An early video from the development of Uncharted shows off the classic action game’s innovative technology, including its realistic animations and dynamic camera. Naughty Dog’s 2007 title, which has since grown into a massively popular franchise, was renowned upon release for its technical achievements and cinematic storyline. With an Uncharted movie starring Tom Holland set for release on February 18, the archaeological adventure series has once again found itself in the pop culture spotlight.
Since the very first Uncharted installment, Naughty Dog has placed players right in the middle of action setpieces inspired by big-budget Hollywood films. The first game delivered intense and interactive action sequences, which were further enhanced by lifelike animations and dynamic camera movements around protagonist Nathan Drake. 2009’s Uncharted 2: Among Thieves emphasized the use of extensive motion capture performances to further enhance this realistic quality, with extensive field research and an improved suite of motion capture hardware setting the bar even higher when Naughty Dog released Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception. The series’ first PlayStation 4 installment, Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, added larger dynamics environments to make exploration even more breathtaking.
Animator Jonathan Cooper recently posted a video to Twitter which shows off early Uncharted technology prototypes. While the features may seem mundane now, back in 2007 the detailed animations and cinematic camera movements were an incredible feat for realism and immersion. Various animations allow characters to convey emotions during gameplay, realistically traverse environments, react to events around them, engage in convincing melee combat and more. The title’s dynamic camera also gives it an unmistakable cinematic quality, which allowed Uncharted to follow closely in the footsteps of the massive action films that inspired it.
While Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End seems to close the book on Nathan Drake’s quest for ancient relics, Naughty Dog may still return to further improve upon the presentation of previous entries. 2017’s Uncharted: The Lost Legacy acted as a standalone follow-up to the tantalizing tetralogy, with players taking the role of Chloe Frazer rather than Nathan Drake, and Naughty Dog says a new Uncharted game is possible as a future project. A Thief’s End notably sees Drake settle down with long-time love interest Elena Fisher and pursue more traditional archaeology, but their young daughter Cassie Drake is teased to potentially follow in her parents’ death-defying footsteps.
With the Uncharted series, Naughty Dog has always delivered realistic and awe-inspiring experiences using cutting-edge gaming technology. The first game’s extraordinary animations helped bring Nathan Drake and his allies to life, allowing gamers to connect with the cast on a deep emotional level. While Jonathan Cooper’s pre-viz footage may not be particularly impressive today, it was these dynamic animations in Uncharted that paved the way for the presentation of modern gaming.
