The Santa Monica based hit maker has an incredible track record in recent times for producing some of the best games for Sony’s PlayStation consoles.
From the incredible Last of Us on the PS3 to the majestic Uncharted 4 on PS4, Naughty Dog is responsible for some of PlayStation’s finest moments.
And this high standard of quality is showing no signs of abating with its latest release, the Uncharted spinoff Uncharted: The Lost Legacy.
Originally intended as a downloadable expansion to Uncharted 4, The Lost Legacy sees Nathan Drake’s sometimes love interest Chloe Frazer take over in the lead role.
The chameleon-like Aussie is cast in a more sympathetic light, with her opening the game charmingly befriending a cute street urchin in India.
And that sets the tone for her character arc, with Frazer going from a character you never knew whether to trust in previous games to an endearing, wise-cracking heroine.
Like with Nate before her, Chloe is full of sharp-witted dialogue in the face of danger, a hallmark of Indiana Jones which the Uncharted series clearly takes inspiration from.
Chloe’s now teamed-up with Nadine Ross, the South Africa mercenary from Uncharted 4, as they chase the fabled treasure of the Tusk of Ganesh.
The pairing may seem a less obvious one for an Uncharted spin-off, especially seeing how the fourth title ended – with two characters forging a new treasure hunting partnership.
With Chloe and Nadine never crossing paths in the main series of games, this uneasy partnership is brazenly apparent from the offset.
It’s like Naughty Dog anticipated players would be a bit puzzled by the pairing, and the early chapters of the story explore this uneasy partnership.
It’s an arrangement born out of necessity, but as the game progresses so too does the bond and warmth between the business partners.
The Naughty Dog scriptwriter know to create well-rounded, charming characters – and by the end of the game you’ll be sold on the new pairing.
The Lost Legacy is built using the Uncharted 4 engine, and it plays just like Nathan Drake’s swansong.
The key difference is the combat, with the Lost Legacy placing more on emphasis on stealth than its predecessors.
While stealth was always one way to play Uncharted games before, the Lost Legacy seems to openly lead players towards that play-style with its maps and layout of enemies.
The terrains you face-off against soldiers working for villain Asav is full of dense foliage which is perfect for you to hide in and wait for enemies to ambush.
There are plenty of large-scale action set pieces, but the smartest way to play Lost Legacy seems to be to take a leaf out of Solid Snake’s book.
The Lost Legacy sticks closely to the formula that made previous Uncharted games so much fun, but that is by no means a bad thing.
While it doesn’t reinvent the wheel, it’s everything you’d expect from a Naughty Dog game – beautiful locations, memorable characters, great action – and above all, fun.
It also paints an encouraging picture for a future of the Uncharted series without Nathan Drake.
With Chloe and Nadine, Naughty Dog have two very capable and endearing lead characters with enough depth and wit behind to carry the Uncharted series forward.
And if Naughty Dog end up passing the baton for future Uncharted games to another developer, then they’ve gone out with a triumphant bang.