Uncharted is an action-adventure video game series and media franchise created by Sony Interactive Entertainment and developed by Naughty Dog. The series was created by Amy Hennig and follows a group of treasure hunters who travel around the world to solve historical mysteries. The games include stories based on real history, elements of fantasy and folklore, and fictional characters alongside real people and events. In the main series, players control a character named Nathan Drake. In some expansions, players control another character named Chloe Frazer.

The first game in the series, Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, was released in 2007. It was followed by sequels: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (2009), Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception (2011), and Uncharted 4: A Thief's End (2016). Other games, such as Uncharted: Golden Abyss (2011), Uncharted: Fight for Fortune (2012), and Uncharted: The Lost Legacy (2017), support the main series. At first, the games were only available on PlayStation consoles. Later, they were released on other platforms, including the mobile game Uncharted: Fortune Hunter (2016) and remastered versions of A Thief's End and The Lost Legacy for Windows in 2022.

The main games are played from a third-person perspective, meaning players see the character from the side, not from their eyes. Gameplay includes combat, shooting, exploration, and puzzles, with platforming used to move through environments. Later games added competitive and cooperative multiplayer modes, stealth gameplay, and driving. The series was inspired by other games, films, and media, and is known for featuring faraway and unusual locations. Adaptations of the series include a live-action film, board games, comics, and a novel.

The main series received high praise from critics for its stories, characters, voice acting, gameplay, and graphics. Its quality was often compared to Hollywood action-adventure films, such as the Indiana Jones series. Critics also say the series raised the standards for single-player action-adventure games. The second and fourth numbered games are often ranked among the greatest video games. The series has sold over 41 million copies, making it one of the best-selling video game franchises. It helped the success of PlayStation during the seventh and eighth generations and increased Naughty Dog's reputation as a respected game developer.

Titles

Drake's Fortune, the first game in the series, was released for PlayStation 3 in November 2007. After Naughty Dog agreed to make the games available only on Sony systems, the PlayStation 3 hosted the next two main series games. Among Thieves was released in 2009. The game used a better version of the system's special software, allowing the team to create more detailed environments, larger maps, and more open exploration and combat options. Drake's Deception, released in 2011, added more improvements, including a better online multiplayer mode.

The next main game, A Thief's End, was released for PlayStation 4 in 2017. It focused on realistic details and included new features like driving, stealth, and role-playing elements. It also improved multiplayer options. The game was very successful and set several sales records. A free-to-play mobile game called Fortune Hunter, for iOS and Android devices, was released to support A Thief's End.

Golden Abyss, released in 2011, was the first game in the series for PlayStation Vita, a handheld console. It is considered a prequel to the main series, though some developers say it is a separate story. In 2012, a turn-based card game called Fight for Fortune was released. It was made by One Loop Games and included interactive features for the Vita.

Drake's Trail was an online game released in 2007. It was played in a web browser and used real-world locations through Google Maps and fictional areas through Flash Player. The game had ten chapters and told a story about a journalist hiring a detective to find Nathan Drake. It was not available anymore after its release.

The Nathan Drake Collection is a remastered version of the first three games in the series. Bluepoint Games released it for PlayStation 4 in October 2015 to make up for delays in A Thief's End, which was originally planned for summer 2015. The collection included a voucher for the beta version of A Thief's End's multiplayer mode. The games had improvements like new trophies, a photo mode, and better graphics. Multiplayer modes from Uncharted 2 and 3 were not included. The collection received positive reviews for its technical and visual upgrades. It was later offered for free during the COVID-19 pandemic as part of Sony's Play at Home initiative.

The Lost Legacy was released as a standalone expansion to A Thief's End. It does not include Nathan Drake but features Chloe Frazer and Nadine Ross, who appeared in earlier games. It was released for PlayStation 4 in 2017. Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection, a remastered version of A Thief's End and The Lost Legacy, was released for PlayStation 5 on January 28, 2022. A Windows version, developed with Iron Galaxy, was released on October 19, 2022.

Common elements

The gameplay in the Uncharted series mixes action-adventure and 3D platforming, with players viewing the action from behind the character. Players must complete physical tasks, such as jumping, swimming, climbing, and swinging on ropes, to move through the story. Other activities, like shooting, fighting, and solving puzzles, are also common. Later games added driving, boat riding, and more complex movements.

The games allow players to explore maps freely. Later titles include open-world areas, letting players roam to find collectibles or avoid enemies through stealth. In A Thief's End, players can engage in more role-playing, such as having conversations with other characters. The series follows the structure of traditional action games, where players complete levels in a set order, always viewed from behind the character.

Shooting is an important part of the game, as players must defeat enemies to progress. Players can carry a small gun like a pistol, a main weapon like a rifle or shotgun, and a few grenades. These weapons are found by picking up items left by defeated enemies or scattered around maps. If the player dies, they restart at a specific checkpoint in the level.

In A Thief's End, players can use vehicles to explore areas freely, though they must drive to certain locations to continue the story.

In Among Thieves, multiplayer was added. The co-op mode lets up to three players take the roles of Drake and two other characters, completing missions that involve fighting, platforming, and teamwork. Players can help injured teammates or those captured by enemies. The competitive mode allows ten players to split into two teams of five, with six game types, including deathmatches and team-based objectives. A Thief's End introduced a survival mode where players fight waves of enemies and complete tasks. Multiplayer also lets players earn points and ranks to buy new character outfits.

The first game, Drake's Fortune, is set near Panama, in the Amazon rainforest, and an uncharted island near South America. Among Thieves was the first to include multiple locations, such as the Tibetan Plateau, Istanbul, Borneo, and Nepal. Later games added settings like London, Cartagena, France, Syria, Yemen, and the Rub' al Khali desert. A Thief's End includes a Panamanian jail, an Italian estate, a Scottish cathedral, Madagascar, uncharted islands near Africa, and locations in Boston and New Orleans.

