Summary
- Uncharted is a top-tier gaming series with a lasting impact on the industry.
- Spin-offs like Fight for Fortune and Fortune Hunter add unique gameplay experiences.
- Each Uncharted game offers varying levels of storytelling, chemistry, and cinematic appeal.
Few video game series capture the spirit of adventure quite like Uncharted. Inspired by pulp novels and iconic action movies, Naughty Dog struck gold with the adventures of Nathan Drake and friends, taking gamers to forgotten cities, lost treasure, and some of the most spectacular set pieces ever conceived in this medium.
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PostsEven though the Uncharted series has been dormant for a while, that doesn’t take away from the sizable impact the series continues to have on gaming. When you think of big blockbuster video games, Uncharted is probably one of the first series that comes to mind. It's earned its spot as the cultural shorthand of triple-A gaming and will likely continue to take new generations of gamers away on adventures for years to come.
8 Uncharted: Fight For Fortune
Master Of None
CloseUncharted: Fight for Fortune
Digital Card Game Released December 4, 2012 Developer(s) Bend Studio, One Loop Games Platform(s) PS Vita Powered by Expand CollapseIt feels unfair in some ways to label Uncharted: Fight for Fortune as its own entry within the series. It is a digital card game spin-off to a PS Vita spin-off that hardly anyone ever talks about anymore. It feels wrong in some ways to stack it side by side with the real heavy hitters within the Uncharted series.
But, judging it purely as a digital card game spin-off to a PS Vita spin-off that hardly anyone talks about anymore, Uncharted: Fight for Fortune isn’t half bad. The card battling mechanics are basic but at least technically sound and the fan service is sure to please passionate fans of the series.
7 Uncharted: Fortune Hunter
Temple Run
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Puzzle Released May 5, 2016 Developer(s) Playspree Platform(s) Android, iOS Powered by Expand CollapseThe series went into… ahem… uncharted territories with this mobile phone spin-off that was designed as a complementary experience alongside Uncharted 4. There are unlocks in Uncharted: Fortune Hunter that will give you some extra goodies in the PS4 game, but thankfully, the game itself is pretty fun to play.
While it won’t win any awards for being the greatest mobile game of all time, Fortune Hunter is a competently designed puzzle game that you can easily sink some time into while on the train or under your desk at work. There are enough levels and challenges to keep you coming back, even if the lack of any real story feels like a wasted opportunity given the series’ rich characters and lore.
6 Uncharted: Golden Abyss
Viva La Vita
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Action-Adventure Released February 15, 2012 Developer(s) Bend Studio Platform(s) PS Vita Powered by Expand CollapseThere are two main ways to look at Uncharted: Golden Abyss: it’s significance as a PS Vita game, and it’s relevance within the larger Uncharted universe. As a launch game for Sony’s HD handheld system, it’s a triumph. The gorgeous visuals and dynamic gameplay that you would expect from an Uncharted game are all present here – ensuring that Golden Abyss remained one of the few PS Vita games that truly delivered on the system’s original promise.
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PostsHowever, when examined against the rest of the Uncharted games, the cracks with Golden Abyss begin to show. As a prequel, there is surprisingly little narrative material in this game that has lasting implications for the rest of the series, meaning that Uncharted: Golden Abyss can feel, at times, like a bit of a golden abyss.
5 Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune
Where It All Started
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Action-Adventure 8.0/10 Released November 19, 2007 Developer(s) Naughty Dog Platform(s) PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4 Powered by Expand CollapseThere’s almost something quaint about returning to Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune. While the game does show its age, there’s something charming about the plot that is simultaneously pulpier and deals with lower stakes than anything that came after it.
What was clear from the beginning was the unquestionable chemistry between the game’s leads. Drake, Sully, and Elena are instantly likeable and their quest to find the lost treasures of El Dorado was an incredibly entertaining romp that left PS3 gamers wanting more.
4 Uncharted: The Lost Legacy
Return Of The Chloe
CloseUncharted: The Lost Legacy
Action-Adventure Released August 22, 2017 Developer(s) Naughty Dog Platform(s) PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PC Powered by Expand CollapseDepending on how you look at Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, it’s either an over-achieving DLC, a slightly underwhelming Uncharted 4.5, or a highly engaging side adventure that finally places you in the shoes of someone who isn’t Nathan Drake. In truth, the game is all three of those things at once.
Uncharted: The Lost Legacy does build upon the gameplay innovations of the fourth game in really compelling ways. Most notably, the mini-open world sections make a return, adding an extra layer of freedom and exploration to a series that can often feels too scripted and linear.
3 Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception
The Sands Of Time
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Action Adventure Released November 1, 2011 Developer(s) Naughty Dog Platform(s) PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4 Powered by Expand CollapseUncharted 3: Drake’s Deception signalled the end of the series for the PlayStation 3, and Naughty Dog really pulled out all the stops for this third instalment. The game pushed the system to its very technical limits, but it’s all worth it for just how jaw-droppingly gorgeous and cinematic much of the experience is.
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PostsThese days, Uncharted 3 gets looked over compared to some of the other entries, which is a shame. Some of the best character moments and set pieces of the entire series take place in this game, and it’s well worth revisiting if you haven’t given it another go since 2011.
2 Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
All Things Must Come To An End
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Third-Person Shooter Adventure Released May 10, 2016 Developer(s) Naughty Dog Platform(s) PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 Powered by Expand CollapseAfter almost a decade of pumping out excellent Uncharted games, Naughty Dog finally decided to pull the curtains on this iconic series with Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End. And what a way to go.
Everything comes together for an epic conclusion, including the introduction of Sam Drake as Nathan’s older — but perhaps, even less responsible — brother (voiced by the ever-reliable Troy Baker). The gameplay was more open than previous entries, which helped keep things fresh as the series entered a new generation of PlayStation consoles.
1 Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
Still The King
CloseUncharted 2: Among Thieves
Third-Person Shooter Adventure Released October 13, 2009 Developer(s) Naughty Dog Platform(s) PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4 Powered by Expand CollapseFrom the moment you wake up as an injured Nathan Drake on a derailed train cart hanging over the cliff, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves never once lets up. This is pure video game popcorn, and in the best ways possible.
This is a perfectly paced game, one that understands how to utilise its characters and tell a story that keeps you hooked from start to finish. Add in some generation-defining set pieces and a cinematic style that was unlike anything attempted before, and you have the definitive Uncharted game.
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