Why You Can Trust CNET Uncharted: The Lost Legacy review: Stop me if you've seen this before
While an entertaining ride, The Lost Legacy doesn't have much up its sleeve in terms of originality. But with such a strong pedigree, that might not matter.
There's no way around it, The Lost Legacy can feel really redundant at times, occasionally within its own campaign, and certainly compared to the rest of the Uncharted franchise. And the fact that there are only roughly 15 months between Uncharted 4's release and The Lost Legacy makes it's tough to separate some of the scenes from others.
Uncharted: The Lost Legacy
The Good
The Bad
The Bottom Line
The development time for The Lost Legacy was incredibly (and impressively) quick, but that speedy turnaround actually works against it in the interest of standing on its own. For all intents and purposes, this is more like "Uncharted 4.5."
Still, that's not necessarily a bad thing.
Ultimately, that's really the only thing worth complaining about when it comes to The Lost Legacy. We're getting more Uncharted in way less time than anyone would have originally thought -- and if you were begging for more after Uncharted 4's credits rolled, odds are you'll enjoy the ride that The Lost Legacy has to offer.
The game is a $40 (roughly £30 or AU$50) "story expansion" to the Uncharted universe and takes place soon after the events that transpired in Uncharted 4. But this time around you're in control of Chloe Frazer, as she and Nadine Ross attempt to recover The Tusk of Ganesha in the remote mountains of India. It's a much-needed change of personnel for the series, and players will also be treated to a pair of standout performances from voice actors Claudia Black and Laura Bailey.
So while this isn't a "full price" Uncharted, there's hardly any evidence that it's somehow inferior. The game is long, satisfying and packed with the staples you'd expect from any entry in the series. It also didn't seem to drag the way Uncharted 4 occasionally did.
The Lost Legacy even dabbles in areas that Uncharted games haven't before, introducing a lock-picking mechanic and some light open world objectives, even if they are optional.
To call The Lost Legacy visually striking would be an understatement. It looks just as good as Uncharted 4, with what feels like even more jaw-dropping scenery to gawk at. It's actually becoming a bit laughable. Uncharted 4 and now The Lost Legacy both suffer from a kind of beauty fatigue, where each consecutive reveal of a breathtaking vista seems to lose its novelty the more you're continually exposed to them. But these are good problems, right?
The Lost Legacy's 10-hour campaign left me with mixed feelings. It's a separate entry into the game's lore, but doesn't really use the opportunity to distance itself. The stars of the game prove to be a compelling pair. Watching them unpack their volatile relationship in between gun fights and rock climbing is some of the best drama the series has ever achieved. But, alas, The Lost Legacy is not much of a substantive departure from Nathan Drake's last adventure.
For someone who enjoyed their time with Uncharted 4, it's tough to imagine them not having fun with The Lost Legacy. But when it was all said and done, I was thrilled to not have to begrudgingly complete another picture puzzle or turn another crank.
Naughty Dog has all but perfected the Uncharted formula, but I'm going to need a longer break this time around.
Read Gamespot's coverage of the game too.