Noughty by nature: Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection and Rock Band 4

Multiplayer MIA

Other changes are probably best documented game by game, so let's start with Drake's Fortune. Gone are those cumbersome early forays into grenade throwing by use of the ill-fated SixAxis motion controller. Instead much tighter aiming and grenade-throwing has been introduced and the game is all the better for it.

On the pull in Drake's Fortune

The facelift to the visuals I've already mentioned has been applied. But here, simply due to the game's age, there's the occasional drab texture or animation that any amount of polish would fail to reach. Still, Drake's Fortune is an important game to play through, as it not only introduces all of our favourite characters, but also gives the player an idea of just how far its illustrious sequels go in surpassing it.

This brings us expediently to Among Thieves, arguably the best Uncharted game yet, and certainly the one that cemented Naughty Dog’s formula for successful action-adventures. It still looks spectacular and that first set piece aboard the train still stands up as one of gaming's greatest scenes.

Among Thieves is a bit of a train wreck in places

Again, controls feel tighter and aiming smoother, but really it's the game's pacing and scripting that steals the show. Not as the result of any tweaks or upgrades, but simply because the game still stands up. Yes, "that" boss fight remains, but Drake's second adventure remains seminal work.

Finally we come to Drake's Deception, a game that was always just a step behind its predecessor, at least in my opinion. Its 10-15 hours will fly by, no question, but the same problems that diminished it the first time around have not improved with time.

Drake's Deception didn't really fly for some

A couple of its shooting sections, for example, go on for an inordinate amount of time. But my larger irritation is with repetitive hand-to-hand brawls that require the same sequence of button presses to complete every time – an example of the QTE at its most clunky.

It's also worth mentioning that Drake's Deception and Among Thieves have both managed to lose their multiplayer modes along the way. It's a shame, because each was distracting for a good few hours. But, given the quality of the single player component here, it's hardly a deal-breaker.

Mary Poppins makes a cameo appearance in Drake's Deception

The Uncharted Collection is rather like one of Drake's dusty old treasures given a new lease of life through the skills of an expert restorer.

Anyone who invests will have three incredible adventures to lead them into next year's Uncharted 4, while any fan or aspiring developer will be able to replay the evolution of one of gaming's best ever franchises in one convenient set. For my money, there are few releases this winter that can claim the same.

Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection for PS4, £55.