Ranking the Uncharted Series from Worst to Best

The Uncharted series is widely regarded as one of, if not the best series of games to grace the Playstation consoles. Nathan Drake’s treasure hunting adventures spanned five games across the PS3, PS Vita, and PS4, each providing an epic, action-packed experience equivalent to a blockbuster film. Since the release of Uncharted 4: A thief’s End, many Playstation 4 owners have been asking things like “Should I play the first three before playing A Thief’s End?” or “What’s the best Uncharted to start from?”. While personally I would recommend playing the series from front to back, there are some players that like to say to hell with continuity and want to jump right into the best games first. If you happen to be one of those players, I’ve compiled a list of the Uncharted games, ordered from “worst” to best. Of course there are no bad Uncharted games, just some that shine a little brighter than others. For the purpose of this article, we’ll stick to the main four titles of the franchise (sorry Golden Abyss fans).

Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune

Of course, Drake’s Fortune is at a major technical disadvantage compared to the other three on the list due to its release at the beginning of the Playstation 3’s life cycle. Throwing grenades or balancing across logs used the PS3’s Sixaxis controller feature, which felt sort of clumsy. The platforming aspect of the game, as well as the third person aiming mechanics were also not as refined as it would eventually become in the later installments. Also, who could forget the dreaded jet ski chapter. With all that being said, Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune is an excellent game which was greatly improved with the remastered version in the Nathan Drake Collection.

Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception

Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception is an excellent game for many reasons. The first reason being it was the first game in the series to give us an in-depth look into the past of Nathan Drake and how he forged a relationship with his trusty sidekick, Victor Sullivan. It also continued to improve the platforming mechanics, and had excellent pacing. Drake’s Deception also provided an excellent ending to what could have been a nice trilogy, had Naughty Dog decided to close the book on Nathan Drake after three games. My major gripe with Drake’s Deception was the villains of the game didn’t really capture my interest as much as the others in the series. Talbot and Katherine Marlowe were decent villains, but they just couldn’t compare to the rampaging psychopath that was Zoran Lazarević. Which brings us to our next game…

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

Up until the release of A Thief’s End, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves was the best Uncharted of the series by a landslide. The game immediately sets the pace with one of the best introductions in a video game ever, as a bloodied, battered Drake must escape a train wreck on a mountainous cliff. I found Drake’s pursuit of the Chintamani stone and Shambhala to be the most interesting storyline of all four Uncharted games, and as mentioned above, Lazarević was one the most intimidating villains, especially in the intense final showdown. The game also introduced some new faces that added some good moments in the storyline, specifically Drake’s ex girlfriend Chloe. Among Thieves did have its negatives though, as the platforming mechanic was still not the greatest, but still a major improvement from the first game.

Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End

One of the early candidates for game of the year this year, Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End had everything that was good from the previous three games, and did them on a bigger scale. A Thief’s End takes Nathan Drake around all parts of the globe, ranging from Scotland to Madagascar, with various landscapes and beautiful scenery. The action sequences are the best we’ve seen in not only the Uncharted franchise, but in the entire gaming world. The all-around gameplay was greatly improved, with smooth climbing mechanics and better aiming. While Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception provided some insight on how Nathan Drake became who he is today, A Thief’s End really dug deep into the roots of his back story and gave players a better understanding of one of the best video game characters ever created. Drake’s brother Sam was an excellent addition to the series, and seeing the bond of long-lost brothers play out through the game was an emotional experience. All that combined with the definitive ending that the Uncharted series deserves is why I rank Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End as the best of the series.

So there you have it, the Uncharted series from worst to best. Disagree with the rankings? As always, let us know what you think by heading over to our Facebook or Twitter page, or hit us up in the comment section below.