It was only a matter of time until the Uncharted series made its first appearance on PlayStation 5. The quality of the series aside, Nathan Drake and his crew are some of the most iconic faces on the platform, so they were always going to appear on the new generation whether the series was continuing or not.
With the Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection, Naughty Dog has re-released the correct games too. Drake Fortune, Among Thieves, and Drake's Deception have been remastered already on PS4, and A Thief's End and The Lost Legacy are recent enough releases that they can still show off the true graphical potential of the PlayStation 5.
With Drake's final adventure and the spin-off coming together in one package, The Legacy of Thieves Collection is a great introducion to the series' variety and best moments, and a perfect opportunity to replay one (if not two) of the best PlayStation exclusives of the last decade.
The Perfect Return
The two games are quite different too. While The Lost Legacy is a shorter game, focused on the adventure itself, A Thief's End is understandably focused on the cast of characters anyone who has played the previous trilogy has come to love.
The relationships are nuanced and relatable, and while the adventure is fun (if a bit overlong) simply spending time with the characters is the real highlight.
Replaying Uncharted 4 for the first time since launch in 2016 was a real stark reminder of quite how good it is. While it was praised across the board at the time, I really think it should be lauded as the best game is the series, full stop.
Drake, Elena, Sully, and newcomer Troy Baker's Sam are extremely well-rounded characters, boosted by top tier performances.
The action is great - full of spectacular set-pieces and memorable locales - but it's the slower moments that really hit when returning to the game.
The scene early on, when Nate and Elena chill out after work, having dinner and chatting while playing Elena's favourite game, is just perfect. It's so meticulously well written and performed that's it's impossible to not form a connection with them, and it's an even more effective moment for anyone who's already spent three whole games with the couple.
These slower moments recur throughout A Thief's End, peaking right at the end with a perfect send-off for our beloved adventurer. Whether you've played it before or are new to the series, Uncharted 4 remains one of the best PlayStation exclusives of all time.
A Great Supplement
The Lost Legacy, on the other hand, while not filled with quite the frequency of memorable moments, is still a wonderful adventure.
Chloe and Nadine are interesting characters - some people may even vibe with them more than they do with Nate and co - but their relationships don't have the same depth and history, so the story doesn't hit quite the same.
However, since Naughty Dog was able to learn a few lessons from Uncharted 4, the gameplay is a little improved. There's more variety and the level design is impeccable.
What The Lost Legacy does more than anything, though, is prove that there's a future in Uncharted away from Nathan Drake.
Many people said so after it released, but it's presented a perfect model for the series to employ going forward. Smaller, shorter adventures with different characters, utilising the same kind of gameplay mechanics. Regular adventures like The Lost Legacy would be so much fun.
How Much of an Upgrade is the Collection?
Now, as for whether The Legacy of Thieves Collection is worth picking up as a new package (or a £10 upgrade), we'd have to say yes.
The visual upgrade won't blow you away. It doesn't look as good PS5's more recent exclusives, or maybe even The Last of Us Part II, but there's a tangible difference, particularly in certain areas.
Facial animation in cutscenes look phenomenal and the larger open landscapes look incredible. The action is also smoother than it has ever been, improving the Uncharted gameplay somewhat.
However, textures close up and in cutscenes are smoother and there's a real lack of particle effects throughout Uncharted 4. Of course, the game is coming up on six years old, but the cutscenes look remarkably clean, to a point that they can feel a little empty.
The Lost Legacy seems more detailed, but both still look great, and better than ever. If you're upgrading for just a tenner, it's a no brainer really.
The Collection also boasts Spatial 3D Audio, which is a first for the series, and a great addition for the combat-heavy section of both games.
For the improved load times alone (especially if you're playing on harder difficulties and dying a lot) The Legacy of Thieves Collection is the best way to play the two latest Uncharted games.
In short, the upgrades are noticeable, if not enough to blow you away.
Verdict
No matter how important the graphical upgrades are to you, The Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection is the perfect excuse to replay one of the single best PlayStation exclusives of all time.
Spending time with Nathan Drake and his family again is wonderful and The Lost Legacy is a brilliant spin-off adventure, even if the nice lick of paint doesn't hide the fact that the games are approaching six years old.
RealSport Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Our Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection PS5 review code was provided by PlayStation.
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