Naughty Dog's anticipated Uncharted: The Lost Legacy standalone game starring Uncharted 2's Chloe Frazer won't arrive until Aug. 22, but the studio teased its game this week with a new 14-minute gameplay trailer. We watch as Chloe Frazer and Nadine Ross track down the lost cities of the ancient Hoysala Empire, hidden within India's Western Ghats mountain range, in search of an ancient artifact.
It takes time to connect all the dots in this forgotten land, but Chloe and Nadine can't afford too much as they must also deal with one Asav hot on their tails. This Indian rebel leader is seeking the same artifact as they are. What's more, the story suggests Nadine has a complicated history with Asav as well. When Chloe asked if Nadine would share her story with Asav over drinks, the no-nonsense mercenary simply replied, "Not enough alcohol in the world."
The Lost Legacy marks the first standalone adventure in the Uncharted series that doesn't include the hero that started it all – Nathan Drake. During the development of A Thief's End, the studio confirmed the fourth installment will be Nate's last. Instead, we are re-introduced to our beloved Australian treasure hunter with a devil-may-care attitude from Uncharted 2: Among Thieves:
“Chloe is still a fan favorite but didn't get the opportunity to shine in previous games,” Lost Legacy lead designer James Cooper shared with Newsweek. “This was like we're giving her a whole new chapter of her own to go into all that and leave the legacy of Drake alone."
The choice to bring Chloe to the spotlight is an interesting one. According to Uncharted 2 writer Amy Hennig, Chloe's role in the 2009 sequel was intended to become Drake's foil, someone that encouraged Drake's more impulsive and reckless side. In some ways, playing the morally-lax Chloe would be like playing Nathan Drake had he never met the more sensible Elena Fisher to keep him grounded. No doubt, fans will have a good time exploring her background a little more.
On the other hand, Chloe's companion in The Lost Legacy, Nadine Ross, plays the straight-edge. Nadine was one of the supporting antagonists in Uncharted 4 and after she parted ways from the self-absorbed douchebag, Rafe Adler, she needed work. Coincidentally, Chloe also needed a teammate with military expertise for her operation. Just like that, this unlikely duo was formed.
In past Uncharted , Drake found a fantastic partner in Sully to trade banter with, which only made the characters of the Uncharted franchise even more likable as a whole. However, I'm not so sure if Chloe's fast-and-loose personality makes for great chemistry with Nadine's hard-nosed, business-like persona. The pairing doesn't feel ideal, but I'll give their character development the benefit of the doubt until the game arrives.
Another character with a lot of presence is the Western Ghats itself. With every Uncharted title, Naughty Dogs pushes the envelope when it comes to environmental immersion:
“It's actually the biggest explorable environment we've ever done in Uncharted," Cooper said. "We're really playing into the idea of player agency, and players being able to choose their path and being given a nonlinear space to be able to explore and choose what you want to do and when you want to do it.”
The 14-minute Uncharted 4: The Lost Legacy gameplay shares a lot of the Western Ghats, but we'll learn a whole lot more soon enough. Uncharted: The Lost Legacy officially drops Aug. 22. Check out the gameplay video below.
