8 Video Game Trilogies That Went From Bad To GREAT

And finally we have Uncharted, a franchise that's gone from strength to strength with each successive entry, the original trilogy cementing it as one of the most beloved action-adventure video game series of all time.

Yet the original game, Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, is a mere rough sketch of what Uncharted would later become. 

With its maddeningly repetitive combat encounters, clunky gunplay, and those infamously infuriating jet-ski sequences, it's a game that matches fun with frustration at almost every turn.

But Uncharted 2: Among Thieves marked one of the most impressive sequel leaps in gaming history, Naughty Dog delivering an ultra-cinematic and ambitious follow-up which helped redefine what action games could be forever more.

Though mileage varies on which of the latter two games is better, Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception followed the second game's lead laudably, delving deep into the past of Nathan Drake in satisfying fashion.

But going back to play the original Uncharted today is a tough experience due to its poorly balanced combat and generally awkward gameplay, even if this only further illustrates how impressively the series evolved over the next two entries.