Here's something I've been thinking about for a while now concerning Uncharted 4: would Naughty Dog give us the chance to play as say, Sully or Elena in A Thief's End? and furthermore, should they? Its a possibility I find exciting, though I'm unsure whether it would fit within the context of the series.
In my time browsing the Uncharted forums, I was actually rather surprised at how many people were suggesting that we have a chapter to two in Uncharted 4 with a playable character besides Nathan Drake. Its an idea that I thought would be largely unpopular, but on the contrary, a considerable number of posts highlighted it as something they would like to see in the new game. This led me to ponder, is it something Naughty Dog would do? and more importantly, would it work in Uncharted?
*A quick note before we start, what started off as a simple discussion has turned into a look at the characters, their motives, relationships and arcs, and the potential plot of A Thief's End. It's a big one, so be prepared!
Drake's Story
Before we dive into this discussion, first we need to look at the narrative ark of the series so far. In the past Uncharted games, right from Drake's Fortune to Drake's Deception, we have always played purely as Nathan Drake, at least in the single player campaign (of course I'm not counting the unlock-able player skins in 1 and 2). This choice is effective, because it allows us to see the story through 'Drake's eyes' so to speak. He's the protagonist, so naturally its his journey that we focus on. We've seen him progress from an orphaned teenager with a constructed historical identity to a man who's finally found something better, coming to terms with who he really is.
Going into A Thief's End, we know that he's returning as the lead, not only that, but this adventure has been described as his most personal yet. Given this information one could (understandably) conclude that playing as another character, even for a short part of the game, would be highly unlikely. I would argue against that, however.
We last saw Nate with the two people that mattered most to him; his lifelong friend and mentor and his wife: presumably about to start a far quieter life than he was used to. Nate's retirement from adventuring has been reinforced by recent lines such as "out of the game" and "forced back into the world of thieves". We can thus surmise that between Drake's Deception and A Thief's End, Nate has been embracing a more mundane existence. Unfortunately, it seems that his past has caught up with him. Something has happened that gives him no option but to set out once more to (as has been implied) "save the ones he loves".
So, what am I getting at? this is going to take some explaining, bear with me...
Looking at the current information we have, it seems that Nate was successful in his endeavour of "settling down" with Elena. To me, this would indicate that one of his main character arcs has indeed come to a close; with him overcoming his obsession with the facade he built as a child (symbolised by losing Sir Francis' Ring and replacing it with his wedding band). Not only that, but also (at least to some extent) his fear of commitment, which until now has prevented him from maintaining his relationship with Elena for more than one game (I'm assuming/ hoping they're still together).
Entering this new chapter, I believe (and this is pure guesswork mind you), that all of this clears the way for a story centred even more than before on relationships (that is not to say the others were not). The one between Nate and what appears to be the antagonist (the man narrating the first trailer) will probably be at the forefront, given their implicit history. However, the lengths Nate is willing to go to for Sully, Elena and his other friends (maybe even his child if he has one), will also be explored in depth, and perhaps,
the lengths they are willing to go to for him.
It is this that gives me reason to believe that we may actually get to play as Sully or (especially) Elena, but before I continue with this point, I would like to look at Naughty Dog's most recent (and arguably best) game...
A New Approach
*WARNING! SPOILERS FROM THE LAST OF US FOLLOW!*
Ok, you may be a bit confused as to where I'm going with this argument, but just hang on in there. So far we've established that Uncharted 4 will likely be concentrated on the actions of the characters when pushed to their absolute limits in order to protect one another. This is where I segue into The Last of Us.
Now I admit, I am not the authority on this game, (to my shame) I haven't even played it. However I have, I must confess, watched it played through on youtube (in "movie" form), and seen numerous spoiler casts and story analysis's (I know, I'm a terrible person). The setting and gritty tone of The Last of Us just isn't my kind of thing, though I do sorely regret my descision to ruin the story for myself (we all make mistakes).
There is one big thing in particular that I did take away from my somewhat limited experience of the game, and that's what I'd like to talk about. There are two points in the main campaign (I'm not including the DLC Left Behind), where you deviate from playing Joel. The first is with his daughter, Sarah, and the second, with Ellie. Both of these occasions help to establish or invigorate the player's connection with each character respectively; and when you do return to Joel's perspective you feel more of a responsibility towards them, and an increased concern about what happens to them.
Of course, I have come to this conclusion through indirect means: player reactions, developer documentaries, interviews and so forth, not first hand. Nevertheless, I can appreciate the effect it had on the narrative and how it benefited the player's investment in the story. So, would this approach work in a similar way if it was applied in Uncharted?
