Naughty Dog's 'Uncharted: A Thief's End' is hitting the shelves in 2015, as confirmed in the recent E3 teaser trailer. Dubbed by fans as 'Uncharted 4', the game is generally said to be the final chapter in the popular adventure series.
This belief was bolstered at E3 2014 by Nolan North, the voice actor for series' protagonist Nathan Drake.
"It's bittersweet but at a certain point you want to go out on top," North told IGN. "If this is the last [Uncharted] one indeed, and I believe it's the last one - nothing's confirmed, but I believe it's the last one Naughty Dog wants to do."
North added that he did not want to see a reboot for the 'Uncharted' series because Naughty Dog had worked on the series "so well for so long."
"I like the idea of going out on top so we better do a hell of a job with this one," North added. "And, it's already looking pretty good."
According to the latest Sony press release, the plot involves Nathan Drake just coming out of retirement to jump back into the world of cutthroat thievery and treasure hunting. As always, Drake seeks pirate treasure in a quest that "test his physical limits, his resolves, and ultimately what he's willing to sacrifice to save the one he loves."
In the more recent E3 teaser, Drake lays unconscious and facedown against the bank of a river with a deep gash on his forehead. He then wakes up and checks his handgun, before stepping deliberately into the jungle.
While this is happening, Drake speaks in voiceover to his mentor Victor Sullivan. He confesses that he wants "back in", and asks 'Sullie' to join him for one last adventure. Sullivan reluctantly agrees, and says, "Alright kid...let's do it. One last time."
The camera pulls back to reveal cages hanging on trees, which contains centuries-old skeletons of dead pirates. Apart from earlier teasers, not much more detail about gameplay and plot have been revealed.
This recent unveiling of the E3 trailer may be good news for fans, considering that game development entered into situation critical months earlier.
'Uncharted 4' writer Amy Hennig left Naughty Dog in April, ostensibly to work on EA's latest Star Wars game. Game director Justin Richmond departed shortly thereafter. The highly-publicized departures reportedly pushed back the Uncharted 4 release date to 2015.
Fortunately, Naughty Dog has brought in Neil Drukmann and Bruce Straley, both of whom directed the critically-acclaimed Sony title 'The Last of Us'. With a confirmed 2015 release date and the presence of Drukmann and Straley, things are turning out for the best for the series. Hopefully, the duo will bring to 'Uncharted 4' the same energy and groundbreaking vision as they did in their previous game.
