Enjoy your retirement, Nate!
Good Nathan Drake has definitely (or maybe not?) abandoned his "glorious" career as a treasure hunter, but that doesn't mean the Uncharted universe will cease to exist. For all fans of the series, his exploits, which began in 2007 on PlayStation 3 with Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, which made us not only rediscover adventure games, but at the same time catapulted us into the videogame era that we all know today, thanks to unprecedented graphics and realism. Uncharted: Drake's Fortune was the real killer application on PlayStation 3, helping the console's sales tremendously.
In just a few months, the first chapter of Uncharted recorded record numbers, which, for obvious reasons, prompted Naughty Dog to work on two sequels, namely The Den of Thieves (2009), which also introduced multiplayer mode in the e series The Drake Deception (2011) which is even considered the best game ever released on PlayStation 3. On the old Sony flagship, the three chapters have sold a total of almost 30 million copies, bringing the Naughty Dog guys to the Olympus of software houses. With the advent of PlayStation 4, the non-publication of a new progenitor of the series would have been unimaginable and in fact, in May 2016, we found ourselves, after a wait of five years, Uncharted 4: End of a Thief.
It goes without saying that, to date, this umpteenth chapter has also sold about ten million copies worldwide, thus bringing the series to almost 40 million copies in total. After the conclusion of Uncharted 4, all the fans were convinced that the end had really come, but apparently Naughty Dog's plans were very different. Sure, good Nathan is retired now, but that doesn't mean Uncharted can't continue without him. The Lost Legacy, it is much more than a stand alone DLC, it is an adventure that alone manages to bear the weight (of the legacy) of all the other chapters published to date. In the role of the protagonist adventurer we find an old acquaintance, the gorgeous Chloe Frazer, accompanied by one of the villains of the fourth chapter, Nadine Ross.
A deadly combo
Two beautiful women, intelligent, cunning and with a fighting streak that is truly out of the ordinary and never to be underestimated. The main goal is to find an ancient Indian artifact: the Golden Paw of Ganesh, which for centuries no one has ever been able to find. The two girls have a lot in common, but in many ways they are almost the opposites that attract each other. Precisely this contrast manages to offer a very funny adventure, made up of serious situations alternating with interludes at times "comic" in which we will discover something more about the origins and life of Chloe and why she became a "thief" of treasures and ancient artifacts. Even Nadine Ross herself, presented for the first time in Uncharted 4, in addition to wanting to regain her role as leader in the Shoreline, has a deep and very particular personality that in this DLC manages to emerge in all its completeness. The plot of The Lost Legacy, as well as that of the past chapters, is therefore a mix of elements perfectly amalgamated with each other that range, as mentioned above, from serious situations to funny and hilarious tones up to even a mini analysis of the / the protagonists / protagonists of the “Unchartedian” universe.
The narrative plot is well written but it is not particularly busy, maintaining a certain lightness overall. We will have moments of flat calm (more apparent than anything else) which will suddenly be countered by accelerations that will drag us into the wildest and most chaotic action, to which the boys of Naughty Dog have accustomed us, not only with Uncharted but also with The Last of Us. Everything follows, or rather, replicates what was showy in Uncharted 4, but unlike the latter which basically represented the end of an era, The Lost Legacy has more of the garb of the beginning, of the new, of a sort of "Beginning" which could, why not, lead Frazer, after having played the role of shoulder and helper, to become the brand's new protagonist in all respects. The only flaw, a bit like what happened "often" in the series, is given by our "archenemy" who, after an impressive presentation, almost seems unable to "take flight" unfortunately remaining almost relegated to a role secondary, failing to withstand the intensity and the "acting" of our two protagonists.
However, the level reached by Naughty Dog is impressive as regards the acting of the two supporting actors present in this DLC. Keeping the lead from Uncharted 4, feels like being in a movie, which scene after scene, piece by piece, dialogue after dialogue enriches the story with many details and details. Moreover, even after five chapters (yes, because The Lost Legacy is more than a simple expansion) the formula created by the American boys still manages to remain fresh, perfect and in step with the times. In fact, each chapter focuses on a specific find, which seems almost legendary and impossible to find and from there we leave for an immense and extraordinary journey around the globe, made up of action, environmental puzzles, dangers and fascinating timeless constructions that we will see. collapse under us as we pass.
