Uncharted video gaming series welcomes spin-off The Lost Legacy

As any modern-day viewer knows, the entertainment industry loves a spin-off. An established, well-loved character gets his or her stand-alone movie or television show. Some, like last year’s Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them – set in the same universe populated by J.K. Rowling’s boy wizard Harry Potter – are to be applauded. Others, like Joey, the short-lived sitcom that saw Matt LeBlanc reprise his Friends character, are best forgotten.

It is no surprise why so many spin-offs are made, with an in-built fan base hungry for more. This month it has been revealed that HBO has closed deals with four writers to explore possible side ventures for four separate characters from its popular fantasy show Game of Thrones. But while it has become the norm in the world of TV and film, it is a less tried-and-tested route in the world of video games.

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This summer, however, sees the release of the PlayStation 4 title Uncharted: The Lost Legacy. A DLC (downloadable content) story and the latest outing in the best-selling adventure franchise by Naughty Dog, it comes just over a year after the release of the sublime Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End. The gamebrought to a close the adventures of Nathan Drake, the roguish treasure hunter who began his quest for all the glitters back on 2007’s Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune.

Since then, the game has grown in popularity – with A Thief’s End becoming the fastest-selling first-party title in PS4 history, with nearly nine million units sold. It is no surprise the developers at Naughty Dog want to keep fans coming back for more. To the company’s credit, it has not brought back Nathan; the finale of A Thief’s End – a rather moving flash-forward in time – hinted that his days of free climbing in dangerous locales were behind him.