Uncharted: The Lost Legacy hopes to prove there’s life beyond Nathan Drake

PlayStation’s signature action franchise makes a high-octane leap into a new era
New territory: Uncharted: The Lost Legacy reaches new heights
Ben Travis25 August 2017

Stumbling out of a mid-air plane crash in Yemen. Clinging to a train hurtling through the Himalayas. Flooring a jeep around Madagascar. Few video games capture big-screen thrills like Uncharted.

Naughty Dog’s franchise is renowned for channelling Indiana Jones’ archaeological adventures and Mission: Impossible’s epic blockbuster set-pieces — and offering gaming’s most explosive action.

But like all good series, it’s evolving to survive — bringing out risky semi-sequel Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, which might just prove there’s life beyond original protagonist Nathan Drake.

For the story of that Harrison Ford-esque hero — armed with a grappling hook and endless quips — was wrapped up neatly in 2016’s riveting Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End. So what’s next?

Evolution of a hero: stills from from Uncharted: The Lost Legacy

“Drake’s story was done and we didn’t want to revisit him,” Josh Scherr, co-writer of Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, explains. So rather than starting an all-new saga, The Lost Legacy shifts focus to Drake’s former ally, Chloe Frazer, teaming her up with Uncharted 4 sub-villain Nadine Ross on an adventure in the jungles of India.

“Chloe was a fan favourite from Uncharted 2 and 3, but when we were doing early development on Uncharted 4, she didn’t fit into the story. We felt like The Lost Legacy would be a good opportunity to bring her back,” says Scherr. “As for Nadine Ross, she’s alive at the end of the last game. Even when she was working with the main villain she was independent and had her own agenda.”

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The Lost Legacy channels Uncharted’s lively dialogue into an odd-couple dynamic between Chloe and Nadine. “They’re both very capable but Chloe is more off-the-cuff and improvisational, whereas Nadine is more military and tactical and likes to be precise,” Scherr explains. “We thought those two trying to work together would make for some interesting conflict and interplay.”

The Lost Legacy began life as a DLC expansion for Uncharted 4 but soon spiralled into its own “very substantial game” due to, Scherr observes, Naughty Dog’s “inability to make something small”. Rather than taking a technological leap forward like previous sequels, it simply re-examines what Uncharted actually is when you remove its lead character.

“Everybody now knows Nathan Drake pretty well. What’s cool about the series is that there’s always the suggestion of a larger world of rogues and thieves,” says Scherr. “In Uncharted 4, it’s clear that Nadine Ross and [Drake’s companion] Victor ‘Sully’ Sullivan have met at some point.

This is just a world where everybody bumps into everybody else, so what are some of these other stories that we’ve never seen?”

If the leads are different, the gameplay is classic Uncharted: lush exotic locations, shoot-outs in ancient ruins, pulse-raising action beats and brain-teasing puzzles.

As well as all-out action, Naughty Dog is also known for its gripping storytelling — the developers also created acclaimed apocalyptic survival horror The Last of Us. Uncharted: The Lost Legacy is as character-driven as their other adventures.

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“Chloe, apart from being the series’ first female protagonist, has a different mindset to Nathan Drake,” reveals Scherr.

“He always had a hero complex, willing to throw himself into danger and try to save other people at the cost of his own existence. Chloe’s the opposite — she’s more practical and about self-preservation. That aspect of her personality, which often means abandoning people, is put to the test in this game.”

The Lost Legacy opens new potential for Uncharted moving forward, though it’s uncertain if a rumoured Sully spin-off will also come to fruition. For now, Naughty Dog is focused on another hotly anticipated sequel.

“The Last of Us: Part II is waiting in the wings for the rest of the team to start piling on,” Scherr confirms. “Who knows what the future holds, and never say never, but we all love Uncharted so maybe there’ll be something else. This is an interesting test of the water, just to see.”

Uncharted: The Lost Legacy is out now

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