Uncharted: The Lost Legacy review

[Administrator]

Sometimes it's good to take a step back. Naughty Dog's Uncharted games were conceived as lighthearted, almost flippant action spectaculars, as knowingly pulpy as their chief inspiration, Indiana Jones. But they ended up with baggage that Indy didn't. Thanks to a deluge of critical acclaim and an overflowing of corporate pride, they took on a level of importance, almost gravitas, that sat awkwardly with their insouciant style. As the series progressed, the games' plot lines became more involved and soapy, and have-a-go-hero Nathan Drake got saddled with brooding backstories that Dr Jones would have dismissed with a sardonic shrug. Uncharted 4 was the most sophisticated and smoothly paced of the lot, but it couldn't quite reverse this trend, and the best thing it could have done - and did - was to set Nate's world to rights and then send him packing.
Now we have The Lost Legacy, originally intended as a downloadable expansion for Uncharted 4 but promoted to the status of a standalone, albeit half-price, release. Perhaps it's too soon to see it as a blueprint for a Drake-free future for the Uncharted series, but that is exactly how it comes comes across. Happily, the plans look sound.
It's a short game, taking eight hours or so to finish, and this might be the best thing about it. Reserve is not one of Uncharted's virtues and the games have rarely left you wanting more. They often succumb to padding, and despite the grandeur of their set-pieces, they rarely mix up their carefully measured lengths of climbing, gunplay and puzzle-solving, which can get repetitive. At less than half the usual running time, though, each gameplay component has enough room to breathe but not enough to get tiresome or for its lack of depth to be too harshly exposed. The plot has just enough time to develop the characters without labouring the point, to deliver one twist and one crescendo, and to wrap it up with a crisp kiss-off. It's pleasantly brisk; you find yourself wishing future episodes could clock out with such economy. (Unfortunately, thanks to the economics of blockbuster game-making: fat chance.)
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