An extended Uncharted: The Lost Legacy gameplay trailer has been revealed following Sony’s E3 showcase last week. It’s over nine minutes of glorious action, which kind of feels like a meld of Assassin’s Creed and classic Uncharted combat.
Check it out for yourself and tell us we’re wrong:
Originally intended as single-player story DLC for Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, Uncharted: The Lost Legacy has since evolved into something much larger – a single-player story pack that’s totally standalone from the main series and Nathan Drake himself. GASP!
“When we began to plot out the story and our vision for the game, we realised we were building something more than an extension of Uncharted 4, and instead, a standalone story in the Uncharted universe,” explained Naughty Dog in a blog post. “We wanted this adventure to feature all of the hallmarks of the series, from cinematic storytelling set within exotic destinations to dynamic combat and intricate puzzles.
“It’s our biggest story expansion to date and will be available as a standalone game on store shelves and for digital download.”
Apparently, the game should take over 10 hours to complete, so this isn’t just a slice of DLC, it’s very much a full story.
Instead of Nathan Drake, your new hero for Uncharted: The Lost Legacy is Chloe Frazer, a familiar face for anyone who’s played through all the Uncharted games to date.
“In December we said that we’re approaching this project as a true Uncharted game – complete with its own deep narrative with complex character development, all-new destinations, refined gameplay, and blockbuster cinematic moments. We’re especially excited to have Chloe as our new protagonist and explore more of her story as she and Nadine venture across India in search of the fabled Tusk of Ganesh.”
Who is Chloe Frazer and where is Nathan Drake?
“We’ve spent the better part of the last 10 years on a journey with Nathan Drake, but as his story came to a close in Uncharted 4 and we looked ahead to the series’ first ever story DLC, we were faced with an unprecedented question: whose story did we want to tell next?” explained Naughty Dog in a blog post. “Over the years, we’ve assembled an incredible cast of characters, but of them all, we kept coming back to one in particular: Chloe Frazer.”
Many of you will remember Chloe Frazer from her part as one of the main protagonists in Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. She’s an old flame of Nathan Drake’s but is well-known for being a gifted and adaptable treasure hunter with many an accomplishment to her name.
On this adventure, Chloe is also accompanied by a partner called Nadine Ross. According to Naughty Dog, “she’s a skilled tactician, whose cool, calculating nature offers an important contrast to Chloe’s improvisation and wit”.
If you’ve played Uncharted 4, you’ll know a little bit about Nadine. This South African mercenary is one of the antagonists of the game along with Rafe Adler. Not a lot is known about her apart from the fact she took over the paramilitary organisation, Shoreline, after the founder – her father – died.
How these two have come to be adventuring together is a bit of a mystery at present, and one of the things we’re hoping to be revealed by The Lost Legacy‘s story.
And as for Nathan Drake? Don’t hold your breath for a surprise appearance in The Lost Legacy. “We’re not going to touch on Nathan Drake in this, at all,” said Kurt Margenau, Uncharted: The Lost Legacy‘s Game Director in a post on the official PlayStation Blog.
What’s the Uncharted: The Lost Legacy story all about?
The Lost Legacy‘s story is a brand new tale within the Uncharted universe that takes place around six to 12 months after the events of Uncharted 4. It sees Chloe and Nadine travelling to the southern tip of India looking for a priceless relic called the Tusk of Ganesha.
Nadine and Chloe are rather reluctant adventuring partners, but they’re both tasked with finding the Tusk for a mysterious warlord called Asav. According to writer Josh Scherr, “Asav, Chloe and Nadine all have different reasons for wanting the Tusk.”
Together they’ll be venturing deep into the Western Ghat mountains in search of the Tusk, all the while working to discover the mysteries surrounding the artefact, fighting off fierce and heavily armed opposition and generally trying to save the region from falling into chaos. As you do.
In terms of gameplay, you’re looking at a similar linear format to Uncharted 4, but with a “bigger, more organic feel, with more player choice”, or so says game director, Kurt Margenau. There will be traversal challenges, environmental puzzles and shootouts, just as there has been with all previous Uncharted games. It will bring in some new combat gear though, including a silenced pistol and C4, as well as lockpicking techniques and more freedom to how you approach combat scenarios.
Do I need to play Uncharted 4 first?
The events of Uncharted: The Lost Legacy are set after the events of Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, but are seemingly not connected to any of those events. You technically don’t need to either own or have played Uncharted 4 to be able to enjoy The Lost Legacy, but you’re doing yourself a disservice if you haven’t enjoyed the masterpiece that is Nathan Drake’s last adventure.
When can I play it?
And thankfully you’ve got a little time to catch up if you haven’t played Uncharted 4 and want to. The Uncharted: The Lost Legacy release date is set for August 22 in North America or August 23 in Europe.
It costs £29.99/$39.99 on the PlayStation Store, but if you picked up the Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End Digital Deluxe Edition, Explorer’s Pack or the Triple Pack, you’ll get Uncharted: The Lost Legacy as a digital download at launch for free. But you will miss out on the tasty pre-order perks.
Are there any Uncharted: The Lost Legacy pre-order bonuses?
Yes! If you pre-order The Lost Legacy you get a rather special perk in the form of a whole game. Sony announced it is bringing back the Jak and Daxter series to PS4 in the form of remastered versions of all four of Naughty Dog’s original games: Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy, Jak II, Jak 3, and Jak X: Combat Racing.
Well, pre-order The Lost Legacy through any of the participating retailers (including the biggies like Amazon, Best Buy, GameStop, the PlayStation Store and Target) and you’ll get a free digital copy of the first game Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy.