All Uncharted Games (Ranked From Worst To Best)
The Uncharted franchise, like its protagonist, is all about a story of humble beginnings, some missteps along the way, and the eventual triumphant success,same goes for the games on this glorious franchise.
Starting back in 2007 as a borderline-Tomb Raider clone (before the reboot of the origin of Lara Croft itself took inspiration from Uncharted) it managed to produce 5 games, which spanned across several different consoles and generations. With its stellar cast, exciting setting, and jaw-dropping action which rivals even the best action movies of today, it’s no wonder the series has become a hit with the fans and one of Naughty Dog’s crown achievements.
With the release of the origin story of Nathan Drake on the big screen, even with its questionable casting and story decisions, introducing the titular hero to the mainstream public it’s as good as time as any to delve into the 5 mainstream titles, and well as its two, lesser-known spin-off titles and try to rate them from worst to best.
8. Uncharted: Fortune Hunter (2016)
I bet you have never heard of this one.
UNCHARTED FORTUNE HUNTER iOS / Android Gameplay Trailer: https://youtu.be/JEajtz2MRaQ
Guide Nathan Drake’s through 200 chambers filled with puzzles and traps and uncover history’s greatest treasures.
One might argue that this particular title, serving as a simple, but fun, companion spin-off title to the much more acclaimed Uncharted: A Thief's End can barely be categorized as a title worthy to stand next to others on this list. The game was developed by PlayStation Mobile Inc. with the help of Naughty Dog and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the iOS, and Android-based mobile devices on May 5, 2016. Its premise was simple but unexpectedly true to the series core: You guide Nathan Drake across 200 levels, split into 6 worlds, solving puzzles and gathering loot. The game was free-to-play and included micro transactions, though you could use your smarts and patience to earn them in-game completely cost-free. Additionally, some of your progress and gathered loot could be transferred to your Uncharted: A Thief’s End Multiplayer account in the form of cosmetic skins for characters and weapons. And yes, one of the rewards is getting to punch people as Sully while he is sporting a slick top hat.
Unfortunately, the game was discontinued recently, with Naughty Dog announcing that, while they are not shutting the game down completely, it will not be available for download. Additionally, its in-game purchases will not be available for those who still have the game installed on their device. So if you want that sweet top hat and the game is still somewhere on your device go for it lads. Do it for Sully.
7. Uncharted: Fight for Fortune (2012)
Yu-Gi-Oh? i don't know him.
UNCHARTED: FORTUNE HUNTER PlayStation Vita Gameplay Trailer: https://youtu.be/3Ci1n0cRCUM
A spin-off title, focusing on using cards based on Uncharted’s characters, weapons, and objects.
Back in 2007, nobody expected a turn-based spin-off title, released 5 years after Nathan Drake’s first escapade was in the cards (pun intended). And yet, on December 5, 2012, Uncharted: Fight for Fortune was released on the PS Vita, possibly in an attempt to expand the gaming library of the Vita with another title under one of PlayStation’s biggest names. One might scratch their head while reading that and think, "Wait, I am pretty sure that’s not the name of the Uncharted game installed in my Vita" and immediately run to dust off the console to check. Don’t worry dear reader, you are probably right. Fight for Fortune is just one of Vita’s two spin-off games under the Uncharted name, and it’s probably the lesser-known one. This one was developed by Sony Bend Studios, developer of the Syphon’s Filter series and the criminally-underrated Days Gone, and One Loop Games exclusively for the PlayStation Vita. Yes, it’s a strategy card game set in the Uncharted universe that you could play on the now-extinct PlayStation Vita, making it by far the most unusual and obscure entry on this list.
The player creates a deck, named faction in-game, comprised of characters from the Uncharted universe, as well as "Resource" and "Fortune" cards to enhance a player's faction. Additionally, the game featured a mode, where you could earn DLC cards after linking the game with Vita’s other title of the same franchise, Uncharted: Golden Abyss. The game had an, admittedly spotty, Multiplayer mode, as well as a weirdly fun Pass and Play mode, where you took turns trading your PS Vita between you and the other player in real-time.
The title received mixed to favorable reviews at the time praising it as a flawed but fun time-killer. The game’s online servers were discontinued on September 3, 2019, along with those of Drake’s Deception and Among Thieves, so it probably didn’t leave much of an impact. This in itself is surprising, since you could go on the offense using Doughnut Drake to beat up Lazarovich. Epic.
