It’s been more than 15 years since Naughty Dog’s video game series, Uncharted, first came out. Needless to say, it has stood the test of time.
This acclaimed action-adventure game received a live-action film adaptation in 2022, which stars Tom Holland as Nathan Drake, the protagonist of the franchise. Understandably, this has led to a lot of people buying the game.
There are essentially only 4 main series games, with one expansion pack to the fourth game. There are also 2 spin-off games and 2 remastered collections.
The only way to play the Uncharted games is in order of release since it follows the chronological order of the story. The exception to this is the spin-off game, Uncharted: Golden Abyss, which is a prequel.
1. Definitive Order to Play the Uncharted Games
The definitive order to play Uncharted is to follow the chronological or release order of the games, which, in this case, is the same.
If you’re interested only in the PlayStation main series games, follow this order:
- Uncharted (1): Drake’s Fortune (2007)
- Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (2009)
- Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception (2011)
- Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End (2016)
If you’re interested in the prequel, spin-offs, and mobile game, follow this order:
- Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune (2007) (PS3)
- Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (2009) (PS3)
- Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception (2011) (PS3)
- Uncharted: Golden Abyss (2011) (PS Vita)
- Uncharted: Fight for Fortune (2012) (PS Vita)
- Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End (2016) (PS4)
- Uncharted: Fortune Hunter (2016) (Android, iOS)
- Uncharted: The Lost Legacy (2017) (PS4)
Note: Even though Uncharted: Golden Abyss (2012) is a prequel, it is recommended to play it between UC3 and UC4 and not before UC1. This is because UC1 gives a better introduction to the story and characters than the prequel.
The first 3 games were remastered as the Nathan Drake Collection (2015) and the last 2 games as Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection. So, if you’ve only invested in the remastered collections, play them in this order:
- The Nathan Drake Collection (2015) (PS4)
- Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection (2022) (PS5, Windows)
2. Which Uncharted game is first?
The first Uncharted game is Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune which was released in 2007. It was the game that started off the Uncharted video game series.
It was developed by Naughty Dog and released by Sony on PlayStation 3.
As mentioned earlier, even though a prequel to the main series exists, you should start with Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune. You won’t get the same feel of Nathan’s personality if you start from the prequel. It is the first game in the third-person treasure hunt action-adventure story starring Nate.
You get to navigate Nate through the ruins of an island while combatting pirates, mercenaries, and other criminals vying to get to El Dorado.
3. Can I play Uncharted 4 before the other Uncharted games?
Some people play Uncharted 4 before the other games simply because they have a PS4 and the game comes with it.
But it is ideal to play Uncharted 1, 2, and 3 before you play Uncharted 4 because otherwise, you will end up feeling a disconnect with the plot and characters. Playing the other games before Uncharted 4 is more impactful.
Since the game follows a chronological release order, make sure that you start from Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune and make it down to Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End.
That being said, you can of course play whichever Uncharted you want to depend on your time and resources. Each game, although connected, tells its own story that is complete in itself.
So, if you do want to play Uncharted 4 before the previous Uncharted games, you can definitely go for it since the game is self-contained. You won’t be getting any less of a gaming experience.
It is set several years after Uncharted 3, so you can by all means play Uncharted 4 on its own. Just be prepared to miss out on inside details and callbacks.
4. Which Uncharted 4 to play first, Thief’s End or Lost Legacy?
Uncharted: The Lost Legacy is a standalone expansion pack to Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End. This means that Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End should be played before Uncharted: The Lost Legacy if you’re following the chronological order of the series.
Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End is the last game to feature Nathan Drake as the protagonist. Since Lost Legacy is a spin-off, it does not directly continue the main storyline. It does, however, build on aspects previously established in the other Uncharted titles. It concentrates on Chloe Frazer, Nate’s girlfriend.
All in all, since Lost Legacy is downloadable content (DLC) for UC4, you don’t even have to play it. Don’t miss out on Thief’s End, though, since it is the last official game in the main series.
Alternatively, if you have a PS5, you can get Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection. This way, you can play both Uncharted 4 games in the remastered version. Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection is also available to play on Windows.
5. Can I play Uncharted in any order? Do I have to play them all?
You can play Uncharted in any order but you should play them as per their release order if you want a holistic experience. You don’t have to play all the Uncharted games, either. The games have an overarching story but they’re not interconnected in themselves.
You won’t feel lost per se if you play an Uncharted game at random, especially if you’re coming to the games after watching the Uncharted movie, which gives a general laydown of the entire Uncharted story.
6. Which Uncharted is the best?
Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End is usually considered to be the best Uncharted game since it is the final chapter of Nathan Drake’s adventure. It was also made 5 years post Uncharted 3, so it has better graphics and a massively superior gameplay experience.
Although all the Uncharted games offer an exciting plot, UC4 has emotional depth and more mature themes that round off the story and the characters much better than the rest.
7. About Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End is a 2016 action-adventure game developed by Naughty Dog and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. It is the fourth main entry in the Uncharted series. Set several years after the events of Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception, players control Nathan Drake, a former treasure hunter coaxed out of retirement by his presumed-dead brother Samuel. With Nathan’s longtime partner, Victor Sullivan, they search for clues for the location of Henry Avery’s long-lost treasure.
A Thief’s End is played from a third-person perspective, and incorporates platformer elements. Players solve puzzles and use firearms, melee combat, and stealth to combat enemies. In the online multiplayer mode, up to ten players engage in co-operative and competitive modes.
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