From treasure hunting and extreme parkour to fighting off a parasite invasion to toppling a corrupted king... the latest video game releases offer a host of opportunities for all gamers to get their fill of action, adventure and fantasy.
Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection
As one of the best-selling video game franchises of all time, the Uncharted series is the blueprint when it comes to action-adventure, cinematic storytelling.
And just when you thought these classics couldn't get better, the new Legacy of Thieves Collection elevates two iconic titles to even greater heights.
This bundle contains both Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, and the standalone Lost Legacy, remastered to take full advantage of the PlayStation 5. It also acts as the perfect excuse to revisit what is for many is a golden era in gaming.
In Uncharted 4, you play as Nathan Drake, whose ambition to retire as a treasure hunter is short-lived. He finds himself hooked back into family drama and tracing the whereabouts of pirate Captain Henry Avery’s treasure.
Like a modern-day Robin Hood, Nathan’s treasure-hunting skills are unmatched. Expect a myriad of puzzles, collectables and outlandish parkour, as you traverse prison rooftops under gunfire, scale death-defying Italian cliff faces, and sneak your way through the Scottish Highlands.
If there’s even the hint of a window ledge, no doubt Nathan can climb it. And it’s in this signature gameplay you’ll remember just how right Naughty Dog got this series the first time around.
Second time round? Even more spectacular...
Playing Uncharted this time on PlayStation 5 brings with it new dimensions. Whilst the originals already hold high standards in graphics, this collection looks almost other-worldly.
No doubt you’ll stop mid-jump or climb to take in the breath-taking scenery or capture the furore of the fight you are in. While the gameplay feels familiar, I can’t recall another game looking so splendid and moving so smoothly as this.
This collection has 3 different graphical modes to experiment with, including Fidelity mode, Performance and Performance+. Each one will enhance the game to new levels, and with reduced loading times, the action will flow continuously in one fluid motion.
Capitalizing on next-gen technology, the collection has haptic feedback thanks to the PlayStation 5’s Dual Sense controller. Nathan’s movements feel more tactile now, where every rocky clasp of a cliff edge or grapple alerts you. And at certain crucial points of the game, the vibrations serve to fully immerse you in the drama on screen.
Faithful recapture of a golden era in gaming
Perhaps what’s equally as nice about Legacy of Thieves is how faithful it is to the source material. Expect the same death-defying physics as you grapple, jump, climb and scale everything in front of you – the only thing you can be certain of is that around every corner, Nathan has an ace up his sleeve.
A Thief’s End also reminds us that Nathan Drake is one of the most likeable protagonists out there, with Nolan North’s portrayal of the Indiana Jones-esque treasure hunter continuing to set the standard.
Which brings us to the next title included, The Lost Legacy, starring characters Chloe Frazer and Nadine Ross. Although shorter than its counterpart, it’s a nice addition to tantalize players with, especially if you’re new to the Uncharted series and want even more bang for your buck. It also serves as a timely reminder of the potential the series has to offer for future instalments - with or without Nathan Drake as its star.
Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection is a thoughtful, generous helping of two well-crafted games. Newcomers will be given all the ammunition needed to explore the Uncharted universe, and with plenty of time before the highly anticipated Uncharted movie drops next month, starring Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg.
For seasoned treasure hunters, this remastered bundle has enough bells and whistles to warrant a revisit, proving something nostalgic and modern can sometimes go perfectly hand-in-hand.
Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection is available to play on PlayStation 5 from the 28th of January. A PC version is coming in 2022.
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Extraction
Set in an America threatened by alien parasites known as Archaeans, Rainbow Six Extraction is an online multiplayer tactical shootout experience that will test your team's coordination, cooperation and composure against a myriad of deadly mutations.
The objectives of the game is very straightforward – you and two other operators will manoeuvre yourselves through a set of 3 random missions per excursion.
Missions range from tackling elite parasites, planting trackers in dormant nests, retrieving and trapping samples, to rescuing the countless operatives you’ll leave helplessly (and carelessly) behind in previous missions.
Whilst you can play solo, most if not all the fun and success you’ll find in Extraction will stem from teaming up with others, whether that be with friends, or on a microphone with strangers in quick play mode.
