Sony Computer Entertainment's Naughty Dog studio has confirmed
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception, the next installment of the PlayStation 3-exclusive action adventure franchise.
According to a report in
Entertainment Weekly's PopWatch, the next entry, headed up once again by creative director Amy Hennig, sends protagonist Nathan Drake on a new adventure fraught with deceit. The story centers on Drake's relationship with mentor Victor "Sully" Sullivan.
The
Uncharted series is one of Sony's anchor franchises for its PS3 and is a fan and critic favorite. The series has sold over 3.8 million units worldwide since its debut in 2007 with
Uncharted: Drake's Fortune. 2009 saw the release of
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves.
Entertainment Weekly said Naughty Dog is tight-lipped about the release date for
Uncharted 3, but the magazine expects the game to launch late next year, alongside an
Uncharted transmedia blitz.
A movie based on the series is planned, and the fact that the sequel is making its first public appearance in Entertainment Weekly instead of a specialist video game magazine reflects the kind of mass market audience the franchise is aiming for.
Uncharted 3 will eventually lead Drake to the Rub’ al Khali Desert, a setting that offers technical challenges for the development team, which will have to graphically render fire, water and sand.
The game will also use "more expansive" motion-capture techniques and implement a combat system that will let players take on multiple enemies at once, according to the report.
Naughty Dog co-president Evan Wells also told the publication that the new game will expand upon the series' online multiplayer and co-op features. "We want to take on the big boys of the multiplayer genre," he said. "It has become something here at Naughty Dog that will become an important part to all our games."
The first trailer for the game will debut at the Spike Video Game Awards this weekend.
