Naughty Dog unleashed a pretty spectacular Uncharted 4 story trailer today. Firstly, it's amazing with some incredible looking set pieces and 'oooh' style plot things going on. It's also got loads of interesting things going on that you might have missed in the flash bang wallop of its modern day Indy escapades.
Below you'll find the full list of things we noticed but if you're short on time, or just plain impatient then here's an abridged video squashing it all down into two minutes:
Now let's go through it all in more detail.
1. Are the Drakes from Manhattan?
The trailer opens with the boys Drake staring at a city, wistfully dreaming of making it big in the future. It might have just been used for reference but that looks a lot like the Manhattan Bridge (inset for reference).
2. The teen Drakes are going to be a big part of the story
The young Drakes are repeatedly shown in the trailer suggesting we'll be playing as them for part of the way. Nate's brother Sam has been kind of magicked out of nowhere after 3 main games so this will need to set some narrative groundwork to make us care about him. As well as the kid Drakes some later shots suggest we'll get some early years adventure action from the brothers. That will probably be necessary to set up the game's plot driving obsession with the treasure of the Pirate Every, and Sam's 'apparently killed and left for dead in a prison' backstory.
3. Looks like we're going to Europe?
This shot shows a very European looking location, largely thanks to that landscape and the Celtic looking cross in the background. The latter suggesting potentially an English, Irish, Welsh, Scottish or even French location. The Pirate Every was born in the UK's West Country and during his Navy service got involved with the Nine Year's War which saw some action in Ireland and Scotland.
4 Uncharted 4 has some big open levels
This entire area looks playable. You can see playable space on the left of the main building, inside the building itself, and off to the right - that exposed bell tower in the middle distance appears later on in the trailer as the bell falls through it. It's something Naughty Dog had alluded to: wider playing spaces to explore with options, rather than linear adventure tunnels.
5. Africa!
Hard to miss really but there are some interesting things going on here. Firstly, we knew there'd be more open areas to drive the jeep around in and this looks a lot like a big ol' track to tear about in. Also: Africa was on the list of places Every visited, where he spent some time off the coast of West Africa raiding slave ships.
6. Swimming is in...
This is likely a set piece, tied in to the boat we'll see later with Drake sailing out to a wreck and diving for info. It's odd though that's he's not better equipped. No wetsuit, breathing gear - why isn't he prepared for underwater work?
7. Is this the bad guy?
We know that's Nadine Ross on the left, is the head of a Security Company employed by the main villain who's called Rafe Adler and appears to be the guy on the right. He's in the trailer repeatedly and at one point offers Drake a deal to quit and go home, or end it all "right here". By the way, later you can see that ice sculpture in a shoot out so this party doesn't seem to end well.
8. "I am a man of Fortune..."
When we see Drake and Sully break into this very piratey tomb we hear the following quote: "I am a man of fortune and I must seek my fortune". The full quote is actually from the testimony of a man called David Creagh, accused of mutiny in 1696, who recounts this exchange with Every himself.
"I met with W. May, the Prisoner at the Bar. What do you say here? says he. I made him no Answer, but went down to my Cabin; and he said, God damn you, you deserve to be shot through the Head; and he then held a Pistol to my Head. Then I went to my Cabin, and presently came orders from Every, that those that would go ashore, should prepare to be gone. And when the Captain was got out of Bed, who was then very ill of a Feaver, Every came and said, I am a Man of Fortune, and must seek my Fortune".
A recounting of the trial,here, says this took place "ten leagues off the Cape," again bringing Africa into the game.
9. Drake, I am your father
Not Nathan Drake, though. Sam. This guy bears a striking resemblance Nate's older brother. Now, Nate's parentage is questionable - he was an orphan at one point in the canon so it's possible he and Sam aren't brothers by blood. This guy really looks like an older Sam and asking the line "are you ready to seek your fortune" to... someone in the trailer, seems to give him a prominent role.
10. BOATS!
Looks like you can add boats to the list of things you can drive around. Maybe you have to explore to find that wreck we saw earlier? Might explain why Drake's got no scuba gear, he just jumped in.
Seen anything else we've missed? Tell us! Or drop it in the comments bellow.
