The Uncharted Series

If you want more: Naughty Dog game design, third-person action with an emphasis on aiming and shooting, memorable characters
Notable Differences: Almost no horror (despite some spookiness), dramatic switch in tone from TLoU, lengthy climbing sequences, Hollywood-esque action with way more shooting and explosions, dramatically less stealth
Availability:
Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune: PS3
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves: PS3
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception: PS3
Uncharted: Golden Abyss: PlayStation Vita
Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection: PS4, PS5
Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End: PS4, PS5
Uncharted: The Lost Legacy: PS4
Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection: Windows (Steam Deck OK), PS5

The Last of Us emerged at the end of the PS3’s life, and prior to it winning us all over with a brutal and lasting tale of the struggles of survival and found family, Naughty Dog made waves on the console with Uncharted. It was internally referred to as “Dude Raider,” given its obvious similarities to another well-known PlayStation-originated series. In Uncharted you’ll explore abandoned ruins with perilous climbing challenges, get into tense shootouts with the bad guys, and hopefully score some sweet treasure along the way.

While the first entry, Drake’s Fortune, is a fun-enough experience (and should be played if you want to play the whole series), things really come together in the first sequel: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, which remains one of the best and most fun action games you can currently play.

Read More: 16 Of The Best Action Games You Can Play In 2023

Uncharted shares a lot of DNA with The Last of Us, which should be obvious considering it’s Naughty Dog’s other active and popular series. You will find the gunplay to be remarkably more explosive and action oriented, but that might be a welcome change if TLoU’s sludgier pace started to wear on you.

Oh, and don’t bother watching that movie. Watch this instead: