| Uncharted | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Action-adventure |
| Developers |
|
| Publisher | Sony Interactive Entertainment |
| Creator | Amy Hennig |
| Platforms | |
| First release | Uncharted: Drake's Fortune November 19, 2007 |
| Latest release | Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection January 28, 2022 |
Uncharted is anaction-adventurevideo game series and media franchise published bySony Interactive Entertainment and developed byNaughty Dog. Created byAmy Hennig, theUncharted franchise follows a group oftreasure hunters who travel across the world to uncover various historical mysteries. The series featureshistorical fiction, elements offantasy andfolklore, and fictional characters alongside real-world historical figures and events. In the main series, players controlNathan Drake; in theexpansion, players controlChloe Frazer.
The franchise's first game,Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, was released in 2007, and followed by the sequelsUncharted 2: Among Thieves (2009),Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception (2011), andUncharted 4: A Thief's End (2016). Spin-offsUncharted: Golden Abyss (2011),Uncharted: Fight for Fortune (2012), and the standalone expansionUncharted: The Lost Legacy (2017) also support the main series. Originally published exclusively forPlayStation consoles, the franchise later released games for other platforms, with themobile spin-offUncharted: Fortune Hunter (2016) andremasters ofA Thief's End andThe Lost Legacy forWindows in 2022.
The main games are played from athird-person perspective, with gameplay mostly revolving aroundcombat, shooting, exploration, and puzzles, whileplatforming is used to navigate the environment. Later titles began including competitive and co-operativemultiplayer game modes,stealth, and driving gameplay.Uncharted drew inspiration from other games,[1] film, and additional media, and is known for featuring exotic locations. Several adaptations of the series have also been released, including alive-action film, board games, comics, and a novel.
The main series received critical acclaim, with praise for the stories, characters, voice acting, gameplay, and graphics, with its high production value being frequently compared toHollywood-producedaction-adventure films, specifically theIndiana Jones series. It has also been credited by critics and publications for raising the standards ofsingle-player action-adventure games, and its second and fourth numbered installments are consistently ranked among thegreatest video games.Uncharted has sold over 41 million units, making it one of thebest-selling video game franchises, helping the success of PlayStation during theseventh andeighth generation and elevating Naughty Dog's reputation as a renowned game developer.
| 2007 | Drake's Fortune |
|---|---|
| 2008 | |
| 2009 | Among Thieves |
| 2010 | |
| 2011 | Drake's Deception |
| Golden Abyss | |
| 2012 | Fight for Fortune |
| 2013–2014 | |
| 2015 | The Nathan Drake Collection |
| 2016 | A Thief's End |
| Fortune Hunter | |
| 2017 | The Lost Legacy |
| 2018–2021 | |
| 2022 | Legacy of Thieves Collection |
| Year | Title | Developer | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Uncharted: Drake's Fortune | Naughty Dog | PlayStation 3 |
| 2009 | Uncharted 2: Among Thieves | ||
| 2011 | Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception | ||
| Uncharted: Golden Abyss | Bend Studio | PlayStation Vita | |
| 2012 | Uncharted: Fight for Fortune | ||
| 2015 | Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection[a] | Bluepoint Games | PlayStation 4 |
| 2016 | Uncharted 4: A Thief's End | Naughty Dog | |
| Uncharted: Fortune Hunter | Playspree | Android,iOS | |
| 2017 | Uncharted: The Lost Legacy[b] | Naughty Dog | PlayStation 4 |
| 2022 | Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection[c] | PlayStation 5 | |
| Iron Galaxy | Windows |
Notes:
Drake's Fortune, the first game in the series, was released forPlayStation 3 in November 2007.[2] The system carried the following two installments of the main series, after Naughty Dog agreed to exclusively release the games on Sony systems.Among Thieves was published in 2009, and the creative team were afforded a greater license to utilize a larger amount of the system'srandom-access memory (RAM), due to an improved proprietary engine. It subsequently introduced more locales, higher free roam and combat abilities, and a larger map.Drake's Deception, released in 2011, built upon this aspect, while it also added an improved online multiplayer mode.
