3 ways Naughty Dog could deliver Uncharted 5 on PS5

Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End culminated Naughty Dog’s action-adventure series with a feel-good storybook ending that few saw coming, but game director Neil Druckmann surprised gamers by dropping a hint that a follow-up at some point in the future is still very much a possibility.

Druckmann sat down to play through The Last of Us with actors Troy Baker, Nolan North, and Ashley Johnson for a YouTube video published Tuesday. During the hour-long interview that came after they finished the game, Druckmann off-handedly mentioned that Sony might be interested in more Uncharted games.

“You just realize we’re not going to top that so we’re going to do something different. We’re just gonna do this other thing,” he said. “And then kinda similarly with the sequel is first of all: Do we want to make it? And we’re lucky that we have the freedom that Sony gives us where we can choose. We made Uncharted 4 and we haven’t made another Uncharted since. Maybe one day we will. We’ll see.”

This is in no way a confirmation that Naughty Dog has a new installment in its future plans, but it does suggest that Druckmann and his team could be kicking around ideas for a new game in the franchise.

What could that possibly look like? Here are three ways Naughty Dog could continue the legacy of Nathan Drake:

3. Uncharted 5 could star Nathan Drake

At the end of Uncharted 4, Nathan Drake seemingly gives up his life as a daring treasure hunter to become a marine salvager to settle down with his wife Elena and their teenage daughter Cassie. Nathan seems retired for good this time, but Naughty Dog could put him back on the saddle once again.

Yet another irresistible rumor of treasure could fall on his lap and force him out of retirement or a new antagonist could surface to threaten Nathan’s peaceful life and lead him into a new adventure.

Both of these seem possible, but very unlikely. Uncharted 4 already began with Nathan missing his glory days as a treasure hunter. It’s unlike Naughty Dog to recycle major plot points in a way like this.

A new bad guy is a more likely possibility, but a new character could try to avenge the death of Rafe Adler, who ran the mercenary group Shoreline and was killed by Nathan in the final mission of Uncharted 4. However, this does seem a bit cliché when you consider Naughty Dog’s devotion to storytelling in the way the developer sticks to its major plot twists.

2. Remake the previous games

With the PS5 looming in the horizon, Naughty Dog could completely reboot the series with remakes of the series first two installments: Drake’s Fortune and Among Thieves for the next-generation console. Both titles are considered PlayStation 3 classics, and the original is already almost 13 years old.

The first Uncharted sold a million copies in the 10 weeks following its release, and Uncharted 2 sold six million copies on the PS3. Remade version of these games could let diehard fans relive their favorite moments with Drake and introduce the series to a new generation of gamers.

That strategy has worked wonders for Capcom, whose 2019 remake of Resident Evil 2 outsold the 1997 version of the title. Uncharted’s diehard fan base could let Naughty Dog see the same success.

1. An Uncharted: The Lost Legacy sequel

A year after the launch of Uncharted 4, Naughty Dog released Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, a standalone game that followed the adventures of Chloe Frazer. She was a supporting character who first appeared in Uncharted 2.

The spin-off was generally well-received. Critics and gamers praised Naughty Dog’s ability to make even side-characters shine, but it was criticized for how similar the gameplay was to Uncharted 4. A next-generation console and more time to develop Chloe’s character could kickstart a whole new Uncharted saga if enough time was invested into making it fresh and innovative.