Uncharted is an adventure series that takes its characters to the most extreme corners of the world in search of lost societies and ancient treasures. In a series filled with action-packed thrills the stunning locations where the set pieces take place are nearly as important as the gameplay itself.

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Against the backdrop of high, snowy mountains, perilous rainforests, and crumbling tombs, Nathan Drake's escapades become intoxicating thrill rides. A high-speed car chase is even more exhilarating when it doubles as a chance to experience a trip to a locale that most players only dream of visiting themselves? So let's talk about which Uncharted locations bring the most magic to the games.

9 Madagascar

Uncharted 4 a thiefs end Madagascar

Madagascar is featured in Uncharted 4: A Thief's End. It's one of the major stops in the game, the penultimate one before the mythical pirate colony, Libertalia. This vibrant portrait of King's Bay, Madagascar is frankly something the tourism board should consider using as an advertisement. It's gorgeous and contrasts in so many ways with the game's other major locations, which makes it a nice detour from the more tropical looks of places like Panama and Libertalia.

8 El Dorado

Uncharted 1 drakes fortune El Dorado

To address the elephant in the room, the El Dorado of Uncharted: Drake's Fortune isn't actually a location. In fact, one of the big twists in that game is the reveal *spoiler alert* that El Dorado is in fact a plagued golden statue. The beautiful location we're talking about here is the island where El Dorado is located.

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The island doesn't have a name that's ever spoken in the game, but it's somewhere far out in the Pacific Ocean, and it's as gorgeous as it is haunted and overgrown. Uncharted's first game is often considered the weakest, but there's no such thing as a bad Uncharted game.

7 Yemen

Uncharted 3 drakes deception yemen desert

Nathan Drake slowly succumbing to exposure in the vast, empty, yet serene desert is something to behold. This entire section of Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception is visually wonderful from beginning to end, as Nathan struggles to survive in the plane shootout thousands of feet above the ground, then trudges through the desert, then shoots his way through the city, which is unnamed but based on the Yemeni capital of Sana'a. Even though Uncharted 3 feels shorter than the other games in the quadriology, it's clear that the effort is still here in spades. It's what makes Uncharted a series with no bad entries.

6 Himalayas

Uncharted 2 among thieves Himalayas

The Nepali Himalayan Mountains of Uncharted 2: Among Thieves may be the most beautiful location in the history of the series. It helps that the real-life mountains themselves are some of the most renowned and stunning in the world, which gave the animators a lot of visual references to work with. The mountains of Nepal are known for more than just their breathtaking looks, they're also known for literally breathtaking heights and all of the danger that comes with that. It makes this location perfect for a game that emphasizes death-defying platforming.

5 Shambhala

Uncharted 2 among thieves Shambhala

While the real-world locations of Uncharted are gorgeous and generally detailed to a superb level of cultural respect, the mythical locations that pop up in every game in the series can be even better. What's nice about a location like Shambhala, which is the highly-sought location of Uncharted 2, is that it gives the artists a chance to blend fantasy with the culture that surrounds the fable. The result is that Shambhala winds up looking like a blend of the most stylized details from traditional Nepali life combined with mythical architecture.

4 The Amazon

Uncharted 1 drakes fortune the amazon brazil

Not too many of Brazil's many Amazonian cultures are highlighted in the original Uncharted. In fact, it seems like Germany's darker early-20th century culture gets a bigger shoutout. The initial image of seeing this massive u-boat rusting away and marooned at the bottom of a waterfall in the Amazon Rainforest is striking. It doubles down on what is already firmly a foreign object that put itself somewhere it doesn't belong. It's the beginning of Nathan and Sully on the path of discovering just how many were hurt by El Dorado and the European groups that handled it.

3 Panama

Uncharted 4 a thiefs end Panama prison

Panama is the very first location in Drake's Fortune where we get to see Nathan drag Elena into some fast-shooting thievery and action. It's also where we get a flashback in Uncharted 4 to how Nathan and his brother Sam ended up separated for so many years.

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Uncharted 4 is where the locale really shines. The grittiness of the prison stands in stark contrast to the beauty of the rural Panamanian jungle. And it makes sense that the location which started it all is also one that plays an important role in the end.

2 India

Uncharted lost legacy india

India is the primary location explored by Chloe and Nadine in Uncharted: Lost Legacy. This is the one Uncharted game that doesn't involve any kind of mythical location, which is a shame considering there are several lost cities within Hindu folklore. Still, though, the Sahyadri Mountains of southwest India are beautifully detailed in this game. All of the bits of the Indian landscape blended with Hindu culture showcased in this game are a testament to how powerful Uncharted's visuals remain even after Nathan Drake's departure.

1 Libertalia

Uncharted 4 a thiefs end nathan and sam Libertalia

Libertalia is the mythical location of Uncharted 4. Although of all the fabled cities Uncharted takes us to, Libertalia tends to be the one most hotly contested as potentially real (though, the general consensus among historians is that it was only ever a tale). Regardless, Libertalia's look encapsulates its history, from its origins as a pseudo-anarchist pirate colony on a remote island to its eventual bitter and dystopian ending. Walking through the fading remains with Nathan and Sam is breathtaking and haunting.

Next: Best Games That Let You Play As A Thief