It should almost come with a disclaimer to skip the first game if you don't like it, saying the later entries get better.
I played this for the first time years ago, and couldn't get into it at all. The unnecessarily punishing vehicle sections, unvaried locations and mediocre story made me stop the first game about halfway through.
I just wrote it off as not being my thing. But after a reddit thread praising the sequels as being much better, and an empty void inside of me waiting for Spider-Man 2. Wanting some action packed games made me pick it back up.
And man was I missing out. The sequels are way more varied and fun. These adventures are some of the most enjoyable games I've played in a while.

I'm still finishing up 3, and have yet to start 4. But I really wanted to write my thoughts. This series really went under the radar for me. And I'm so glad I'm finally getting through them.

Edit: I've since beaten 3, 4 and Lost Legacy, and finished Drake's Fortune after dropping it. And man, what a special series. It doesn't leave the best first impression, but every game is incredible in it's own way. This series is truly something special