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Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection Review

Graphics:
9.1
Gameplay:
8.7
Sound:
9.5
Control:
8.5
Replay Value:
8.8
Overall Rating:
8.9
Online Gameplay:
Not Rated
Publisher:
SCEA
Developer:
Naughty Dog, Bluepoint Games
Number Of Players:
1-16
Genre:
Action/Adventure
Release Date:
October 9, 2015


One wonders how PlayStation 3 would’ve fared without Uncharted last generation. After getting off to a very slow start and spotting Xbox 360 to a one-year head-start, it seemed as if the glory days of the PS2 had disappeared in the blink of an eye. But eventually, PS3 clawed its way back, due in large part to several important price drops and an ever-increasing array of excellent exclusives. Leading the way was Naughty Dog’s new franchise that served as a pioneer in the third-person action genre, which needed lots of refining after the previous era. Now, looking back on the excellence of Drake’s adventures, we find that while the first didn’t age particularly well, the remarkable quality of the games is still quite evident.

In Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection , fans and newcomers alike get the benefit of beautiful 1080p visuals presented with super-slick 60 frames per second. Don’t forget that these productions always settled around 30fps so to have the 60fps upgrade is indeed noticeable, especially when it comes to large-scale battles. The character models, wonderfully detailed and immersive backgrounds, great special effects and overall presentation is remarkable and better than ever. The only downside is that, as I stated above, the first game hasn’t benefited as much from the upgrades. Back in 2007, Drake’s Fortune was a fantastic achievement but by modern standards, even the graphical enhancements can’t quite bring it up to snuff.

The sound hasn’t changed much but then again, it doesn’t really need to. We have some of the best voice acting in video game history, a stellar soundtrack that continues to mold itself to the ceaselessly engaging on-screen action, and a heady, atmospheric mix of subtle and hard-hitting audio effects. I can’t tell if Bluepoint Games has refined this category because I’ve always associated sound excellence with Uncharted and that excellence hasn’t altered one iota. I think there’s a curious balancing issue in the first game that I don’t remember when first playing it but I can’t be sure. Aside from that, there isn’t much to talk about; Uncharted has always sounded great, from top to bottom, and the Collection does, of course, feature almost unparalleled audio.

There are two reasons why this package gets an 8.9, which is below the review score I’d give to any of the entries when they first arrived on the scene: Beyond the technical boosts, there isn’t much here to entice fans who have already played and completed the titles in question. I realize that many such collections are similar, and they’re produced mostly for those who haven’t played all the games, but when it comes to Naughty Dog, I always expect something more. Secondly, it’s true that the first entry, Drake’s Fortune just doesn’t fare well when in direct comparison to the other two installments. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves won just about every conceivable industry award, not merely because it was amazing in its own right, but because it was a significant if not dramatic improvement on the first franchise offering.

The good news is that Bluepoint worked to make the control a little tighter and more reliable in that original production, so it’s not quite so floaty and awkward. Unfortunately, this upgrade doesn’t cancel out the movement issues which, 8 years ago, we didn’t really bother about. The control was actually much better than most third-person adventures at the time; as I stated earlier, the genre had a lot of growing up to do in that period. However, when you toss it into a collection with two later entries that are indeed superior in terms of basic control and movement, the age of Drake’s Fortune is all too evident. The cover mechanic didn’t work as well as the team wanted, climbing was more demanding and often imprecise, the story progression doesn’t have great pacing, and it lacks bombastic set pieces.

I was actually surprised at how old the game really felt. Just about everything, from the fundamental mechanics to the narrative – which seems rather disjointed and unemotional when I play it now – feels…well, outdated. It only proves just how far we’ve come in such a short span of time so in point of fact, it’s not a bad observation. It’s just something fans will have to accept if they choose to sit down and play through this revolutionary series again. What worries me are the newcomers who have never played an Uncharted and they start things off with Drake’s Fortune . They will make incorrect assumptions about the later titles, and might not realize just how much better everything gets across Among Thieves and Drake’s Deception .

Everything continues to improve through the series, as the characters become more fleshed-out (and in some cases more human and fallible), the story becomes deeper and more intricate, the environments become more diverse and innovative, and the puzzles, gunplay and platforming reach new heights of interactive achievement. One could argue that Drake’s Deception is actually the most accomplished in terms of third-person mechanics and despite the inclusion of questionable supernatural elements, it remains a stunning adventure. You always want to see what happens next in both games; you always want to play through the next chapter, wondering what amazing sequences you’ll encounter. I’d forgotten some of them and to revisit them was an absolute pleasure. Some sequences are downright iconic.

