Has it really been nearly 6 years since Uncharted 4 was released? That’s 6 years during which we have dealt with global pandemics, collapsing economies and more stressful events than we could have ever imagined. It’s little surprise that replaying the Drake swansong provides such familiarity, comfort, warmth and a reminder of how incredible gaming can be as a form of escapism. It’s nearly 5 years since The Lost Legacy was released - a game of equal quality to the main Uncharted franchise. A brave decision from Naughty Dog to turn DLC into an expansion AND focus it upon a different character - Chloe. Both games were magnificent and at the time truly showed off just what the PS4 was capable of. Now, years later we get to see how it handles on the PS5.



Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection combines both games into a single offering. As a little reminder (you can read our full review here) Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End takes us on a journey with Nate and his long lost brother, Sam. In true Drake fashion, the two seek lost treasure and stumble upon more than they anticipated in the form of deathtraps at every turn, enemies from all angles and maybe just a bit of sibling rivalry. Chasing down a Pirate’s fortune, the Drake brothers and a host of other characters play their part in some of the most incredible set pieces to ever appear in gaming, some gruelling gun and fist fights, and of course that high risk platforming.

Uncharted: The Lost Legacy (review here) features Chloe Frazer and Uncharted 4’s Saffa bad-ass Nadine Ross as they go in search of treasure themselves. I was quickly reminded just how brilliant the chemistry is between the two as we explore their individual backgrounds. The dialogue is almost more engaging than the actual adventure… of course though, nothing can touch the big piece events and the equally excellent soft, quiet moments for quality. The experience is truly immense.



Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection retells these brilliant games while also utilizing the PS5’s capabilities. The remaster promises a number of upgrades which truly highlight the power of new-gen gaming. The first is the loading times, or rather the complete lack thereof. It’s impossible not to notice the difference SSD storage makes when it comes to gaming, and going from the PS5 menu into Uncharted and then to your last save happens almost instantly.

For those who remember, the loading on Uncharted 4 (and The Last of Us) took a long time initially, but got faster over time as it pre-loaded, however with the PS5 there is no hanging around - so don’t put the kettle on while you are loading up. It’s even more impressive if you are one of the people who likes to explore certain areas and has a higher chance of winding up dead as you thought you could jump off a mountain to another area. Those respawning moments are done instantly too, and really makes for a far less frustrating time.

The remaster promises a number of upgrades which truly highlight the power of new-gen gaming.

If saving time is not really your thing then you can also enjoy new immersive options when playing Legacy of Thieves. Of all the PS5 functions, the one that has not yet convinced me is the 3D audio, but I think I may be more of a believer after this. The sound of the Uncharted world is magnificent to begin with, whether you are listening to the echoing of caves, or the sounds of birds in the jungles, the euphony of sounds is incredibly detailed. The 3D audio amplifies the quality as it adds a bit of direction to where the sounds are coming from. Not only does this feel immersive, but it also proves helpful in a number of the gun fights and puzzle sections of the game. 3D Audio still has some convincing to do, but this is the best use of it I have experienced so far.



The DualSense haptic triggers need no real introduction being one of the most impressive and standout aspects of the PS5 system. It still blows my mind that the type and intensity of vibration can reach a level of accuracy that makes you feel like you are controlling whatever is on screen. The haptic feedback when shooting is amazing, and even differs depending on the type of gun you are using. Driving the boat or off-road vehicle over the different surfaces is so well detailed that I occasionally found myself driving on different platforms just to see the difference. The same can be said for platforming sections and even just basic traversal. Incredible what a small thing like the feeling in your hands can do to the experience of a game.

It still blows my mind that the type and intensity of vibration can reach a level of accuracy that makes you feel like you are controlling whatever is on screen.

The final piece of the puzzle, and probably the most important, comes in terms of performance. If you had told me 6 years ago that Uncharted 4 could run even better, I am not sure I would have believed you, although with Naughty Dog there’s always the possibility. Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection comes with 3 main options: Fidelity mode allows for native 4k resolution targeting 30fps; Performance mode targets 60fps but sees a drop in resolution rather going for an upscaled 4K resolution from a base of 1440p (1080p HD-TV players will experience a 1080p resolution supersampled from a 1440p base with improved anti-aliasing.); Performance+ mode, for those lucky enough to have the option, targets 120fps at a 1080p resolution (unfortunately, I was not able to test this out on my set).



