The Uncharted series has become synonymous with cinematic action, compelling storytelling, and, of course, Nathan Drake’s half-tucked shirt. Now, the impending release of the standalone adventure Uncharted: The Lost Legacy is bringing some changes. The most obvious one is that the story is shifting away from Nate, who we’ve not only watched grow as a character with each installment in the series, but whom we as players have grown with as well.
While Naughty Dog has delivered some of the more memorable and quality storytelling elements in games over the years, it still feels like we’re taking a leap of faith with The Lost Legacy, trusting that the team will deliver that same quality content, action, and familiar gameplay mechanics that have been staples of the Uncharted universe for the last ten years.
Naughty Dog released a new developer diary this week, discussing more about the story of The Lost Legacy; and though some gamers may feel like it’s not an Uncharted game without Nate, in the video Naughty Dog has made one thing clear: this series is about “more than just Nathan Drake”.
“We felt that we wrapped that story up on Uncharted 4,” says creative director Shaun Escayg about Nate. “And that’s really the motivation to find a new cast of characters that could actually carry on the Uncharted legacy.”
With the variety of characters in Nate’s life, such as Sully, Sam, Chloe, and even Elena, it seemed that any one of them could have had their own standalone adventure. Naughty Dog initially played with the idea of different stories like Sully and Sam, but ultimately felt they were too closely related to A Thief’s End.
Choosing to expand on Chloe’s story not only opened up the world of Uncharted even more (this thieving world is huge, after all), but it allowed for Naughty Dog to deliver something fresh and to also explore Chloe’s roots in India.
Naughty Dog has a history of creating compelling characters, and Chloe Frazer was no different. First introduced in Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, she became a fan-favorite, but the qualities that made Chloe endearing seem to be the same ones that will make her even more complex (and get her into even more trouble) in The Lost Legacy.
Chloe has a tendency to shy away from playing the hero, and though she’s “The Best Driver in the Business”, she has no problem peacing out when things get rough, like in Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception after the gang left Syria; and while she cares for her friends, she’s self-serving and impulsive.
Those characteristics alone make for a great story, but to liven up things even further, Chloe’s been paired with Nadine Ross, who is far more logical and calculated. First introduced in A Thief’s End, Nadine lost everything when her company, Shoreline, went under. Now, desperate to regain control, Nadine finds that she needs Chloe’s help, just as much as Chloe needs Nadine’s as they track down the Tusk of Ganesh and venture through the Western Ghats Mountains of India.
Their opposite personalities not only make for inevitable conflict and tension, but it has the potential to keep the players guessing where each of their loyalties lie. I personally don’t trust Nadine as far as I can throw her after she locked Nate and Sam in Henry Avery’s ship and then left us to kill Rafe, but I digress…
Uncharted: The Lost Legacy will naturally have a different feel to it simply because we’re shifting away from what we’ve been used to. However, in the video, the Naughty Dog team has assured fans, “we’re treating this as seriously as an Uncharted game.” In addition to the familiar gameplay like fighting, stealth, driving, and rope-climbing, we can also look forward to some new ones like lock-picking.
Something else to look forward to is the “buddy system” that’s been incorporated into The Lost Legacy and which is driving aspects of the gameplay. If Chloe and Nadine are at odds with each other, for example, that tension will reflect while they’re fighting their enemies. On the other hand, if they’re getting along, Nadine will be by your side in battle.
We have a lot to look forward to when Uncharted: The Lost Legacy releases on August 22. Watch the developer diary below!
Tori is originally from Rapture but now she lives in Chicago. She enjoys open world RPGs, a good narrative-driven game, and is probably the only person still watching The Walking Dead.