted universe is possible without the wise-cracking Indiana-Jones like Drake.

Here’s hoping more adventuring from Nadine and Chloe is on the cards. Sorry, Nathan Drake, but I think your days are numbered.

Competition Time:  Thanks to the kind folks at PlayStation NZ, I have one (1) copy of Uncharted The Lost Legacy to give away. The game is PlayStation 4 only so you must own a PlayStation 4 to play the game. I’m not providing a PlayStation 4 for you to play it on.

To enter, simply tell me what legendary treasure you’d love to go on an adventure to find. Post your answer below or post your answer on the Game JunkieNZ Facebook page. The winner will be contacted via email or FB message and the prize delivered to them by PlayStation NZ. The competition closes next Friday, September 1.

Conditions: The competition is only open to New Zealand residents (the disc will be mailed to a New Zealand delivery address); One entry per email entry or Facebook post; The judge’s decision is final.