The following main installment,A Thief's End, was published onPlayStation 4, and focused on realism and detail. The last in the series to feature the main protagonist, it added driving elements and improved other gameplay aspects, like stealth and role-playing, and comprehensive upgrades to multiplayer. It was released to massive financial success, breaking multiple records.[3] Afree-to-play game foriOS andAndroid,Fortune Hunter, was released to tie in withA Thief's End.[4][5]
Golden Abyss was published in 2011, and is the first in the series to be released onPlayStation Vita, marking the series' first on a handheld console. It is considered aprequel to the main series, although, some developers have stated that it acts as a separate, original story.[6] In 2012, a turn-based card game titledFight for Fortune was released. It was developed by One Loop Games,[7][8] and contained interactive elements suitable for the Vita.[9]
Drake's Trail is a now-defunct 2007 online game. The game was abrowser-based game[10] withalternative reality elements. Consisting of ten chapters, the story, serving as a prequel toDrake's Fortune, recounts journalist Elena Fisher hiring a private detective to track down famous treasure hunter Nathan Drake believing he is onto something big. The game was played using aGoogle Maps plugin to locate game areas within the real world, in conjunction with aFlash Player to explore those fictional locations (such as Drake's apartment) for clues to the next location.
The Nathan Drake Collection is a remastered collection of the series' first three installments, and was ported to PlayStation 4 byBluepoint Games in October 2015. It was released to compensate for the delay in production forA Thief's End, which was originally slated for release in summer 2015. The game also included a voucher for the beta for the multiplayer forA Thief's End.[11] The games feature enhancements such as new trophies, an in-game Photo Mode, and improved textures and gameplay. The multiplayer modes fromUncharted 2 andUncharted 3 are excluded.[12] It received positive reviews, with most praising the technical improvements and visual enhancements.[13] The game was offered for free as part of Sony'sPlay at Home initiative during theCOVID-19 pandemic in April–May 2020.[14][15]
The Lost Legacy was released as astandalone expansion toA Thief's End, and marks the first entry in the series not to feature Drake. It features the charactersChloe Frazer andNadine Ross, who previously appeared inAmong Thieves andDrake's Deception, andA Thief's End, respectively.[16] It was released on PlayStation 4 in 2017.[17]Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection, a remastered version ofA Thief's End andThe Lost Legacy, was released on January 28, 2022, forPlayStation 5;[18] aWindows version, developed in collaboration withIron Galaxy, was released on October 19, 2022.[19]
Gameplay in theUncharted series is a combination ofaction-adventure elements and 3Dplatforming with athird-person perspective. The player is given various physical tasks which must be completed to progress through the storyline, such as jumping, swimming, grabbing and moving along ledges, and climbing and swinging from ropes.[20] Other aspects, includingshooting, combat, andpuzzle solving, also regularly feature. In later titles, driving, boat riding, and otheracrobatic actions were added or developed.
TheUncharted games grant a reasonable amount of freedom through the design of the maps. Later games contain elements ofopen world design, in order to encourage free-roaming to secure collectibles orstealth to avoid enemies.[20] InA Thief's End, role-playing was expanded to include side discussions with other characters. TheUncharted series follows the structure of traditional action games, where players complete a single track series of levels with linear gameplay, and is navigated through athird-person perspective.
Shooting is central to the game's function, as players are also required to bypass a string of foes. Although a wide variety of weapons are present in the game, the player can only carry a sidearm such as pistol, a primary weapon such as a rifle or shotgun, and a handful of grenades. These weapons are obtained by picking up weapons dropped by a downed foe, or from those scattered around the various maps. If the playerdies, they will respawn at a specific level checkpoint.[21]
InA Thief's End, the use of vehicles in an explorable environment was developed. It provides the player with freedom to take vehicles wherever they please, albeit, must be driven to a certain location to progress the story.[22]
InAmong Thieves,multiplayer was introduced. It features both competitive andco-operative gameplay. The co-op multiplayer mode allows up to three players to take the roles of Drake and two other "hero" companions and features missions involving gunfights, platforming, and teamwork-based objectives.[23] Players can also assist their comrades if they become critically injured or if they are grabbed by an enemy.[23] The competitive multiplayer allows a maximum of ten players to play against each other in two teams of five. Six competitive modes are featured, including single or team-baseddeathmatches, and team-based objectives.[24] InA Thief's End, survival mode was introduced, which features wave-based progression on swarms of increasingly powerful enemies, as well as completing other objectives. Furthermore, multiplayer allows players to accrue points and rank up, which can be used to purchase more skins for both heroes and villains.[24]
The first game,Drake's Fortune, is set off the coast ofPanama, in theAmazon rainforest, and an uncharted island off the coast ofSouth America. The second game,Among Thieves, was the first in the series to experiment with several locales. The game is set in the snow-capped mountain landscapes of theTibetan Plateau in southernmostChina, a museum inIstanbul, the jungles ofBorneo, and the urban landscapes ofNepal. Subsequent games followed this concept, withDrake's Deception featuring the streets ofLondon andBogotá, as well as a château inFrance, a castle inSyria, a city inYemen, and the sprawling deserts of theRub' al Khali.A Thief's End features aPanamanian jail, an estate inItaly, a cathedral inScotland, several locations inMadagascar, and uncharted islands in theIndian Ocean near Africa to reflectLibertalia.Boston andNew Orleans are also included, in both the past and present respectively, where the main character resides.
