A host of gameplay and story details about Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, the upcoming standalone expansion, have been revealed in the latest Game Informer cover story, including the game's villain, connections to previous Uncharted titles, and more.
Creative Director Shaun Escayg during PSX 2016 previously confirmed The Lost Legacy's focus on Chloe as the main protagonist and her and Nadine's quest to find the Tusk of Ganesh, but Game Informer's deep dive into the upcoming game offers more information on their journey.
Though the two are acquainted with each other from their time in the treasure-hunting world of Uncharted, Chloe hires Uncharted 4's Nadine because of the latter's history with a man named Asav, Lost Legacy's villain. Asav is also hunting down the Tusk — specifically, Asav, Chloe, and Nadine are all searching for a jewel honoring Ganesh created by the Hoysala people, which doesn't exist in the real world.
Chloe and Nadine's relationship will evolve throughout the story, which will be reflected in both the story and gameplay. Nadine, who will play a role similar to Sam in Uncharted 4, can help Chloe in combat, however she'll be more inclined to do so as she and Chloe learn to trust each other throughout the game.
Overall, The Lost Legacy will be more personal, "grounded story" according to Escayg, who spoke to Game Informer. Chloe is part Indian but has not been to the country in a while, so the game will reflect her personal past, particularly her relationship with her father, as well as her cultural heritage. As Escayg has previously stated, Hinduism will play a key role in the narrative, with Escayg explaining that Naughty Dog is "tying the culture and stories of the Hindu gods, even the story of the Hoysala Empire and the kings that ruled there," to Chloe's story.
Though The Lost Legacy is built off of what the team did with Uncharted 4, the smaller scope has allowed Naughty Dog to refine and learn from their experience on the last major Nathan Drake adventure, while also expanding on A Thief's End's gameplay.
This is the single largest level we've ever done in Uncharted.
"This is the single largest level we've ever done in Uncharted," designer James Cooper said to Game Informer of the Western Ghats, one of the two locations GI demoed, noting that it's larger than Uncharted 4's Madagascar level.
Chloe will record findings about the environments she and Nadine explore on her phone, as she was seen using in the game's reveal at PSX. The jeep Chloe drove in GI's demo also featured a winch, as did vehicles in Uncharted 4, and the development team is taking feedback from the last game, including more puzzles but less crates to help companion characters navigate the world.
The Lost Legacy will also introduce a lockpicking minigame, while Game Director Kurt Margenau told GI that The Lost Legacy has the most side content for players to discover, including more collectibles, battle encounters, and special dialogue scenarios.
Spoilers for Uncharted 4: A Thief's End follow.
In the development process, Naughty Dog considered protagonists other than Chloe, including a Sam and Sully story as well as an adventure focused on Drake and Elena's daughter Cassie, revealed at the end of Uncharted 4.
Sully was nixed because of his age in the franchise's current timeline, while his enlistment in the Navy for a while in his life prevented them from looking back on certain periods. Cassie was also decided against as a main character because, according to GI, the issue was her age and putting someone that young in the Uncharted universe into combat scenarios.
So instead, the team chose Chloe and Nadine, two lesser explored characters with a dynamic the franchise hasn't yet touched.
"They have very similar backgrounds, but they've grown quite differently from it," Escayg told GI.
The Lost Legacy will also include the multiplayer and survival suite from the last numbered Uncharted outing.
The Lost Legacy, though it takes place about six months after Uncharted 4, will reflect on the franchise's past. Co-writer Josh Scherr teased that players might see whether Chloe and Nadine will bring up Drake in conversation, considering both have very different relationships with the treasure hunter.
Escayg also told GI that "there might be" cameos from familiar characters from the franchise's previous installments.
As for where the franchise goes after The Lost Legacy, co-president of Naughty Dog Evan Wells told GI "that Naughty Dog doing an Uncharted after this is unlikely." Wells didn't completely rule out the possibility, but said "the likelihood is low" given the studio's plans for The Last of Us Part II and any other ideas they may want to explore.
Uncharted: The Lost Legacy will release for PlayStation 4 later this year, though no official release date has been announced. Naughty Dog is also developing The Last of Us Part II, which was revealed and discussed during PSX 2016.
Jonathon Dornbush is an Associate Editor for IGN who would love yearly side stories throughout the Uncharted universe. Find him on Twitter @jmdornbush
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