This is a game that has many people amazed at the high technology and AI driven gameplay. According to the narrative of the game, it seems that the main character in the series is considering permanent retirement – this provides the opportune time for a final adventure into this unknown territory. There is a huge cast of characters who add more flesh to the storyline. Ex-mercenary Nadine Ross and treasure hunter Cloe Frazer are capable in the field and have a sense of humour. They make for an excellent pairing with Nathan, who is well known for making wisecracks.
Publisher Information
- Publisher(s): Sony Entertainment
- Platforms(s): PlayStation 4
- Release date(s): August 22, 2017 (NA), August 23, 2017 (PAL)
The story of Uncharted: The Lost Legacy
The story features a couple of adventurers who come from different backgrounds and have differing motivations for being on this quest – this breeds a lot of tension in the uneasy alliance. They are looking for the Tusk of Ganesh, hidden in the Western Ghats of India.
Their main adversary is Asav, who is a bad-tempered warlord, and will do anything to maintain his grip on the Uncharted territory. The whole story is rich in substance and exposition, which is brought about by the conversations between Nadine and Cloe.
The conversations serve two purposes – the first is filling in the blanks of what happened since Uncharted 4, and the second is just to make the game enjoyable as they argue and bicker and then get together to face a challenge.
The conversations soon reveal why Chloe wants to find the tusk and the true meaning of the subtitle, “The Lost Legacy”. The theme of the game brings out the lesson that ambition can deeply affect relationships. Adventure game fans are well aware of these messages brought about by games of this genre.
The game design
The game is set in the dense vegetation of India, and several ruins dot the land. The series has always tended to place their characters in jungle scenes, and this one is not any different.
The Lost Legacy offers striking effects in their tropical forest settings. There are ruins of lost civilisations spread out in the lush vegetation, which bring about interesting conversations between the two characters. Since the game is short, then conversations are not rushed and make the game more enjoyable.
The gameplay
The game has a lot of crazy stunts that will amaze players. The challenges come up at any time, and this adds to the tension of the game. Before the game starts, players are taken through a brief stealth tutorial, but it does not teach much for survival. Players have to rely on their wits and an understanding of the capabilities of the two characters.
The game has an ebb and flow structure, with intense, action-packed scenes, leading to serene ones, where the player can catch a breath.
There are expansive scenes which require a lot of driving, running or climbing, but this is a technique that is going over with players who want to experience a real-world setting. The game allows for proper exploration of the ruins and other interesting aspects of the environment.
There are other confined scenes within the ruins or in caves, which add a level of claustrophobia to the game. The confined and expansive scenes provide an excellent environment for combat, and ingenuity on the players’ side on how to win.
A game of strategy
The shootouts in the game offer new gunplay chances after every death and retry. This means using different strategies in every repeat, making the game enjoyable at all times. You can outflank Asav’s army in one try, and then hit them head-on in another.
The death squads sent after the team are easily defeated when strategies are varied. A fully-staffed patrol can be cleared with an intelligent use of grenades. This can be done without being detected at all, and this makes for an exciting gameplay.
It is harder to try and get into stealth mode and go unnoticed, but most areas are so large that they allow this kind of movement. There are few places where you can talk yourself out of trouble; you must be prepared for the inevitable confrontation at all times.
Not forever solving puzzles this time
Unlike most other adventure games, Uncharted: The Lost Legacy comes with fewer puzzles to be solved by players. Most games in the series have had these moments of dry chores which are disguised as puzzles, but in this variation, the puzzles have been kept to a minimum.
Despite being fewer, the puzzles in this version are much harder to solve. They will ultimately use your resources to the point of exhaustion. This only makes it more satisfying when you get to solve them. You do not need to have played a former version of Uncharted to solve the puzzles. In this case, they are based on Hindu gods and the focus of the quest.
The take on gunplay
The Lost Legacy does not challenge the player in multiplayer scenarios or survival modes where waves of attackers have to be kept at bay. This version does not have many of the melee action scenes found in Uncharted 4
Multiplayer scenarios are much more exciting because you are fighting against or with a real-life person and not just the characters in the game. This version should have put a bit more emphasis on this aspect.
The game, however, uses folklore to ramp up the excitement. You get to use superpowers attained from artefacts, get gold and summon AI soldiers when you need them, and a long attention-grabbing progression system makes this game unforgettable.