I’ve also noticed a certain lighthearted joviality in these games, a trait that seems to be waning in video games. It’s certainly true that Drake is more of a cartoon and one that doesn’t really start to gain enough dimension until later on, and there’s always the question we typically ask of all action heroes: “How are you a bastion of goodness and protection and righteousness when you’re killing everyone in sight?” Yes, well, that’s obviously an unanswerable question because of the nature of the entertainment. You’re not supposed to ask; you’re just supposed to enjoy. And the death on display in these games has never been gory or shocking; it’s very much like an “Indiana Jones” in this way and I appreciate this more carefree presentation.

There is some freshness to this compilation, too. There’s the addition of the super hard Brutal difficulty and the easy-as-pie Explorer mode, along with the unique Continuous Speed Run mode that keeps track of your time during certain scripted sections of the adventure. These new modes add some depth and a slightly different perspective to a rather straightforward experience, as novices and veterans have solid options. There’s no new content aside from this, though, so for the fans, they might think this collection is a tad light. Is it really worth it for that 1080p and 60fps and a few extra difficulty modes? Well, don’t forget about some of the refinements Bluepoint brings to the games and really, if you’re a true fan, what does it matter? You want the best of the best, right?

Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection is exactly what you’d expect. The first game doesn’t quite measure up and could turn off newcomers (always a concern), and the games really don’t have a lot of “new” in them. But really, the brilliance of this top-tier action/adventure series remains in full view throughout, and the remastering veterans at Bluepoint did a good job. They refined a little here, tweaked a bit there, and delivered a package that appropriately highlights the sheer greatness of the Uncharted franchise. The story arc reminds us that in fact, there’s one more Drake quest on the horizon, and also reminds us that linear storytelling with great acting and endlessly awesome action, will always be relevant.

The Good: 1080p and 60fps absolutely makes a marked difference. Top-notch voice performances throughout. Excellent gameplay fused with solid narratives. Some appreciated tweaks and fine-tuning. Great pacing and characterization. Unparalleled blend of puzzle, combat and platforming. More than a few memorable set pieces. New difficulty modes for both veterans and novices.

The Bad: Not a lot in the way of new content. First title shows its age and as a result, newcomers might be turned off. Some mediocre character development early on.

The Ugly: “No matter how old any Uncharted gets, it will never qualify as ‘ugly.’”

The other downside is that if you want to see the full story arc, if you want a taste of the beginnings of Drake, Elena and Sully, you sort of have to start with the first title. This means feeling a little frustrated until you can get to the smoother movement, better cover mechanics, greatly developed melee combat, and aiming refinements we find in the later entries. Of course, if you can manage this, you will soon find that Naughty Dog isn’t considered one of the industry’s leading developers for no reason. The second and third installments remain two of the best games ever, in my estimation, and while I’ll give the slight edge to Among Thieves, I think Drake’s Deception is very close and in fact, better in some ways. It simply suffered from minor backlash because its predecessor was so good and expectations were basically impossible.

Everything continues to improve through the series, as the characters become more fleshed-out (and in some cases more human and fallible), the story becomes deeper and more intricate, the environments become more diverse and innovative, and the puzzles, gunplay and platforming reach new heights of interactive achievement. One could argue that Drake’s Deception is actually the most accomplished in terms of third-person mechanics and despite the inclusion of questionable supernatural elements, it remains a stunning adventure. You always want to see what happens next in both games; you always want to play through the next chapter, wondering what amazing sequences you’ll encounter. I’d forgotten some of them and to revisit them was an absolute pleasure. Some sequences are downright iconic.

I’ve also noticed a certain lighthearted joviality in these games, a trait that seems to be waning in video games. It’s certainly true that Drake is more of a cartoon and one that doesn’t really start to gain enough dimension until later on, and there’s always the question we typically ask of all action heroes: “How are you a bastion of goodness and protection and righteousness when you’re killing everyone in sight?” Yes, well, that’s obviously an unanswerable question because of the nature of the entertainment. You’re not supposed to ask; you’re just supposed to enjoy. And the death on display in these games has never been gory or shocking; it’s very much like an “Indiana Jones” in this way and I appreciate this more carefree presentation.

There is some freshness to this compilation, too. There’s the addition of the super hard Brutal difficulty and the easy-as-pie Explorer mode, along with the unique Continuous Speed Run mode that keeps track of your time during certain scripted sections of the adventure. These new modes add some depth and a slightly different perspective to a rather straightforward experience, as novices and veterans have solid options. There’s no new content aside from this, though, so for the fans, they might think this collection is a tad light. Is it really worth it for that 1080p and 60fps and a few extra difficulty modes? Well, don’t forget about some of the refinements Bluepoint brings to the games and really, if you’re a true fan, what does it matter? You want the best of the best, right?

Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection is exactly what you’d expect. The first game doesn’t quite measure up and could turn off newcomers (always a concern), and the games really don’t have a lot of “new” in them. But really, the brilliance of this top-tier action/adventure series remains in full view throughout, and the remastering veterans at Bluepoint did a good job. They refined a little here, tweaked a bit there, and delivered a package that appropriately highlights the sheer greatness of the Uncharted franchise. The story arc reminds us that in fact, there’s one more Drake quest on the horizon, and also reminds us that linear storytelling with great acting and endlessly awesome action, will always be relevant.

The Good: 1080p and 60fps absolutely makes a marked difference. Top-notch voice performances throughout. Excellent gameplay fused with solid narratives. Some appreciated tweaks and fine-tuning. Great pacing and characterization. Unparalleled blend of puzzle, combat and platforming. More than a few memorable set pieces. New difficulty modes for both veterans and novices.

The Bad: Not a lot in the way of new content. First title shows its age and as a result, newcomers might be turned off. Some mediocre character development early on.

The Ugly: “No matter how old any Uncharted gets, it will never qualify as ‘ugly.’”

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Neo
Neo
8 years ago

Not trying to offend you by pointing out yet another mistake, but "The Good: 1080p and 30fps" should be 60fps 😉
oh and a bit further up too " Is it really worth it for that 1080p and 30fps"

Nice review btw.
I think I read elsewhere that they adjusted the gameplay for all titles, so they play similar and they made some improvements for the first one, like grenade throwing or is that really not that noticable?


Last edited by Neo on 10/19/2015 9:41:05 PM

pavlovic
pavlovic
8 years ago

I think that the throwing granades fix is overrated, it's a nice addittion, nithing more

A great improvement is the use of L2 and R2 instead of L1-R1

pavlovic
pavlovic
8 years ago

Drake's Fortune is a great game. I had a difficult time with the New controller configuration, but once I get used to it was pretty amazing; but I didn't aged as well as I would have wanted.

I'm almost at the end of Among Thieves and it is Just amazing.

Temjin001
Temjin001
8 years ago

I've been playing Uncharted 2 and been enjoying myself. I agree that it's aged in several ways; though, it's still excellent and Bluepoint did a great job porting it to PS4 tech.

Coming over from playing MGSV it does make the looseness of the controls pretty jarring. But after a few hours in it feels just like home.

Jawknee
Jawknee
8 years ago

Right? The controls are so damn tight in MGS5. Uncharted felt blagh. Though like you in sure I'll forget about it after some time.


Last edited by Jawknee on 10/20/2015 1:31:14 AM

MRSUCCESS
MRSUCCESS
8 years ago

I always felt like that when playing any Uncharted. Heck, MGS3 or MGS4 I think plays better.

Jawknee
Jawknee
8 years ago

Indeed though I think the cover system in Uncharted is better. It's snappier than in MGS4 which always felt kind of clunky. The runnin n gunnin in uncharted is better too but that's to be expected since it is an action game. Though the stealth in Uncharted was something to be desired. Which again makes sense. Since it's was meant to be a stealth game.

Kevin555
Kevin555
8 years ago

Good review. I decided to pass on this collection after playing Drakes Fortune which looked more washed out with a dull palette compared to the more vibrant cartoon tone of the PS3 version.

Brilliant games, but I'm more than glad to just hang onto my PS3 copies.

Jawknee
Jawknee
8 years ago

"The sound hasn’t changed much but then again, it doesn’t really need to."

I disagree. The voice acting is still top notch but from playing the demo on PSN I felt the sound was compressed overall. Not as impressive as I remember it. Not even close to as impressive as The Last of Us or MGS5.


Last edited by Jawknee on 10/20/2015 1:34:26 AM

Squirreleatsman
Squirreleatsman
8 years ago

I've always disagreed with the majority on this butI still stand by my opinion. Uncharted 2 is highly overrated, and overstays its welcome. Aside from Nepal, every locations in the game prior felt like a tutorial, and every location after felt dragged out and lacking in any sense of reality.

While Uncharted Drake's Fortune may be lacking in certain gameplay elements replaying the series made it clear to me that UCDF is clearly a better game.

All of the reviews make comments on how great looking Uncharted 2 is but in reality Uncharted 3 is worlds above and has a far better executed story than UC2. Uncharted Drakes Fortune and Uncharted Drakes Deception will remain games I play for years to come….However Uncharted 2 and it's silly blue men will be left collecting dust for a long time.

