This year, Naughty Dog’s Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection is set to bring the action-adventure series natively to PC and PS5 for the very first time. Those that have been fortunate enough to dig up one of Sony’s next generation consoles only have to wait a couple of weeks before they can get their hands on Nathan Drake and Chloe Frazer’s updated adventures. PC players, on the other hand, will have to hold on a bit longer, as Iron Galaxy Studios' port of the double-pack still only has an ambiguous 2022 release date attached to it.

Unlike Sony’s recent Director’s Cut-labeled remasters, it should be noted that the Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection won't feature any brand new single-player content. However, that doesn’t mean fans should automatically dismiss the bundle as not being worthy of their time or investment. Naughty Dog has upgraded the experience from a technical perspective while also adding some significant bells and whistles in an effort to justify the game’s $49.99 entry fee. Considering players who own either of the original PS4 games can get an upgrade to the digital version of the collection for only $10, it’s worth examining just what’s included in the deal.

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The Uncharted Games Included

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As the cast of characters included within the bundle’s new key art suggest, Uncharted 4 and Uncharted: The Lost Legacy both co-headline the content that’s included within the Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection. Released initially on the PS4 in 2016 and 2017 respectively, each game’s single-player story features in its entirety within the upcoming collection. That ensures Naughty Dog’s trademark storytelling and cinematic prowess is on full display within the package, alongside some of the tightest gameplay mechanics in the franchise’s history. When it comes to the topic of critical reception, there aren’t many story-driven games from the outgoing console generation that have been celebrated so highly by fans and critics alike.

On the topic of story, Uncharted 4 represents the current cannon end of Nathan Drake’s treasure hunting adventures. Across a narrative that takes upwards of 15 hours to complete, players will explore plenty of locations across the globe while attempting to find the fabled pirate colony of Libertalia. Due to Naughty Dog’s desire to wrap up Drake’s narrative, the accompanying Uncharted: The Lost Legacy is the first game in the series that doesn’t revolve around its original protagonist. Claudia Black’s fan-favorite Chloe Frazer heads-up proceedings instead, in a shorter story that’s still every bit as thrilling as the ones Drake has spearheaded.

Even though each game can be enjoyed with no prior knowledge of the franchise’s past, the Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection should be viewed as a sequel to the Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection that launched early on in the PS4’s lifecycle. While fans will understandably be disappointed that the original trilogy of games isn’t included within this latest compilation, the work that Bluepoint Games did when updating those games holds up remarkably well a whole console generation later. As such, playing through that game on the PS5 is still a great way to experience those classics.

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Uncharted’s Upgraded Graphics

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When it comes to the remastering of Sony’s first party franchises, fans have come to expect a certain level of improvement and refinement. Games like the recently released Ghost of Tsushima: Director’s Cut were lauded at the time in this department in particular. As a result, it’s not especially shocking that the games included within the Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection live up to this standard too. Both Uncharted 4 and The Lost Legacy look notably better than their original PS4 releases thanks to Naughty Dog’s efforts to take advantage of the 4K resolutions that are becoming the standard across the globe.

Increased visual fidelity is only part of the equation, though, as Naughty Dog has also done an equally impressive job improving the performance of both games. Players will subsequently be able to play the titles included with the Legacy of Thieves Collection in three different modes. Fidelity Mode, which targets a 30 fps frame rate, will be available to players who want the sharpest 4K visual experience. In addition to this, a standard Performance mode will be present that targets a 60 fps frame rate. In a first for the studio, a Performance+ Mode will round out the trio and is able to target a120 fps frame rate and 1080p resolution.

Uncharted’s PS5 Features

Cosmic DualSense Colors

Ever since Sony unveiled the PS5’s DualSense controller, fans have speculated about how studios like Naughty Dog would take advantage of its haptic feedback and adaptive triggers. With the release of the Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection, those questions will finally be answered for the first time. Swinging from ropes, punching enemies, and driving 4x4 vehicles have all been described by the studio as being refined and rewarding experiences on PS5. The inclusion of faster load times and spatial 3D audio are bonuses that will no-doubt aid immersion as well. Even though the studio will likely push things further in the future when it builds a game from the ground-up for the PS5, what’s on offer in the upcoming collection already sounds promising.

Uncharted Movie Tickets

Tom Holland Uncharted Poster

One of the reasons why Naughty Dog has opted to target a January release window for Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection is because Sony has big plans for the franchise away from the small screen. By the time the middle of February gets here, PlayStation Productions will have just finished rolling out the Uncharted Movie in key territories across the globe. As the production company’s first major adaptation, there’s been a push from different sections within the Japanese corporation to get people back into cinemas to see it. In a clever piece of cross-promotional marketing, anyone who purchases the remastered bundle before February 3 in the US, UK, Australia, and New Zealand, will therefore be eligible for a free ticket to see the movie.

New PlayStation Trophy Lists

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Over the years, PlayStation Trophies have become synonymous with the Uncharted series for a number of reasons. Besides being some of the most rewarding lists fans can chase, Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune was also the first title to receive a Platinum Trophy via a patch back in 2008. While there's been no official confirmation yet, it stands to reason that each game within the Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection will come complete with its own separate list of digital accolades on PS5. It’s worth keeping in mind that each game’s list will likely have been tweaked slightly compared to their original PS4 releases. The multiplayer experience that was beloved by fans within the original releases of Uncharted 4 has been removed from the remastered experience, so the trophies tied to that portion of the game would need to be jettisoned by the collection, too.

Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection is set to release on January 28 on PS5 and later in 2022 on PC.

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