The prequel Golden Abyss includes a dig site in Panama. The expansion The Lost Legacy features areas in India’s Western Ghats, Tamil Nadu, and nearby cities.

Many locations were thoroughly researched. The development team traveled to these places with guides and experts, taking photos and recording videos to accurately represent the settings.

The series uses a variety of voice actors, with major characters voiced by less well-known actors. Only three characters appear in every main game, and Chloe is the only other single-player character who can be controlled.

Other media

Uncharted: The Board Game is a board game published by Bandai in 2012. Hayato Kisaragi designed the game, which allows two to four players to compete for treasure and fight enemies.

Sony Computer Entertainment America released the first of a four-part motion comic series called Uncharted: Eye of Indra on October 23, 2009. This series is a prequel to Uncharted: Drake's Fortune. The second part was released on November 25, while the third and fourth parts were released together on December 7.

A motion comic adaptation of the prologue of Uncharted: Drake's Fortune was created. It begins with the discovery of Francis Drake's coffin and ends with the first encounter with Gabriel Roman. The comic uses the same voice clips from the video game.

A comic book titled Uncharted was released by DC Comics around the time Uncharted 3 came out. Written by Joshua Williamson, with art by Sergio Sandoval and covers by Adam Hughes, it was released on November 30, 2011, as part of a six-issue mini series. The story follows Nathan Drake on a journey to find the legendary "Amber Room" and explore the Hollow Earth.

A novel titled Uncharted: The Fourth Labyrinth was published in October 2011. Christopher Golden wrote the book, which was published by Del Rey Books. The story follows the search for Daedalus's Labyrinth, a maze from Greek mythology that once held the Minotaur.

Ruben Fleischer directed a film adaptation of the games, based on a script by Art Marcum and Matt Holloway. The film stars Tom Holland as Nathan Drake and Mark Wahlberg as Victor Sullivan. Antonio Banderas, Sophia Taylor Ali, and Tati Gabrielle appear in supporting roles. The film was released in theaters in the United States on February 18, 2022, and was produced by Columbia Pictures, Atlas Entertainment, and Arad Productions. PlayStation Productions was an executive producer, and Sony Pictures Releasing distributed the film. In August 2023, producer Charles Roven said the studio was "definitely looking to make" a sequel. Sony confirmed a sequel was in development by June 2024.

In July 2018, director Allan Ungar released a 15-minute fan-made short film starring Nathan Fillion as Nathan Drake. Fillion had campaigned for the role for many years. The film received positive feedback, especially for Fillion's performance and an action scene shot from an over-the-shoulder angle, similar to scenes in the video games. The short film also features Stephen Lang as Victor Sullivan and Mircea Monroe as Elena Fisher, with appearances by Ernie Reyes Jr. and Geno Segers. The fan film sparked discussion about its potential influence on the official movie. Naughty Dog's vice-president, Neil Druckmann, and film director Shawn Levy praised the fan film, while Ungar supported the official movie.

A "storycoaster" ride based on the 2022 film, titled Uncharted: The Enigma of Penitence, opened at PortAventura Park on June 17, 2023.

Reception

The Uncharted series has been very successful, both in terms of reviews and sales. Many people praise the series for its graphics, writing, and voice acting. GamesRadar ranked it as the second best franchise of the seventh generation. The series helped raise Naughty Dog's reputation, making them one of the top game developers in the industry.

Nathan Drake, the main character, is seen as a symbol for PlayStation. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is considered one of the greatest games ever made. It won over fifty Game of the Year awards, and critics called it a major milestone in gaming. The game is among the highest rated PlayStation 3 games on Metacritic. Uncharted 4: A Thief's End is also highly praised and is ranked as one of the best games of the eighth generation.

The first game in the series was part of the PlayStation Essentials collection and sold over 2.6 million copies worldwide. Uncharted 2 was the best-selling game in the month of its release. By 2011, the series had sold over 13 million copies combined. Uncharted 3 sold more than double the number of copies sold by its predecessor, which was much more than expected. This helped the series reach over 17 million copies sold worldwide. Before the release of the fourth main game, Sony reported that the series had sold over 28 million copies.

Uncharted 4 is the best-selling game in the series, with over 18 million copies sold. It is one of the top-selling PlayStation 4 games ever. As of December 2017, the series had sold 41.7 million copies worldwide.

Uncharted: Drake's Fortune was named the best PlayStation 3 game of the year by IGN.

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves won several awards in 2009 and 2010, including Game of the Year, Best PS3 Game, Best Graphics, and Best Story. It also won ten categories, including Game of the Year, at the Interactive Achievement Awards and five categories, including Game of the Year, at the Game Developers Choice Awards. It received the most Game of the Year awards in 2009.

Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception won awards in 2011, including Best PS3 Game, Best Graphics, Outstanding Achievement in Visual Engineering, and Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction. It also won awards for VideoGame Writing and Best Visual Arts. It was one of the most awarded games of 2011 in the Game of the Year category.

Uncharted 4: A Thief's End won awards in 2016, including Best Narrative and Best Performance at The Game Awards, and Adventure Game of the Year and Outstanding Achievement in Story at the D.I.C.E. Awards. It also won Best Game at the British Academy Games Awards, PlayStation Game of the Year at the Golden Joystick Awards, and Best Video Game at the Empire Awards. It received the most Game of the Year awards in 2016.

Uncharted: The Lost Legacy won awards for Game, Franchise Adventure, and Sound Editing in a Game Cinema at the National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers Awards. It also won Best Music/Sound Design (People's Voice) at the Webby Awards.