Uncharted's Surprising Evolution: Why Losing Its Mascot Could Be a Game-Changer

Highlights

While Uncharted paved the way for The Last of Us and achieved remarkable success, certain aspects would require rectification for the franchise to progress upon its return.

Uncharted has the potential for future installments featuring different protagonists and exploring diverse settings and narratives, as seen in Uncharted: The Lost Legacy.

In contrast, The Last of Us has only released two games in the past decade, yet it has achieved immense popularity as one of PlayStation's most beloved intellectual properties. This success has led to an HBO adaptation that aims to encompass all the existing content of The Last of Us. The upcoming multiplayer spin-off of The Last of Us offers a fresh avenue for the franchise to expand beyond the familiar characters and settings that fans are accustomed to. It will be intriguing to observe how fans respond to these new ideas and directions for the franchise, especially considering that Naughty Dog's Uncharted series never quite garnered the same level of discussion and acclaim as The Last of Us.

Uncharted Has a Wealth of World-Building Untethered to Nathan Drake

Uncharted served as an experimental platform for Naughty Dog's The Last of Us, allowing the studio to test the waters with multiplayer modes, eventually leading to the success of The Last of Us' Factions. The comedic nature of Uncharted's storyline made it more accessible, while its awe-inspiring set pieces were captivating, similar to action-packed blockbusters. However, the franchise missed an opportunity to evolve by consistently featuring Nathan Drake as the main character. If Uncharted were to make a comeback, this aspect would require rectification.

Supposedly, the Uncharted series is now shelved, which makes sense considering the current busyness of Naughty Dog. With multiple projects in development, if none of them are related to Uncharted, it will take an incredibly long time before the series could be resumed.

Despite this, Naughty Dog might be hesitant to disrupt the perfect ending of Uncharted by introducing new elements. However, it would be unfortunate as Naughty Dog has shown expertise in creating captivating character interactions throughout their adventure of globe-trotting and treasure-hunting.

In terms of the narrative, the character interactions were the focal point of Uncharted, as it lacked the emotional depth seen in Joel and Ellie's story in The Last of Us. Nevertheless, it was still remarkable how Uncharted stood apart from other set-piece adventure games due to its engaging character interactions. Nolan North's portrayal of Nate played a significant role in this distinction, but Uncharted could certainly continue with another protagonist whose journey could be just as thrilling and humorous.

Uncharted: The Lost Legacy has proven that new lead characters like Chloe Frazer and Nadine Ross can successfully carry the franchise forward, offering players a refined Uncharted experience. This is similar to how Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales expanded on the success of Marvel's Spider-Man. This demonstrates that other characters can easily take on lead roles and deliver equally outstanding settings and stories.

There has been much anticipation for the introduction of Nate and Elena's daughter, Cassie, as a new protagonist in Uncharted 5. This possibility remains open as long as Naughty Dog desires it. However, it is important to note that new protagonists can still thrive in the Uncharted universe, even if there is a need to continue the series. While The Last of Us has the opportunity to explore new characters, it is unfortunate that Uncharted has not had the same opportunity.