Uncharted: The Lost Legacy Review [PS4]

Let’s address the elephant in the room shall we; Uncharted: The Lost Legacy doesn’t suck, and yes, Naughty Dog has found a way to make Uncharted work without Nathan Drake. By rights, I could leave the review there. On that basis, you’ll either be sold and rush out to buy it, or refuse to believe that life can go on without Drake.

If you fall into the latter camp, it would be a real shame if you missed out on this, as it is another spectacle and one that needs to be seen to be believed. Is it the best yet? Not quite, but it nestles in perfectly with the rest of its brethren.

If It Ain’t Broke…

If you didn’t have your glasses on or your contact lenses in and played The Lost Legacy, you could be forgiven for thinking that you were playing as Drake. This is both its shining success and also its main drawback; it doesn’t deliver anything new but what it does is just perfect. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it certainly comes into play here, but if you were being overly critical you could say it would be nice to see some new touches here.

The Lost Legacy sees Chloe Frazer and Nadine Ross join forces in India to recover the long-lost tusk of Ganesh. The problem being that India is in the midst of civil war and, needless to say, the tusk is already being sought by the leader of the revolt Asav. He isn’t too happy with your attempts to beat him to the punch and his goons are all too happy to see you fail in your efforts. You begin your adventure by trying to evade detection by sneaking through alleys in the war-torn parts of town, shortly before things take a turn for the worst.

Once you’ve broken free of the shanties and backstreets, you open up a jaw-dropping open segment in which you can go about your exploring business as you like. I don’t have a PS4 Pro or a 4K TV for that matter, but even in standard HD you can’t help but think there’s life left in the ol’ PS4 yet. As is the trend these days, there’s a photo mode, which you’ll be using. A lot. The vistas really are something else.

More Of The Same

As previously mentioned, The Lost Legacy is more of the same when it comes to the fundamentals. You run, jump, swing, climb and crawl through the world with some devilish puzzles thrown in for good measure. It’s more of the same for sure, but when the same is this good, is that really a bad thing? The controls are tight, the shooting is accurate and satisfying whilst the script and storytelling are on point as ever. It might surprise many but Chloe and Nadine really do make a great duo, their connection and wit shining through as they bounce off one another throughout.

Intended to be DLC initially, The Lost Legacy doesn’t overstay its welcome and lasts around the 10-hour mark. Considering that most full-price games last around this time, a lower price point makes this title an absolute steal. It’s also a promising glimpse into the future for the series that, should Naughty Dog keep it alive, life without Drake is good and it can go on.

What The Future Holds

There’s more than just the main string of quests and storyline for your delectation too with hidden treasures and paths to discover (not to mention a hidden area filled with monkeys) then there’s the multiplayer too. You’re granted access to the same modes which were available in Uncharted 4 including a horde-style survival mode which provides you with a great variety of thrills and spills.

Whether or not it gets considered for Game of the Year is yet to be seen, but it should be – it will certainly be one of my favourite titles of 2017. Considering the year we’re having too, that’s no small feat. It’s fantastic to see that Uncharted may have a future, without Drake, and long may it continue, maybe with a full-blown sequel eventually. In the meantime though, Lost Legacy is a must-play and is a perfect stop-gap to tide us over until we know what the future holds.