"Girl Power!"
Being the first spin-off in the "Uncharted" franchise leads to a lot of pressure to deliver, and "Uncharted: The Lost Legacy" takes that pressure and throws it to the side in effortless fashion. Chole Frazier and Nadine Ross provide a nice 1-2 punch as the two lead protagonists of this story, and the tradition of delightfully cartoonishly evil villains continues with Asav taking center stage. While it's a short adventure, it manages to be fast-paced, fun, and helps build upon some mechanics from "Uncharted 4: A Thieves' End".
The visuals here are once again spectacular and honestly compete with those in the previous game in some segments. Large vistas dominate the background and serve as nice breathers to the general chaos in the foreground throughout the adventure. The rest of the presentation is once again consistent and top-notch.
Gameplay has some improvements that make it a smoother experience than "Uncharted 4: A Thieves' End". Stealth is massively improved with the addition of silenced weapons, and the arenas just feel tighter yet more diverse with approach points. The large open-zone section in the middle of the game also feels great and helps to tie the adventure together while providing a bit of an improvement to the Madagascar section of the previous game.
There are some things that hold this game back, mostly tied to the quality of the story and characters. It's a very simple plot and mostly focuses on character actions yet again, but I felt that Chloe could have had just a bit more personality throughout this one. As for Nadine Ross, I think she is a fine buddy to go on an adventure with, but her personality is as flavorless as an opened La Croix can that's been sitting out in the hot sun. She just isn't written well, and even though there is factually more to her in this title, I just never cared much for her at all.
This game also does a great job in changing up what types of protagonists we get in this industry for AAA releases. Chloe and Nadine play well off each other, and it's pretty fun to control two badass chicks looking to harass the sh*t out of an insecure, testosterone-fueled, and maniacal main villain. Despite what some gamers might "complain" about, none of this is presented with "wokeism" or in any way where it's trying to shove it down your throat.
I think the game reaches its climax right at the end, which is refreshing to see from an "Uncharted" title. I think it's the best setpiece in the series, though I can settle for it being considered top three for sure. It feels like it went over the top in all of the best ways, and I hope that the tone of future games considers to be fun, fresh, and look to experiment with character leads and new gameplay mechanics.
If future spin-offs are of this quality, then I am totally on board. This game is actually right there with "Uncharted 2: Honor Among Thieves", and I consider it just a bit better. Controversial opinion, I know, but I think this game provides a lot of the same levels of novelty with a slightly worse story but with better gameplay. I can definitely Recommend it to fans of the series!
Final Verdict: 8/10 (Great)
Being the first spin-off in the "Uncharted" franchise leads to a lot of pressure to deliver, and "Uncharted: The Lost Legacy" takes that pressure and throws it to the side in effortless fashion. Chole Frazier and Nadine Ross provide a nice 1-2 punch as the two lead protagonists of this story, and the tradition of delightfully cartoonishly evil villains continues with Asav taking center stage. While it's a short adventure, it manages to be fast-paced, fun, and helps build upon some mechanics from "Uncharted 4: A Thieves' End".
The visuals here are once again spectacular and honestly compete with those in the previous game in some segments. Large vistas dominate the background and serve as nice breathers to the general chaos in the foreground throughout the adventure. The rest of the presentation is once again consistent and top-notch.
Gameplay has some improvements that make it a smoother experience than "Uncharted 4: A Thieves' End". Stealth is massively improved with the addition of silenced weapons, and the arenas just feel tighter yet more diverse with approach points. The large open-zone section in the middle of the game also feels great and helps to tie the adventure together while providing a bit of an improvement to the Madagascar section of the previous game.
There are some things that hold this game back, mostly tied to the quality of the story and characters. It's a very simple plot and mostly focuses on character actions yet again, but I felt that Chloe could have had just a bit more personality throughout this one. As for Nadine Ross, I think she is a fine buddy to go on an adventure with, but her personality is as flavorless as an opened La Croix can that's been sitting out in the hot sun. She just isn't written well, and even though there is factually more to her in this title, I just never cared much for her at all.
This game also does a great job in changing up what types of protagonists we get in this industry for AAA releases. Chloe and Nadine play well off each other, and it's pretty fun to control two badass chicks looking to harass the sh*t out of an insecure, testosterone-fueled, and maniacal main villain. Despite what some gamers might "complain" about, none of this is presented with "wokeism" or in any way where it's trying to shove it down your throat.
I think the game reaches its climax right at the end, which is refreshing to see from an "Uncharted" title. I think it's the best setpiece in the series, though I can settle for it being considered top three for sure. It feels like it went over the top in all of the best ways, and I hope that the tone of future games considers to be fun, fresh, and look to experiment with character leads and new gameplay mechanics.
If future spin-offs are of this quality, then I am totally on board. This game is actually right there with "Uncharted 2: Honor Among Thieves", and I consider it just a bit better. Controversial opinion, I know, but I think this game provides a lot of the same levels of novelty with a slightly worse story but with better gameplay. I can definitely Recommend it to fans of the series!
Final Verdict: 8/10 (Great)