Before we get ahead of ourselves, I know what you’re thinking. How could I possibly give a “remastered” game the award of Game of the Year? I’ll tell you how. The Uncharted Collection is a masterful blend of nostalgia for longtime fans, discovery for new gamers, and hype for the release of Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End.
If you have never played an Uncharted game, let me tell you — this series holds a special place in my heart for a reason. The games aren’t even games. They are cinematic masterpieces. Often more impactful on its audience than movies are, Uncharted is action packed, emotional, witty, and downright amazing. The soundtrack alone is enough to make a player burst into tears.
Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection includes the PlayStation 3 trilogy of Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (my personal #1 game of all time), and Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception. Let’s start from the top.
Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune
When the original Uncharted came out, I was not a fan. I still think that the first game was the worst to this day, though the Collection has drastically improved it. Despite amazing visuals, a great storyline and some intense action sequences, the gameplay was unresponsive and the controls a bit wonky.
The Uncharted Collection remastered the visual again, making the vibrant greens of the jungle atmosphere jump out in realism. It brought the dated controls into the future by featuring a similar layout to what we saw in the rest of the series (a much needed improvement). Apart from the improvements, this game is as naturally beautiful as ever and really connects with its audience.
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
Holding the number one spot on my greatest games of all time list, Uncharted 2 features an enthralling storyline, tons of setting changes that keep the gameplay fresh and invigorated, amazing controls that made it simple to understand and communicate with the environment, an epic cast of voice actors making every scene believable, wittier writing that added hilarity through and through, and — of course — non-stop action.
Uncharted 2 opted for a stealthier approach to third-person gameplay, giving more opportunities to players. The sheer variety of choice when it came to massive battle sessions made the game infinitely replayable, and the story is too good to not watch a second time. Between Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, and your best pick for an awesome action movie, I’d rather watch Uncharted anytime.
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception
Tossing up the story yet again, Drake’s Deception starts a few years after the ending of Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. Players are confused at first about what happened between screen time. But the story slowly unravels, forcing them to make the conclusions before the game tells them itself.
The core gameplay is more difficult, making it a great game for a seasoned Uncharted veteran. The perfect conclusion to a non-stop playthrough of the entire trilogy on the Uncharted Collection. The graphics were unbelievable before the remaster for PlayStation 4, so they now look realistic. If I didn’t know any better, it could pass for a live action movie instead of a video game.
The storyline touches the player’s heart, but with that Uncharted charm.
The Collection at a Glance
The Uncharted Collection is the best remastered edition I’ve ever seen. It offers a seamless playthrough of all three titles, with epic graphics, improved controls, extra goodies, superior trophy support, and more.
As stated above, the gamers that fell in love with the original series on PlayStation 3 can relive their greatest gaming memories on PlayStation 4 in higher definition. And players who never owned a PlayStation 3 can finally learn what all of the fuss is about, and everyone can get hyped for the upcoming Game of the Year 2016 release of Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End.
Naughty Dog can re-release this trilogy a thousand times and I will buy it again and again. May Nathan Drake never die.
Published: Dec 3, 2015 07:08 am