# Uncharted
**Uncharted** is a series of cinematic action-adventure video games developed by Naughty Dog for Sony's PlayStation platforms, following treasure hunters as they pursue lost historical artifacts across the globe while confronting mercenaries and rival adventurers.[1](https://www.playstation.com/en-us/uncharted/) The series began with *Uncharted: Drake's Fortune* on November 19, 2007, and grew into one of PlayStation's flagship franchises alongside [Naughty Dog](https://www.edgepedia.org/naughty-dog)'s *The Last of Us*.[2](https://www.naughtydog.com/blog/uncharted_drakes_fortune_15th_anniversary) • [3](https://www.naughtydog.com/company)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Developer | Naughty Dog, established 1984, a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Interactive Entertainment in Santa Monica, California[3](https://www.naughtydog.com/company) |
| First release | *Uncharted: Drake's Fortune*, November 19, 2007[2](https://www.naughtydog.com/blog/uncharted_drakes_fortune_15th_anniversary) |
| Protagonists | Nathan Drake (main series) and Chloe Frazer (*The Lost Legacy*)[1](https://www.playstation.com/en-us/uncharted/) |
| Mainline games | *Drake's Fortune*, *Among Thieves*, *Drake's Deception*, *A Thief's End*, plus the standalone *The Lost Legacy*[1](https://www.playstation.com/en-us/uncharted/) |
| Handheld entry | *Uncharted: Golden Abyss*, a PlayStation Vita launch title by Sony Bend Studio[4](https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/postmortem-sony-bend-studio-s-i-uncharted-golden-abyss-i-) |
| Latest release | *Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection* (remaster of *Uncharted 4* and *The Lost Legacy*), released January 28, 2022 for PS5 and PC[5](https://www.playstation.com/en-us/games/uncharted-legacy-of-thieves-collection/) |
| Adaptation | An official live-action *Uncharted* film starring Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg[1](https://www.playstation.com/en-us/uncharted/) |
## Series and premise
The games draw on the tradition of pulp adventure in the vein of *Indiana Jones* and *Tomb Raider*, sending fortune hunter Nathan Drake after long-lost historical treasures.[6](https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/15554120221100817) Each entry follows a reliable roadmap of locating a valuable or cursed treasure while unraveling a mystery and thwarting a villain.[7](https://www.gamespew.com/2022/04/the-uncharted-series-ranked/)
The premise of the first game sends Nathan Drake, guided by a 400-year-old clue found in the coffin of Sir Francis Drake, to hunt the fabled treasure of [El Dorado](https://www.edgepedia.org/el-dorado), stranding him on a Pacific island hunted by mercenaries.[5](https://www.playstation.com/en-us/games/uncharted-legacy-of-thieves-collection/) *Uncharted 2: Among Thieves* follows the lost fleet of [Marco Polo](https://www.edgepedia.org/marco-polo) and the legendary Himalayan valley of [Shambhala](https://www.edgepedia.org/shambhala); *Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception* takes Drake and his mentor Victor "Sully" Sullivan across the Arabian Desert in pursuit of the "Atlantis of the Sands."[1](https://www.playstation.com/en-us/uncharted/) The fourth game, *A Thief's End*, sends a retired Drake after the lost treasure of the pirate Henry Avery and the pirate utopia of Libertalia, with his presumed-dead brother Sam resurfacing to pull him back into the life.[1](https://www.playstation.com/en-us/uncharted/)
## Gameplay and design
Uncharted games combine third-person gunplay, cover shooting, climbing and traversal, puzzles, and large scripted action set pieces.[6](https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/15554120221100817) • [8](https://time.com/4313491/uncharted-4-review/) Critics of the series have called its climbing "choreographed mountaineering" that runs on autopilot; defenders respond that the series was never about mastering jumps or physics but about reading elaborate environments and enjoying the vertigo of traversal punctuated by third-person gunplay.[8](https://time.com/4313491/uncharted-4-review/)
