Lost Legacy is something of an interesting side-dish for salivating Uncharted fans after the mainline Uncharted games wrapped up spectacularly with A Thief's End. Rather than serving up another full-priced retail offering, Uncharted: Lost Legacy costs just beneath £30 and has great bang for the buck value to boot. The question to ask here is does Lost Legacy emphatically improve on what Nathan Drake and company has already done, or does this newest entry prove to be the relic of the series?
This newest expedition for Uncharted swaps out Nathan Drake for his Uncharted 2: Among Thieves love interest, and replacing Sully is Nadine Ross-the no-nonsense muscle bound woman you might recognise from A Thief's End and who always calls Chloe by her surname for some arbitrary reason. Together Chloe and Nadine look to seek a golden tusk of Ganesh worth shed loads, but a foreign tyrannical warlord called Asad wants to thwart your efforts for his own nefarious and self-serving needs. Your modus operandi therefore is to retrieve the golden tusk of Ganesh and halt Asad's bid to overthrow the Indian government, all the while you travel about exploring ancient Indian ruins and taking trinkets that don't belong to you.
The thin and crispy plot doesn't sit in the stomach well as ultimately Chloe and Asad want financial gain by selling the expensive artefact or so it would seem, and the maniacal pursuits of Asad are no different from the dastardly objectives of the other run of the mill rank and file antagonists in the action adventure videogame genre. As for Chloe and Nadine's relationship, their pairing here adheres to the titular brawns and brains chemistry-Chloe solves the puzzles and outwits Asad and his followers, and Nadine is the strong no-nonsense type like a nightclub bouncer. The two often treat their excursions like a sun-scorched island getaway because they love to jibe at one another and make sophomoric wisecracks-because what's Uncharted without playful jokes?
This newest expedition for Uncharted swaps out Nathan Drake for his Uncharted 2: Among Thieves love interest, and replacing Sully is Nadine Ross-the no-nonsense muscle bound woman you might recognise from A Thief's End and who always calls Chloe by her surname for some arbitrary reason. Together Chloe and Nadine look to seek a golden tusk of Ganesh worth shed loads, but a foreign tyrannical warlord called Asad wants to thwart your efforts for his own nefarious and self-serving needs. Your modus operandi therefore is to retrieve the golden tusk of Ganesh and halt Asad's bid to overthrow the Indian government, all the while you travel about exploring ancient Indian ruins and taking trinkets that don't belong to you.
The thin and crispy plot doesn't sit in the stomach well as ultimately Chloe and Asad want financial gain by selling the expensive artefact or so it would seem, and the maniacal pursuits of Asad are no different from the dastardly objectives of the other run of the mill rank and file antagonists in the action adventure videogame genre. As for Chloe and Nadine's relationship, their pairing here adheres to the titular brawns and brains chemistry-Chloe solves the puzzles and outwits Asad and his followers, and Nadine is the strong no-nonsense type like a nightclub bouncer. The two often treat their excursions like a sun-scorched island getaway because they love to jibe at one another and make sophomoric wisecracks-because what's Uncharted without playful jokes?
If something's amiss in Lost Legacy, it's Nathan Drake, or at least a personality strong enough to fill his witty shoes. Chloe tries but her voice is far too earnest to be humorous, her and Nadine act like BFFs due to their constant banter, but again there's very little charm to either of them-making Lost Legacy draw attention to itself because of the absence of Drake. The cast isn't particularly interesting despite the dearth of characters here-but Asad is quite intriguing because his temper fluctuates and he's got a lot of personality traits that don't meet the eye so easily, though he shares a few comparisons with Zoran Lazarevic- the Among Thieves antagonist, especially when it comes to his cunning.