Bang Bang, Boom Boom!
From a gameplay standpoint, the latter was slightly refined compared to the fourth chapter but without obvious upheavals. We will play the role of Chloe Frazer, who if it were not for her beauty and attractiveness we could practically consider a Nathan Drake in a female version. The feeling is practically the same, there are no differences whatsoever, even if it is a woman. Our adventurer will try her hand in dangerous climbs to the limit of the impossible, in chaotic and confusing shootings and unbridled exploration in search of treasures and relics. Precisely in reference to this last point, the search for optional treasures will be facilitated if you complete a sort of secondary quest that we will not be here to reveal to you. The duration of the DLC stands at 8/10 hours, which is not a lot, but it is to be considered average if we think that the main chapters of the series have a total duration of about 4/5 hours longer.
The transition from one location to another has not undergone any changes, at least in the very first chapters; the overall formula, which we appreciated so much in the various titles of the series, has a sort of surge towards the middle of the adventure, in which we will find ourselves in front of a kind of free roaming that he had never seen before. In fact, we will have the opportunity to explore an immense Indian region aboard our 4 × 4, made up of steep hills, waterfalls, ancient Indian buildings and treasures scattered far and wide. And it is here that we will be able to decide whether or not to carry out the secondary quest that we mentioned earlier, which will help all those players who love to search for collectibles, but which in terms of narrative plot does not add practically anything. Therefore, moving almost without constraints gives the gaming experience and gameplay a new sensation, leading us to discover completely new things and situations. Therefore, it is not the game that will decide the times, but the user will decide when and how to get back on the "right path" and continue the main quest..
We will have at our disposal a handy map available by pressing the touchpad of DualShock 4. In addition to providing us with the location of all our objectives, it will allow us to select the order in which to carry out the tasks, so this is where Naughty Dog's willingness to experience that greater freedom of movement than in the videogame era can be seen. today it is increasingly sought after. It's true, free roaming lasts for a handful of chapters, but overall the new "experiment" seems apt and functional to the gameplay. After this brief parenthesis, the storylines of the adventure will return to "standard" levels in the arduous attempt to find the mysterious Paw of Ganesh. The Lost Legacy, however, in addition to the many positive elements inherited from Uncharted 4, also brings with it some obvious problems that grip not only the production of Naughty Dog but also that of other titles. Artificial intelligence, as the executive vice president of EA Worldwide Studios, Patrick Soderlund said recently, represents the real flaw of today's gaming industry.
The Lost Legacy fails, precisely, to excel from this point of view. The enemies most of the time will seem helpless in front of us, especially when, armed with healthy patience, we decide to take them out in stealth mode. Taking advantage of tall grass or raised areas will help us a lot and even when it seems that they are about to locate us, the enemy troops will stop after a few meters, without investigating more deeply and retracing their steps. The gunplay instead remains unchanged, therefore we will be able to massacre enemies clinging to protrusions or with weapons drawn, including grenades, tactical rifles, RPG, C4 and so on and so forth. The technical sector excels almost in everything, except for a few slowdowns that are a bit too noticeable on normal PS4.
The character models boast very detailed textures even at close range and the landscapes, as seen in the previous chapter, really leave you breathless. The expressions of the duo Chloe / Nadine, thanks to the masterful work of motion capture carried out, are nothing short of amazing, leading, as mentioned during the review, to wonder if you are really playing a video game or watching a Hollywood movie.
Present the entire multiplayer mode of Uncharted 4, which we already analyzed in the review of the game at the time, which however introduces some new skins, a new character and the Survival Arena mode, which offers the possibility to face new hordes of enemies (including bosses) together with other players.
Final comment
Uncharted: The Lost Legacy we can consider it as a real new chapter in the series. The boys of Naughty Dog have left the game formula already seen in Uncharted 4 almost unchanged, albeit with some small additions such as the ability to move for a handful of chapters in complete freedom. The duo Chloe Frazer-Nadine Ross, works perfectly, giving us moments of pure fun and unbridled action like never before. Rest assured that you will not regret the good Nathan Drake. Surely we will miss him, but with this DLC we have understood that the series can really do without its historical protagonist. We are a little sorry, but on the other hand we are thrilled by the fact that this new adventure can somehow represent, on balance, a sort of new beginning. Nathan, rest assured, your "legacy" is in good hands!
