Uncharted: The Lost Legacy seemingly started out as DLC for last year’s excellent Uncharted 4 – but developer Naughty Dog decided to spin it out into a standalone installment.
The result is a brand new Uncharted game that doesn’t stray from the tried-and-tested formula: exotic locations, gripping set-pieces and a few puzzles interspersed with lashings of gunplay.
But it’s impossible to be aware of Lost Legacy and not know that wisecracking series protagonist Nathan Drake doesn’t return.
Instead, Chloe Frazer and Nadine Ross – two supporting characters from previous adventures step up for top billing. And the biggest question many fans of the franchise will have is whether or not they can pick up the mantle.
The short answer is that yes they can. Character dynamic has always been a cornerstone of the franchise and watching the relationship between the two leads develop as the game progresses is one of its most rewarding elements.
In the place of Drake’s solo adventurer we get a kind of buddy-cop storyline that puts a different coat of paint on foundations that haven’t changed much since the first game in 2007.
Thankfully, Lost Legacy is just as impressive to look at and listen to as any of the previous games. The lighting and art direction are top draw, as is the script and voice acting. To be honest, I’d expect nothing less from Naughty Dog.
The story is set a few years after Uncharted 4 and revolves around the customary search for fabled treasure. This time we’re transported to the jungles and ruins of India and it isn’t long before the death-defying stunts start.
Uncharted has always been at its best when it’s going at breakneck pace and you feel like you’re controlling a Hollywood blockbuster. Yes, it’s scripted and sometimes little more than corridor-following but it’s still an awful lot of fun.
And even though Lost Legacy isn’t as big (you can beat it in around 10 hours) or as good as Uncharted 4, it’s still just as fun. And as long as the franchise continues to achieve that, I’ll continue to play each installment. With or without Nathan Drake.