The Uncharted: The Legacy of Thieves Collection is a package consisting of Uncharted 4 and Uncharted: The Lost Legacy. Both of these came out on PS4, but this new edition uses the PS5's power to make them run at up to 120 frames per second or at lower frame rates with higher resolutions.
Though both titles are on the same engine and feature the same core gameplay, they are vastly different experiences. They both have their strengths over the other. At the end of the day, this collection is a great way to experience two fantastic action/adventure titles. Whichever one is better depends on what you value more in a video game.
8 Uncharted 4 Is Better: More Varied Environments
Uncharted 4 takes Nathan Drake and the rest of the characters through numerous settings. The journey starts off in environments not typically explored in the franchise, including a Scottish hillside.
There are also more modern environments such as a lavish auction and a city in Madagascar. By comparison, The Lost Legacy only takes place in one area of the world. Uncharted 4 is meant to feel like an epic journey, and the globe-trotting contributes to this feeling.
7 Lost Legacy Is Better: Pacing
While Uncharted: The Lost Legacy is a standalone expansion, it has enough content to constitute a small game. It's about as long as the debut entry. It is still significantly shorter than Uncharted 4 and the action starts sooner. This works to the game's advantage.
Uncharted 4 has some short action sequences in its first act, but you have to play three or four hours before reaching the real meat of the adventure. It takes a long time to establish new characters and tell us what old favorites are up to. It might be necessary to the game's narrative, but it makes the first half of Uncharted 4 a slog. Lost Legacy wastes no time getting into action. It is not at the sacrifice of the characters, either.
6 Uncharted 4: Higher Highs
Even though Uncharted 4's pacing is not as tight as Lost Legacy, it works up to some really intense emotional and gameplay highs. Dramatic moments between characters are extremely tense, especially considering the generally lighthearted tone of the franchise.
The set pieces are not as over the top as in Uncharted 2 or 3, but they feel earned, and the realistic graphics makes them just as jaw-dropping as its PS3 predecessors.
5 Lost Legacy: Nadine Ross
Uncharted is known for its witty writing. Every character feels like a comedian, always shooting off one-liners during the adventure. This makes Nadine Ross more refreshing as a secondary protagonist. She has a drier personality and is all about business.
When she does say something funny, it is often unintentional. It is a fresh way to experience the world. It is also just interesting seeing her in a more positive light after Uncharted 4. She was a mercenary and offered her services to whoever paid the most, and Lost Legacy shows us who she is with nothing to lose. Turns out, she's pretty cool and had an arc through the story.
4 Uncharted 4: Great Conclusion To Nathan Drake's Story
Even if you don't care for Uncharted 4, it is hard to deny how emotionally impactful the drama is. It is so rare to see an iconic video game character actually receive a proper ending to their story.
The game ends with an epilogue where you control Nathan and Elena's daughter as she explores their house. Seeing older versions of Nathan and Elena lets us know they end up living happily ever after. There were nine years between the debut entry and Uncharted 4, a long period of time to follow one character through numerous games.
3 Lost Legacy: Open-Ended Segment
Uncharted 4 has some open areas where players are free to explore off the beaten path. Lost Legacy takes these segments to another level. One chapter simply gives you a map and three separate locations to visit.
However, there is a big side quest that brings you to every corner of the map in search of artifacts to open a locked door. It is impressive to see the work that went into this completely optional content. It is especially uncharacteristic of the Uncharted franchise. It feels like a predecessor to the opening Seattle segment in Last of Us Part 2.
2 Uncharted 4: Introduced New Mechanics That Would Be Used In The Lost Legacy
Respect always has to be given to the work that did it first. Uncharted 4 added a lot of new mechanics to the franchise including the jeep, stealth, and the rope. Lost Legacy uses all of these and does not really add to the core gameplay.
This is fine, but when it comes to talking about the franchise, seeing nothing new added in Lost Legacy makes it feel a little less special. It did have a shorter development time and was never advertised as a sequel, so you should not go into it expecting radical changes to the gameplay.
1 Lost Legacy: Learning More About Chloe Frazer
It is simply refreshing to explore the characters in the Uncharted series from a different perspective. In every other game, you play exclusively as Nathan Drake. Only in multiplayer do you control other characters.
Chloe Frazer was always an interesting character and playing as her reveals so much more to her character than we could ever possibly know if she was just a supporting part of another Nathan Drake adventure. Her starring role in Lost Legacy more than makes up for her absence in Uncharted 4.