Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection is an HD remake for PS4 of the Uncharted trilogy, originally on the PS3. It’s a strange decision.Quick guide to Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection The beta test access for A Thief’s End that comes with every purchase of The Nathan Drake Collection isn’t really a good substitution, as it’s only going be available in December and will only last for a limited time as well.
Plus, this collection is the only big PS4 exclusive releasing this holiday season.Ī playable online mode would’ve been a great way to remind folks that this series doesn’t only deliver exceptional single-player experiences. Including Drake’s Deception’s multiplayer as part of this collection would’ve really made it an even more appealing purchase, especially for those who’ve already played the entire series before. Both Among Thieves and Drake’s Deception had refreshing and addicting online components. The one flaw I’ve with this collection is the total lack of multiplayer. Even after playing through all three games dozens of times, I still found myself sitting through all of the cutscenes and giggling at the sharp quips the characters yell at each other. While the series never really delivers a poignant and touching story like, say, the way Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us does, the witty writing, fantastic character arcs, and the constant sense of adventure make for some memorable story moments. Uncharted’s wonderful cast of characters and interesting story beats are intact, as you’d expect. The gorgeous and varied environments, character models, and art direction also help a great deal as Naughty Dog really managed to deliver a stunning trilogy in the first place. Even 8-year-old Drake’s Fortune shrugs off its age. Yeah, that’s right - 6-year-old Among Thieves and 4-year-old Drake’s Deception really do look like native PS4 games.
The full 1080p HD visuals and 60 frames-per-second video make the trilogy look just as beautiful as a good chunk of the games being released today. Well, Bluepoint Games has done an exceptional job refreshing all three games. But the latest game in the series came out four years ago, and old games are never as pretty as you remembered them to be, right? Right? In 2011, Drake’s Deception continued this superb visual trend. Two years later, Among Thieves was even prettier. Drake’s Fortune in 2007 was really the first game to showcase PlayStation 3’s horsepower. You often really do feel like Indiana Jones himself, only Drake might actually be a bit more funny.Īll three games were absolutely beautiful for their time. Both games slow down at just the right moments, forcing the player to think in order to solve a ton of breathtaking visual riddles. The puzzles also add a much-needed change of pace. Drake will react to his surroundings while punching people in the face as he’ll often throw them on tables, desks, chairs, and much more. Hand-to-hand combat is also massively improved, especially in the third game. Shooting feels more refined and solid thanks to better aiming and the same rings true when its comes to getting around, as you’ll be climbing more ambitious and bigger structures and obstacles. Pretty much every single gameplay mechanic introduced in Drake’s Fortune is massively improved on in the latter two games. Some standout set pieces, such as the long train ride and helicopter chase scene in Among Thieves, and the sinking cruise ship and airplane ride in Drake’s Deception, are some of the best video game moments you’ll ever play. Sure, it’s definitely the weakest out of the bunch, but it still plays better than most third-person action-adventure games out there.īoth Among Thieves and Drake’s Deception are Naughty Dog at its best. Some of its set pieces are still enjoyable, and the gunplay feels solid. It contains clever platforming and puzzles. But this doesn’t mean that Drake’s Fortune is a bad game. It’s apparent that Naughty Dog was still learning the PlayStation 3’s hardware and growing as a studio. When playing all three games in order, it’s easy to notice the first entry’s (Drake’s Fortune) age and flaws.