Here Are The 8 Uncharted Games Released in Chronological Order
Reviewed by Huzaifa HaroonUncharted is one of the greatest exclusives on PlayStation. The series, developed by Naughty Dog, follows Nathan “Nate” Drake, teaming up with his friends and family, to seek out lost treasures and mythical locations. Action-packed, adventurous, and thrilling gameplay, accompanied by a fantastic story, Uncharted is sure to satisfy everyone’s expectations and likely to exceed them.
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How Many Uncharted Games Are There?
Over the course of 16 years, the Uncharted franchise has introduced eight games on six different platforms. Five of these are mainline games following the adventures of Nathan Drake. There’s also a spin-off game focusing on different characters. The remaining two – a trading card and a mobile puzzle game – while part of the franchise, aren’t canon to the overall storyline of the series.
Uncharted 4 was the only title released exclusively for the PlayStation 4;every other title originally came out on the PS3 and one on the PS Vita. However, remastered versions of the first three games are available on the PS4 through the Nathan Drake collection, which is subsequently playable on the PS5 as well.
Chronological Order of Uncharted Games
In terms of the narrative, the Uncharted mainline series has been released in a straightforward chronological order, meaning each new game picks up after the end of the previous one. The sole exception is Uncharted: Golden Abyss, a PlayStation Vita exclusive which shows us the early days of Nathan Drake.
Let’s explore the chronology of these games and break them down one by one.
1. Uncharted: Golden Abyss
Platforms: PlayStation Vita
Release Date: 2011 in Japan; 2012 in other regions
Although released around the same time as the third mainline game, Uncharted: Golden Abyss chronologically acts as a prequel to the first game of the main series. Moreover, this game was developed by Bend Studio, best known for their open-world zombie thriller Days Gone. Naughty Dog did oversee the whole project, however.
The game is set in Panama, where Nathan Drake is trying to find the lost city of Quivira, with help of his allies, fellow treasure hunter Jason Dante and archaeologist Marisa Chase. However, they are not alone as the leader of a revolutionary army, Robert Guerro, has the same goal in mind and he doesn’t take kindly to obstacles he finds in his way.
2. Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune (Uncharted 1)
Platforms: PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4
Release Date: 2007
The first game in the main series, and the first ever Uncharted game, sees Nathan Drake uncovering his alleged ancestor, Sir Francis Drake‘s coffin, putting him on the trail of the fabled city of gold; El Dorado. Accompanied by his mentor and long-time friend Victor “Sully“ Sullivan and investigative reporter Elena Fisher, Nate finds himself going against pirates, mercenaries and rival treasure hunter, Gabriel Roman.
3. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
Platforms: PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4
Release Date: 2009
The second, and most critically and commercially acclaimed game of the series, Uncharted 2 set new standards for games upon its release. It managed to win several Game of the Year Awards by different reviewers and organizations.
The second installment sees Drake and Chloe Frazer, an ex-girlfriend of Drake’s, and Harry Flynn set out to find Marco Polo’s lost fleet. They discover a map leading to the mythical city of Shambhala which guards the mysterious Cintamani Stone. After uniting with Sully and Elena, they learn that their pursuer is none other than Serbian war criminal, Zoran Lazarević, and his army of mercenaries.
4. Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception
Platforms: PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4
Release Date: 2011
Set two years after the events of Uncharted 2, Uncharted 3 has Nathan Drake pursuing the legendary Atlantis of the Sands in the Rub ‘al Khali desert. Joined by Sully and Elena, the story also explores the relationship between Nate and Sully; about how they came to meet. It also shows how far Nate and Elena’s relationship has progressed.
As always, the trio find themselves at odds with someone else; this time it’s Talbot and Katherine Marlow, who is revealed to be the leader of a cult dating back four centuries.
5. Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PC
Release Date: 2016 (PS4), 2022 (PS5,PC)
The final chapter in Nathan Drake’s saga, reunites him with his long-lost and presumed-dead older brother, Samuel Drake. Nate, who has now settled down and leads a quiet life with his wife, Elena Fisher, is forced out of retirement by his brother to finish what he started long ago; finding the infamous Captain Henry Avery‘s lost treasure.