**Traversal grew game by game.** *Uncharted 2* introduced free-rope swinging and hand-over-hand free climbing, with combat reworked to include traversal gunplay that let players climb, balance, and shoot while moving the play-space vertically as well as horizontally.[9](https://www.gamespot.com/articles/naughty-dog-dissects-uncharted-2/1100-6253470/) • [10](https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/a-deeper-look-into-the-combat-design-of-i-uncharted-2-i-) *Uncharted 4* expanded the system with a rope, a piton that must be timed and angled into walls, and an extensible grappling hook that supports swinging in any direction; Naughty Dog's animators described designing the specific poses and per-handhold animations this required.[11](https://blog.playstation.com/2022/10/18/naughty-dog-breaks-down-uncharted-4s-climbing-evolution-as-uncharted-legacy-of-thieves-collection-launches-on-pc-this-week/) • [8](https://time.com/4313491/uncharted-4-review/) According to the developers, Nathan's climbing animations alone in *Uncharted 4* used more memory than Drake's entire moveset in *Uncharted 3*.[12](https://gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2015/01/23/how-uncharted-4-is-taking-game-technology-to-the-next-level.aspx)
*Uncharted 4* also introduced open combat and exploration levels with multiple throughways, wrong turns, and dead ends, alongside a stealth layer that let players go through substantial portions without firing a shot.[8](https://time.com/4313491/uncharted-4-review/) This was a step toward the nonlinear exploration noted in the later mainline entries.[13](https://expertbeacon.com/is-uncharted-open-world/) *The Lost Legacy* carried the same climbing mechanics forward with [Chloe Frazer](https://www.edgepedia.org/chloe-frazer) as protagonist.[11](https://blog.playstation.com/2022/10/18/naughty-dog-breaks-down-uncharted-4s-climbing-evolution-as-uncharted-legacy-of-thieves-collection-launches-on-pc-this-week/)
## Production history
Naughty Dog came to *Drake's Fortune* from the stylized platformers *Crash Bandicoot* and *Jak and Daxter*, and the studio has described the first game as the moment it doubled down on storytelling and emotional experiences.[2](https://www.naughtydog.com/blog/uncharted_drakes_fortune_15th_anniversary) Development was difficult: Naughty Dog president Evan Wells recalled that the switch to a third-person aiming mechanic for gunplay came fewer than nine months before ship, and tools programmer [Lucas Pope](https://www.edgepedia.org/lucas-pope) said the gameplay was essentially overhauled in the last six months of development after *Gears of War* launched, having originally mirrored *Tomb Raider*'s control system.[2](https://www.naughtydog.com/blog/uncharted_drakes_fortune_15th_anniversary) • [14](https://www.gamesradar.com/games/action/uncharted-drakes-fortune-is-rough-around-the-edges-ex-naughty-dog-designer-says-and-went-through-a-whole-lot-of-hell-during-development/)
**Creative leadership.** [Amy Hennig](https://www.edgepedia.org/amy-hennig) directed or co-directed the first three installments and has been described as the creative lifeblood of the series; her departure from Naughty Dog in 2014, together with series design lead Richard Lemarchand, gave directors [Bruce Straley](https://www.edgepedia.org/bruce-straley) and [Neil Druckmann](https://www.edgepedia.org/neil-druckmann) a fresh start on *Uncharted 4*.[15](https://time.com/70411/whats-happening-with-uncharted-and-the-last-of-us-developer-naughty-dog/) • [16](https://www.gamesradar.com/uncharted-4-a-thiefs-end-preview/) *Uncharted 4* was built around pirates, breathtaking locations, and the familiar cast, and went on to win over 150 Game of the Year awards.[17](https://www.naughtydog.com/blog/uncharted_4_a_thiefs_end_the_5_year_anniversary_retrospective) • [5](https://www.playstation.com/en-us/games/uncharted-legacy-of-thieves-collection/)
The one non-Naughty Dog entry, *[Uncharted: Golden Abyss](https://www.edgepedia.org/uncharted-golden-abyss)* for the [PlayStation Vita](https://www.edgepedia.org/playstation-vita), was a launch title by Sony Bend Studio. Its postmortem describes the challenge of new traversal and touch-and-gyro controls, a new rendering engine, and the exponential increase in cinematics, detail, and polish the Uncharted name demanded.[4](https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/postmortem-sony-bend-studio-s-i-uncharted-golden-abyss-i-)
## Collections, reception, and adaptations
Sony has kept the series in circulation through remasters. *Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection* bundles the single-player campaigns of the first three games; *Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection*, released January 28, 2022 for $49.99, remasters *Uncharted 4* and *The Lost Legacy* for PS5 and PC, with fidelity, performance, and 120fps modes on PS5.[1](https://www.playstation.com/en-us/uncharted/) • [5](https://www.playstation.com/en-us/games/uncharted-legacy-of-thieves-collection/) The series as a whole has drawn praise for cinematic set pieces and character-driven storytelling; *Uncharted 4* received a five-star review from *Time*, which called it the series' best.[8](https://time.com/4313491/uncharted-4-review/) Recurring criticism has focused on the first game's aged gunplay and level design, and on repetition in combat arenas for players who prefer systemic exploration.[18](https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/uncharted-the-nathan-drake-collection-review/1900-6416259/) • [19](https://steammoz.com/blog/uncharted-legacy-of-thieves-still-holds-upbut-not-for-everyone/)
