Uncharted 4 Dev Feared Game Might Be Too Ambitious

After years of development and multiple delays, Naughty Dog's Uncharted 4: A Thief's End comes out today, May 10, on PlayStation 4. Now, directors Neil Druckmann and Bruce Straley have penned a blog post in which they reflected on the challenges of creating what is believed to be Naughty Dog's final Uncharted game (but not necessarily the last game in the series).

The directors started off by saying, at certain points of development, they were unsure if it would be possible to realize their ambitious vision for the game.

"There were times during production when we actually thought, 'We're not going to make it--this is the game where our ambition will get the best of us.'"

Druckmann and Straley went on to say Uncharted 4 was probably the most difficult game in the series to make, in part because it is the last one. It's not only the last one for Naughty Dog, but also the final game in the series to star Nathan Drake.

"Our ambition was high; the scope was massive; but compromise wasn't an option because we knew this is our last Uncharted," they said. "Everyone on the team was going to give it their all because we love these characters.

"A team of hundreds of the most talented individuals in the industry rose to the challenge in creating the closing chapter for Nathan Drake's story. Every discipline wanted to make sure that their area of the game did justice to the series. We've pushed, helped, and motivated each to create something beyond the limits of what we thought was possible."

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They continued: "Standing back… we're in awe. We knew the individual parts were great, but seeing how the game came together into something truly beautiful fills us with gratitude and pride. We are extremely proud of the send-off we're giving these characters--and we couldn't be prouder of the team that crafted it.

"From everyone at Naughty Dog, we thank you for your support--without it we couldn't make these kinds of games. We hope our passion and dedication comes through. We hope we’ve done you proud."

Naughty Dog's hard work appears to have paid off, at least from a critical lens. The game is receiving rave reviews, including a 10/10 score from GameSpot. It remains to be seen how well the game is selling. We'll report back later if/when Sony shares sales information for the action-adventure title.

Druckmann and Straley signed off by saying "until next time," a tease for their next project. Naughty Dog has said a Last of Us sequel is possible, while the developer has also teased plans for brand-new games.

For more on Uncharted 4, check out GameSpot's review and recent news stories linked below.

• Uncharted 4 Review
• Uncharted 4 Story Primer: Prepare for A Thief's End
• Uncharted 4 Trophies Revealed, See Them All Here
• Uncharted 4's Nathan Drake Actor Calls It Role of a Lifetime
• Uncharted 4 Launch Brings a Nathan Drake Emoji to Twitter for Some Reason
• Uncharted 4 Microtransaction Pricing Revealed
• Uncharted 4 Is a "Technical Powerhouse," Analysis Says