Out this week exclusively for the PlayStation 4 is the latest entry in the Uncharted series, Uncharted: The Lost Legacy. Lost Legacy follows on several months after the events of Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End this story, however, follows fan favourite Chloe (Claudia Black) and her new partner in crime Nadine (Laura Bailey) fresh off her failure from her run-in with the Drake Brothers. Claudia and Nadine are in India searching for an ancient artifact called The Tusk of Ganesh. They run afoul of Asav (Usman Ally) an Indian warlord, and they have to race against him to find this ancient artifact in the beautiful mountain range of the Western Ghats.
It’s brilliant to see Chloe return after a long departure from the series. Claudia Black has not missed a beat; she still has that effortless charm and razor sharp wit that we all fell in love with when she was introduced in Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. Nadine is an excellent foil to Chloe, unlike Nathan who came off as a nagging aunt when he was around her. Nadine, on the other hand, doesn’t put up with her particular brand of b******t and it is this dynamic that makes Uncharted: The Lost Legacy such a pleasure to play. The story is top-notch, the exploration of the two characters is fascinating as we learn more about each of their backgrounds and motivations. Lost Legacy also oozes atmosphere, the dark war torn streets of the first act are wonderfully rendered, and you’ll take pause as the rain beats down on the rooftops you traverse. Once the story takes you to the Western Ghats, you’ll be taken aback by the beauty of the scenery. The team at Naughty Dog have truly outdone themselves in this regard.
The gameplay, for the most part, is the usual affair we’ve come to expect from the Uncharted series. You fight baddies with the same fluid combat system, combining square and triangle to beat up your enemies and when that doesn’t work, you’re utilising the many weapons available. Many of the gameplay mechanics we’ve come to enjoy from previous games in the series return, but there is a new addition however that give Chloe’s adventure its own unique identity. Chloe utilises her lock picking skills to break into different areas and to unlock various crates that house weaponry and collectible items. It’s a small change, but it’s much appreciated. As well as the reminiscent gameplay there are moments where the beautiful landscape of the Western Ghats looks all too familiar. Areas and layouts seem almost ripped from, Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End. It sadly adds a touch of complacency to the design and construction of Uncharted: The Lost Legacy. There are also some rendering hiccups, and they momentarily take you out of the experience.
The puzzles return, and they range from absurdly easy to relatively difficult so they never truly feel like a challenge. Most of them involve moving jigsaw-like pieces around to form an image. There are also puzzles centred around several tokens, and this is an optional quest, and it’s quite enjoyable and is one taken at your leisure.
The real draw of Uncharted: The Lost Legacy is its characters and their adventure. The gameplay is familiar but in a warm and welcoming way and with a bombastic and thrilling final act Uncharted: The Lost Legacy is a welcome addition to the Uncharted mythos, and I look forward to seeing the Uncharted Universe expanding even further with all the great characters within it.
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