Naughty Dog has spilled the beans on a number of new gameplay and story details for the upcoming Uncharted: The Lost Legacy on PlayStation 4.
The info comes in the latest issue of Game Informer (via IGN), where the game’s Creative Director, Shaun Escayg, confirmed that the latest chapter in the multi-million selling action-adventure series would be more “grounded” than previous entries in the franchise. Chloe Fraser, who returns after her absence in Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, has Indian heritage, although she hasn’t actually been to the country in a while, so the events of the game will prove quite significant for her character.
In the Uncharted: The Lost Legacy DLC, her relationship with fellow partner Nadine Ross, who showed up as a secondary villain in Uncharted 4, will evolve over the course of the game and will be reflected in both the story and gameplay. Nadine will take on a similar role to what Sam did in the previous game, and while she’ll help out Chloe in combat, she’s more inclined to do so if the pair build up a certain level of trust. Hinduism will also play a key role in the game, with Naughty Dog "tying the culture and stories of the Hindu gods, even the story of the Hoysala Empire and the kings that ruled there” to Chloe’s story.
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Perhaps the most interesting tidbit to come out of the Game Informer cover story is the fact Uncharted: The Lost Legacy will boast the biggest level in an Uncharted game to date, surpassing even Uncharted 4’s sprawling Madagascar stage. "This is the single largest level we’ve ever done in Uncharted," commented designer James Cooper. The Lost Legacy also implements a new lock-picking minigame, and will feature a plethora of optional content to discover, such as collectibles and special dialogue.
Finally, Naughty Dog revealed that a number of characters were considered during the game’s development, including Victor ‘Sully’ Sullivan, Sam Drake, and Cassie, the daughter of Nate and Elena introduced in Uncharted 4’s epilogue. However, Sully was passed on due to his age in the timeline, and Cassie was deemed too young to be placed into the series’ combat situations. Chloe and Nadine were a natural fit, with Escayg noting, "They have very similar backgrounds, but they’ve grown quite differently from it.”
Uncharted: The Lost Legacy is due out exclusively on PS4 in 2017. A release date has yet to be confirmed.