14 DAY TRIAL // Naughty Dog, the studio behind the popular Uncharted series, believes that a new game without franchise protagonist Nathan Drake, is a bit hard to imagine, even if the universe is big enough to fit other treasure hunters in the same vein as him.
The Uncharted saga has been around for several years and came to define the PS3, thanks not only to the solid action adventure experiences but also the great stories that emulated Hollywood movies, complete with the charismatic treasure hunter in the form of Nathan Drake.
After four big titles starring Drake, the next installment is set to arrive in early 2016, in the form of Uncharted 4: A Thief's End. Like the title suggests, this is going to be the final entry in the Drake saga, but it's possible that the franchise will continue with other protagonists.
It's "hard to imagine" an Uncharted game without Drake
According to Uncharted 4 writer Josh Scherr, who talks with OPM via PSU, the universe built by the series is a big one and doesn't rule out any other treasure hunters besides Drake. Even so, developing a new game in the Uncharted saga without Drake might not work all that well.
"I think one thing that's been great about this series is that we have created this...I hate to use the word universe because Marvel's been overusing it, but we've created this world where ancient civilizations remain undiscovered and lots of charismatic and unscrupulous treasure hunters exist to go and pursue these. I suppose you could tell a story in that world without Nathan Drake, but it's...in some ways it's a little bit hard to imagine," he says.
Right now, Naughty Dog's internal teams are working hard on the final stretch of Uncharted 4's development, so it's unclear what other games will appear after it, especially since The Last of Us 2 has already been brainstormed by the senior staff in the past.