Uncharted: The Lost Legacy (PS4)
By: Sony
WHEN Uncharted was first released on the PS3 a decade ago, it drew criticism for being a 'sausage factory' Tomb Raider, replacing Lara with a roguish dude.
Now, with The Lost Legacy’s estrogen-pumped exploits, the series comes 'full Croft', though it’s still a bra-strap above TR’s recent offerings thanks to the series' trademark joie de vivre, snappy banter and lush travelogue visuals.
Following on from The Last of Us's incredible Left Behind expansion, Naughty Dog’s latest dose of blockbuster DLC is another girly show, mixing death-defying daring-do with the growing relationship between its two female leads.
Set after the events of Nathan Drake’s swansong, it’s a longer prospect than The Last of Us's expansion, though comes up shorter than a full-blown Uncharted adventure – and, as a standalone game, you don't need the original to play.
Like a duck hen party, there’s isn’t a Drake in sight here, with Nathan taking a backseat as the spotlight falls on Uncharted II’s Chloe Frazer and Nadine Ross, the merc boss from the fourth game.
Our duo venture to India’s Western Ghats for a jungle boogie in search of the Tusk of Ganesha – Uncharted’s latest mystical McGuffin.
Although there are more paths to take and treasures to plunder, Lost Legacy essentially plays out like Uncharted 4, mixing cover blasting and puzzle solving with mucho tower-scaling, rope-swinging and hidden treasures to plunder.
The grappling hook returns, as does the 4x4 and its winch, though there’s more freedom this time around, with branching paths, sub-quests and plenty of secrets nestled in its lush crannies and the series' trademark elastic controls keep the cinematic action running along at a fair lick.
While treading familiar ground, what could have been a joyless going through the motions is instead another rip-roaring bout of escapism, with our lady leads changing the dynamic of Nathan Drake’s heyday.
There’s real chemistry between Chloe and Nadine, thanks to sterling voiceover work and Naughty Dog’s best-in-the-business performance capture.
Like the best Indiana Jones movies, before they got all smart-arsed and in-jokey, Lost Legacy is one long Hollywood climax.
A brisker, breezier eight hours you won’t find this year, in a game that’s fully up to – as well as virtually indistinguishable from – its predecessors.
Naughty Dog have taken care of business once again, and while Lost Legacy may not break any new ground, when business is this good the fan faithful won’t care.
