Join us as we hype up E3 2015 with ‘Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End.’

Naughty Dog

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Game: Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End

Developer/Publisher: Naughty Dog / Sony Computer Entertainment

Platform: PlayStation 4

Release Date: Q1/Q2 2016

One-sentence pitch: Doesn’t sliding down a muddy slope while shooting an AK-47, then jumping off a cliff while seamlessly transitioning into a grappling rope swing and punching a guy in the face sound boring?

I’m no stranger to the Uncharted series. I platinumed Nathan Drake’s three console adventures and completed Golden Abyss’ campaign on Vita. Drake’s next adventure won’t be my first through a forest decorated with dead pirates. I’m excited about it all, but let’s start with the story. Troy Baker and Nolan North are some of the most prolific voice actors working right now, and to have them both starring opposite of each other in a game developed by the most talented games studio is a recipe for perfection. I suspect that Baker’s character, Sam (Drake’s Brother), is this story’s antagonist. This would by default make him the series’ most interesting villain given the relationship dynamic, seeing as past villains were blockbuster clichés.

This is the first Uncharted adventure to hit the powerhouse that is PS4, so I’m pumped to see some light reflect off of shrubbery and such. Uncharted is a series that has continuously strived to match the caliber of a summer blockbuster. Couple that effort with the power of the PS4, and we should be treated to great visuals both in and out of cinematics. I mean faces have up to 500 “bones” for goodness sake. Those death animations should be brutal, right?

Lastly the gameplay is sure to be spiced up, and I’d imagine Sony will blow us all away with another gameplay demo akin to the one witnessed at PSX—minus the floor dropping out. I’ll definitely be looking out for another grapple-swing-to-punch moment or even a shotgun-to-the-face ending all Last of Us style.

Naughty Dog

A Thief’s End hasn’t been without its trouble, though. It all looked quite worrisome back in March of 2014 when Amy Hennig, writer for Jak and Daxter and all four Uncharted games, left Naughty Dog. Writers of The Last of Us Bruce Straley and Neil Druckmann have proven themselves and has since then taken over the script, but for me, there will always be the lingering question of “what if?” Since then, Todd Stashwick was to play the game’s villain, but was recast—possibly with Troy Baker taking over his role. It looked to be a rough start for the game, and even with that E3 2014 trailer, I still didn’t know what to expect.

But everything changed when it came to PSX last December, where we were treated to 15 minutes of brand new gameplay. Following PSX, it was quiet on the news front, fittingly. The latest news is the announcement of The Nathan Drake collection for PS4, featuring the three core games remastered with the usual 1080p, 60fps refresh and the addition of some updated textures. The game will feature access to the Uncharted 4 multiplayer beta, which we are sure to see in action soon.

So, that brings us to E3 2015. What in the hell will Sony blow us away with? I do suspect that Sony will open their conference with a cinematic for Uncharted 4 that’ll seamlessly transition into gameplay, and the crowd will be awed. (And I bet we’ll see Sully, Elena and, wait for it… little Nathan Drake Jr.!) Post gameplay demo, I reckon we’ll be treated to some revamped multiplayer. 16-player matches anyone? I don’t believe we’ll get a release date, but we will get a release month. I’m going to say May 2016.

We’ll just have to wait until next week until I’m proven unsurprisingly right or shockingly wrong. The PS4 is lacking in exclusives right now, and with games like The Order: 1886 not being the mega-hit many had hoped, Uncharted 4 can re-up the excitement factor of being a PS4 owner.

What are your E3 2015 predictions for ‘Uncharted 4’? Tweet me @NerdDotMe. And, sure follow us @YouNerded.