Uncharted: The Lost Legacy
PlayStation 4
When I first got my PlayStation 4 my wife asked me if I was going to play "the Uncharted game with the female main character." I didn't know what she was talking about. The Uncharted games starred Nate Drake. I assumed she meant Tomb Raider. But no, she persisted. It was an Uncharted game - she was sure of it.
I investigated, and sure enough there existed an Uncharted game that I had never even heard of before. This one starred Chloe Frazer (last seen in Uncharted 2 and 3) in her own standalone game. I placed this title in my GameFly queue, albeit further down on my list. After a few months the game crept itself up on my queue and finally got sent out to me. But - GASP - it wouldn't play in my PS4. I had to send it back, and my replacement copy almost didn't work either. It was like some cosmic force was trying to keep me from playing the game. But I cleaned the shiznit out of that disc. I didn't want to have to send this one back too and basically lose a full 2 weeks off of my subscription. At last, my PS4 recognized the game.
I initially wasn't too excited to dive back into Uncharted so soon after finishing Uncharted 4, but once I started playing the game I became hooked. While almost all of the gameplay mechanics are the same as in Uncharted 4, it was the game's protagonist that kept me interested. I had always liked Chloe from her previous appearances in the series. But was she interesting enough to carry her own stand alone game? The answer was a resounding yes!
The game doesn't give you too many plot details right off the bat. All you know is that you are playing as Chloe, and you are in India. The game starts off with Chloe hiding out in a bustling outside market. She chats up a small girl, who helps her sneak into the back of a military truck. You get off the truck in a war zone and soon meet up with Nadine Ross, one of the villains in Uncharted 4. But Nadine is not the enemy here. It turns out you are working with her to find an ancient artifact called the Tusk of Ganesh.
As usual with Uncharted games, you have to race against an evil faction who is also after the same artifact. How these things can go undiscovered for hundreds or thousands of years but then have multiple groups converging on them at the exact same time is always irritating to me, but it is what it is. Gotta have someone to fight against as you explore, right?
I had read that this was more of an open world game than past Uncharted titles, but that isn't necessarily the truth. Most stages follow the usual linear chapter by chapter Uncharted approach. One of the chapters is very large and expansive, though. It is a bit like a sandbox stage. You have a map of the area with several destinations on it. It is up to you how you want to proceed and in what order you want to visit each destination. There are also several optional relics to pick up. If you collect them all, you gain an artifact that chimes in and shakes your controller whenever you are near a hidden treasure. It is a useful item to have, especially if you are a collectible hunter.
Graphically, the game is beautiful. Uncharted has never been a slouch in the looks department, and The Lost Legacy is no exception. In fact, there is something about the locales in this game that seem even more visually appealing than other games in the series. We have seen old ruins and rainforests aplenty in Uncharted, but India's for some reason seem especially lush and satisfying.
What sets this title apart (for me) from past Uncharteds is how "to the point" it is. That has been my main complaint about other Uncharted games. Too many long cutscenes, too much listening to useless banter between the characters, too many long chats about boring historical stuff. There are some cutscenes in this game, sure. But you are not going to be sitting around twiddling your thumbs for twenty minutes at a time like you did in the past. It doesn't take you an absurdly long time until you can use your gun either. I just feel there is a better balance between action and storyline in this one. Gone are the "filler" stages where you simply run along chatting with your sidekick as you climb walls and boost your partner up to high ledges. There is banter in the game, but it is takes place at more opportune times.
Additionally I feel as if the tone of the game is better suited to my own personal interests. Other Uncharted games had too much "bro" humor going on between Drake and whoever his sidekick happened to be at the time. Not to mention all the slapstick stuff where Nate was always getting beat up or falling/breaking through things or tumbling down hills. This one has a more serious, personal feel. It is fascinating to watch Chloe and Nadine's relationship evolve into a genuine friendship as the game goes on. They have many personal, heartfelt conversations - the likes of which you haven't seen in past Uncharted games. I won't spoil it, but one of my favorite moments of the game is a scene involving elephants. It invoked memories of the famous giraffe scene from the Last of Us. At the same time, the game doesn't sacrifice everything Uncharted holds dear. There is some humor. The characters do talk of course about historical stuff as they explore. Sam from Uncharted 4 joins the action about 70% of the way through the game and things start to feel more like a normal Uncharted game. But still, as I said I do feel as if the story line, character development, and overall tone of the game is much deeper than past entries in the series.
Don't expect the game to last too horribly long. I think I beat it in two or three days, which is pretty fast for an Uncharted game. If I remember correctly this game was initially supposed to be just DLC for Uncharted 4, but eventually became so big that they made it into its own standalone game. I wish the experience lasted just a little bit longer.
I had my doubts about whether or not Uncharted could flourish without Nake Drake at the helm. Turns out I had nothing to worry about. Not only is Chloe Frazer more than capable of handling her own game, but I feel as if the game actually benefited from Nate Drake's absence. I got to play a game that contained Uncharted's trademark graphics, action, and high flying excitement. But I also got to approach this action through the eyes of a different character. It was a very refreshing change. I would recommend Uncharted: The Lost Legacy to any fan of the Uncharted series. I might question paying full price for a game so short, but if you can get it for a good deal you will find that it is well worth it.
Overall:
A-
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