Uncharted: The Lost Legacy Review (PS4)

This was one of those games where I pre-ordered at the last minute because I was having this internal debate with myself. This game was originally pegged as DLC before being pegged as “more than DLC.” This threw me off a little because as much as I loved the Uncharted series and Chloe, I just couldn’t justify paying $40 for DLC. After finally deciding to give it a try and breaking down to pre-order it, if it was horrible and not worth the money I could bitch about it here, I played this game day one and continued until I got the platinum trophy.

Uncharted: The Lost Legacy lets the player play as Chloe. Chloe was introduced in Uncharted 2 as Nate’s on again off again treasure hunting, back stabbing, all about herself girlfriend. After making an appearance, a very short appearance, in Uncharted 3 she was completely taken out of Uncharted 4. Anyway, you’ll join Chloe on an adventure as she travels to India to find the Tusk of Ganesh. She won’t be alone though as she travels with Nadine Ross. Introduced as a villain in Uncharted 4, Nadine shows no love for the Drake brothers and took the job with Chloe so that after her payday she could get back Shoreline. In typical Uncharted fashion, you’ll treasure hunt, fight bad guys, and finally find what you’re looking for in a place where it isn’t supposed to be. You’re not the only one looking for the Tusk though as you’ll have to fight off war monger Asav who you’re lead to believe is trying to find the Tusk in order to motivate people to join his cause. Not only will all of this take place, but Chloe and Nadine will go from just barely tolerating each other to understanding each other more and becoming actual friends. You’ll also get a bunch of background on Chloe, who is more than what she was made out to be in Uncharted 2 and 3.

Performance Matters! While I haven’t been vocal on the whole Voice Actor strike and the whole “Performance Matters” thing, there were some things in the strike that I agree with, and somethings that I don’t. I have to say that the performance given by Claudia Black and Laura Bailey in this game is phenomenal and without them this game would never have been as good as it was. This is just one of those games where the performance really does matter because while the game itself was amazing, without these two ladies it would have just been another game in a pile of games instead of standing out the way it did.

Needless to say, I absolutely loved this game. LOVED IT. I thought it was amazing from start to finish and couldn’t ask for a better Uncharted game. I wasn’t a real big fan of Uncharted 4, which I finished playing but never went back to, but this is completely different. Yes it follows the same treasure hunting formula, minus the weird super natural stuff, but it’s so much more than that as well. It’s about these two women who go into this job of finding the Tusk of Ganesh expecting one outcome but getting another. What makes this game truly amazing is the bond that both Chloe and Nadine form throughout the game showing that they really aren’t the people that they’re made out to be in the other games. Chloe is much more of a deeper character who isn’t just all about herself, there’s a lot of bravado on her part and you’ll find out why throughout the game. The same goes for Nadine as she’s made out to be some sort of super villain in Uncharted 4 because of Shoreline, but ends up becoming the good guy for so many reasons throughout the course of this game. You’ll learn more about Nadine as well and the bond that is created between Nadine and Chloe throughout this game will make you wish this game didn’t have to end.

The playability for this game is the standard Uncharted playability with the new open worldish chapter introduced in the middle. You’ll basically make your way through each chapter going in a general direction and doing what you’re supposed to do, which is hide, duck in cover, shoot bad guys, jump from ledge to ledge, swing from ledges making impossible jumps, and find treasure. You’ll also get a chapter that lets you take direction and basically play the chapter as you see fit. There’s no right or wrong way to do it and you’ll get to drive around without being told a general direction to go in making it open worldish meaning you’ll get to drive around and do what you want, but you still have to end up in the same place. During this open worldish chapter, you’ll be able to drive and I have to say that compared to Uncharted 4, the driving is just a little bit better. Annoying at times when a muddy road gets in the way, but overall better. Not to mention Chloe has the ability to pick locks. This is a whole new aspect added into the game and it’s not your typical Skyrim or Fallout lock picking mini game, it’s completely different and it fits the game. Not only does it fit the game, but it works and it works well. Another bonus just to add onto how awesome this game is, is that it runs bug and glitch free.