6. Uncharted: Golden Abyss (2011)
PlayStation VITA managed to keep the game looking gorgeous. We are talking about Drake of course.
UNCHARTED: GOLDEN ABYSS PlayStation Vita Launch Trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHDezyb6vhk
A prequel to Drake’s Fortune, adventurer Nathan Drake searches for the lost city of Quivira, aided by fellow treasure-hunter Marisa Chase.
Another title developed by Sony Bend Studio, Golden Abyss was published by Sony Computer Entertainment and released on the PlayStation Vita on December 17, 2011, in Japan and 3 months later in the USA and Europe. It served as one of Vita’s launch titles, following Nathan Drake in a prequel story, set sometime before Drake’s Fortune, the series’ original title, while he searched for the lost city of Quivira. The story hits all the elements you expect from a mainstream Uncharted title, with Drake traveling all over Central America, with Marisa Chase, Nate’s companion in the game, punching, shooting, and making everything explode around him with all his usual charm. The game hits very different notes from the Fight for Fortune, following the formula of the main series very closely, even utilizing the sisaxis and touchpad of the PS Vita to enhance the gameplay, with controversial results.
For this game, Sony Bend Studio and Naughty Dog worked closely, with the latter even allowing them to utilize their voice booth for recording, as well as their mo-cap, with emphasis on cinematic cutscenes and sequences to rival the PS3. Obviously, both companies were serious about creating a title for their new handheld console to showcase the power of the Vita, while using an original script and the voice actors of the already-established characters.
The title featured the console’s touch and motion pads along with the usual joystick and button commands, used on the PS3. The player could swipe on the touch-pad for melee attacks and even use the feature for specific puzzles, while the back-touch could be used by the player to zoom in and take photos of the environment, something that Elena Fisher tried to unsuccessfully replicate in the original game.
The title received favorable reviews on release, focused on the gameplay, despite some criticism of the touchpad functions received, the graphics, and the voice-acting. Many described the story and all-around experience as a bit bare-bones, which is perfectly logical as it has no Top Hat Victor Sullivan. Oh well, at least it’s not a card turn-based game. Take what you can guys.
The possibility of multiplayer support in a later update was also announced by Naughty Dog, which didn’t go anywhere for the last 11 years, but to those of you with patience, I wouldn’t lose hope.
5. Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune (2007)
The Archaelogical Service is gonna have fun with this one.
UNCHARTED: DRAKE’S FORTUNE PlayStation 3 Trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9c5ehcfvqI
Nathan Drake, an alleged descendant of Sir Francis Drake, along with reporter Elena Fisher, seeks the city of El Dorado in a quest for treasure and fame.
Finally moving away from handheld gaming, unfortunately, on the bottom tier of the mainstream titles, we have the one that started it all, the original, the game that this November will be celebrating its 15th year, Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune. A name that on first hearing sounds as generic as it gets, yet encapsulates the series’ success perfectly.
Greatness from humble beginnings is the motto of the series’ protagonist. Indeed, Naughty Dog, hoping to move away from its older, more kid-friendly titles of the Crash Bandicoot and Jak series (although one can hardly call the themes and hard-core difficulty of Jak 2 that) decided to take a big risk (literally naming the project BIG) and move in a completely new direction. The studio hired seasoned voice actors, did mo-cap work, in hopes of perfectly portraying the character’s action and expressions in-game, in an attempt to create the most cinematic experience possible. The story, and subsequent franchise, follows Nathan Drake, the alleged descendant of Sir Francis Drake, who in this particular game searches for the lost city of El Dorado., accompanied by his best friend, Victor Sullivan, and hounded by reporter Elena Fisher and her prized camera, in an adventure that takes them all over Panama, an Amazon rainforest and finally an island, which also happens to be uncharted. The plot is fairly straightforward but the locales, acting and bombastic action keep the game fresh and fun to play.
The game has its issues, with a yet unrefined formula, some technical hurdles, and the issue of grenades exploding with all the strength of a mildly loud sneeze. Yet, it’s always nice to be able to come back and visit the origin of this amazing franchise, especially now that it’s neatly bundled together with the rest of the mainstream PS3 titles on Nathan Drake’s Collection in its Remastered form. The game might not hold up as well as the subsequent titles but if you can put some issues you will have a guaranteed great time.
