Is theUnchartedseries over? It seemed likeUncharted 4: A Thief’s Endput a nice bow on the franchise. However, reports from earlier this year sparked talk about the chance that there might be another game after all. However, when looking at the big picture, and everything Sony and Naughty Dog have said and done since releasingTheLost Legacy, make it seem as though everyone is ready to walk away from the IP and do something different.
The Lost Legacywas anotherUnchartedgame, though it was more of a one-off than a change in direction for the series. The lack of Nathan Drake in the story seemed to actually underline that the entirety of the franchise had wrapped up the story nicely, and wasn’t interested in picking up where it left off. That isn’t to say that the nextUnchartedgame couldn’t be a completely different story, with completely different characters, but it still seems rather unlikely.
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Nathan Drake’s Ending Is Too Good
The series' protagonist, Nathan Drake, is one of the most beloved protagonists in video game history. If Naughty Dog were to make another installment, it doesn’t seem like developing anotherUnchartedwithout him would make a ton of sense. Of course, anotherUnchartedwith Nathan Drake at the center of the storymakes even less sense. The character got the “happily ever after” moment he so richly deserved. At the end ofUncharted 4, he got to settle down and spend a quiet life with Elena. It seems extremely unlikely fans would take kindly to some kind of reversal of that ending.
Even if there is a chance this new game could be a prequel or a spin-off, it wouldn’t necessarily have the same cache of whatNathan Drake brings to the game. One of the series that spans several generations of PlayStation consoles means millions of people have really gotten to know Nathan. The original game was released a whopping 14 years ago. That’s a long time to play as and learn about the character.
That much time and content allows players to feel as though they really know a character. Take the fact that Naughty Dog did a great job of giving him a unique personality and story that was relatable and it seems like a new adventurer simply wouldn’t have the kind of pull the company would want. Quite simply while there are several treasures that could behunted down and found in anotherUnchartedgame, it doesn’t feel like anyone other than Nathan should do the hunting.
Even a Total Spin-off Seems Unlikely
There are some rumors that if Naughty Dog didn’t continue the Nathan Drake story,the nextUnchartedwould have been a true spin-off. It’s even possible someone fromLost Legacymight have been in the middle of the action. Of course, it now appears even that isn’t in the cards. Instead, whatever chance there was of picking up the baton that Nathan Drake laid down, is a dwindling hope these days. There doesn’t appear to be a ton of interest from Sony. There also doesn’t seem to be a big push from the franchise’s creator at this point. At least not in 2021, yet.
Not long after reports first started surfacing about a new game, there were subsequent reports that Sony haddecided a newUnchartedwasn’t in the cards. There is of course a chance that a fan base that has certainly enjoyed the franchise could get Sony and Naughty Dog to change course. It’s should also be pointed out that neither company has confirmed the report that a game was in development, or that it has since been canceled. Even if it did exist, it doesn’t appear it’s still ongoing.
A newUnchartedgame is not known to be in active development.
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