Former Naughty Dog game designer Benson Russell advocates for an Uncharted prequel rather than further remakes or remasters of the popular series.
Russell, who worked on the original Uncharted 1-3, believes the franchise would benefit from new storytelling. This perspective emerges as the video game industry debates the value of remaking older titles versus developing fresh narratives.
Russell served as a game designer on the initial three Uncharted titles: Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, and Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception. He stated that the series should move beyond remakes and remasters, a sentiment that comes amidst ongoing discussions regarding the future direction of Naughty Dog’s flagship franchises.
The studio’s other prominent series, The Last of Us, has also seen remasters and remakes, including The Last of Us Part I for PlayStation 5 and PC. This trend has sparked debate among players and developers about the balance between revisiting classic games and creating new experiences.
The video game industry has seen a rise in remakes and remasters of classic titles, allowing developers to update graphics and gameplay for modern platforms. However, some critics and developers argue for new content to expand existing universes. Furthermore, an Uncharted prequel could explore the earlier adventures of protagonists like Nathan Drake or Victor Sullivan, detailing events before the events covered in Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection.
Naughty Dog, the developer behind the Uncharted franchise, has not officially announced plans for a new installment. The last major game in the series was Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, released in 2016, followed by the standalone expansion Uncharted: The Lost Legacy in 2017.
