How Uncharted 4 Was Almost Very Different

Uncharted writer-director Amy Hennig played a key part in the early development of Uncharted 4, but she didn’t see the project through to fruition. Now, we’ve learned how Hennig’s version of the game would have differed from the end result that fans eventually played.

Hennig, who played a core part in the Uncharted franchise until her exit from Naughty Dog in 2014, stepped away from the studio during the fourth game’s development in order to work on a Star Wars title for Electronic Arts and Visceral. Sadly, although that Star Wars game got quite far in development, it was never released, leaving Hennig with two big projects in a row that she didn’t get to complete on her own terms.

Speaking to US Gamer, Hennig said this about her vision for Uncharted 4 and how it differed from the final version that other writers, including The Last of Us director Neil Druckmann, finished:

“The major differences had to do with like, I was introducing the idea of Sam as the brother. But my take on it was sort of different, that it was a little bit more-I mean I wouldn’t call him the antagonist in the classic sense, but it wasn’t an antagonistic force in Drake’s life that he had to reconcile. So it was, you know, complicated by stuff coming up from the past.”

Hennig also mentioned that her plans for the game “didn’t have the flashbacks to his childhood” and also “didn’t have the Nadine character.” However, the main story beats and chapter beats were all established while Hennig was working on Uncharted 4.

Of course, it’s impossible to tell how much might’ve changed if Hennig had stayed on with the game. A lot can alter during development, but it is interesting to know that she didn’t envision flashbacks or create Nadine.

One thing’s for sure, though: after the disappointment of seeing EA cancel Hennig’s Star Wars game, we look forward to seeing what she delivers next. 

As for what that might be, Hennig mentioned elsewhere in the interview that, “If streaming real-time content is going to become a thing [in gaming], I would love to be at the forefront of making content for that.”

We shall, of course, continue following Hennig’s career with great interest.