On May 10th it will signify an end of an era with Naughty Dog’s Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End. It’s a double-edged sword, as while I can’t wait to see the conclusion of Nathan Drakes adventures, which will surely be a Game of the Year contender hands down, it will also be a sad day for long-standing fans saying goodbye to one of PlayStation’s most iconic franchises. Obviously with it being the 4th game in the series (not including the PS Vita’s Golden Abyss), there were three games before Uncharted 4. So whether you’re new to the series wanting to see what all the fuss is about or a fan like me that wants to revisit better versions of the games you love, Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection offers that perfect opportunity with the inclusion of Uncharted: Drakes Fortune, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves and Uncharted 3: Drakes Deception.
First it was Indiana Jones, then it was Tomb Raider and then it was Uncharted. While many will argue over who’s adventures are best between Lara Croft and Nathan Drake, in my opinion, despite the credible two recent games, Uncharted captured the action-adventure crown and has not let it go since Uncharted 2. Without going into too much details of the plot over the three games, the Uncharted series follows the cocky, wise-cracking bad-ass that is Nathan Drake. He’s an adventurer that is always on the hunt for priceless treasure, but his adventures always end up taking an unexpected turn of events. He may be known as a thief to some, but to us he’s had this fair share of save the world moments. He’s the hero that everyone knows, but nobody knows about.
Now let’s get this straight, despite the highs that Uncharted 2: Among Thieves and Uncharted 3: Drakes Deception had reached, the original game, Uncharted: Drakes Fortune wasn’t the best of titles. In all fairness, Drakes Fortune was a launch title for the PS3 back in November 2007, so dodgy grenade motion controls aside, this game did lay the foundations for this beloved series. That said, while the gameplay wasn’t the best, its story-telling was second to none and here was the start of the love affair for Nathan Drake and his loyal friend Victor Sullivan.
However, with the game being the oldest in the series, its arguably had the best treatment in this new-gen collection of games. For starters, the visuals have had quite the improvement and I’m not just talking about the crisp 1080p visuals. Bluepoint Games who have worked on this collection have retextured not only much of the games environments, but also the character models too. You may not notice it at quick glance, but if you look at the comparison video provided in this review from Digital Foundry, you’ll soon see that Bluepoint have done a fantastic job upgrading its visuals. You may also be pleased to know that the controls for Drakes Fortune have been tweaked and updated, bringing it alongside Uncharted 3. So not only does the game feel a lot more accessible, we no longer have those awkward motion sensor controls that Sony insisted we used during the PS3’s launch period.
The next two games in the Uncharted series are in my opinion, easily one of the best games of the last generation, across all formats. PC and Xbox 360 gamers that may have missed them initially that perhaps now own a PS4, you’re in for two truly epic adventures. The opening chapter of Uncharted 2 is among the most memorable in recent videogame history, it quite literally kicks off with a bag with a set-piece that sets the tone for the rest of the game. There’s even a section later in the game that involves nothing but walking, but is equally as memorable in its own kind of way. Uncharted 2 is full of great moments, that any venturing gamer will appreciate.
Uncharted 2 was and still is one of the best looking games on the PS3, and more then holds its own today, nearly 6 years after its release. However, it looks even more fantastic than ever before with its 1080p visuals. If I had to pick which game I prefer from Uncharted 2: Among Thieves or Uncharted 3: Drakes Deception, it’s a tough choice. You could ask me on any given day and I might very well give you a different answer. But what I will say is that while both possess equally sublime third-person cover-based shooting with a hint of platforming, Uncharted 2 arguably possess the best storyline, while Uncharted 3 has the edge in the visuals department with it being a newer game.
If someone was to show you Uncharted 3 for the very first time from this collection and they told you that was is a new PS4 game, I’d accept that you might believe that to be true. Out of the three games from the collection, it probably has the least improvement needed, but that’s only because it looked so good to begin with. Uncharted 3 takes you across the globe, perhaps more so then the others and while it does have a great section where you get to meet young Drake, it’s pretty much all out action from the get go. Much like Uncharted 2, the third game in the series also has an amazing spectacle of a chapter and if you haven’t had that spoiled for you yet, then you’re in for one hell of a treat.
One common aspect that each of the three Uncharted games share, is its high octane level of storytelling, equipped with its talented voice cast and blissful soundtrack. Of course the star of the show is Nathan Drake who is voiced by industry icon Nolan North, but he’s not alone in this talented cast. As Mr Drake will not get far in life without his loyal father figure and best friend Sully, who is voiced superbly by Richard McGonagle. Equally, Elena Fisher (Emily Rose) and Chloe Frazer (Claudia Black) offer great love interests for Nathan Drake, which is quite enjoyable to see him torn between the two. But both of these characters are more than just “love interests”, as they are kick-ass characters that more then hold their own and get Drake out of more than his fair share of tricky situations. Also, no well told story will ever be complete without a well-supported soundtrack to help fuel the tale with drama, suspense and adrenaline pumped action and Greg Edmonson provides that by the bucket load across all three games.
Other than just the improved visuals and tweaked gameplay, this collection of games comes with a few other additions also. Such as extra trophies to accompany the original PS3 rewards system that were created exclusively for the collection. Much like other games on the PS4 (especially with remasters it seems), there is also a Photo Mode which enables you to freeze the game at almost any point with a host a tweaks and filters to customise your own shot and then share with your friends and the gaming community. In fact, as you may have guessed, the first screenshot in this review has been taken via the Photo Mode from Uncharted: Drakes Fortune and it shows-off how fantastic the original title now looks. It may surprise you how much you might use this feature, considering these are essentially last-gen games. There are also a few extra modes, such as Speed Run Mode, which tracks your time as you compete against your friends. There is also an Explorer Mode which pretty much makes the difficulty non-existent, however, it will disable any trophies you may earn and finally, an additional difficulty called Crushing Difficulty, which as you can imagine, ups the difficulty by a considerable margin.
All in all, in a day an age where HD remasters are a common trend, the Uncharted: Nathan Drake Collection is arguably the best yet, as it brings an improved version of one of modern gaming’s best videogame series. I love the series, but as I had already played all these games previously a lot on PS3, I fully expected myself to give this collection a miss and hold out until the release of Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End. However, it wasn’t until I picked it up on sale via the PSN Store for less than £25, I soon found myself enjoying the games more then I expect too in my returning adventures. So while this offers a perfect opportunity for newcomers to introduce themselves into the series, it’s equally a blast for returning fans. Even though it does give the PS Vita’s Uncharted: Golden Abyss a miss.
If I was going to have one minor complaint, it would be the absence of competitive multiplayer. Which is a damn shame, because the multiplayer for Uncharted 2 and 3 is fantastic. It would have been great to had at least a combination of the best maps and modes from second and third games involved in this collection, but I suppose with the release of Uncharted 4 just around the corner (May 10th), Sony and Naught Dog decided to give it a miss. But if you have played the Uncharted 4 multiplayer beta, then we’re going to be in for a treat and it would be unlikely that we’d want to return to an older version of multiplayer, but that’s just my opinion. That said, if you can shop around and pick up this fantastic collection of games for the same price (or less) then I had, whether you’re a newcomer or returning for more, you owe it to yourself to own a collection of exquisite gaming history.