How Could It Work?
To answer this question, we have to look at the characters, their relationships, and the overall plot of the next installment in the series. Let's assume that if we play as anyone it will be either Sully or Elena (I'm not focusing on the rumoured "past flashbacks" theory, where you could play as Sir Francis, Henry Every etc.). Would seeing things from their point of view make sense? particularly given the premise of the new game and all of the implications it has?
*From this point onwards, we're crossing into the realm of utter speculation, so keep that in mind. I'll also be making infequent references to The Last of Us: we're not out of SPOILER territory yet (I'll indicate these by an S*).
In order to fully determine whether the concept of playing either character is appropriate, we'd need to know the storyline of the game. Unfortunately, we currently have little more than a couple of teaser trailers, a cryptic description and some comments from Naughty Dog; but that's enough to form some idea of what could happen in A Thief's End.
I've harped on about this notion enough already, but I (and many others) believe that the supposed villain in this game is exacting his revenge on Nate by targeting those close to him. It doesn't seem to be Sully; after all he's the one whose help Nate is seeking in the most recent teaser, so one could fairly deduce that Elena is the one in trouble, if anyone. However, the official summary hints that she's not the only one: "what he's willing to sacrifice to save the ones he loves". Due to the lack of context we can't really say if this means someone else is in jeopardy (their child for instance?), or if at some point Nate will have to make a decision that will determine the fate of what could be any of his friends, but I digress.
Assuming that Sully will be accompanying Nate throughout this adventure, playing as him would be rather redundant. This is where we get to Elena. As I just mentioned (again this is based on conjecture), the evidence insinuates that she may (at least partly) be the object of Nate's expedition ("with the stakes much more personal"). So, lets delve into the theoretical scenario where she's being held captive by our bad guy. Note that this is not the only possibility, but I'd like to use as example here.
*Just wanted to add a little edit here. Upon further discussion, it seems less likely that Elena is in danger, at least to begin with. Some people have rightly pointed out that Sully would not be as reluctant as he appears in the trailer, if Elena was indeed the one being harmed. However, I think it still presents a valid illustration of where a playable Elena could be effective.
Playing As Elena
If, and this is a big if, saving Elena is the goal, then there are a few problems that Naughty Dog will have to address. Firstly, they'd need to build a connection between her and the player; otherwise it will be difficult to sympathise with Nate throughout the story. Of course, if you've played the other games this should have already have been founded. Though considering that Naughty Dog have said that you don't have to have experienced the past Uncharted's to enjoy this one, they need to give us a reason to care.
Secondly, what the hell will Elena be doing while she is held prisoner? I think it would be a doing her a massive disservice if she was merely the damsel in distress. The whole "rescuing the girl" thing has become a bit of a video game trope, one that Naughty Dog would surely avoid, especially considering their history of challenging such expectations. Besides, she is far too independant (her plan to rescue Sully on her own in Uncharted 3 comes to mind) and, in my humble opinion, too strong and complex a character to delegate to the position of "Nathan Drake's captured wife".
Though there are a number of possible solutions, I believe that playing Elena for a segment of the game is one that woulld tackle both of these issues. We would see her situation, see what she's doing about it, and have an interest in what happens to her as a result. Then when we do return to Nate, our motivation would allign with his: we'd want to get Elena out of there.
"If she's playable, she has power. She becomes subject again, rather than object"
S * Ellie was given agency in her position in The Last of Us; and it worked to not only grow her as a character, but help the player feel the same obligation to help and protect her as Joel. I understand that Elena is a very different character in a very different game, but the base logic behind making someone else playable to progress the story is the same *.
Other Advantages
There are additional benefits besides character progression when it comes to playing as someone else, and they can be summed up in one word: variety. A change in pace, in gameplay and maybe even in tone, it can really bring something new and different to the game.
The closest example I can think of in the Uncharted series are the young Nate chapters in 3. Whilst still the same person, playing as a teenager isn't the same as playing as a grown man. Nolan North explains the gameplay changes Naughty Dog had to make in Drake's Journal:
"Cartagena was a challenge for the team because they couldn't leverage some of the core mechanics of the game. Specifically, they couldn't have a 14-year-old Drake running around Columbia beating up people and firing a gun! They had to come up with some things that are a little different"
Case in point, due to the limitations and strengths of the individual, the way the game played was different whilst still feeling familiar.
S* Again this was especially relevant in The Last of Us: Ellie can't handle herself like Joel, she can't use brute force to take down enemies, and so must rely much more on stealth, avoidance, and taking people out from a distance.
*
I feel that something similar could apply to Elena. Yes she's a grown woman, but all the same I can't see her monkey-climbing up walls or snapping guys necks like Nate (though she's still proficient in traversal and combat). We would be forced to approach things a little differently; perhaps Elena would be more effective at sneaking past enemies undetected than her other half, and maybe she could have a few unique abilities of her own, further adding something new to the experience (I'd love to hear your ideas by the way!).
The reason I'd put less of an emphasis on Sully here is that in terms of skill set he largely resembles Nate, after all he's the one who probably taught him what he knows. He would also be limited by his increasing age, what with him pushing 70. Though there's no doubt he'll still be able to hold his own in the new game, I'm less sure how it would translate into gameplay. I'll admit it though, it would be awesome to play as Sully, I can just imagine having a 'press L2 to smoke cigar' prompt.
The Element 0f Surprise
I think this is what I find most exciting about this prospect: it would be a surprise. Despite theorising about this so much, it would still come as a complete shock to me if we suddenly transitioned from Nate to Elena, or anyone else for that matter. Just picture it: our protagonist gets knocked out (I'm not sure how, but it does seem to happen to him quite a lot), screen cuts to black, then the camera opens on a certain blonde journalist. A small cutscene plays out and then BAM, we're in control of her (I think I would jump up and down like a child on christmas day). A pretty weak example, but I'm sure Naughty Dog would be more creative.
S* I've seen people's reaction to being thrust into Sarah/Ellie's shoes without prior warning, and Neil Druckmann, creative director of The Last of Us, has stressed how important it was for it to be a surprise.* Just as no one saw playing as young Nate coming, or Sully "dying" (twice), or Elena, well, having a less than fortunate encounter with a grenade, twists and turns like this can make the story that much more memorable.
Counter Arguments
I want to make something clear, playing as a character is not the only way to connect to them, and neither is it a guarantee that you will. We can still adore the likes of Sully, Elena and Chloe without ever having played them in the campaign (I'm not counting that jet ski segment in Uncharted 1, by the way) and a persons' fondness for Nate could not have been founded on playing as him alone. Our affection for these characters was established because of stellar writing, dialogue, interaction and game design. It is thanks to moments of drama, humour, tenderness and, most importantly, those simple, subtle details that make them more believable and more human.
Nor is it the only way to create diversity in a game. Look at the tibetan village chapter in Uncharted 2: we remained as Nate, but things played out very differently. No combat, no climbing, not even any puzzle solving, and yet that short, seemingly pointless section of the game left a big impact, and personally is one of my favourite parts in the whole series.
I should also add that I don't think it would work if it in anyway undermined or took away from Nate's story. Elena and Sully are fantastic and very important characters, but they aren't the fundamental protagonists, Drake is. Thus it mustn't become their own little detached sub-story, but complement and enrich the overall plot.
To Conclude
I'm in favour of getting a chance to play as someone else (for a part of the game), for the reasons I've discussed, but it should never, ever be a gimmick. There are an infinite number of ways for Naughty Dog to enhance the narrative and bring something new to Uncharted, and this is just one of them. Story, characters and gameplay should always be the priority, and I know the developer would only ever add something like this if they thought it would fit with their vision for the game. Its entirely possible that they want to keep things just from Nate's perspective, and they have good reason too.
Would they do it? I have no idea. S* They could implement what they learned from making The Last of Us with Sarah and Ellie (after all, people praised the opportunity to play as them), especially with the leads of the project at the helm of A Thief's End.* There's also that ambiguous comment from Evan Wells and Christophe Balestra, that we will get to "experience Drake and is crew in a new way", but that could mean anything.
Overall, the game will no doubt be amazing, whether we get to play as anyone else or not. It isn't essential or required in any way. All the same though, I think it would be pretty awesome.
I've started a poll on this topic (linked below), so let me know your opinion!
*Just to clarify, I am not an expert on game development or the gaming industry (or The Last of Us for that matter). I get my information from multiple reliable sources, but I may sometimes get things wrong or be inaccurate. If you do spot something such as a piece of information that is inaccurate please let me know and I'll correct myself.
*All images/screenshots are under the copyright of their respective owner. I do not intend to distribute my blog for profit and will gladly remove any images if asked to.
I Hope You've enjoyed this post, I'm new to blogging and feedback is always appreciated, let me know your opinions :-)
.png)
