The 5 Best Uncharted Games (And 5 Best Tomb Raider Games), Ranked According To Metacritic

With the Uncharted series being adapted into a movie, fans are worrying over whether Hollywood can do the games justice, as the track record of big-budget video game film adaptations is less than stellar. Speaking of underwhelming adaptations, Tomb Raider is set to see another film installment release this year, though that’s far from the only connection between the two action/adventure gaming franchises.

Uncharted was clearly influenced by Tomb Raider, as both protagonists are globe-trotting treasure hunters who scale buildings and have very similar skillsets. Not only that, but both series are critical darlings, too, and things came full circle when the 2013 Tomb Raider reboot drew clear influence from Naughty Dog’s famous treasure-hunting lineage of games. Naturally, both franchises have been praised in equal measure in recent years.

10 Tomb Raider: Legend (2006) – 82

Tomb Raider: Legend was the first time the series got a major reboot, as the game that came before, Angel of Darkness, was a buggy, glitch-riddled experience with shoddy gameplay and a terrible story. The series had hit rock bottom, but Legend saw Lara Croft return bigger than ever.

The game reboots the series by starting from the very beginning, as Legend is an incredibly well-told origin story. Though the levels were criticized for being too small and linear, as the Tomb Raider series is generally known for having open levels for players to explore, Legend still has the best gameplay the series had to offer up to that point.

9 Uncharted: The Lost Legacy (2017) – 84

As the end of Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End clearly wrapped up Nathan Drake’s story, The Lost Legacy was released a year later with different protagonists and acts more like an appendix to the fourth game, being about half the length. The Lost Legacy sees Chloe Frazer, a fan favorite who was questionably absent from A Thief’s End, team up with the secondary villain of that game, Nadine Ross.

To say the game is Drake-less, his absence is barely felt, as the two female characters have so much chemistry. Not only that, but the game expands on the incredible Madagascar level from A Thief’s End, too, making feel like even more of an open world. Though it might not have seemed possible, The Lost Legacy is possibly even more beautiful than its predecessor.

8 Tomb Raider II (1997) – 85

Tomb Raider II does everything the first game did, but bigger and better—and, in hindsight, it is a much more well-crafted game than the original. The second entry in the franchise comes with the addition of vehicles, more diverse locations, and a great story, but it comes with a much tougher difficulty leve, too. Though exploring all the caves is the whole appeal of the game, it’s actually fairly refreshing to see some daylight after so much time spent in dark tombs.

7 Tomb Raider (2013) – 86

Being the second major reboot after Tomb Raider Legend seven years prior, 2013’s Tomb Raider took a lot more risks and truly went down the dark and gritty route. Not only did Crystal Dynamics totally overhaul her character by giving her more realistic clothing and not sexualizing her, but the gameplay was unlike any game in the series that came before it.

Tomb Raider introduced light RPG elements to the series, as players were forced to fashion their own weapons and collect plants and objects from the world. This game specifically influenced the 2018 movie, and the gritty realism is why Tomb Raider is the perfect movie adaptation. However, one of the biggest criticisms was that, for a game called Tomb Raider, it was significantly lacking when it came to tombs, with the titular activity relegated entirely to optional side quests.

6 Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune (2007) – 88

It’s easy to look at Drake’s Fortune through nostalgia goggles, but the first game in the Uncharted franchise wasn’t close to as beloved as its successors. However, it’s still better than most games, which is a testament to Naughty Dog’s pure quality. It’s the first time gamers were introduced to the man who would become Sony’s biggest hero ever, Nathan Drake.

The game borrowed heavily from Indiana Jones, as Nate is just as charming and athletic as the iconic movie character, and the only difference between them is that Nate doesn’t have a whip or fedora. On top of that, the cast of supporting characters was just as charming. From the hardened and seasoned cigar-smoking Sully to the inquisitive and moral Elena, it was the first hint gamers would get at how cinematic and well-written the series would become.

5 Rise Of The Tomb Raider (2015) – 88

Rise of the Tomb Raider is almost like The Dark Knight of the rebooted Tomb Raider trilogy, as it’s the middle game in the series, builds on its predecessor tenfold, and its successor didn’t even come close to outdoing its quality.

Not only did Crystal Dynamics correct the biggest mistake of 2013’s Tomb Raider by actually building so many tombs, as it’s as close to an open-world game Tomb Raider has ever come, but it delves deeper into Lara’s history with her father, too. According to critics, it’s the best Tomb Raider game there has been in almost 20 years.

4 Tomb Raider (1996) – 91

Based on the Metacritic score, of the tens of Tomb Raider games that have been released since, none are as good as the very first game, which came out 25 years ago on the original PlayStation.

Despite the incredibly outdated graphics, the simplified story, and painfully clunky controls, it was the biggest game of the year, and it was such a thrill to freely explore without being restricted by invisible walls. From the green tank top to the dual guns to the acrobats, the game gave birth to an icon.

3 Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception (2011) – 92

After the phenomenon that was Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, there was a lot of hype for the third game even more than the second, as the first game wasn’t so beloved. But, Drake’s Deception knocked it out of the park for a third time in a row. It does have some story arcs that aren’t tied up, such as how Talbot is able to appear and disappear in an instant, and the final act featuring a beautiful lost city is essentially the same as third act of Among Thieves.

But the journey there is incredible. From being introduced to the lovable meathead Charlie Cutter in the English pub brawl at the very beginning to the flashback scenes in Cartagena when Drake and Sully first met, the game is another incredible globe-trotting adventure. On top of that, it’s the first time the series really delivered on the puzzle aspect, too.

2 Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End (2016) – 93

A Thief’s End is one of the most tasteful endings to any series ever. It perfectly wraps up the story arcs of characters that players have spent 80+ hours with, even if it does frustratingly sideline Charlie Cutter, one of the best characters to be introduced in Drake’s Deception. The relationships in A Thief’s End, specifically, are exactly why fans should have hope that the movie adaptation will be great.

On top of the narrative and character development, which have always been amazing in the series, the fourth installment of the game has phenomenal visuals, and the gameplay is switched up for the first time ever. It’s no longer just climbing, ducking, and covering, as A Thief’s End introduced major stealth elements, vehicles, and swimming levels that are actually enjoyable.

1 Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (2009) – 96

No Tomb Raider game stood a chance of reaching the same critical heights as Among Thieves, as the second game in the Uncharted series is one of the highest-rated video-games of all time and the highest-rated game on Metacritic for 2009. Though all Uncharted games are state-of-the-art, that couldn’t be said for any other more than Among Thieves, as it smoothed out many of the original’s rough edges.

Whether it’s jumping over the rooftops of Nepal or exploring Himalayan mountains, there are more beautiful locations, and there’s more character development, smoother pacing, and more astonishing set-pieces too. Given how the whole narrative is about trying to uncover the lost city of Shambhala, the finale couldn’t be any more satisfying.