I suppose it was inevitable in hind sight that at some point Uncharted would get the old revamp treatment and make an appearance as a remastered/more HD/facelift collection. Honestly I can’t think of a more deserving series to get a makeover. It’s also, not accidently, well timed as Uncharted 4 draws ever closer. What better way to get ready than to relive some of those fond memories from the first three games? It might also just scratch that itch that only Uncharted ever could until the next game releases.
Fortunately Untouched
I was so ready to get straight back in and play Uncharted using the extra power of the PS4. Remember when you first went through the stream and noticed Nathan’s trousers getting gradually wet as you submerged further? Of course you do, and it’s still pretty cool. It’s an old game now and of course you can tell; there’s no amount of digital trickery that can cover this amount of time. But during the set pieces and some of the spectacular vistas it’s just good enough that you get a small slice of the original impact that took us all by surprise back on the PS3. It’s not so much about standing up next to current generation titles but more that some of that magic from your first time can be relived.
Outside of the visuals there isn’t much alteration. But then almost everyone agreed that Uncharted was a near perfect game so what would you change? Animations are still solid especially considering the age of the game and puzzle and combat sequences aren’t a chore like returning to some games. Thankfully there’s no Sixaxis at all anymore which I can’t imagine is going to be missed by anyone except the person who invented Sixaxis controls.
Stealing Second
And then came Uncharted 2, and it was good. There was no doubt that Uncharted was destined for greatness after Among Thieves showed us all how a real sequel should be made. Along with better design and a much grander scope came more advanced motion capture and improved fidelity. You can be ready to experience the same relative changes in this collection although things are of course starting from a much higher position. The remake builds from the first Uncharted in the same way the original did and is advanced enough that the visuals really start to show off now. Certain moments are worthy of some current generation games. It’s all too easy to forget quite how good this game looked when it came out and I was pleasantly reminded when playing through again.
But Among Thieve’s most important improvements come from the mechanical upgrades from the original. Combat feels smoother and generally just more enjoyable and slick. A big part of that comes from the fact the environments in Uncarted 2 are just so much more ambitious than the first game. There are some things you can’t add in a remake and this is one of them. Again other than that not much has changed from the original, in a good way.
Deceptively Good
Finally there’s Drake’s Deception which, if I’m perfectly honest, was not my favourite game. In fact I felt it was quite a few paces behind even the first game. Fair enough there was a less generic plot that served to reminded us Nathan Drake isn’t actually Harrison Ford and the improved production values are undeniable. The presentation of Uncharted 3 is amazing and I was genuinely stunned at points at how great it looks in the Drake Collection. Set pieces are more ambitious than ever before, and that’s saying something, with some moments nothing short of epic. It’s not even that the plot is bad, but then I never had a problem with the Hollywood adventures of the first two games.
What I wasn’t a fan of was the gameplay and specifically the combat sequences. But with the better visuals, smoother frame rate and improved control mechanics I actually enjoyed Drake’s Deception more than when I played the original. Okay so it’s never going to be my favourite but it is the only game in the collection that I enjoyed more than the first time I played it, and that’s actually quite impressive. Looking back I think Uncharted 3 was more ambitious than the technology it was made for and luckily that’s no longer the case.
Don’t Sully Uncharted’s name
So The Nathan Drake Collection is a success all over really. It brings together three of the best games ever made shoves them on a new platform that is more than capable and they all get a lovely new makeover. There are a few tweaks here and there to the gameplay mechanics but the main improvement comes from the increased frame count. The improvements are clear to see but they never get in the way of the games we have all come to love so much. I’m not sure there’s anything else I could really ask for in a collection. The new hardware is used only in ways that complement the original gameplay and never hinders it or changes it significantly, although admittedly that’s only possible with a game as good as Uncharted.
The Drake Collection is not only the best way to play these three games it’s also a fantastic excuse to replay them and amazing value. If you’ve never played them before then do yourself and favour and get a copy of this immediately and find out what the fuss is about. There are few people that Uncharted doesn’t appeal to in some way and this collection is well worthy of this genius series of games.
