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 earned widespread critical acclaim, hailed as some of the finest entries in the entire Uncharted franchise. Now, Uncharted fans can relive both classic adventures on PlayStation 5 with added bells and whistles that justify making a return trip.
Uncharted: 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 chasing 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 PlayStation 5's added horsepower.
Uncharted 4 on PS4 remains one of the best-looking video games ever made, and the PS5 makes it look even better. While a new Uncharted game built from the ground-up with the PlayStation 5 in mind would no doubt look even more impressive, Uncharted 4 on PS5 is stunning, with players able to choose between three different graphics options. There's Fidelity Mode, which displays the game in eye-watering 4K resolution, but at the expense of the frame rate. Then there's Performance Mode, which scales the resolution in order to hit 60 FPS, and Performance+ Mode for those with 120hz displays handy. Uncharted 4 looks incredible in all three options, though most will likely want to go with Performance or Performance+ Mode to experience the smoothest gameplay. Performance Mode hits the sweet spot, finding the perfect balance between looking great and playing great.
Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection makes Uncharted 4 and Lost Legacy look better than ever before, 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 virtually every action in the games, from platforming to shootouts. The DualSense support goes a long way in making the games even more immersive, and for many, it will be hard to go back to playing them with a DualShock 4.
Most Uncharted fans that pick up the Legacy of Thieves Collection on PlayStation 5 will notice the DualSense enhancements and the lightning-fast load times, but one other new feature may fly under the radar, even though it's one of the best things about the collection. It's highly recommended that anyone playing Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection do so with a nice 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 a rushing waterfall, rain pouring down, and thunder booming in the distance, with all the sounds significantly enhanced thanks to the collection's use of 3D audio.
Uncharted: The Lost Legacy may actually be the game fans want to check out first, assuming they've already played through both games before. Uncharted: The Lost Legacy is a much shorter experience than Uncharted 4, with about nine chapters for players to complete. Uncharted: The Lost Legacy's shorter length is one of its greatest assets, as it allows for some brilliant pacing without any padding. It's a lean game with none of the fat that can sometimes bog down the other Uncharted games, Uncharted 4 included.
Uncharted: The Lost Legacy starts off in a stunning city, with bright neon lights reflecting off puddles in the street, and then sends players into a sprawling jungle environment full of lush greenery and massive ancient ruins. One chapter will be linear, the next may be an open-world map that Chloe and Nadine are free to explore in their jeep. Players will go from platforming one moment to stealthily taking out enemies to solving a puzzle to engaging in a high-octane shootout all in the span of 30 minutes. It's nonstop 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 much longer game and so its exciting moments are spread out a bit more. There are some pacing issues with its story, but it's still a tremendous blockbuster gaming experience with a near-perfect ending that will stick with fans long after the credits roll. Revisiting Nathan Drake's last adventure on PS5 is well worth it, even for those who have already played Uncharted 4 extensively, and it will leave fans hungry for other Uncharted adventures to make their way to Sony's newest console.
Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection is basically a perfect collection of two of the best Uncharted games, though 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 the majority of fans may not miss it, Uncharted 4's multiplayer was actually quite good, and there's no getting around that there is simply 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 is even part of the PS Plus Collection lineup, so those interested can access the multiplayer easily. Still, it would've been nice to see how the multiplayer could've been enhanced on PS5, especially when looking at how much the single-player has been improved.
Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection is a fantastic collection that greatly enhances two top-tier games. The lack of multiplayer is disappointing, but it's hardly a deal-breaker. And after seeing how great Uncharted looks and plays on PS5, fans will be clamoring for a proper Uncharted sequel built for the ground-up for the platform.
Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection launches January 28 for PS5 with a PC version also in development. Game Rant was provided with a PS5 code for this review.
