Naughty Dog has teased that it might be interested in returning to create another entry in the studio’s mega-popular Uncharted franchise.
Although Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End seemed to naturally bring about the conclusion of protagonist Nathan Drake’s story, Naughty Dog seemingly hasn’t closed the door to returning to that world in some capacity down the road.
Naughty Dog’s Uncharted game
Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End is a 2016 action-adventure game developed by Naughty Dog and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. It is the fourth main entry in the Uncharted series. Set several years after the events of Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception, players control Nathan Drake, a former treasure hunter coaxed out of retirement by his presumed-dead brother Samuel. With Nathan’s longtime partner, Victor Sullivan, they search for clues for the location of Henry Avery’s long-lost treasure.
A Thief’s End is played from a third-person perspective and incorporates platformer elements. Players solve puzzles and use firearms, melee combat, and stealth to combat enemies. In the online multiplayer mode, up to ten players engage in cooperative and competitive modes.
News of this continued interest in Uncharted on Naughty Dog stems from a recent interview with co-presidents Evan Wells and Neil Druckmann. Speaking to Game Informer, the presidential duo was asked point-blank about whether or not they would like to continue to make new games associated with the Uncharted and The Last of Us franchises or if they would now prefer to turn the page and work on something new. In turn, Wells made it clear that the studio would like to do all of the above if given enough time.
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“I think the easy answer is: both,” Wells said. “I think there’s excitement to develop new IP, but there is still a ton of love for Uncharted and The Last of Us, and I think you’ll see both kinds of projects from us in the future.”
From award-winning developer Naughty Dog, the UNCHARTED series is a cinematic action-adventure experience uncovering historical mysteries while traveling through varied and stunningly rendered environments.
Join Nathan Drake and Chloe Frazer across the globe as they confront warmongers and mercenaries, unite with former colleagues, uncover forgotten histories, and tackle their deepest fears to forge their legacy.
The Bottom Line
Obviously, this message from Wells doesn’t outright confirm that Naughty Dog is actively working on a new Uncharted game, but this is one of the first instances in recent years that we have heard someone of prominence at the company mention that it would very much like to create more games in the action-adventure franchise. Whether or not a new Uncharted title could actually be in the works for PlayStation 5 is hard to know at this point, though.
Set three years after the events of UNCHARTED 3: Drake’s Deception, Nathan Drake has presumably left the world of fortune-hunting behind. However, it doesn’t take long for fate to come calling when Drake’s brother, Sam, resurfaces, seeking his help to save his own life and offering an adventure Drake can’t resist.
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On the hunt for Captain Henry Avery’s long-lost treasure, Sam and Drake set off to find Libertalia, the pirate utopia deep in the forests of Madagascar. UNCHARTED 4: A Thief’s End takes players on a journey around the globe, through jungle isles, far-flung cities, and snow-capped peaks on the search for Avery’s fortune.
Based on what we have heard over the past few months, Naughty Dog seems to at the very least be working on two games at this point. One happens to be a standalone multiplayer game associated with The Last of Us, while the other is reportedly a remake of the original The Last of Us. So, for now, it sounds like Uncharted isn’t in the studio’s plans, but perhaps that could change as we move forward.
Would you like to see Naughty Dog return to the world of Uncharted at some point in the future? Or would you instead prefer to see the studio create something entirely new? Let me know either down in the comments or over on Twitter at @9to5game.