Archeans come in different forms and playstyles; some charge at you with full force, others use stealth, fire projectiles, or explode and cause a near-instant takedown. A spray of bullets will usually keep them at bay – but a mistimed shot or loud noise could trigger the entire level, and an avalanche of pain will begin to run in your direction.
This brings me to my first piece of advice – don’t get too comfortable using only one character. They will be captured. This is sadly unavoidable.
After losing three or four operators one after the other, my squad and I hit pause to rethink our strategy, worrying that in time we’ll have no one else to play as. Carefully, we began rescue mission after rescue mission to win back our fallen comrades, slightly taken aback by how unforgiving the game punishes you for mistakes.
Each operator has a niche set of skills, abilities and strategies which separate them from the rest. As your progression level grows, you’ll gain access to even more operators, reducing the amount of guilt you’ll feel when one is eventually captured.
Some operators excel in reconnaissance, others support your team with healing and armour, whilst others are brute-force machines with powerful weaponry at their disposal. Sure the maps and missions may become overly familiar, but the operator you’re controlling adds huge variety as you sneak, shoot and scavenge your way through levels.
Ultimately, each player should cover a range of specialties to maximize the chances of survival. Mid-mission you may decide to bail, carry your fallen teammates to the evacuation site, and bank your experience points. Other times you’ll feel lucky (and greedy), only to end up an Archaean prisoner.
You’ll then spend the next ten minutes arguing whose fault it was, only to re-enter with new gameplay to execute a daring rescue.
Although you can play Extraction in a variety of ways, stealth is usually the most successful. But tip-toeing can only last so long before someone makes a noise, and chaos ensues. Each operative can carry a series of tech to help even the odds, including grenades, recon drones, glue bombs and more for added pizazz.
Altogether, the Rainbow Six Extraction is a fun, fresh spin on team-focused shooting. A roadmap of new content promised by Ubisoft should ensure your fight against the Archaeaens is never-ending. The game’s 'Buddy Pass’ system allows you to invite friends to trial the game before buying, ensuring you’ll always have someone to add to your team – just make sure they know how to run.
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Extraction is available to play on PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Google Stadia, Amazon Luna and PC.
Ruined King: A League of Legends Story
Whether it's the continued global domination of the MOBA game, or the hit Netflix show Arcane, multiplayer sensation League of Legends has many feathers to its cap.
And with the quiet release of a turned-based RPG late last year, there seems to be an endless supply of stories left to tell in Runeterra – and, even more ways to tell them.
Ruined King is one such tale. It’s a game that follows a band of some of your favourite champions from the main game, including Miss. Fortune, Braum, Ahri and Yasuo. Set in the shady Bilgewater, your ultimate goal is to investigate the Shadow Isles and the alarming return of the menacing Black Mist.
With beautiful artwork, captivating environments and music, the hustle, bustle and debauchery of Bilgewater are brought to life on screen. It’s one of those rare games where you’ll welcome each and every cut scene, where quick exchanges between the cast are fed like breadcrumbs through the main campaign.
The game digs deep into the rich lore of its world, and the characterization of each character, helped by their original voice actors, is second to none. Because I am very familiar with League, it’s hard to judge how friendly the game’s story is to newcomers to the series.
That said, what is unquestionable is the fun, dungeon-crawler gameplay the game executes. If you enjoy strategy and turned-based battles reminiscent of the early Final Fantasy, you’ll feel right at home with Ruined King.
Each character has a plethora of skills that can turn the tide of battle with special effects. You can play these skills as fast moves, which act quicker but are weaker, or charge them up for more devastating damage.
Some fights will have hazards or boons, forcing you to play with strategy. The most fun found in the game is arguably when it’s set to the highest difficulty, where every fight feels more monumental, and every decision you make more calculated.
With more than 20+ hours of gameplay, a variety of ways to buff your champions, and an in-depth look at Bilgewater and all it’s secrets, Ruined King is an exciting new chapter in the League of Legends universe. A new part of Runeterra is brought to life, with original champions of the hit game finally given their moment in the spotlight – only a couple hundred more to go!
Ruined King: A League of Legends Story is available on PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC.