The game gathered favorable reviews from critics, who praised the high production value and cinematic feel of the game, comparing it to Hollywood’s summer blockbuster films, as well as its incredible voice-acting and graphical fidelity. The game went on to spawn a franchise, featuring 3 more main titles and their remasters, spin-off titles, works of literature, and, recently, its blockbuster movie.
Not bad for a game that was jokingly referred to as Dude Raider on its first showcase. Not bad indeed.
4. Uncharted: The Lost Legacy (2017)
Apparently, girls love hanging out as much as the guys
UNCHARTED: THE LOST LEGACY Launch PlayStation 4 Launch Trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PhhiKPHTWM
Series’ regular Chloe Frazer, along with ex-antagonist Nadine Ross, have to uncover the Tusk of Ganesh in a race against time to prevent a civil war, in this standalone expansion.
The Lost Legacy had some really big shoes to fill when it hit shelves in 2017, a year after the conclusion of the story of the series’ long-time protagonist, Nathan Drake. The title takes a slightly different approach while keeping the formula fans know and love. It plays less like a spin-off and more like a standalone expansion of A Thief's End
This time you play as Chloe Frazer, who until served as a side character-antagonist-love interest to Nate, last seen on the game’s third entry. Enlisting the help of Nadine Ross, the ass-kicking former mercenary antagonist of the last game, the duo attempts to uncover the Golden Tusk of Ganesh and keep it away from this game’s military group. Pretty standard stuff for the series, which is a really smart move from Naughty Dog, who traded the dynamic of Nate and Sam from the last game for Chloe and Nadine without sacrificing the main gameplay core of the series and risking alienating its audience.
The duo’s dynamic is surprisingly fun and comes off naturally, especially since it’s the first time we have seen these two together in a game. Nadine’s stoic personality clashes remarkably well with Chloe’s more cynical, fun approach to things, and the voice actors give it their best to sell the story. The title fully utilizes the game engine for some jaw-dropping visuals and the action pieces provide quality entertainment for even the players who are not familiar with the story before it. It’s by far Uncharted’s biggest and flashiest spin-off title and was hopefully used to test the waters for a potential follow-up with the current roster.
3. Uncharted: Drake’s Deception (2011)
Yeah, don't worry, that's not Tom Holland.
UNCHARTED: DRAKE’S DECEPTION PlayStation 3 Launch Trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zN3rj6YemkI
Nathan Drake and his mentor, Victor Sullivan, search for the legendary Atlantis of the Sands while being chased by a mercenary group led by the latter’s former employee.
Okay, let’s be honest, we are hitting dangerous territory here. We got 3 whole mainstream titles on this list, each amazing on its own accord, with stories, action, and characters that you genuinely can’t get enough of. So yeah, don’t burn my house down, we will do our best we can to stay subjective here.
Drake’s Deception hit all the right buttons, although, following the critically-acclaimed Among Thieves, which cemented Uncharted as one of Sony’s most prominent exclusives, it was really hard to live up to the hype and success that came before it.
Truth is, Drake’s Deception knows that, and while it can’t replicate the formula and success, it doesn’t have to. Hitting completely different beats in its story and presentation, while keeping the core of the series intact, it gives us the origins of Nate and Sully, with a story that shows Nate’s accolade years with Victor Sullivan, connecting it to their latest escapades. The story literally goes off the rails in this one, offering a gripping story, jaw-dropping locales which are fully utilized in truly astonishing action pieces, one of them taken directly for the 2022 movie, panel for panel. Yes, they are that good.
The script is not as sharp as the previous installment, however, the spectacle makes up for it big-time. All Uncharted games give the player this feeling that Nate is constantly pushed into the nearest explosion, yet this one manages to one-up that in every way, especially on the first playthrough. Nate is grabbed, pushed, roasted, and tossed off a plane while shooting bad guys and the game lets the player have all the fun while playing these scenarios. So even if you don’t feel like replaying it yourself, grab your mom, buddy, brother, or partner, make yourself a bucket of popcorn, and enjoy. This one is pure, solid Uncharted fun.