HDR is available for compatible TVs and adds such an incredible range to the scenery found in the game. In terms of the different display modes, I found myself constantly switching between Fidelity and Performance mode in-game. Like most (I imagine) the lure of the smooth framerate was too important for me to ignore. Playing with that crisp gameplay through the traversal areas, platforming and gunfights was an absolute necessity. Once you play at the higher framerate it really is difficult moving down to 30fps which just felt too “stuttery” in the more intense action sequences. That said, I did often move to Fidelity mode, especially during cutscenes and some of the more QTE heavy sections, and of course sometimes just to take pictures.



If anything attests to just how gorgeous this game is, how brilliantly detailed every aspect of what the player sees then it is the fact that the game records that I was “standing still” for almost 3 hours of my game time, but I swear it was purely for science… It wasn’t at all so I could gawk at the far off mountains that a few minutes before I was scaling, nor was it to stop and stare at the water mechanics, or the rain dropping onto Nate’s shirt, drenching him in the progress.

It certainly wasn’t because I had to investigate every aspect of the detailed shipwrecks or ghost towns, look at the pristine statues, or bottom of the ocean wildlife. I promise I wasn’t mesmerized by Chloe’s hair bouncing in the ATV while driving over rocks and cliffs, avoiding monkeys or lemurs. I definitely didn’t gasp at how realistic the local market appears when in Madagascar, or those sweet blue oceans. No, none of that happened at all, I mean who stands still in a game anyway?



Truly, though, both games as part of Legacy of Thieves are just unreal when it comes to the visuals, animations, movement and voice work. The backdrops to the game are so incredible that you have to wonder how any other games could compare. It’s a real testament to the Naughty Dog team and their artists, designers and entire team that work on the series. When I bought a PS5 and 4K TV I was hoping to really be able to tell the difference, and Legacy of Thieves truly offers that “next-gen” feeling.

There’s still a bit of break in immersion when your AI controlled characters run into full view of the enemy and are not spotted.

It’s not all positive, sadly. While the improved visuals, sound and the added immersive functions add greatly to the game, it is a bit of a pity that some of the initial technical issues weren’t upgraded too. There’s still a bit of break in immersion when your AI controlled characters run into full view of the enemy and are not spotted. Sure, your allies shouldn’t be so negligent in the first place, but the enemies should react. I also encountered a couple of bugs such as falling through the map once, and at another point the in-game action failed to trigger the next scene. It was very minor and the quick load times to the recent checkpoint made it negligible, but I still feel it could have been ironed out somewhat.



Playing Uncharted 4 and Lost Legacy really closed off a chapter in my own gaming life. It’s the one series that really feels like “home” to me. I realized this even more so when playing it again now. Since COVID started and the world has felt disconnected, I have had a battle to get into games and truly engage with them - so it was wondrously comforting to start with Legacy of Thieves and immediately feel welcomed by the characters, the linearity, the witty remarks and loving relationships. It’s all signified in the small moments such as the elephant bit in Lost Legacy, or the epilogue in Uncharted 4. It’s a full picture finally being painted.



In closing, I felt it necessary to mention the price point. When you consider that it bundles games from 5+ years ago, you have to raise an eyebrow at the cost. Sure, it’s not quite full price but it still seems relatively high. That said, for those that have never played the games, it’s certainly worth every cent. For those that did play it previously, there is the cheap upgrade path as an option, and I would say it is fully worth that price point to experience the best possible version of the games. For those that played it previously, but for whatever reason can’t access the upgrade, well the full price should perhaps be reserved for those that rank Uncharted 4 and Lost Legacy in their top games of all time. No matter which camp you fit in, it’s worth playing again at some point, no doubt about it.



*PS5 Review code provided by PlayStation