Over the past 40 years, there have been tons of video game franchises. Whether it be because of the fun gameplay, amazing graphics, memorable characters, etc, gamers keep coming back. One franchise that has excelled at this is the Uncharted series. The series has been praised for being fun adventure games with an engaging story. Many say the games almost feel like interactive movies, with some even saying that they are better movies than the actual Uncharted (2022) film. With all that in mind, here is a ranking of all five canon games. 

5.  Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune (2007)

The one that started it all, this game follows Nathan “Nate” Drake (Nolan North),  Elena Fisher (Emily Rose), and Victor Sullivian aka Sully (Richard McGonagle) as they work together to find El Dorado based on the notes left by Nate’s “ancestor,” Sir Francis Drake. This game has everything that would make these iconic: an engaging story with likable characters, a fun combat system, supernatural enemies that are a pain to deal with, debatably easy puzzles, and climbing. Lots and lots of climbing. While this game overall is fun to play and holds nostalgic memories for most fans, Drake’s Fortune isn’t all that great.

It’s clear that NaughtyDog, the game’s developer, was still trying to figure things out with this game, since there is sort of a clunky feeling to it. The controls feel a little stiff, and the graphics, while okay for the time, have aged quite a bit. The camera can be a little annoying, mainly when having to perform platform jumps, and the writing for the characters is decent but a little cheesy. Now, this game isn’t bad. As mentioned before, it’s a fun time overall. It’s just that everything taken from this game will get vastly improved upon in the sequels, so much so that many people forget what the original game was like. The story is easily the best aspect since, while the writing is a little cheesy, it still has players heavily invested and wanting to know more. In the end, this is an enjoyable adventure from beginning to end that will surely get gamers hooked on this series. 

4.  Uncharted: The Lost Legacy (2017)

A spin-off of the original series as well as being the first and only Uncharted game not to have Nathan Drake, this game follows Chole Frazer (Claudia Black) and Nadine Ross (Laura Bailey) as the two team up to stop a warlord from obtaining the Tusk of Ganesh. One of the best parts of this game is how it expands on two side characters from the previous games. Players were so used to following Nathan Drake, and yet the side characters were just as, if not more, fun. It is nice to see more development with each of them, although the game gives more focus to Chole, especially since she is the character gamers play as. Still, Nadine gets her fair share of moments and serves as a great AI against enemies. One thing the Uncharted series gets right is having helpful AI companies which, for an action-shooter, is impressive.

The graphics are easily the best of the series. Just all-around beautiful. The gameplay is just as addicting as ever. Treasure hunting is a little grinding but rewarding. The story is a little weak, but it makes up for it with its characters. One main issue is how short it is compared to the rest of the series. The campaign is just 7 hours long. The game kinda feels like an “in one ear out the other” type of game, but for a short game, it’s still quite enjoyable. Also, it doesn’t cost too much either, so that’s good. Ultimately The Lost Legacy is a nice epilogue to the series that still has the charm of the other games. 

3. Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End (2016)

The final game in the main series and the first one on the PlayStation 4, this game follows Nate, who has now since retired from treasure hunting and is enjoying married life with Elena. That is, until his long-lost brother, Sam (Troy Baker) shows up and asks to help him to find a treasure they’ve been after since they were children. This game gets some flack with the amount of dialogue, as there are so many instances of characters just having conversations even during gameplay. The thing is, these games have always focused heavily on their story and characters, so seeing this one giving more time for the characters to interact and flesh out isn’t a huge issue, especially for this being the last of the main series. It’s not the most nuanced or deep, but there’s more intrigue to Nate, Elena, Sully, and Sam than many characters in movies or shows. Nadine makes her debut here as an antagonist that players get to fight at one point. 

The graphics in this game are visually stunning. This game was the first to have a more open world that players can get lost in, with jaw-dropping detail in the landscapes. The gameplay introduces some new features, such as Nate having the ability to throw a hook on walls, leading him to swing across areas, and drive vehicles, which are also present in Lost Legacy, dialogue options, and mini boss fight brawls. The hook is very useful in climbing parts and does lead to some fun moments, such as a chase scene on a bridge.  The driving is alright but not perfect. The dialogue options have no impact on the overall story and could have been taken out. The mini boss fights are kinda weak. Final battles with the main antagonist have unfortunately been a bit of a mixed bag in this series, ranging from good to cheap, but this game’s mini boss battles feel very staged. Obviously, with this game being linear, characters aren’t going to die unless they are supposed to at that particular time, but even then there’s just something off about it. When all is said and done, A Thief’s End is a satisfying conclusion to Nathan Drake’s tremendous adventures that will leave fans smiling. Especially that one scene of Nate and Elena in the beginning that will have older PlayStation players grinning from ear to ear.