Uncharted (4?)
Let’s start with the most likely, shall we? It’s not so much that Uncharted as a franchise is any more prone to the next-gen sequel treatment than anything else, but rather that it’s already been teased. Less than a week ago, Naughty Dog put out this teaser at a PlayStation 4 All Access event which sent the crowd and collective Drake fans ‘round the globe into stark contemplation and expectancy.
Now, I’m not necessarily the biggest Uncharted diehard out there, but I am in the loop enough to know for certain that it isn’t Nathan Drake speaking in those choleric, vengeful tones. Nor is it his partner and all-around awesome dude Victor Sullivan. So what gives?
Well, there are a number of possibilities. The speaker (confirmed by Naughty Dog to be voice actor Todd Stashwick) could definitely be the game’s antagonist, or someone out to get a return favor from Drake for whatever reason. Perhaps they were old plundering buddies back in their younger days? The teaser does seem to have somewhat of a pirate theme going for it, after all and I do think the presence of Drake in some form, and most likely as a main character, is a fair assumption. He IS Uncharted – it’s hard to imagine the series continuing without him.
As for what next-gen can bring to the Uncharted series on the whole, well – let’s just say that the potential for bigger and better set pieces than ever before is downright staggering to think about. Beyond that, Uncharted 3 is still a gorgeous game on the PlayStation 3 despite its 2011 release date, and its edge-of-your-seat moments are some of the most suspenseful in the medium.
If Naughty Dog ups the ante even just a little bit (which I’m sure they will, probably twofold), the next Uncharted game could bring us closer than ever before to interactive Hollywood.