When it comes to graphics, these graphics are top notch. Everything looks so real and like it came out of a picture. It’s amazing how awesome this game looks from start to finish. Everything from the scenery of India to the perfect facial animations just makes this game better. While the graphics are great during gameplay, the only problem I had was that when Chloe is standing still it looks like she’s hunched over at times which is just weird, the graphics during the cut scenes are phenomenal and really bring this game to life. I’m not one to harp on the graphics and if you frequently read or watch my reviews you know this, but wow. These graphics seriously blew me away.

That Elephant Scene! After the whole giraffe scene in The Last of Us, I didn’t think that there could be a scene involving a wild animal that was done so beautifully and have such deep meaning, but Uncharted: The Lost Legacy somehow is able to do it. The scene involves a trapped Elephant that Chloe and Nadine save. Not only is it beautifully animated, but it also has a lot of meaning to it and I would be lying if I didn’t say that I teared up a little during this whole scene which brings so much to this game. Sometimes it’s funny what one little scene can do to a game.

There are a total of 50 trophies for this game, including a platinum trophy. This is one of those games though that you shouldn’t play for the trophies. Play because you love the Uncharted series, or because you have a love for these two characters, but don’t just play thinking that it’s an easy trophy game. This game is so much more and to be honest the only reason why I went back and got all of the trophies for this game is because I loved the game that much. The trophies will be your typical Uncharted trophies though where you’ll have to complete the game, complete it on crushing, find all the treasures, optional conversations, optional pictures, do some chapter specific things, and some timed things. The typical Uncharted trophy list, which really isn’t that hard if you enjoy the game.

While there is no actual multiplayer for this game, it is tacked on from Uncharted 4 and you can access all of your Uncharted 4 multiplayer stuff from this game. I wasn’t really into the whole Uncharted 4 multiplayer, I played a few times with my buddy and that was about it. This time around though, I have to say that I tried Survival Mode which was added onto Uncharted 4 and you’ll be allowed access to it in this game and thought it was really great. I’ve been playing solo or with my over powered friend and I usually have a really great time trying to beat each level and get 3 stars. The multiplayer is completely optional though and if you don’t want to play it, you don’t have to.

Overall I give this game a 5 out of 5.

What’s Great:
+ After getting a half-assed appearance in Uncharted 3 and being completely cut off from Uncharted 4, Chloe is back and she’s better than ever.
+ The main story of the game isn’t about finding the Tusk of Ganesh, it’s actually the sub-plot while the real main story is about Chloe and Nadine. Both of them are misfits who are trying to follow in their father’s footsteps and later on end up realizing that they don’t have to.
+ There is so much character development in this game and it really focuses on how Chloe isn’t what she was made out to be in Uncharted 2 and 3 and how Nadine isn’t what she was made out to be in Uncharted 4.
+ The graphics for this game are just phenomenal and will blow you away. Not to mention that the voice acting is spot on and enhances the game by a huge margin.
+ While the game has new mechanics, such as lock picking, it’s still Uncharted and it feels like you’re playing an Uncharted game. Even the driving aspect got better.

What’s Not So Great:
– This is just a me thing, but when standing still Chloe is a little slouched down and it makes it look weird until you start walking again. A simple thing fixed by not standing still.

This game is simply amazing and I can’t say enough good things about it. From the story, to the voice acting, to the graphics, to the ending, the game delivers from start to finish. It’s an Uncharted game through and through, but I have to say that it’s one of the best in the series. This game is far from being the DLC that it was originally pegged as. If I would have to call this game something, I would call it an expansion, which you rarely see these days, and hopefully a start to something new in the Uncharted series. I would love to see both Chloe and Nadine going on a new adventure, especially since they both mentioned some places they want to visit in the game. This game is well worth the money that it costs to purchase it and if you haven’t already purchased it I would say that if you’re an Uncharted fan that you must. If you aren’t an Uncharted fan, I would still recommend this game as it can stand on its own and isn’t too confusing for new players. This game is more like a new beginning to a franchise that I thought would have ended with Uncharted 4.