The prequel gameGolden Abyss features a dig site and several other locales set in the forests of Panama, while the standalone expansionThe Lost Legacy features locales set in and around the mountain ranges ofWestern Ghats inIndia, as well as a small bazaar and a city inTamil Nadu.
Many of the featured locations were extensively researched for the series. The development team organized field research trips with tour guides and architectural historians, and captured photos and hours of video footage to properly reflect the settings.
The series has included a wide variety of voice actors, with the development team settling on the decision that prominent characters would be voiced by lower profile actors. Only three characters have featured in every main installment, while Chloe is the only other single-player playable character:
Uncharted: The Board Game is aboard game published byBandai in 2012. It was designed by Hayato Kisaragi and allows between two and four players to compete for treasure and fight enemies.[36]
Sony Computer Entertainment America released the first of a four-part motion comic series adventure calledUncharted: Eye of Indra on October 23, 2009.[37] It is a prequel toUncharted: Drake's Fortune. The second part was released on November 25, while the third and fourth parts released simultaneously on December 7.[38]
A motion comic adaptation of the prologue ofUncharted: Drake's Fortune, starting with the discovery of Francis Drake's coffin and up to the first encounter with Gabriel Roman. Uses the same voice clips from the video game.
AnUncharted comic book was released byDC Comics around the timeUncharted 3 came out. Written by Joshua Williamson, with art by Sergio Sandoval and covers byAdam Hughes, it was released on November 30, 2011, as part of a 6-issue mini series.[39][40] In the story, a quest for the legendary "Amber Room" launches Nathan Drake on a journey to theHollow Earth.[41]
A novel titledUncharted: The Fourth Labyrinth was published in October 2011. The novel is written byChristopher Golden and published byDel Rey Books, and follows the search forDaedalus'sLabyrinth, a maze used to hold theMinotaur, a monster from Greek mythology.[42]
Ruben Fleischer directed afilm adaptation of the games, from a script byArt Marcum and Matt Holloway. The film starredTom Holland (who also serves as an executive producer) as Nathan Drake andMark Wahlberg as Victor Sullivan.Antonio Banderas,Sophia Taylor Ali, andTati Gabrielle were cast in supporting roles.[43] It was theatrically released in the United States on February 18, 2022, produced byColumbia Pictures,Atlas Entertainment, andArad Productions.[44]PlayStation Productions executive produced, whileSony Pictures Releasing distributed.[45] In August 2023, producerCharles Roven said the studio was "definitely looking to make" a sequel.[46] Sony confirmed a sequel was in development by June 2024.[47]
In July 2018, directorAllan Ungar posted afan-made 15-minute short film, starringNathan Fillion as Nathan Drake, who for years had been campaigning for the role. It was very well received, with particular praise given to Fillion's performance as Drake, and to an action sequence shot from an over-the-shoulder angle, similar to the shooting sequences in the video games. The short also featuresStephen Lang as Victor Sullivan andMircea Monroe as Elena Fisher, with appearances fromErnie Reyes Jr. andGeno Segers.[48][49] The reception towards the fan film resulted in some speculation as to whether it would influence and alter the plans of the official film. Druckmann, vice-president of Naughty Dog, tweeted a heart emoji towards the fan film, with film directorShawn Levy also praising it,[50] while Ungar expressed his support towards the official film.[51]
A "storycoaster" ride based on the 2022 film, titledUncharted: The Enigma of Penitence, opened atPortAventura Park on June 17, 2023.[52][53]
| Game | Year | Metacritic |
|---|---|---|
| Uncharted: Drake's Fortune | 2007 | 88/100[54] |
| Uncharted 2: Among Thieves | 2009 | 96/100[55] |
| Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception | 2011 | 92/100[56] |
| Uncharted: Golden Abyss | 2011 | 80/100[57] |
| Uncharted: Fight for Fortune | 2012 | 67/100[58] |
| Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection | 2015 | 86/100[59] |
| Uncharted 4: A Thief's End | 2016 | 93/100[60] |
| Uncharted: Fortune Hunter | 2016 | 77/100[61] |
| Uncharted: The Lost Legacy | 2017 | 84/100[62] |
| Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection | 2022 | 87/100[63] |
