Written by Edward Jones – Student Pages Sub Editor & Creative Writer
Las year’s Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End was universally acclaimed as one of the best games on the Playstation 4, visually, narratively, and mechanically, but does Naughty Dog strike again with this shorter experience, or is The Last Legacy too much of the same again?
With A Thief’s End concluding Nathan Drake’s story, The Lost Legacy switches protagonists for the first time in the series. We play as Chloe Frazer as she teams up with Uncharted 4’s Nadine Ross in search of Ganesh’s tusk in beautifully-rendered India. Many fans were apprehensive about Uncharted continuing without its protagonist of nearly a decade, but Chloe and Nadine hold their own spectacularly. Their ever-changing chemistry throughout the game’s seven-hour playtime is one of its greatest hooks. Through dialogue both in and out of cut-scenes, and the very ways the characters interact with each other in gameplay, we see both characters grow together. And speaking of inter-personal chemistry, The Lost Legacy’s antagonist is phenomenal: perhaps the best yet. Every word of his dialogue brings waves of tension to the scene, and no antagonist so far has exhibited the sheer malice that Asav brings.
The story development follows Uncharted’s rather formulaic structure, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It’s not broken, and doesn’t need fixing. Expect the twists and turns of any blockbuster action game, complete with spectacular set-pieces, but it doesn’t break the mould.
The art style is very reminiscent of Uncharted 4’s, perhaps a little too much. A lot of The Lost Legacy takes place in luscious Indian jungles, but these are almost indistinguishable from those of Uncharted 4, save for the Hindu symbolism and architecture. Considering the game was initially developed as DLC for Uncharted 4, it inevitably tails behind Uncharted 4’s art style and gameplay, and this is to be expected from a game not built from the ground up.
Gameplay mechanics are almost identical to Uncharted 4’s, with the addition of a lock picking mechanic and an increased emphasis on stealth. The rope line, car winch, and piton spike are all a little too familiar over the seven hours of gameplay. It would have been nice to see a couple of new mechanics, but I only occasionally found the gameplay tedious. Driving is a huge staple of the game, particularly in the second act, which marks the biggest open-world section of an Uncharted game to date, in which players choose the order in which they complete tasks.
The Lost Legacy is as visually breath-taking as its big brother, such that you’ll find yourself stopping and staring in awe at the landscapes straight out of an oil painting. There are moments of creative flair such as flocks of birds exploding from bushes as you drive by which really bring the environment to life. There is also an incredible moment, reminiscent of The Last of Us’ giraffe scene, which demonstrates why Naughty Dog is one of the best developers around.
Overall, The Lost Legacy is an excellent ride, one that no Uncharted fan should pass up, but in minor places, shows its roots as a short DLC that grew into its own game. As long as you’re not expecting a full-fledged new AAA title, The Lost Legacy will delight you.
