Review of Legacy of Thieves Collection
In 2016, Naughty Dog brought Nathan Drake’s story to an emotional conclusion with Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End. A year later, it launched Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, a standalone expansion that put Chloe Frazer in the lead role. Both Uncharted 4 and The Lost Legacy have garnered widespread critical acclaim, being hailed as some of the best entries in the entire Uncharted franchise. Now, Uncharted fans can relive those same classic adventures on PlayStation 5 with added bells and whistles that justify a return trip. Uncharted: The Legacy of Thieves Collection collects Uncharted 4 and The Lost Legacy together in one package on PS5. Players are able to transfer their saves from the PS4 versions of the games, so they can finish collecting all of Uncharted 4’s treasures or chase down any remaining trophies without having to start from scratch. However, it’s worth replaying both Uncharted 4 and The Lost Legacy from the beginning to fully appreciate how both games take advantage of the added horsepower of the PlayStation 5. Uncharted 4 on PS4 remains one of the best video games ever that did, and the PS5 makes it even better. While a new Uncharted game built from the ground-up with the PlayStation 5 in mind would no doubt look more impressive, Uncharted 4 on the PS5 is stunning, with players able to choose between three different options in graphics. There’s Fidelity Mode, which displays the game in stunning 4K resolution, but at the expense of frame rate. Then there’s Performance Mode, which scales the resolution to reach 60 FPS, and Performance+ Mode for those with a handy 120hz display. Uncharted 4 looks incredible with all three options, though most will probably want to go with Performance or Performance+ Mode to experience the smoothest gameplay. Performance Mode hits the sweet spot, finding the perfect balance between being efficient and playing well.
Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection makes Uncharted 4 and Lost Legacy better than ever, but there are other reasons to replay the games on PS5 as well. Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection takes full advantage of the PS5’s DualSense controller, enhancing nearly every action in the games, from platforming to shootouts. DualSense support goes a long way in making games more immersive, and for many, it will be hard to go back to playing them with a DualShock 4. Most Uncharted fans picking up Legacy will notice of Thieves Collection on PlayStation 5 are the DualSense improvements and the lightning-fast load times, but another new feature may fly under the radar, even though it’s one of the best things about the collection. It is highly recommended that anyone playing Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection do so with a good pair of headphones, so they can properly enjoy the absolutely amazing 3D audio. Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection’s audio design is stellar, and one of the best ways to experience it is Chapter 6 in Uncharted: The Lost Legacy. This chapter sees Chloe Frazer and her partner Nadine Ross exploring an open area with rushing waterfalls, pouring rain, and thunder rumbling in the distance, with all the sounds significantly enhanced thanks to using the 3D audio collection.
Uncharted: The Lost Legacy might actually be the game that fans want to check out first, assuming they’ve played both games before. Uncharted: The Lost Legacy is a shorter experience than Uncharted 4, with around nine chapters for players to complete. Uncharted: The Lost Legacy’s shorter length is one of its greatest assets, as it allows for some excellent pacing without any padding. It’s a lean game without the fat that can sometimes overwhelm other Uncharted games, including Uncharted 4. Uncharted: The Lost Legacy begins in a stunning city, with bright neon lights reflecting off the puddles in the street, and then sends players into a vast jungle environment full of lush vegetation and massive ancient ruins. One chapter will be linear, the next could be an open-world map that Chloe and Nadine are free to explore in their jeep. Players will go from platforming for a moment to sneaking out enemies to solving puzzles to engaging in a high-octane shootout all within 30 minutes. It’s non-stop fun from start to finish and makes a good argument for the Uncharted franchise to continue with Chloe Frazer in the lead role now that Nathan Drake’s adventures are over. Uncharted 4 is still clearly the crown jewel of the collection, but it’s a longer game and so its exciting moments are more spread out. There are some pacing issues with its story, but it’s still a massive blockbuster gaming experience with a near-perfect ending that will stick with fans long after the credits roll. Nathan Drake’s final adventure on PS5 is well worth revisiting, even for those who have already played Uncharted 4 extensively, and will make fans hungry for more Uncharted adventures to make their way to Sony’s latest console.
The Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection is basically a perfect collection of two of the best Uncharted games, although there is one major downside that needs to be addressed. Uncharted 4’s multiplayer mode is nowhere to be found in Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection. While most fans might miss it, Uncharted 4’s multiplayer is really great, and no one knows there’s less content in this version. The bright side is that Uncharted 4 is readily available on PlayStation 5 thanks to the console’s backward compatibility, and it’s even part of the PS Plus Collection lineup, so those interested can easily access multiplayer. Still, it’s nice to see how multiplayer has improved on the PS5, especially when looking at how much single-player has improved. The Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection is an amazing collection that greatly enhances two top-tier games. The lack of multiplayer is disappointing, but it’s not a deal-breaker. And after seeing how well Uncharted looks and plays on PS5, fans will be demanding a proper Uncharted sequel built from the ground-up for the platform. Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection launches on January 28 for PS5 with a PC version also in development. Today Technology was provided with a PS5 code for this review.