Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End is arguably the best game on PlayStation 4, and is critically regarded as a masterpiece by a wide variety of sources. It is fitting, then, for developer Naughty Dog, to look into continuing the story in Uncharted with a new spin-off not starring main character Nathan Drake or his ally Sully, but rather previous foes of the series.
Chloe Frazer and Nadine Ross from Uncharted 2 and 4, respectively, have made their return in Uncharted: The Lost Legacy as the game’s protagonists.
In pursuit by a war monger coup, the demo we saw of the game began atop a massive moss-covered boulder overlooking green jungle space and incredible elephant statues carved out of the cliffside. It’s more of the same incredibly lush environments, scenery, and foliage of A Thief’s End, though there’s likely even a bit more polish in this one as the game can be properly designed from the ground up for PlayStation 4 Pro.
We get a sweeping view of the vista before Chloe and Nadine pull out their grappling hook and rope us right back in (see what we did there?) to some tried-and-true Uncharted gameplay. Without hesitation, they’re hiding in bushes, knocking out enemies, and jumping into a firefight.
The highlight of the combat here is actually more of the same, but ramped up even further than the audacious, insane destruction and chaos of A Thief’s End. Environments seem to be even more destructible this time around. Walls and barriers that appear to be fully integrated into the bedrock of the land come down with a simple grenade throw, and bricks come crashing down, demolishing the cover that was originally protecting the player character.
Even more impressive, a massive tree comes down and knocks out a bridge that looks to be part of the environment that isn’t going to move. Oh, but move it does.
The demo we got to see was short and, for the most part, showed us much of the same gameplay we’ve come to know in the last Uncharted title.
However, if you know anything about Uncharted 4, you’ll know that more of the same is not a bad thing in the least. The sendoff for Nathan Drake had some of the most detailed and finely-tuned gameplay of any shooter, adventure title, or action game we’ve played. It’s not just in its subtlety that it shines, either. Uncharted has always been unabashed about having grandiose set pieces and an incredible level of detail; The Lost Legacy seems to continue this trend.
A shorter title, Uncharted: The Lost Legacy is also likely to suffer much fewer pacing issues than its full-fledged older brother. The game is said to be roughly eight to ten hours in length, quoted as being similar in length to the early Uncharted games, though this will of course vary based on play style.
The game will not be bringing back a new multiplayer component this time around, but will include Uncharted 4‘s multiplayer experience. Considering this is a full single-player campaign experience at a budget $40 (USD) price tag, that’s actually nothing to complain about. Further, players who bought Uncharted 4‘s Digital Deluxe Edition, Explorer’s Pack, or the Triple Pack, The Lost Legacy will release as free DLC since the game was originally designed to be downloadable content that shifted into a more flushed out experience.
Uncharted: The Lost Legacy comes out on PlayStation 4 and, by extension, PlayStation 4 Pro, on August 22nd.