You normally have to wait for the Christmas sales to get a bargain as good as Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection.

Comprising most of one of gaming's most acclaimed series, the Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves and Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception triple-decker represents tremendous value.

Bringing the three great games together in one package in October, just before the mad rush of pre-Christmas releases, provides the perfect opportunity to either relive these classics from the days of PS3 or experience them for the first ahead of the fourth main instalment arriving on PS4 early next year.

Whether Uncharted is an old friend or a new discovery, this bundle makes a large and very tasty appetiser to A Thief's End, which is shaping up to be one of the biggest games of 2016 even five months before its March launch.

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Transferring Naughty Dog's revered action-adventure series from Sony's last-gen to current-gen console hasn't been done shoddily. A lot of older games have been converted and supposedly upgraded in the two years since PS4 came along, some of them better than others. This is one of the best thanks to the work of remaster specialists Bluepoint who have made this the definitive way to play the much-loved Uncharted games.

The developers have kept the games intact from the originals, retaining all the ingredients that made them special, while adding some modern sheen during the HD makeover process.

So the Uncharted games still follow the same swashbuckling format that merges third-person shooting and combat, puzzle-solving and platforming.

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With cinematic sequences, spectacular set-pieces, a cast of memorable main characters led by the roughish but charming treasure hunter Nathan Drake and the sharp, often witty dialogue, the games play like interactive versions of blockbuster movies – the series was arguably the first to truly offer this experience, or at least did more than others before it to blur the lines between film and game.

If you’re new to Uncharted, think mystery mixed with explosive action in exotic locations, think Indiana Jones, National Treasure and Tomb Raider, think fast-paced and uncomplicated. The games delve into history but they are popcorn entertainment more than serious lessons.

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Improvements made during the remastering include a faster frame rate and various visual enhancements to lighting, textures, models and effects that take advantage of the tech now available. Adjustments have also been made to camera movement, controls, aiming and weapons. Further, there are two new difficulty levels – one at each end of the spectrum – plus a new chapter-by-chapter timed Speed Run mode.

Multiplayer has been stripped out of this collection, but to compensate for that players will get access to the Uncharted 4 multiplayer beta planned for December. Also the portable Vita adventure Uncharted: Golden Abyss is missing, which is why I said the collection includes most but not all of the series.

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The touch-ups given to the three titles included can’t completely hide the fact these games are between four and eight years old now. There are telltale signs throughout that you’re playing remasters rather than games designed for PS4.

Nate’s first appearance in Drake’s Fortune was always the weakest of the trio, and remains so here despite the work that’s been done. It’s a little rough round the edges in places, and it’s easy to tell the game dates back to 2007. 

However, it’s still very much worth playing – partly because it continues to be an enjoyable game even now and because it marks the starting point from which Uncharted was developed into such a treasured franchise. As the series’ twists and turns unfolded, so its creator Naughty Dog’s reputation grew. The narrative and character skills it obviously had went on to be used to such powerful effect in The Last of Us (which was also remastered with great aplomb on PS4).

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Trends and technology have changed since Uncharted I and its two sequels first thrilled players. The series might be judged too linear and not free-form enough if it was new in 2015, with criticism of how the story and action aren’t meshed seamlessly. So Uncharted’s structure is a little dated now, but all three titles have stood the test of time for being great examples of exciting escapism.

Having the three of them together, and with the treatment they’ve been given, makes this a very generous package that perfectly sets up the third sequel which will mark the end of Drake’s journey. With quality and quantity like this in one place, you can’t go far wrong.

9 out of 10

Out now on PS4