Uncharted: The Lost Legacy

[JaySevenZero]

Here's where you can contribute your thoughts and opinions of Uncharted: The Lost Legacy for potential inclusion in the forthcoming podcast.

A friendly reminder to all that where feedback for the podcast is concerned, we love it - but self-editing (brevity) is appreciated. We do want to include a breadth of opinions where appropriate, but no-one wants a discussion podcast that’s mainly reading. Better to save yourself time and cut to the chase if you can.

[TheEmailer]

Cutting out the chaff.
Lost Legacy doesn't change the Uncharted formula, but it's smaller size removes filler. We keep the excellent locations, exciting set pieces and engaging writing; but there is less enduring wave upon wave of bullet sponge enemies, aided by stealth as a genuine option.

I felt the main three characters were all well drawn and interesting. The progression of Chloe and Nadine from untrusting partners to genuine allies showcases how good Naughty Dog are at dialogue. I like that our duo are not portrayed as 'good' people, they have selfish motivations but have to choose how to react to bigger events. However, it does pull its punches a bit in not really exploring the Indian politics it hints at in passing. What kind of rebels are these, what are their motivations, is it sectarian or ideological?

Finally a small hill upon which I would die. In Uncharted 3, we see Nadine as an excellent hand to hand fighter, able to fight off Drake and Sam. Yet Asav repeatedly fights off Nadine and Chloe. Not having it

[Alex79]

I've just started playing this through for a second time after I noticed it was leaving PS Now in a couple of weeks. Even in the first half an hour it's just oozing that Naughty Dog quality. They're really something else. I'm keen to see if it's still (in my opinion) the best Uncharted game.

[Caliburn M]

A shortened Uncharted game but still on par with it's predecessors. Great characters, writing etc and the same gameplay. If you liked other uncharted games you should play this.
Not worth saying more as I'm sure we all know the uncharted formula by now

[ratsoalbion]

Guess we don’t need to bother with a two hour podcast then!

[Stanshall]

Hahaha

[Alex79]

Full disclosure, I am a huge Uncharted apologist. Sure, I can see the flaws, and I listen to the arguments, but I just adore this series. The characters, the worlds, the exploring, the shooting, I love it all – and this, this just might be the series finest hour. Probably the biggest credit I can give this game is that not once in its eight hour roller-coaster ride did I catch myself wishing Drake was on the scene. The chemistry between Chloe and Nadine is perfect for the screen, and the short running time of the game means there wasn’t a wasted second or slow point anywhere to be found.

Structurally, it sticks pretty close to the tried and tested formula, although it does give you a huge open world to play around in at around a third of the way through. I spent around three hours on this section alone, finding all the tokens and treasures. If Naughty Dog had given us nothing but this section as DLC, they’d have still got away with it. As it is, that open world is just a small part of probably the tightest, most action packed Uncharted release yet. The set pieces are incredible. We’ve seen Drake run atop speeding trains before, but this time was more bombastic, more adrenaline fuelled and more fun than any other. The story was as good as any other we’ve seen in the series yet (and make of that what you will), the climbing even more refined and smooth than in U4, and the puzzles didn’t once feel like they broke up the flow of the game.

All in all, Naughty Dog have done an incredible job of showing that there is life after Drake for Uncharted, and I for one cannot wait to see what they do next. If we get a shorter, more action packed adventure like this every couple of years, I’m all in.

[matten zwei]

The Uncharted-series have always been system-sellers for me. I think you can always feel how much care an dedication Naughty Dog put in their titles. Their well written dialogues, interesting characters and epic storytelling are setting raising the bar for the entire industry with every game they publish.

I was pleasantly surprised, when sony announced the lost legacy. Especially because it was set in an assuringly smaller scale. Some might even say, it is a budget title. As I found Uncharted 4 and most games in general often to long, I was looking forward to a shorter title.

And what a short, budget title it was! The setting in india felt fresh, the landscapes were absolutely breathtaking and the rainy weather made the experience tense. I found the part with the elephants a bit cheesy, like a last-of-us-giraffe-knock-off. But thats okay with me. Naughty Dog have always been copying themselves and others to perfection. The train-level in uncharted 2 was already spectacular, but in Lost Legacy it is even more cinematic.

Gameplaywise, I really enjoyed the riddles, but to be honest, that was really it. I know, it's unfair to compare different games an genres with each other. But if you go from Battlefield 1 to uncharted, you realize how the controls patronize you. Every movement in uncharted still feels like a greyhound that's dragged on a leash.

Having two npc-companions wasn't a great help either. How come they always stand in the way when I'm desperately trying to find cover? Why on earth are the shooting with their airsoft-guns at armored enemies. I think it made the encounters unnecessary frustrating. What a shame to the beautifully crafted environment, when my screen keeps turning colourful as eraserhead.

So how do I feel about uncharted the lost legacy. I'd love to see more AAA-titles like that. I think $40 is a fair price for a 10 hour experience that polished. As much, as I love Nathan, Sully and Elena, I think The Lost Legacy is due to its atmosphere my favorite title of the uncharted series.

[Jon Cheetham]

The first two missions of The Lost Legacy are one of the strongest openings to a game you could ask for. From the market scenes which deftly introduce Chloe and the scenario, to the tension of entering the city's no-go zone, parkouring across the rooftops, poking around brilliantly rendered apartments and offices and eventually the chase back across the roofs - the pacing was pitch perfect.

I surprised myself by not liking the open world section of this game though. I adore open world games in general, but I couldn't wait for the Western Ghats to be over - maybe because it felt quite empty (albeit pretty), and often needed quite a bit of backtracking to get to the right ramp or entry to the next fort. If nothing else it seemed to show how the "wide linear" philosophy of Uncharted 4 and the other Lost Legacy levels is in fact a strength of these games as things really picked back up after.

Enjoyed my time with the game overall, particularly as a rip-roaring adventure like this that you can get through in 7 or 8 hours is no bad thing in my book.

Three word review: Excellent opening levels

[Stanshall]

I'm a fan of the Uncharted spectacle, rather than a fan of the gameplay, characters or narrative. Dialogue is almost always delivered with a raised eyebrow and a smirk and the fundamental mechanics barely changed in the decade between the first and most recent title. Despite this, I very much enjoy the roller-coaster ride through stunning, saturated locations and a well-tuned balance of vertiginous platforming, mild puzzling and a Rambo 3 body count. While the series has matured somewhat over time, with Lost Legacy perhaps the most sober title yet until the thrilling finale, this is nevertheless popcorn gaming at its finest.

It's this quality which drew me back to Lost Legacy during the ongoing cumulative stress of Covid. For the last six weeks, I've really struggled to play my usual shmups, rhythm games and 2D fighters because - quite honestly - I just don't have the energy, patience or mental fortitude right now. Uncharted Lost Legacy, along with a concurrent replay of Uncharted 4, has been an absolute delight and made me grateful for the range of experiences that gaming offers.

While it seems to be based on the same assets and lighting engine of A Thief's End, the compact nature of the game makes it feel richer and more detailed. While the colour palette is predominantly green and terracotta, the charcoal grey caves, golden statues and sparkling turquoise pools are used for maximum impact and contrast. While there is a stylised, almost hyperreal quality to the textures and colouring, the lighting system brings a stunning sense of tangibility and physicality to these assets. Likewise, Chloe and Nadine's nuanced facial animations are often unnervingly 'real' even while the characters look slightly 'cartoonish'.

While I did find some of the dialogue quite touching, and I did have a lump in my throat when Chloe realises what her father had hid from her and why, it is the sheer sensory pleasure of the game which stuck with me from my first play through and which most affected me again this time around: The peach melba sunset as you race alongside the train; the moment you first see the colossal elephant statues and the waterfall; it's one dazzling photo op after another. At a time when most of us are stuck within the four walls of the home or the office, even moreso than usual, Uncharted Lost Legacy proved the perfect escapism.