5 games to play if you enjoyed Uncharted Legacy of Thieves

With the recent release of Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves, the culmination of the series can eventually be enjoyed on PC.

While the collection does not contain the entirety of the series, it is arguably the ultimate synthesis of the Uncharted game design. After all, Naughty Dog's milestone series set their success as a developer in motion in the late 2000s and revolutionized how action-adventure games are conceived.

Naturally, the imprint of its hallmark seamless level design is visible on games across platforms an entire decade after its first release. There are lots of games to pick from for those who are fond of the Uncharted saga and want further action-heavy curated setpieces.

Explore these games like Uncharted Legacy of Thieves

1) Tomb Raider (2013)

Developers/Publisher: Crystal Dynamics/Square Enix

Platforms: PC, PS3, Xbox 360, PS4, Xbox One, Stadia

The Tomb Raider franchise, for the majority of its earlier games in the early 2000s, was owned by Eidos Interactive. Square Enix acquired the company in 2009, and development was handed over to Crystal Dynamics after the gradual decline of the series in sales with its sixth game from Eidos, Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness.

In many ways, 2013's Tomb Raider was a hard reboot for the franchise, as not only did it retell Lara Croft's origin story from square one, but it finally broke from the janky early 2000s 3D platforming into the AAA standards set by Uncharted.

Tomb Raider (2013) and its subsequent releases, Rise of The Tomb Raider and Shadow of The Tomb Raider, are the closest players will get to the Uncharted experience without playing it.

2) God of War (2018)

Developers/Publisher: Santa Monica Studio/Sony Interactive Entertainment

Platforms: PC, PS4

Like Tomb Raider from the last entry, God of War is another PS2-era darling, crystallizing many of the hack-and-slash tropes in action games that would come afterward. Like Tomb Raider (2013), the 2018 God of War is essentially a series re-imagining. Technically, it has continuity from its previous hack-and-slash game iterations, posing as a direct sequel to God of War 3 (2010).

The 2018 iteration delves into Norse mythology instead of its Greek roots and shifts gears to a much more cinematic scope of game design focused on the narrative. God of War offers the same seamless flow from one setpiece to another, cutscene to gameplay, chapter to chapter, that Naughty Dog's action-adventure series became a symbol of.

3) Bioshock Infinite (2013)

Developers/Publisher: Irrational Games / 2k Games

Platforms: PC, PS3, Switch, Xbox 360

Bioshock Infinite, at least on paper, is radically different from all other entries in this list - the most obvious of these differences being its status as a first-person shooter. However, outside of its shooter-RPG elements, the making of BioShock Infinite has similar principles to Uncharted.

Departing from the under-sea cityscapes of previous BioShock games, this one takes to the open skies of its floating steampunk city of Columbia. The primary gameplay effect is much more dynamic and exciting action set pieces. Add in a tighter, more personal focus on a GOTY-winning story, and you have a game that successfully scratches the Naughty Dog action-adventure itch.

4) Horizon Zero Dawn (2017)

Developers/Publisher: Guerrilla Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment

Platforms: PC, PS4

Instead of Uncharted's close-quarters tomb raiding and scripted adrenaline-pumping sequences, Horizon Zero Dawn is a fully open-world role-playing game. It is no modern Indiana Jones flick. Instead, what we have here is an evocative sci-fi world with mecha-dinosaur crossbreeds and strategic gameplay that inches close to survival and scavenging in its dead beats between combat.

Despite this broad difference, Horizon Zero Dawn excels at tailing Naughty Dog's edge in the story department - through its long cinematic cutscenes and memorable cast of characters in a strange world. One of the freshest takes on the open-world action game niche is the cherry on top.

5) The Last of Us (2013)

Developers/Publisher: Naughty Dog/Sony

Platforms: PS3, PS4

The Last of Us, being the biggest game Naughty Dog is known for outside of the Uncharted series, is the most obvious contender for this list. Heralded as one of the best games of the PS3 era, most consider The Last of Us to be Naughty Dog's magnum opus.

Bearing their experience of already having developed the first three Uncharted games, Naughty Dog finds the perfect beats for The Last of Us' emphatic, stirring narrative. A testimony to videogame as a medium of storytelling, this GOTY-winning masterclass is a must-play not only for action-adventure enthusiasts but for any gamer.