Uncharted 4 plot details have been released thanks to early copies of GameInformer’s February edition. Some spoilers for Uncharted 3 Drake’s Deception follows.
The new Uncharted 4 plot details describe the game as taking place about three years after the events of Uncharted 3. If you have forgotten Drake’s Deception ended with Drake and Elena donning their wedding rings and joining Sully in his plane to presumably fly off into the sunset as a happily ever after. Unfortunately that doesn’t last for long. Sam, played by Troy Baker, is Drake’s older brother who Drake believed to be dead. He comes back into Drake’s peaceful life of being settled down with Ellie to drag him along on another adventure. This time Sam must find a legendary pirate artifact as his life hangs in the balance, presumably from more powerful people he owes. Drake of course can’t resist family and the allure of treasure so off they go. Most of the adventure appears to take place in Libertaria, a fictional pirate colony located in Madagascar. Naughty Dog did confirm that the entire game won’t take place there, as generally Uncharted games take you all over the globe, with the off-shoot Golden Abyss being the only title to take place in one major setting. You will also encounter some rivals to Sam and Drake, named Rafe and Nadine. They are also out to find the treasure and will be the major antagonists, hopefully reflecting the roles of Talbot and Marlowe from Uncharted 3.
Gameplay changes that were seen in the PlayStation Experience gameplay demo were discussed. Specifically the climbing spike and rope which will allegedly allow Drake to discover hidden areas. They will also assist in traversing and combat, which was seen when Drake used the rope to gain momentum behind a knockout punch in the demo. Some mechanics from The Last of Us return, such as Drake being able to avoid enemies altogether instead of engaging in open combat. Exploration will be pushed more, although the game is still linear.
Lastly, Naughty Dog confirmed that multiplayer would return. Multiplayer in Uncharted premiered in Uncharted 2 Among Thieves and has been included in every Naughty Dog game since then, including The Last of Us.