One of the greatest video game franchises of the past decade has been been Uncharted, the PlayStation exclusive created by Naughty Dog. The lead character, Nathan Drake, has become an Indiana Jones for a new generation, and the action-adventure games have only gotten better with every iteration. You can read my rave review for last year’s Uncharted 4 here, but the short form is that it was the greatest video game I’d ever played.
Which means Uncharted: The Lost Legacy has a lot to live up. Thankfully, while not mind-blowing in the way the last game was, it is still an excellent installment.
In Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, set in India, you play as treasure hunter Chloe Frazer, who will be familiar to franchise fans from previous games. This time, though, Chloe is front and center, working in tandem with Nadine Ross, who was introduced in the previous game, to find the Tusk of Ganesha before a crime warlord named Asav gets to it. Bullets fly, it’s kill or be killed, as you guide Chloe along large, gorgeously rendered cities and jungles in search of adventure and treasure.
From a character and story perspective, The Lost Legacy receives top marks. The writing is a strong as the best action-adventure film, and the voice performances from all involved are expertly delivered (with Claudia Ross and Laura Bailey doing all the heavy lifting as Frazer and Ross, respectively). Like the previous Uncharted installment, you feel totally immersed in the world you’re playing in, whether you’re running, jumping, climbing, or taking down the bad guys either stealthily or in a hail of gunfire. – I couldn’t help having visceral reactions when Frazer was being shot at or forced to hide underwater to avoid the bullets of Asav’s underlings. As a gamer, you can’t ask for much more than that.
There’s been some criticism that Uncharted: The Lost Legacy is lacking in innovation when compared to Uncharted 4. Well, the truth is, this is a smaller game than that one, running roughly six hours. And if innovation has to take a backseat to storytelling, the sacrifice is worthwhile for a game as fun as The Lost Legacy. Though having played previous games will give you a greater appreciation for the characters, it’s by no means mandatory.
Though the beats of The Lost Legacy may have been charted before, the game is still a worthy entry into the Uncharted franchise. Highly recommended.