Lost Legacy isn't ashamed to be a textbook Uncharted game, aping A Thief's End's structure, ravishing good looks and its nuanced and diverse pacing-oh and the heap of collectible treasures, photo opportunities, lock boxes and optional conversations to keep you pilfering and searching every nook and hidey hole in this trinket-infested adventure. What we get is an Uncharted that fits the bill, revelling in all of what makes Uncharted a top-tier franchise minus a slab of its charisma.
The action in typical Uncharted fashion, is split up into third person action sequences, brain bending puzzle sections and plentiful moments of climbing and swinging across chasms monkey style. The usual formula works exquisitely as it should, built as it is a paint by numbers Uncharted adventure that just happens to be instilled with the expected height of quality you've come to expect from the series.
When the tension bolsters up, Lost Legacy does a sound job of replicating the flourishes of its predecessors while stiffening the challenge towards the end of the game to make encounters treacherous, demanding nimble movements to push forward towards the conclusion. Rebel mercenaries are your standard foreign assortment, easy to dispatch of but alert enough to bamboozle you with bullets if you move too carelessly, so choosing a stealth approach by staying nestled in the long grass and tucked behind objects and walls will give you time to survey and plan your actions, but so will marking your enemies by pressing the left analogue stick- a new feature that works well to make stealth a tad easier than it has been in the past.
The tempo and tenacity of the rebel forces strengthens as you get further and further into the game, again like previous instalments in the series. Heavily armoured guards will start appearing, making action-heavy scenarios bombastic and slippery, forcing you to flea from cover to cover while putting the diverse arsenal to good use. Taking these juggernauts down is a handful, though stealth can prove favourable, allowing you to rip their helmets off by urgently jabbing the triangle button, then proceeding to use a normal stealthy takedown to discard them- all the while making sure you aren't going to be blighted by bullets from remaining guards.
There's a wide variety of weapons at your disposal, some more prevalently available and others are found at specific points in the game. Your arsenal consists of assault rifles, SMGs, shotguns, handguns and sniper rifles, as well as a bevy of explosive bombs and RPGs-all of which can be located inside lockboxes found on the spine of mercenary trucks, or littered on the floor on or next to the dead mercs. The litany of weapons you can find in Lost Legacy is impressive and they sound like they pack a mean bite too, so it's a treat to fiddle with all the different bombs and guns Lost Legacy offers.
Similarly to Uncharted 4, your sidekick Nadine Ross can jump into the action as dependently as you. Chloe and Nadine work together like the proverbial well oiled machine. The A.I for Nadine is deft at handling dangerous situations, fighting alongside you to double-team as consummately as a professional wrestling tag team, granting a layer of excitable energy to firefights and sneaky sections. Communicating with Nadine is always pleasant because she's a talkative companion, not necessarily the most alluring parter to tag along with, but company you'll be happy to keep when you rove about in a jeep or when you go exploring tombs,caves and catacombs.
Lost Legacy isn't ashamed to be a textbook Uncharted game, aping A Thief's End's structure, ravishing good looks and its nuanced and diverse pacing-oh and the heap of collectible treasures, photo opportunities, lock boxes and optional conversations to keep you pilfering and searching every nook and hidey hole in this trinket-infested adventure. What we get is an Uncharted that fits the bill, revelling in all of what makes Uncharted a top-tier franchise minus a slab of its charisma.
The action in typical Uncharted fashion, is split up into third person action sequences, brain bending puzzle sections and plentiful moments of climbing and swinging across chasms monkey style. The usual formula works exquisitely as it should, built as it is a paint by numbers Uncharted adventure that just happens to be instilled with the expected height of quality you've come to expect from the series.
When the tension bolsters up, Lost Legacy does a sound job of replicating the flourishes of its predecessors while stiffening the challenge towards the end of the game to make encounters treacherous, demanding nimble movements to push forward towards the conclusion. Rebel mercenaries are your standard foreign assortment, easy to dispatch of but alert enough to bamboozle you with bullets if you move too carelessly, so choosing a stealth approach by staying nestled in the long grass and tucked behind objects and walls will give you time to survey and plan your actions, but so will marking your enemies by pressing the left analogue stick- a new feature that works well to make stealth a tad easier than it has been in the past.
