Naughty Dog’s New Uncharted Game Risks Being a Retread – Unless The Studio Avoids This One Thing
Game studio Naughty Dog is hard at work on their next AAA projects, but recent rumors have theorized that one of the titles the developer is working on is tied to the Uncharted series. Uncharted is the flagship franchise of Naughty Dog, before their success with The Last of Us paved the way for the company’s evolution, culminating into the brand-new Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet IP. While that game is Naughty Dog’s current project, details about the next Uncharted have fans curious if the company will try to drive that series forward or simply reiterate on old ground.
The last Uncharted game to release was Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, a stand-alone action-adventure title that was practically an expansion to Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End. This 2017 game was similar in nature to Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales in comparison to Insomniac Games’ Marvel’s Spider-Man, almost acting as a spin-off that used many of Uncharted 4‘s gameplay features. After almost a decade, fans are finally starting to hear details of Naughty Dog possibly green lighting a new Uncharted project, likely starting development within the next year or two.
A New Uncharted Game May Be In Naughty Dog’s Future After Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet
Although Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet is undoubtedly Naughty Dog’s main focus right now, other sources claim that a new Uncharted title is also in the works at the studio. At this point in time, it’s unclear what the story of this game is going to look like, but initial reports claim that long-time series protagonist Nathan Drake will be involved in the narrative somehow. Some players theorize that this theoretical Uncharted 5 will have Nathan Drake return as a playable character once again, simply have a cameo role, or be a supporting character in the background that you can interact with. Even if fans want Nathan Drake back as a playable hero, it would be a mistake. Naughty Dog has repeatedly avoided doing the expected thing (such as developing new series instead of serializing established franchises – not to mention shifting the focus to Ellie and Abbey in The Last of Us, Part 2) that fans might have wanted or expected in favor of something more inventive.
A Nathan Drake-focused Uncharted 5 would be a step backward when compared to Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, which was the first game in the series to not have Nathan Drake playable or present in any way. That title featured the two protagonists Chloe Frazer and Nadine Ross, two characters who embarked on their own treasure hunting adventure. The game mostly stuck to the gameplay elements the series was known for, including third-person action-adventure combat and cinematic set pieces you played through in intense moments. Cutscenes breaking up gameplay were more frequent in this title than past Uncharted games, reflecting a style Naughty Dog would solidify further in games like The Last of Us.
Notably, the Uncharted game in the works is not a remake of any kind, despite some rumors that once said otherwise. Although Naughty Dog was reported to have played with the idea of an Uncharted 1 remake, internal sources claim that a newer project aims to drive the series forward rather than backward. Further reports claim that this new Uncharted will be Naughty Dog’s next title after Intergalactic, with The Last of Us Part 3 being the big game planned later on.
Director Of Uncharted: The Lost Legacy Is Rumored To Be In Charge Of This Future Series Project
Speaking again about Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, the same reports state that Shun Escayg, the director of that series spin-off, will also be directing this new Uncharted project. Recently, Escayg was the Creative Director of developer Crystal Dynamics’ Marvel’s Avengers, a multiplayer looter brawler that didn’t do great with fans. With Crystal Dynamics focus on two different Tomb Raider projects right now, Escayg may have been brought on due to his expertise not only with the Uncharted franchise, but also his ongoing experience with third-person action-adventure games in general.
Between the director and the news of Nathan Drake coming back to this new Uncharted game, it seems like Naughty Dog is trying to grasp onto nostalgic parts of the series rather than do something fresh. Although some players think that the protagonist of the next Uncharted could be someone like Nathan Drake’s son or daughter, the character players have always known will still be involved in the story somewhat. While Naughty Dog doesn’t need to reboot the series entirely, relying on cameos, similar game direction, and “safe” aspects of the franchise’s past doesn’t really breed innovation long-time fans might want to see.
The poor framework of Marvel’s Avengers also doesn’t inspire tons of trust in the next Uncharted‘s director, with Uncharted: The Lost Legacy being somewhat mixed to fans too. Despite reports labeling this project as an “all new Uncharted” game, it very much seems like it is following a very familiar “old hero” or “successor” trope you see in tons of games from long-running franchises. Considering how Uncharted 4 already tackled the idea of an older Nathan Drake, the latter option makes more sense, but that approach has already been shown to not always be something players resonate with.
Thankfully, there is still plenty of time for Naughty Dog to prevent this project from feeling like a retread of what the series has done before. With Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet still not having a release window yet, it could be several years before we hear anything about Uncharted‘s future again. With that in mind, this initial rumors may hold no weight, but if they do, any Uncharted announcement may not hold the same level of excitement as past games in the series.