Why PlayStation needs to bring Uncharted back

Uncharted was one of the most prestigious franchises on PlayStation during the PS3 generation. Naughty Dog had unleashed the console's power to create some of the best action-adventure games of all time. Uncharted 4 (2016) and The Lost Legacy (2017) continued to flaunt their excellence on the PS4, but those titles also marked the end of the franchise.

Seven years have passed since then, and there has been no new release in the series. While the future of Uncharted looks dark right now, this article will cover why PlayStation needs to bring the treasure hunters back into action.

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Reasons why Uncharted needs to make a return

1) Expanding the series beyond Nathan Drake

The Lost Legacy proved the franchise can work without Nathan (Image via Naughty Dog)

While Nathan Drake has officially retired from the treasure-hunting scene, it doesn't mean that the franchise has to end as well. The Lost Legacy (2017) proved that the Uncharted formula can work even without Nate if the story and the gameplay segments are paced properly.

It can be fun to see other characters pick up the shoulder holsters like Chloe did as a playable protagonist last time. The fourth entry also hinted at another title, where Sully and Sam go on an adventure of their own. However, that idea was never brought to fruition, but even all these years later, it can be a solid way to bring the franchise back, with Sam as the new protagonist.

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2) The lack of light-hearted fun with realistic visuals

The franchise offered light-hearted fun at its best (Image via Naughty Dog)

PlayStation has evolved over the last few years with franchises like The Last of Us, Horizon, Ghost of Tsushima, and God of War that feature a more serious tone and mature storytelling. While Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart and Astro Bot are welcome exceptions, there is still a lack of Sony exclusives that sport realistic visuals and are light-hearted at the same time.

Uncharted was a perfect blend of both worlds, as its light-hearted nature made it easy for players to have fun, while the realistic visuals enhanced the immersion, making characters feel more human and relatable through their personality traits. These two elements combined are missing from Sony's catalogue currently, which is why it would be great to bring the franchise back.

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3) Technological advancements could elevate the franchise

Ray Tracing can bring a fresh look to the franchise (Image via Naughty Dog)

The gaming industry has seen plenty of revolution with the invention of technology like Ray Tracing and DLSS. These elements have become prominent aspects of video games but were missing even in the Legacy of Thieves collection (2022), which was released for the PlayStation 5.

With how significantly technology has evolved, Uncharted could seriously benefit from it, considering how action and set-piece-focused it is. The scale of the title can increase remarkably, making the lost cities that our protagonists discover look better than ever on the latest hardware.