It wouldn’t be an Uncharted game if there weren’t any puzzles in it, and fans remember these sequences well from the series due to the puzzles presenting a change in the game when the player generally falls in the mood of shooting and jumping.
Now that the mainline series seems to be on an indefinite hiatus, it’s a good time to remember the puzzles that had us beat for a while before we had to solve them. In this list, we’ve added 10 puzzles that had the best execution in relation to the plot and the characters, and have taken into account the value from beating them to move forward.
10 The Cylinders - Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
The good thing about this puzzle was mainly the timing and execution of it, since the puzzle itself was fairly simplistic. The build-up here had to do with Nate and Flynn begrudgingly working together, with the player navigating Nate around platforming sequences with Flynn.
At this time in Chapter 24, a quick and easy puzzle was what was needed, and we got just that with the cylinders where Nate’s sketches needed to be used to make the right formation. The fun part here came from the anticipation that was built from turning the cylinders, as Shambala was just beyond the wall.
9 The Tower Puzzle - Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
This one came at a time where everything was being thrust in together as the game’s climax was on the horizon, and just before this puzzle there had been a lot of platforming in play. The puzzle took the pace down properly, as players were reminded this was a game of wits.
Here, in Chapter 23, Nate had to first put together pieces of a puzzle - which came in the form of mini-statuettes - on platforms to uncover the real puzzle hidden within the walls. Using Nate’s book, mini-cylinders had to be turned around to open up the pathway that showed where the seeker had to go.
8 The Globe - Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception
A lot of players were stuck in frustration in this generally not-so-well received entry in the series due to this puzzle, but it’s actually the simplest one you can find in the game. In Chapter 9, Drake and his friends ended up in a room where light of a certain shape fell on a huge globe.
The tricky part here came with players having to use the other analog stick to move the globe, after which they were required to align the light with the right landmass on the globe. If you’re a geography whiz, then the answer was easy as the shape of Saudi Arabia was the way to go.
7 Death Trap - Uncharted 4: A Thief's End
Here’s another puzzle that should have been relatively simple but racked up some of the most failures from players. In Chapter 19, Nate and Elena found themselves in a room that was completely dark, requiring Nate to use a makeshift light to illuminate the way.
The problem here was that the ground itself was literal death, as stepping in the wrong place meant it was instant curtains for Nate. The difficulty arrived with the ambiguous sketch that needed to be followed, but once you understand how to read it, the puzzle becomes one of the most adrenaline-pumping ones in the series.
6 The Library - Uncharted: Drake's Fortune
Some people claim Devil May Cry has the most difficult missions; well, they certainly haven’t played through this puzzle in Uncharted, then. In Chapter 13, Drake was stuck in a library with Sully and Elena where clues were given in his notebook.
The challenging part here is to understand why each statue in the book is named, and its relationship with the compass on the floor of the library. Connecting these two reveals that the player has to move the statues in the direction according to the statues’ names. It’s difficult, but you do feel smart once you’ve figured it out.
5 Portraits Puzzle - Uncharted 4: A Thief's End
In Chapter 11, Nate came across various pirate portraits from back in the day along with a wheel in the room that had strange markings on each disk. This puzzle can be frustrating for those who don’t want to do some constant back and forth, although it is definitely different.
This time around, it’s up to the player to take note of each individual marking by inspecting every portrait, jotting it down, and then returning to the wheel to enter the right combination. It was a good change of nice from the usual hand holding that went with a lot of Uncharted puzzles.
4 Path Of Light - Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
Some people debate over which Naughty Dog game is the best, but the answer should be easy when you check out how enormous in scale this puzzle was and how beautifully it was executed. In Chapter 9, the level composed of guiding a light around an enormous hall to open up the pathway.
Platforming was key as Nate had to climb all sorts of things to open up ways to arrive at mirrors that would be used to bounce the light around the room. It didn’t end there either, as a huge blade had to be scaled to open up the final piece of the puzzle.
3 The Clock Tower - Uncharted 4: A Thief's End
There’s no one thing that we can mention here, as the huge Clock Tower itself was the puzzle in Chapter 11. In order to take Nate further above, the gears in place had to be used for navigation.
Eventually, the player had to both ascend and descend at various points to open up mini-paths and solve the tower. It was the beauty of the scale of this puzzle that makes it rank so high up, as we even got to see Nate scale the tower from the outside.
2 The Roman Numerals - Uncharted: Drake's Fortune
This area was a puzzle on its own as well, as the twisting and turning routes would only make sense once you used your wits and realized the true path was right before your eyes. In multiple chapters, more so in Chapter 16, the Roman numerals were your enemy and friend.
These symbols were emblazoned on the ground as Nate took each individual path. It was easy to get lost when the wrong number was followed, so the player needed to constantly stay on their toes and make note of which numeral to follow in order to escape the place.
1 Giant Statue - Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
The image of this statue is frequently used to illustrate how Uncharted 2 might be the greatest game ever made, and the puzzle itself is one that fans love due to a combination of simplicity, humor, and platforming that went with it.
In Chapter 8, Nate and Chloe found this statue within the temple, and Nate climbed around the area to reach the statue and position it in such a way that the entryway that was right under the statue would open. It’s a great sequence where you never feel bored due to the athleticism required, and Nate and Chloe’s banter, along with them solving the clues together, makes this a breeze.