After not really enjoying the original trilogy all that much, I was really surprised by how much fun I had playing these two. I can appreciate the Nathan Drake collection for its place in gaming history, and they are well made linear action-adventure games with a middle of the road story and so-so characters. These new ones do follow in the originals’ footsteps, but also add so much more to the previously established blueprint, shaking it up just enough to turn it into something truly enjoyable and engaging at all times.
It's more than clear by now that making The Last of Us changed Naughty Dog for the better. Here we have Uncharted with actual character development and real emotional stakes. Nathan Drake has an arc, Sam has an arc, even Elena has an arc. The bad guy is a charismatic and threatening presence. For the first time I can say that an Uncharted story is a delight to play through.
In terms of presentation, it is pretty much unmatched. It still looks gorgeous, nearly photorealistic at times. Character models look great, the animation is dynamic and seemingly limitless in its variations, and the scenery work is outstanding. So many scenic vistas, I can only imagine the work this team put into them.
The overall structure follows the same pre-established mold. Cutscene, some platforming, combat arena, rinse and repeat. It doesn’t innovate in that sense, but what it does is innovate in each individual element of that structure, avoiding completely the tedium that it generated for me in the previous three games. As I said, cutscenes here have weight and are compelling to watch. Platforming isn’t just jumping from handhold to handhold anymore as some additions, especially the new rope, have added a layer of dynamism that was much needed to make these sections enjoyable for a longer gaming experience. And combat is now an even more polished experience, with smarter and more varied enemies, a larger arsenal of weapons, and a completely overhauled stealth option, that while it still isn’t my preferred form of engagement, it has become a very valid approach to combat sequences.
The Lost Legacy keeps everything that makes Uncharted 4 great and condenses it into a shorter and more contained experience, that still makes for some of the best the series has to offer. It can easily stand next to A Thief’s End without feeling overshadowed.
Overall, these two games are some of the best work Naught Dog has ever released, and the best the Uncharted franchise has to offer. I’d even encourage people to avoid the original three and dive into this one as soon as possible.
It's more than clear by now that making The Last of Us changed Naughty Dog for the better. Here we have Uncharted with actual character development and real emotional stakes. Nathan Drake has an arc, Sam has an arc, even Elena has an arc. The bad guy is a charismatic and threatening presence. For the first time I can say that an Uncharted story is a delight to play through.
In terms of presentation, it is pretty much unmatched. It still looks gorgeous, nearly photorealistic at times. Character models look great, the animation is dynamic and seemingly limitless in its variations, and the scenery work is outstanding. So many scenic vistas, I can only imagine the work this team put into them.
The overall structure follows the same pre-established mold. Cutscene, some platforming, combat arena, rinse and repeat. It doesn’t innovate in that sense, but what it does is innovate in each individual element of that structure, avoiding completely the tedium that it generated for me in the previous three games. As I said, cutscenes here have weight and are compelling to watch. Platforming isn’t just jumping from handhold to handhold anymore as some additions, especially the new rope, have added a layer of dynamism that was much needed to make these sections enjoyable for a longer gaming experience. And combat is now an even more polished experience, with smarter and more varied enemies, a larger arsenal of weapons, and a completely overhauled stealth option, that while it still isn’t my preferred form of engagement, it has become a very valid approach to combat sequences.
The Lost Legacy keeps everything that makes Uncharted 4 great and condenses it into a shorter and more contained experience, that still makes for some of the best the series has to offer. It can easily stand next to A Thief’s End without feeling overshadowed.
Overall, these two games are some of the best work Naught Dog has ever released, and the best the Uncharted franchise has to offer. I’d even encourage people to avoid the original three and dive into this one as soon as possible.