TheUncharted series has been a major success, both critically and commercially. Much of the praise for the series has gone towards the graphics Naughty Dog have produced and attained, as well as the writing and voice acting,[64][65] withGamesRadar ranking it the second best franchise of theseventh generation.[66] TheUncharted series is widely credited with bringing up Naughty Dog's reputation and has them regarded as one of the best developers in the industry.[67]
As the protagonist of the series,Nathan Drake is seen as aPlayStation mascot,[68] whileUncharted 2: Among Thieves is consideredone of the greatest games of all time. It received over fifty Game of the Year awards,[69][70] with critics heralding it as a gaming milestone.[71][72] The game currently lies among the highest ever rated PlayStation 3 games onMetacritic.[73]Uncharted 4: A Thief's End is also ranked as one of the best in the series, and among the finest video games of theeighth generation.[68][71]
The first installment was a member of the PlayStationEssentials range, having shipped over 2.6 million copies worldwide.[74]Uncharted 2 was the highest selling game in the month of its release,[75] and by the end of their life-cycles, the games combined sold over 13 million copies by 2011.[76] Sales forUncharted 3 were revealed to have been over double that of its predecessor by Naughty Dog's product marketing manager Asad Quizilbash, which "far" exceeded their expectations,[77] and the game eventually helped bring theUncharted series to verified sales of over 17 million copies worldwide.[78] Prior to the release of the fourth main installment, Sony revealed theUncharted series has sold over 28 million copies worldwide.[79][80]
Uncharted 4 is the best selling installment of the series to date, with over 18 million copies sold,[81] making it one of thebest-selling PlayStation 4 games of all time. As of December 2017, the series had sold 41.7 million units globally.[82]
| Year | Game | Sales | Acquired label(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Uncharted: Drake's Fortune | 4.8 million[83] | PS3Greatest Hits,Essentials,The Best |
| 2009 | Uncharted 2: Among Thieves | 6.5 million[83] | PS3Greatest Hits,Essentials,The Best |
| 2011 | Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception | ~9 million[84] | PS3Greatest Hits,Essentials,The Best |
| Uncharted: Golden Abyss | 0.5 million+ |
| |
| 2012 | Uncharted: Fight for Fortune | ||
| 2015 | Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection | 5.7 million[85] |
|
| 2016 | Uncharted 4: A Thief's End | 18.616 million[86] |
|
| Uncharted: Fortune Hunter | |||
| 2017 | Uncharted: The Lost Legacy | 5.2 million[86] |
|
| 2022 | Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection | 329,000[86] |
Uncharted: Drake's Fortune was awarded as PS3 Game of the Year byIGN.[87]
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves received several awards during the 2009Spike Video Game Awards (Game of the Year, Best PS3 Game, and Best Graphics)[88] and the 2010BAFTA Game Awards (Story, Action, Use of Audio, and Original Score).[89] The game also won in 10 categories, includingGame of the Year, at the13th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards,[90] and in 5 categories, including Game of the Year, at the 10th AnnualGame Developers Choice Awards.[91] It was the game that won the most GOTY awards in 2009.[92]
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception received several awards during the 2011Spike Video Game Awards (Best PS3 Game and Best Graphics)[93] and the15th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards (Outstanding Achievement in Visual Engineering,Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction, andOutstanding Achievement in Animation).[94] The game also was awarded in the category VideoGame Writing byWriters Guild of America Awards[95] and in the category Best Visual Arts byGame Developers Choice Awards.[96] It was one of the most awarded games of 2011 in the category Game of the Year.[97]
Uncharted 4: A Thief's End received several awards duringThe Game Awards 2016 (Best Narrative and Best Performance)[98] and the20th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards (Adventure Game of the Year,Outstanding Achievement in Story,Outstanding Technical Achievement, andOutstanding Achievement in Animation).[99] The game also won as Best Game at the13th British Academy Games Awards,[100] as PlayStation Game of the Year at theGolden Joystick Awards[101] and as Best Video Game at theEmpire Awards.[102] It was the game that won the most GOTY awards in 2016.[92]
Uncharted: The Lost Legacy won in two categories (Game, Franchise Adventure and Sound Editing in a Game Cinema) at the National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers Awards[103] and in the category Best Music/Sound Design (People's Voice) at theWebby Awards.[104]