Uncharted 4 documentary reveals major gameplay and story differences ahead of reboot

Uncharted 4 is officially a decade old, and a new documentary has revealed just how drastically different the original version of the game once was. From an alternate plot to a different cast, the first draft of Uncharted 4 sounds unrecognizable from the final version that Naughty Dog eventually released.

The way to Uncharted 4completion was not easy. Over the years, there have been reports from developers and other insiders that the game's development was incredibly stressful, briefly straining Naughty Dog's relationship with the higher-ups at Sony. According to ex-Naughty Dog developer Gabriel Betancourt, Sony almost canceled Uncharted 4. The game's original director, Amy Hennig, would eventually leave the project, and Neil Druckmann and Bruce Straley would take over and revamp Uncharted 4s story and gameplay.

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New documentary dives into how different Uncharted 4 looked before Amy Hennig left Naughty Dog

Independent creator Thekempy has made a nearly 90-minute YouTube documentary that dives into the features that Uncharted 4 would have. The documentary explores everything from Hennig's original vision to what happened after Druckmann and Straley took over the project. Uncharted 4s development cycle was one of Naughty Dog's longest at the time, paving the way for an exciting new chapter in protagonist Nathan Drake's life.

Features that were originally part of Amy Hennig's version of Uncharted 4

Sam Drake and Rafe Adler were to be played by different actors.
Many levels were left out of the finished product.
Sam would have had a more villainous role.
Charlie Cutter would return.
Some gameplay mechanics were cut.
The original version did not have the playable orphanage section.
The story was expected to be very different.

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These are some pretty significant changes. One of the most interesting facts is that Sam Drake was originally going to be played by Todd Stashwick instead of Troy Baker, and Rafe Adler was going to be played by Alan Tudyk instead of Warren Kole. Troy Baker and Naughty Dog have worked closely ever since Baker brought Joel Miller to life The last of usso it's weird to think of a world where he never got to take on the role of Sam.

The return of Uncharted 3Charlie Cutter being scrapped will also definitely be sad news for fans who liked the Jason Statham-like character. Uncharted 4 references Charlie a few times, but it's interesting to think about what the story might have been like with him involved. Many fans have wanted to see Charlie return in some way. Now that Uncharted 5 rumors have circulated, it is possible Uncharted 3 wasn't the last players saw of him.

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As exciting as Hennig's vision for Nathan Drake's journey was, the version of Uncharted 4 which players eventually got turned out to be a big hit. To this day, Uncharted 4 is considered one of the best Naughty Dog games. Even so, Thekempy's documentary is a compelling look at what might have been.