The tempo and tenacity of the rebel forces strengthens as you get further and further into the game, again like previous instalments in the series. Heavily armoured guards will start appearing, making action-heavy scenarios bombastic and slippery, forcing you to flea from cover to cover while putting the diverse arsenal to good use. Taking these juggernauts down is a handful, though stealth can prove favourable, allowing you to rip their helmets off by urgently jabbing the triangle button, then proceeding to use a normal stealthy takedown to discard them- all the while making sure you aren't going to be blighted by bullets from remaining guards.
There's a wide variety of weapons at your disposal, some more prevalently available and others are found at specific points in the game. Your arsenal consists of assault rifles, SMGs, shotguns, handguns and sniper rifles, as well as a bevy of explosive bombs and RPGs-all of which can be located inside lockboxes found on the spine of mercenary trucks, or littered on the floor on or next to the dead mercs. The litany of weapons you can find in Lost Legacy is impressive and they sound like they pack a mean bite too, so it's a treat to fiddle with all the different bombs and guns Lost Legacy offers.
Similarly to Uncharted 4, your sidekick Nadine Ross can jump into the action as dependently as you. Chloe and Nadine work together like the proverbial well oiled machine. The A.I for Nadine is deft at handling dangerous situations, fighting alongside you to double-team as consummately as a professional wrestling tag team, granting a layer of excitable energy to firefights and sneaky sections. Communicating with Nadine is always pleasant because she's a talkative companion, not necessarily the most alluring parter to tag along with, but company you'll be happy to keep when you rove about in a jeep or when you go exploring tombs,caves and catacombs.
Puzzles are generously peppered throughout the course of Lost Legacy and they run the gamete of simplicity from relatively easy to proper brain-scratchers that'll challenge your noggin and possibly patience. Straightforward teasers like shifting radial rings to form a symbol provide momentary distractions, while complex puzzles require you to step on pressure pads in the correct sequence demand more mental metal to bypass. There's one very tricky puzzle involving the movement of horse pieces that'll necessitate repetition, but beyond one or two real conundrums,the puzzles successfully serve up Uncharted's patented brand of fairness, though they can be petty momentum stoppers at times-having you linger about battling your brains rather than the threat of Asad's rebel forces.
Lost Legacy by its very existence, feels like an Uncharted adventure for those who can't get enough treasure hunting or action adventuring. There's a satisfying gap left by Lost Legacy, replete with a familiar and safe but heartily all-consuming exploit into the muck and mire of profiteering from ancient artefacts, fraught with the dangers and perils of uneasy alliances and unpredictable foes. Generally speaking, Lost Legacy nails the classic gameplay formula on the head, and though it struggles to wriggle out of a sense of deja vu, it nevertheless keeps you on your toes throughout, challenging you consistently and tautly fastening you into a brief but memorable sojourn you won't soon forget.
Lost Legacy by its very existence, feels like an Uncharted adventure for those who can't get enough treasure hunting or action adventuring. There's a satisfying gap left by Lost Legacy, replete with a familiar and safe but heartily all-consuming exploit into the muck and mire of profiteering from ancient artefacts, fraught with the dangers and perils of uneasy alliances and unpredictable foes. Generally speaking, Lost Legacy nails the classic gameplay formula on the head, and though it struggles to wriggle out of a sense of deja vu, it nevertheless keeps you on your toes throughout, challenging you consistently and tautly fastening you into a brief but memorable sojourn you won't soon forget.
STORY:7/10
GAMEPLAY: 8/10
PRESENTATION: 8/10
LIFESPAN: 7/10
SCORE: 8/10
Though lacking in charismatic leads, Uncharted: The Lost Legacy is a fine salivating slice of Uncharted adventuring that's well worth undertaking. A relic to relish.