Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End is very likely to be the final entry in the multi-million selling action-adventure franchise, developer Naughty Dog has said.
Speaking to GameSpot at Paris Games Week, Uncharted 4’s multiplayer head honcho, Robert Cogburn, revealed what we’ve all probably come to accept by now, stating that "we as a studio feel that this will probably be the last Uncharted game. Who knows?"
The comments come following the reveal of Uncharted 4’s multiplayer component, which has been confirmed to run at 900p/60fps. In addition, it will also introduce eight new stages, but won’t utilize dedicated servers to run its action-packed online firefights. Naughty Dog is attempting to evolve its multiplayer offering by allowing gamers to call on AI-controlled characters to aid them in battle, as well as utilizing supernatural objects to attack enemies and disorient enemies. The multiplayer beta will kick off in early December, though Sony is allowing gamers to test it out early in Paris this week.
Naughty Dog has previously claimed that Uncharted 4 will be hero Nathan Drake’s final game, and while it hasn’t ruled out the possibility of continuing the series without him, it admitted such a prospect is difficult to imagine. Nolan North, the actor who has voiced Drake since Uncharted’s inception in 2007, has finished his motion-capture work for the sequel, bringing an end to nearly a decade’s association with the franchise. Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End is scheduled to ship for PS4 on March 18, 2016; the game was originally due out in winter this year, but was pushed back partly so Naughty Dog could get the ending just right.
The events of Uncharted 4 take place a few years after the conclusion of Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception, and sees the cocky fortune hunter hanging up his compass and boots for a quiet life with his wife, Elena. However, the appearance of his brother, Sam, who was long thought dead, results in Drake embarking on another globe-trotting adventure, this time in search of a legendary pirate’s treasure. Naughty Dog is expanding the gameplay once again for this latest entry, introducing larger environments to explore, improved combat, and the ability to drive vehicles. The most recent gameplay footage depicted a lengthy jeep chase with Drake and Victor ‘Sully’ Sullivan through a busy market area and surrounding countryside. Be sure to check it out if you haven’t already done so.
Stay tuned for more details on Uncharted 4 as we get them.