UNCHARTED: LEGACY OF THIEVES COLLECTION Review - Naughty Dog's Crown Jewels
Naughty Dog rarely, if ever, fails to impress. Even if some of their latest works stirred some controversy, few can argue the level of genius present in most if not all of their games. Uncharted is one of my favorite series of all time and with the Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection, you can relive or experience for the first time both Uncharted 4 and The Lost Legacy together in one package full of impressive enhancements exclusive to the PS5.
Story and Gameplay
For full details and opinions on the story and gameplay for both Uncharted 4 and The Lost Legacy, please reference our original reviews respectively. Needless to say, both titles are stunning examples of how much better a mature, dark storyline can help an established series stand out and evolve. The Lost Legacy is truly the pinnacle of storytelling and character development for Naughty Dog and the Uncharted series as a whole.
As far as gameplay goes, both of the same, excellent games are present here but with some enhancements in control options and tweaks with the PS5 controller. Shooting, platforming, lockpicking, and more feel much more immersive on the PS5 thanks to that amazing controller. Overall, it’s two excellent games that already played well, with a fresh coat of polish and immersion to seal the deal.
Audio and Visual
If you haven’t heard or seen these Uncharted titles yet, I honestly envy you. I’d love to experience these games for the first time on the enhanced visuals for the PS5. As shown in our 4K screenshots feature, beautiful is a massive understatement when describing Uncharted. In short, these games were amazing on the PS4 and PS4 Pro. On the PS5, this collection is an absolute marvel, a true showcase in both the audio and visual arenas. Starting with the audio, the already-impressive voice acting, sound effects, and soundtrack are taken to the next level with the 3D audio present in the console. It’s one of the best, period. End of story.
If the audio wasn’t impressive enough, the visuals will absolutely blow you away, especially on the new 4K fidelity mode. While at 30 FPS, the quality is worth the drop in FPS. That being said, even the performance mode looks stunning at 60 FPS. It’s a decision that has to be made but either way, being able to switch between graphical modes on the fly is absolutely awesome. These games are some of the best looking games to date and this version pushes that envelope even further.
Replayability and What Could Be Better
While some of the gunplay wears a bit, the pacing is better in both titles and has a lot more variety than the original trilogy. Still, some of the over-the-top shootouts may wear thin for some players. Beyond that, the only thing I wish the PS5 version could do is full 4K 60FPS quality but with the visual fidelity, this may be asking too much for a $499 console and we may just have to wait until the upcoming PC version hits…
Verdict
In the end, we originally gave Uncharted 4 a rare 10/10 and with The Lost Legacy present, both titles are stunning examples of video games done right. Between the unmatched audiovisual presentations, solid gameplay, beefy stories, and PS5 worthy enhancements, I give my highest recommendation to this collection, something that should be in every PS5 gamer’s library, no questions asked.