Ben Dutka PSXE
Ben Dutka PSXE
8 years ago

"While Uncharted Drake's Fortune may be lacking in certain gameplay elements replaying the series made it clear to me that UCDF is clearly a better game."

I'm sorry but that comment is so outrageously inaccurate, I wouldn't even know where to begin. The difference in control mechanics alone make it untrue.


Last edited by Ben Dutka PSXE on 10/20/2015 10:55:56 AM

Squirreleatsman
Squirreleatsman
8 years ago

It really isn't, the shooting mechanics in Drakes Fortune are significantly more responsive, and enemies aren't the bullet sponges that they are in Among Thieves. DF the enemies actually react to getting shot, and take 2 to 3 hits in most cases, where as AT they can take up to 15 well aimed shots. And calm down dude I didn't attack you or your review I expressed my opinion, stop reacting to every comment you disagree with like its a personal attack.


Last edited by Squirreleatsman on 10/20/2015 3:46:45 PM

xenris
xenris
8 years ago

Squirrel, learn to get headshots and enemies in UC2 die in one shot 😉

The story in UC3 was terrible, there are so many plot holes not to mention the villains motivations are ridiculous. Wants to steal a hallucinogens from an ancient kingdom, when we can make insanely potent ones in a lab already?

Spoilers*********

There are a lot of weird things with the plot, the whole rescuing sully and it being a decoy is a joke, the villains really set that up and new Drake would come get him when they had no reason to assume such a thing?

The writing is just plain worse in UC3, its not bad its just not as good as UC2. The blue men were a little weird sure, but everything flowed nicely together, and I disagree I don't think anything overstayed its welcome.

Crabba
Crabba
8 years ago

This is a disappointing collection, and the Uncharted series & Naughty Dog deserved better. For example like I read in a different review, they could've & should've included some behind the scenes extras for fans.

Even more importantly, it seems like they botched coloring schemes in at least some of the games, making the game look a lot flatter and duller than the original PS3 versions, which is something I've read from several people who played the collection, including right here in the comments section, and something I remember noticing myself immediately when watching videos showing off the collection, kind of surprised none of that was mentioned in this review…

That and the fact that the only game that really needed a technical upgrade – Drake's Fortune – didn't get it tells me this is more of a rushed cash grab where all they really did was do a quick & cheap res & fps increase with no real effort put into it which is pretty sad. This collection should've been treated better by a studio that cared about doing it right.

Also I don't agree that Drake's Fortune has not aged well, maybe not technically but it was never that impressive technically to begin with and DF was the last Uncharted I replayed and I still regard it as the best game in the series before Among Thieves.

JackieBoy
JackieBoy
8 years ago

I have finally decided to pass on that Collection. Played it too many times on PS3. Maybe someday at bargain bin… For now I'm saving money and geting ready for BB DLC.

Jawknee
Jawknee
5 years ago

Right? The controls are so damn tight in MGS5. Uncharted felt blagh. Though like you in sure I&#39ll forget about it after some time.

Last edited by Jawknee on 10/20/2015 1:31:14 AM

pavlovic
pavlovic
5 years ago

Drake&#39s Fortune is a great game. I had a difficult time with the New controller configuration, but once I get used to it was pretty amazing; but I didn&#39t aged as well as I would have wanted.

I&#39m almost at the end of Among Thieves and it is Just amazing.

Jawknee
Jawknee
5 years ago

"The sound hasnâ&#128&#153t changed much but then again, it doesnâ&#128&#153t really need to."

I disagree. The voice acting is still top notch but from playing the demo on PSN I felt the sound was compressed overall. Not as impressive as I remember it. Not even close to as impressive as The Last of Us or MGS5.

Last edited by Jawknee on 10/20/2015 1:34:26 AM

Kevin555
Kevin555
5 years ago

Good review. I decided to pass on this collection after playing Drakes Fortune which looked more washed out with a dull palette compared to the more vibrant cartoon tone of the PS3 version.

Brilliant games, but I&#39m more than glad to just hang onto my PS3 copies.

Neo
Neo
5 years ago

Not trying to offend you by pointing out yet another mistake, but "The Good: 1080p and 30fps" should be 60fps 😉
oh and a bit further up too " Is it really worth it for that 1080p and 30fps"

Nice review btw.
I think I read elsewhere that they adjusted the gameplay for all titles, so they play similar and they made some improvements for the first one, like grenade throwing or is that really not that noticable?

