'I'm sorry I doubted you, Chloe' - Chloe
I have a pretty sentimental relationship with the Uncharted series. The first game occupies a special spot in my heart, despite being perceived as the worst entry in the series. With each subsequent entry, I found myself loving the series even more. Naturally, Uncharted 4 was my favorite in the series up until earlier this week. When The Lost Legacy was released, I was somewhat dismissive of the game, surprisingly; not because I doubted the integrity of it, but I felt complete with the story Naughty Dog told in Uncharted 4. I was not particularly interested, at the time, in what Chloe was up to, despite enjoying her character in Uncharted 2 and 3.
Last week, however, I found my hype for The Last of Us II getting the better of me and I felt the only way to satisfy my craving for the time being was to expose myself to some of the fantastic interactions found in Naughty Dog's work. I decided it was time to try The Lost Legacy once and for all and I am glad I did.
The team did a great job at reintroducing Chloe through her interaction with the little girl - showing Chloe's caring side as well with her concern over the little girl's well-being as well as her cunning side to pick up on the little girl's thievery.
Once Chloe begins exploring the streets, the street environment serves as a foreshadow for the excellent level design found throughout the game. The sense of vertical scale as well as horizontal scale in tight alleys was really fantastic. Once we meet Nadine, the chemistry between the two is immediately apparent. Chloe's methodically careless personality compliments Nadine's meticulous approach to tasks perfectly. As the game goes on, there is a great arc in their relationship: there is initial distrust, walls being gradually torn down, deception, rendezvous, and friendship. Throughout the arc, Nadine becomes especially likable. She offers humor, sympathy, understandable anger, and forgiveness. Naughty Dog did an absolutely fantastic job at building a relationship in the roughly ten hours.
The vistas in this game were truly incredible, and the set pieces were so well-done. It did not feel like overload like Uncharted 2 but it had more bombastic action than Uncharted 4. It felt like an incredible action movie. Speaking of the visuals, this is the best looking work Naughty Dog has done as a whole. The animations were absolutely INCREDIBLE. The Last of Us II looks amazing and will surely surpass this (which is crazy that I can say with such confidence) but this is so impressive, especially being a three year old game. The facial animations really help you get into the scene and then add the delivery of certain passages? It is truly great work.
The game is so excellently paced as well. Aside from a couple of chapters that strain a bit, the game makes complete sense from a narrative perspective. It made the conclusion super satisfying and definitive. I really dislike when games swerve you when the game SHOULD end, only to bloat the experience and compromise the story being told.
I am disappointed in myself for taking so long to play, what is now, my favorite Uncharted. I absolutely loved everything about this one. It is not just my favorite Uncharted game, but one of my favorite PS4 games and one of my favorites from this generation. I am not sure if we will get an Uncharted 5 with these characters but I absolutely don't want an Uncharted 5 that doesn't involve Nadine, Sam, and Chloe.
I hope you all play this soon, if you have not already! This is my first LTTP recommendation thread and I am glad I used that novelty on this gem.
