Uncharted 4 was one of my favorites at E3 last month. Despite the departure of Amy Hennig, the game looks just as Uncharted-esque as ever and I’m loving that. This is really no surprise because, well, it’s Naughty Dog. The game is definitely looking to be on the right track. Here are five things we would like to see in Nathan Drake’s next adventure.
5. Tease Naughty Dog’s New Game
I’m not saying I’m ready for Naughty Dog’s next game already, but I’m a sucker for Easter Eggs in any game and The Last of Us’ Easter Egg in Uncharted 3 was awesome. It raised a lot of questions and got people talking. If this is indeed the last of the Uncharted franchise, I’d love to see them introduce a brand new franchise. I know many people would like a Last of Us sequel, but I’d like to see them put their efforts in something completely new. Naughty Dog is consisted of two studios, so it’ll be interesting to see what the other studio has been working on since The Last of Us, even if it’s just a tiny hint in Uncharted 4.
If Uncharted 4 is the last game in the series, I hope Naughty Dog makes it clear that there is no possibility for another installment in the future. As much as I’d love more Uncharted games, if you’re going to end it, end it legitimately. It’ll be interesting to see how Uncharted 4 will end and if Naughty Dog sticks to their guns and makes Uncharted 4 the final installment.
4. Sully and Nathan Drake
A new character is being added this time around which is said to bring out a different side to Drake than we have seen previously. Although Sully and Elena are family to Drake, we’ve never seen him with his actual blood-related family. It’ll be interesting to see how much Naughty Dog delves into this new dynamic as we meet his brother, but hopefully without the need to damage or lessen Sully and Drake’s relationship. We’ve seen lot of growth in their relationship, especially in Uncharted 3, so I hope there’s a good balance of Drake’s time between the characters.
Yes, Sully is getting a little older, but if the E3 gameplay is anything to go by, he has no problem still beating up bad guys. One of my favorite things of this franchise is the banter between Drake and Sully throughout the story. Whether that’s through pivotal cutscenes or just exploring and running around. Hopefully we get a lot more of that in the upcoming game.
3. Great Multiplayer
Uncharted 3 and The Last of Us both had an impressive multiplayer component. Having a game feature both a great single player and multiplayer experience is a great bang for your buck. I don’t think anyone would complain about finishing a storyline and having something else to do afterward. Give us some new multiplayer options, game modes and a great variety of maps and I think Uncharted fans will be happy.
Adding co-op would be something completely new to the franchise. How awesome would it be to be able to play the story with a friend online? Or even story-based missions if a full-fledged co-op experience isn’t possible.
2. Linear-Style Gameplay
I’m not a huge fan that all games seem to be going the open-world route as the current-gen consoles settle in after two years of being released. I’m not opposed to open world games but developers seem to be making an excuse to do so in efforts to show off the capabilities of the newer consoles. While that is one way to show off what the newer consoles can do, there’s other ways to show off consoles’ capabilities.
I know linear gameplay is often deemed to be a bad thing by some gamers, but with certain types of games, it works. Although Naughty Dog has said there’s more freedom and less linear gameplay, I’m hoping they don’t go too far off the path of previous games because in my opinion, they’re some of the best games out there.
1. Big Set Pieces
Uncharted has always been a series I can go back to time and time again. I’ve gone back many times to play through the entire story, but I often pick certain levels that stand out to me. In Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, it was the truck chase after Elena rescues Drake from the prison cell. In Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, it was the train sequence and in Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception it was the plane sequence.
I’m really hoping to see more sequences with a grand scale like the ones mentioned above. We got a small taste of this in the extended gameplay of Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End with Drake being dragged from a car, jumping from car to car, being in a car crash and eventually a car chase ensues. All in around 10 minutes of gameplay.
Batman: Arkham Knight shied away from epic boss battles that the franchise is known for. While not an exact comparison to the “what if” scenario of Uncharted 4 leaving out its epic set pieces, it was my one complaint about the Caped Crusader’s most recent game. If Naughty Dog were to tone down the epic-ness that Uncharted is known for, I think it could potentially hinder the game. Hopefully we get a great mix of storytelling and memorable moments in the upcoming game.
One of the great things about Uncharted is the cinematic gameplay that its grown to be known for. I’ve never again felt the same feeling that I felt the first time I played Uncharted 2. The new cinematic gameplay style and moments were something completely new to me and often left me with my jaw on the floor. It’s a hard feat to accomplish, but I’d love to see Naughty Dog do more inventive, cinematic moments that leave me surprised. If anyone can do it, it’s Naughty Dog. The extended E3 gameplay was a hint that Naughty Dog will give us some awesome moments when Uncharted 4 releases in Spring 2016.
What do you want to see in Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End? Let us know in the comments below!