2. Uncharted: A Thief's End (2016)
Every moment from the game is a potential screensaver
UNCHARTED: A THIEF’S END Playstation 4 Story Trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hh5HV4iic1Y
Set 3 years after Drake’s Deception, Nathan Drake’s retirement is cut short when a mysterious person from his past comes searching for help. Now Nate has to find Henry Avery’s long-lost pirate treasure in a race against a ruthless crime lord.
Okay, we have officially hit top-tier Uncharted here, and now it all comes to each player’s personal preference for the next two titles. A Thief's End was the definitive next-gen Uncharted experience back in 2016. It was released on Sony’s PlayStation 4, reinvigorated the series, which had seemingly concluded its story with Drake’s Deception 5 years before it, and managed to not feel like a cash-grabbing afterthought.
Instead, it feels and plays like a beautiful epilogue on Nate’s adventures, introducing Sam, Nate’s long-lost and never-before-mentioned older brother, a twist that we have seen before in a much worse effect, and taking the duo on a final adventure across the globe, with Drake trying to balance his need for adventure and exploration with his new family life.
The game engine gives us updated visuals, which hold up easily by today’s standards, giving the series’ fourth installment the closest cinematic feeling we ever had. And for anyone who has played Uncharted before, that’s saying a lot for this franchise. The game doesn’t change much gameplay-wise, adding driving and a semi-open world to explore, while Nate’s new rope swinging abilities make Uncharted the unofficial new Indiana Jones movie. Even Victor Sullivan acts like an older, wise Indie in this one.
Instead of changing things up, the development team chose to polish things instead, from the dialogue, to the gunplay, and the physics, with Nate being able to blast, push and vault over pretty much anything that moves, and even the melee mechanics have a more natural, fun flow on them while remaining relatively basic with a punch and counter button. The game is beautiful, the sound design is amazing and the story is powerful and concludes the series in a bittersweet way. But that was always going to be the case with Uncharted and if that’s Nathan Drake’s last escapade we are more than happy to accept it.
Be sure to check how A Thief's End compares to the greatest PS4 exclusives of all time below because you wouldn’t be here if you didn’t like tier lists.
1. Uncharted: Among Thieves (2009)
Wait, this is not a Captain America film.
UNCHARTED: AMONG THIEVES PlayStation 3 E3 Trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlkkceDkT88
Among Thieves sets Nathan Drake and Chloe Frazer against war criminal Zoran Lazarevich in a quest to uncover the secrets of Shambala and eternal life.
You are probably really tired of hearing this so we took the time to write it down. Among Thieves is the GOAT. We can’t stress this enough and just writing about it makes me want to start over again.
While the first game on the series was a fun, refreshing adventure, Among Thieves grabs the players by the scruff of their necks and hurls them head-first into what would unknowingly become their greatest gaming experience of 2009. Starting the game in medias res, a trope the series has used almost consistently, the game starts with Nate hanging for dear life from a train, which in turn hangs from a snowy mountain, in an attempt to climb to safety before it hurls down the abyss below. After that, the game barely stops to let the player breathe, with Nate constantly clashing with the game’s big villain, Zoran Lazarevich, a bad guy name if we ever heard one, and Chloe Frazer, a recurring, fan-favorite character, who is introduced in this game as Drake’s ex-girlfriend and antagonist.
Among Thieves shook things up big-time for the series when it hit shelves and put Uncharted on the map for good (pun not intended). It took a ton of awards home, including best direction, best writing, outstanding visual effects, and best action and audio design plus whatever else you can probably think of, and for a good reason. The game is a vast improvement in every regard, showing that the series was here to stay. The development team on Naughty Dog brought their A-Game here and the game never fails to deliver. It represents the definitive Uncharted experience and single-handedly set the bar for the action-adventure genre.
So that took a while. In this article, we covered every single entry in the Uncharted series and we are assured that no one is going to disagree with the rating. Go on, comment down below on your favorite game in the series and if you do, please, keep it civilized. Also be sure to check out the list of Naughty Dog’s best games until 2019 to see where yours stands, as well as the list of the other PlayStation’s highest reviewed games.
The Best 5 Naughty Dog Games To Play Today:
https://www.gamersdecide.com/articles/best-naughty-dog-games
The Best Action Games On The PS4
https://www.gamersdecide.com/articles/best-ps4-action-games
Get Both The Latest Uncharted Games Together in 'Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection'
https://www.gamersdecide.com/pc-game-news/get-both-latest-uncharted-games-together-uncharted-legacy-thieves-collection