During this journey, the brothers are accompanied by Rafe Adler—a fellow treasure hunter—Sully and Elena. The company find themselves at odds with Nadine Ross, a former mercenary and treasure hunter, but the curtains are drawn back quickly to reveal who Nadine is working for. Even if the game seemingly ends Nate’s story, it does leave room open for spin-offs and prequels.
In retrospect, Uncharted 4 serves as a benchmark for the gaming industry in many ways. It’s an adventure that offers fun, open-world gameplay with a nuanced story that makes you feel for the characters. Not to mention it has some of the best graphics ever seen in a game. There are only a handful of titles that overlap the Venn diagram of gameplay, story, and visuals like this to this day.
6. Uncharted: The Lost Legacy
Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PC
Release Date: 2017 (PS4), 2022 (PS5,PC)
A spin-off starring Chloe Frazer and Uncharted 4’s antagonist Nadine Ross, sees both of them team up to search for the legendary Tusk of Ganesh in India. Set nearly a year after the events of Uncharted 4, the duo seeks out the Tusk with different motives in mind but are determined to keep it out of the hands of Asav, a man who wants to spread chaos.
Uncharted: The Lost Legacy was initially envisioned as a DLC for Uncharted 4 but the team at Naughty Dog kept expanding upon it so much that they eventually broke it out into its own standalone title. The game, therefore, cost only $30 at launch and is officially the last we have seen of the Uncharted universe.
Other Uncharted Games
While the mainline Uncharted games are certainly a great collection of adventures, Nathan Drake’s journey also extends to some more eccentric outings.
Uncharted: Fortune Hunter
Released in 2016 for Android and iOS devices, Uncharted: Fortune Hunter was a free puzzle game developed by PlayStation Mobile Inc. The game comprised of 200 levels and stars none other than Nathan Drake as the protagonist, trying to get past these puzzles. The game acted as a companion to Uncharted 4, as completing the objectives yields prizes for Uncharted 4’s multiplayer mode.
Unfortunately, the game was not a commercial success. Hence 6 years after its release, Naughty Dog discontinued the game and it was delisted from all the game stores.
Uncharted: Fight for Fortune
Uncharted: Fight for Fortune is a turn-based card game featuring characters from the Uncharted universe. Developed by Bend Studio and One Loop Games, it was released on the PlayStation Vita near the end of 2012, as a spin-off to Uncharted: Golden Abyss. The game features a multiplayer mode, but the servers for online features were shut down back in September 2019.
What Are Sony’s Plans for the Future of Uncharted?
In February 2022, a live-action adaptation of Uncharted titled “Uncharted” (how original) starring Tom Holland was released. The movie enjoyed commercial success but failed to hit the ground running with critics. Fan reviews for the movie were also mixed, though generally positive so a sequel may not be out of the picture.
Moreover, around January 2022, the Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection was released for the PS5 and in October 2022, for PC. This led to the revival of the beloved franchise’s popularity and every gamer now wants more of Uncharted. Unfortunately, it’s doubtful that we’ll see any more Uncharted games, as stated by co-president of Naughty Dog, Neil Druckmann.
For us, Uncharted was insanely successful — Uncharted 4 was one of our best selling games — and we’re able to put our final brushstroke on that story and say that we’re done. We’re moving on.
Neil Druckmann speaking with BuzzFeed
With that said, studios have changed their minds and gone back on their words when they see how good their game is selling and how much more the fans want. Therefore, it’s not entirely concrete that we’ll never see another Uncharted game; maybe games where Nate is no longer the protagonist.
A prequel that tells Sully’s story, similar to how Chloe’s is told in Lost Legacy, would be a great addition to the series. Naughty Dog could also get another studio to develop a new game with their blessing, similar to Golden Abyss, which could bring fresh ideas and a new energy to the series. Regardless of its future, Uncharted will surely be remembered as one of gaming’s greatest franchises for a long time.
Reviewed by Huzaifa Haroon
