If you’re looking for a thrilling action-adventure that is set in the jungle, taking on pirates and other villains looking to take you down, then the Uncharted series is the one for you. The series took off in the PlayStation 3 era and became a household name as Uncharted games in order progressed through multiple titles over the span of a few years. Nathan Drake became one of the more iconic names in gaming, so much so that they decided they were going to see the likes of Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg compete for the role of the iconic treasure hunter in the 2022 film Uncharted.
As we just said, this game is all about treasure hunting, and people looking to take you down. The easiest way to think of this series is, think of Indiana Jones meets Tomb Raider. It has a lot of inspiration from both of these epic franchises, but has enough depth to separate it from being a rip-off. They achieved this through storytelling. Nathan Drake isn’t a famous Tomb Raider, or isn’t out for the greater good initially, like in Indiana Jones. He definitely has his own motives, and often is looking for trouble rather than avoiding it.
But what Uncharted game came first? And which one put it on the map? Here are all Uncharted games in order of release.
The Uncharted release order timeline spans from 2007 to 2022. At the time of writing this article, there have been no new Uncharted games confirmed in development. However, it has been rumoured that Naughty Dog does have a new game in the works, with fans hoping that Uncharted will be back on the agenda sooner rather than later.
It’s also worth noting that this franchise is a Sony exclusive, but with the newly-found partnership between Microsoft and Sony, it’ll be interesting to see if the famous treasure hunter makes himself acquainted with the green side too. Stay tuned as we walk you through all of the Uncharted games in order of release.
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Unlike many games we have covered, this is one of the few series that was released after the PS2 era. Drake’s Fortune laid the groundwork for what would be a winning formula for the Uncharted series. Like Tomb Raider, the game involved platforming levels, complex puzzles, and, in some parts, weapon combat.
On the gunplay aspect, if you were a fan of the Gears of War series, you’ll have no problem in this game. Not all games are easy run and guns, and in Drake’s Fortune, it is no different. You’ll find yourself hiding behind cover a lot. Personally, I find those types of games to be quite slow, but it adds to the challenge that enemies won’t die simply from the wind blowing them over.
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Normally, the sequels have a hard job exceeding the originals, but in this instance, Among Thieves is a great follow-up game to the original Uncharted. The game has a more cinematic feel to it this time around, with more emphasis on cutscenes and big action moments. On top of that, there have been some tweaks to the gameplay. There is definitely more shooting involved in this game. But that was one of the fun parts of Drake’s Fortune.
Although the gameplay was good in its predecessor, Naughty Dog thought it would be cool to add a new element to Among Thieves: Stealth. Similar to games like Prince of Persia and Assassin’s Creed, stealth was a key part of the gameplay.
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Out of the jungle and into the desert. Drake’s Deception takes the Nathan Drake story to new locations, along with competitive and co-op modes that give you more layers to the game. This iteration of Uncharted focuses more on the relationship between Nathan Drake and his mentor and father figure, Victor Sullivan.
As for gameplay, the developers continued with making improvements and building on the previous two games. As always, gunplay is the primary focus, with more weapons, environment interactions to give it a fresh feel. The game is supported in 1080p, adding depth to things like grenade explosions.
Stealth was a nice addition to the franchise, but it didn’t really serve the purpose the developers intended in Among Thieves because you had just one forced stealth mission. In Drake’s Deception however, there are far more stealth opportunities, making sneaky approaches also an integral part of the game.
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PS Vita had its first Uncharted game hit its stores in 2011 with Golden Abyss. Sony, at the time, was making a big push for PS Vita, a handheld device that was meant to rival general console gaming.
Instead of following on with the main story in the present, the developers chose to bring this handheld game as a prequel to Drake’s Fortune. As for the game itself, it was a pretty decent game that was received well. But it also felt like marketing for the touch screen system on the device. With touch screen playing a big part, players had the option of ‘painting‘. This meant they could draw a line for Nathan Drake to follow, and he would perform those actions. It’s a solid game, but not something players needed to play at the time, especially with the discontinuation of the PS Vita.
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It wouldn’t be a video game without a spinoff to expand the IP. Uncharted is no different. But instead of making a generic top-down mobile game, they went in a completely different direction, a trading card game. This was the second game to be released on the PlayStation Vita, headed by developers Sony Bend and One Loop Games. The game lets you put together decks that include characters from the previous games. You then battle your way through a lengthy campaign. There is an online mode, but nothing in comparison to other card games. Players who owned Golden Abyss had access to extra cards not accessible to everyone.
Uncharted entered the new generation of consoles with the Nathan Drake Collection. This was a remaster of the previous main titles, all with upgraded graphics to move them into the modern era. There wasn’t much to add in terms of the gameplay; each felt the same as it did when it first came out on the PlayStation 3. But, the caveat to this collection was that it was used as a way to get players onto the Uncharted 4 beta. Players could only get access to the beta by purchasing the collection.
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Uncharted 4 was the first main title to be released on the PlayStation 4 after The Nathan Drake Collection. This game takes place three years after Uncharted 3, and follows the main protagonist, Nathan Drake, along with his older brother, Sam. The game deployed similar choices to what you were getting in The Last of Us; Stealth was more incorporated into the gameplay, with players able to track where the enemies are.
Like in Assassin’s Creed, enemies would now have indicators above their heads when in stealth, showing how close they are to spotting you. While the stealth system was fun in the previous games, the developers did a much better job of making the mechanic feel seamless rather than forced. Like other titles, the game does have multiplayer. Players more or less play Uncharted for the single-player experience, so you shouldn’t be too fussed about the multiplayer being average.
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It took over a decade, but the first stand-alone game in the Uncharted Series came in 2017 when The Lost Legacy was released. This was a game without Nathan Drake, which seemed wild at the time, given the popularity of the franchise. Nevertheless, the developers wanted to tell a brand-new story and branch out away from the norm, but with a character the fans would know and love.
This was a smart decision from the developers. Sometimes, stand-alone games will have to force characters into the world as if they’ve been there all along. Chloe Frazer is a fan favourite from previous titles, and in this game, you will embark on her journey, rather than continue with Nathan Drake’s.
And that’s how you can play all Uncharted games in order. The release order is basically the same as chronological order.
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