Last edited by Neo on 10/19/2015 9:41:05 PM

pavlovic
pavlovic
5 years ago

I think that the throwing granades fix is overrated, it&#39s a nice addittion, nithing more

A great improvement is the use of L2 and R2 instead of L1-R1

Squirreleatsman
Squirreleatsman
5 years ago

It really isn&#39t, the shooting mechanics in Drakes Fortune are significantly more responsive, and enemies aren&#39t the bullet sponges that they are in Among Thieves. DF the enemies actually react to getting shot, and take 2 to 3 hits in most cases, where as AT they can take up to 15 well aimed shots. And calm down dude I didn&#39t attack you or your review I expressed my opinion, stop reacting to every comment you disagree with like its a personal attack.

Last edited by Squirreleatsman on 10/20/2015 3:46:45 PM

Ben Dutka PSXE
Ben Dutka PSXE
5 years ago

"While Uncharted Drake&#39s Fortune may be lacking in certain gameplay elements replaying the series made it clear to me that UCDF is clearly a better game."

I&#39m sorry but that comment is so outrageously inaccurate, I wouldn&#39t even know where to begin. The difference in control mechanics alone make it untrue.

Last edited by Ben Dutka PSXE on 10/20/2015 10:55:56 AM

Temjin001
Temjin001
5 years ago

I&#39ve been playing Uncharted 2 and been enjoying myself. I agree that it&#39s aged in several ways; though, it&#39s still excellent and Bluepoint did a great job porting it to PS4 tech.

Coming over from playing MGSV it does make the looseness of the controls pretty jarring. But after a few hours in it feels just like home.

Squirreleatsman
Squirreleatsman
5 years ago

I&#39ve always disagreed with the majority on this butI still stand by my opinion. Uncharted 2 is highly overrated, and overstays its welcome. Aside from Nepal, every locations in the game prior felt like a tutorial, and every location after felt dragged out and lacking in any sense of reality.

While Uncharted Drake&#39s Fortune may be lacking in certain gameplay elements replaying the series made it clear to me that UCDF is clearly a better game.

All of the reviews make comments on how great looking Uncharted 2 is but in reality Uncharted 3 is worlds above and has a far better executed story than UC2. Uncharted Drakes Fortune and Uncharted Drakes Deception will remain games I play for years to come….However Uncharted 2 and it&#39s silly blue men will be left collecting dust for a long time.

MRSUCCESS
MRSUCCESS
5 years ago

I always felt like that when playing any Uncharted. Heck, MGS3 or MGS4 I think plays better.

Jawknee
Jawknee
5 years ago

Indeed though I think the cover system in Uncharted is better. It&#39s snappier than in MGS4 which always felt kind of clunky. The runnin n gunnin in uncharted is better too but that&#39s to be expected since it is an action game. Though the stealth in Uncharted was something to be desired. Which again makes sense. Since it&#39s was meant to be a stealth game.

JackieBoy
JackieBoy
5 years ago

I have finally decided to pass on that Collection. Played it too many times on PS3. Maybe someday at bargain bin… For now I&#39m saving money and geting ready for BB DLC.

xenris
xenris
5 years ago

Squirrel, learn to get headshots and enemies in UC2 die in one shot 😉

The story in UC3 was terrible, there are so many plot holes not to mention the villains motivations are ridiculous. Wants to steal a hallucinogens from an ancient kingdom, when we can make insanely potent ones in a lab already?

Spoilers*********

There are a lot of weird things with the plot, the whole rescuing sully and it being a decoy is a joke, the villains really set that up and new Drake would come get him when they had no reason to assume such a thing?

The writing is just plain worse in UC3, its not bad its just not as good as UC2. The blue men were a little weird sure, but everything flowed nicely together, and I disagree I don&#39t think anything overstayed its welcome.

Crabba
Crabba
5 years ago

This is a disappointing collection, and the Uncharted series & Naughty Dog deserved better. For example like I read in a different review, they could&#39ve & should&#39ve included some behind the scenes extras for fans.

Even more importantly, it seems like they botched coloring schemes in at least some of the games, making the game look a lot flatter and duller than the original PS3 versions, which is something I&#39ve read from several people who played the collection, including right here in the comments section, and something I remember noticing myself immediately when watching videos showing off the collection, kind of surprised none of that was mentioned in this review…

That and the fact that the only game that really needed a technical upgrade – Drake&#39s Fortune – didn&#39t get it tells me this is more of a rushed cash grab where all they really did was do a quick & cheap res & fps increase with no real effort put into it which is pretty sad. This collection should&#39ve been treated better by a studio that cared about doing it right.

Also I don&#39t agree that Drake&#39s Fortune has not aged well, maybe not technically but it was never that impressive technically to begin with and DF was the last Uncharted I replayed and I still regard it as the best game in the series before Among Thieves.

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