Two full decades have passed since Nathan Drake first jumped into our lives, but today we celebrate a special anniversary. It has been exactly ten years since we closed the covers on the last adventure in the game Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End. Although a whole decade has passed, I can't shake the impression that the game came out yesterday. The impact it left behind still resonates in the gaming industry, inspiring both titles within Naughty Dog itself and many others trying to capture that magic.
The series that served as a technological testing ground for what the then "fat" PlayStation 3 could do nearly 20 years ago has carefully paved its way to this beautifully sung swan song.
What fascinates me the most even today is the timeless design. If someone were to show you gameplay today, in 2026, where Nathan explores the Scottish cliffs, races a speedboat across the sea, or kicks up dust in Madagascar, you would probably think it was some completely new, just announced hit. This is the best proof of the skill of the developers who created something ten years ago that visually and mechanically defies time.
Will we ever see the team together again? In today's era of trends where remake, remaster, and re-something dominate the market, it's hard to believe we will remain at this forever. Yet we are talking about a studio that gave us The Last of Us, The Last of Us Remastered, and The Last of Us Part I.
I won't be a hypocrite; I would be the first in line to once again discover hidden world treasures with Nathan under the "new guise" of modern technology. However, on the other hand, perhaps some maps should remain buried where they were left. The fourth installment still holds up so well that revisiting it is a reward in itself, without the need for any embellishment.
Drake may have retired, but the standards he set are still the benchmark that many have yet to surpass.