*The Lost Legacy* was originally developed as an expansion and later extended into a full game, shorter than *Uncharted 4* (which took between 15 and 20 hours to finish) but comparable to earlier titles in the series.[20](https://time.com/4871655/uncharted-lost-legacy-hands-on/) The official film adaptation, starring [Tom Holland](https://www.edgepedia.org/tom-holland) as Nathan Drake and [Mark Wahlberg](https://www.edgepedia.org/mark-wahlberg) as Sully, is available on streaming services.[1](https://www.playstation.com/en-us/uncharted/) As of 2026, Naughty Dog's announced slate is devoted to its new franchise *Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet*, and no new Uncharted game has been announced.[3](https://www.naughtydog.com/company)
## References
1. [Discover UNCHARTED, PlayStation.com](https://www.playstation.com/en-us/uncharted/)
2. [Celebrating UNCHARTED: Drake's Fortune 15-Year Anniversary, Naughty Dog](https://www.naughtydog.com/blog/uncharted_drakes_fortune_15th_anniversary)
3. [About Naughty Dog](https://www.naughtydog.com/company)
4. [Postmortem: Sony Bend Studio's Uncharted: Golden Abyss, Game Developer](https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/postmortem-sony-bend-studio-s-i-uncharted-golden-abyss-i-)
5. [UNCHARTED: Legacy of Thieves Collection, PlayStation.com](https://www.playstation.com/en-us/games/uncharted-legacy-of-thieves-collection/)
6. [Maier-Zucchino, Developing Meaning: Critical Violence and Eudaimonic Entertainment in the Seventh Console Generation, Games and Culture (2023)](https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/15554120221100817)
7. [Every Uncharted Game, Ranked From Worst to Best, GameSpew](https://www.gamespew.com/2022/04/the-uncharted-series-ranked/)
8. [Review: Uncharted 4 Is the Beguiling Series' Absolute Best, Time](https://time.com/4313491/uncharted-4-review/)
9. [Naughty Dog dissects Uncharted 2, GameSpot](https://www.gamespot.com/articles/naughty-dog-dissects-uncharted-2/1100-6253470/)
10. [A Deeper Look Into The Combat Design Of Uncharted 2, Game Developer](https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/a-deeper-look-into-the-combat-design-of-i-uncharted-2-i-)
11. [Naughty Dog breaks down Uncharted 4's climbing evolution, PlayStation.Blog](https://blog.playstation.com/2022/10/18/naughty-dog-breaks-down-uncharted-4s-climbing-evolution-as-uncharted-legacy-of-thieves-collection-launches-on-pc-this-week/)
12. [How Uncharted 4 Is Taking Game Technology To The Next Level, Game Informer](https://gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2015/01/23/how-uncharted-4-is-taking-game-technology-to-the-next-level.aspx)
13. [Is Uncharted Really An Open World Game Franchise?, ExpertBeacon](https://expertbeacon.com/is-uncharted-open-world/)
14. [Uncharted: Drake's Fortune "is rough around the edges," ex-Naughty Dog designer says, GamesRadar](https://www.gamesradar.com/games/action/uncharted-drakes-fortune-is-rough-around-the-edges-ex-naughty-dog-designer-says-and-went-through-a-whole-lot-of-hell-during-development/)
15. [What's Happening with Uncharted and The Last of Us Developer Naughty Dog?, Time](https://time.com/70411/whats-happening-with-uncharted-and-the-last-of-us-developer-naughty-dog/)
16. [Uncharted 4: A Thief's End - the story behind the biggest game of the year, GamesRadar](https://www.gamesradar.com/uncharted-4-a-thiefs-end-preview/)
17. [Uncharted 4: A Thief's End: The 5-Year Anniversary Retrospective, Naughty Dog](https://www.naughtydog.com/blog/uncharted_4_a_thiefs_end_the_5_year_anniversary_retrospective)
18. [Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection Review, GameSpot](https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/uncharted-the-nathan-drake-collection-review/1900-6416259/)
19. [Uncharted Legacy of Thieves Still Holds Up, Steammoz](https://steammoz.com/blog/uncharted-legacy-of-thieves-still-holds-upbut-not-for-everyone/)
20. ['Uncharted: The Lost Legacy' Is Even Prettier Than Its Stunning Predecessor, Time](https://time.com/4871655/uncharted-lost-legacy-hands-on/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Video games and digital play › Games and gameplay › Franchises and series › Action, horror, and shooter franchises*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license