Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection Q&A with Bluepoint Games and Naughty Dog
Answered by:
Daryl Allison, Senior Producer, Bluepoint Games
Eric Monacelli, Community Strategist, Naughty Dog Inc.
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| Eric Monacelli, Naughty Dog |
What can we expect with the Uncharted: The Nathan Drake
Collection?
You can expect to play updated versions of
the original three Uncharted games which have been lovingly brought to the PS4
with enhanced graphics and new features, all running at 1080p with a nice boost
to frame rate.
What’s been the challenge
bringing these games over to PS4?
The biggest challenge of every one of our
remaster projects is maintaining integrity of the original vision. We do not
remaster games like Uncharted to put our stamp on them or to do something “how
we might have done it”. The Uncharted games are already beloved classics. We
want to preserve as much of their spirit as we can while enhancing as much as
we can. So, half the challenge is ensuring the remaster properly captures each
and every one of those elements that give its personality; the other half is ensuring
all our work to enhance do just that - they enhance the experience without
changing it. We hope the final results of our work is a game that meets or
exceeds expectations and looks and feels “like how you remember it”.
Are there any exclusive features
for the games?
There are many new features and
improvements featured across all three games. New modes include Speed Run,
Explorer mode (for players who enjoy the story without the difficulty) and the
aptly named Brutal difficulty (added to challenge even the most hard core
Uncharted players). We implemented a robust stat tracking system which tells
players how well they are doing compared to their friends. We also included a
bunch of new trophies and brought Photo Mode to all three Uncharted campaigns.
Are there any moments that have
been specially spruced up for the PS4?
Uncharted is filled with fantastic moments
that look even better due to many of the updates made for the PS4 collection.
Uncharted Drake’s Fortune feels significantly better with the gameplay updates
bringing it closer to the feel of Uncharted 2.
What’s the challenge of
upgrading these games to 1080p / 60FPS?
There’s always a fear that certain
cinematic qualities will be lost and faster won’t necessarily be better. We
constantly play the games at 30 and 60 to watch for these and other issues
introduced due to the change in frame rate. Most of the times the changes are
obvious, where something flat out doesn’t work at the higher framerate because
it was customized to the lower frame rate or bugs that weren’t exposed until
running things twice as fast.
The true challenges are the subtle ones
that don’t expose themselves without thorough testing. The helicopter reveal in
the PSN Demo, which takes place in Uncharted 2, was a perfect example of one of
these moments. When we played the PS3 version the helicopter just felt more
menacing. We stared at this for two or three days trying to figure out why. We
analyzed one screenshot after another trying to spot a difference, but in still
images everything looked correct. We then realized that bullet tracers, when
drawn for twice as many frames while moving the same world distance, expressed
a visual feel closer to one continuous stream than a barrage of individual
bullets. Running at 30 FPS allowed bullet tracers to jump further in world
space each frame. This allowed a perceptible and desirable stuttering within
the stream of bullets, which provided appreciation of a rapidly firing weapon,
one that was both visually better and better matched the audio. Once we
identified this we were able to make the necessary change to capture the same
threatening feel as found in the original PS3 version ... and then we the
helicopter further with additional effects to amplify that feel.
What’s the enduring appeal to
you of Nathan Drake? How does it feel to have created an icon for the
PlayStation?
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| Daryl Allison |
It’s tough to pinpoint one thing as it’s
really different for everyone who plays UNCHARTED. That’s the key. Drake is a
relatable, everyman kind of guy. He’s aspirational in many ways, but he’s also
someone that everyone can relate to. Everyone has had a plan foiled or made a
fantastic mistake in judgement that’s led to unforeseen consequences. Drake
does that all the time and it’s endearing and outrageous when he does. It commands
attention. Being the way he is that’s something players can readily associate
with their own experiences…although they might not have to combat fantastical
elements like Djinn or Guardians.
It’s remarkable to know that players have
beloved Drake to the point at which he’s now an icon. Having 21 million people
buying the games is a staggering fact and a testament to the appeal of the
character and his adventures. It feels awesome to know he’s iconic within the
gaming space and it’s even cooler to see Uncharted inspiring other mediums like
film (i.e., Mission Impossible Rogue Nation).
Watching the video from https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=69&v=E8LaUiK6TF4
with the 11 minutes of footage, you say this is the moment that defined
Uncharted’s chase ethos – talk us through the development of those scenes and
how hard it was to make reality?
The cinematic that sets up of the chase
itself – a heroic rescue by a strong female character (Elena), humorous
exchange by Drake and Eddy, and the wily, lucky survival from Drake – is
crucial to create the proper impetus for the chase. Drake does superhuman
things and survives when all the odds are stacked against him. This chase
establishes that.
Building the chase in 2006 was no easy
task. Performance capture tools were in place, but it was early days for us as
we made this scene into something that would work in-game. For instance, we
thought we needed a real jeep on a sound stage to make the jeep look realistic
enough. So that’s what we did: We had a real jeep on the stage. It wasn’t truly
necessary, but at the time it helped guide the process. Another cool bit of
trivia is that the tow hook that Elena applies to the bars on the jail cell was
added after we had already rendered out a lot of the cutscene. It’s meant to
add a bit of humor. These little details became a hallmark of our future
cinematics and helped establish the trademark tone of the UNCHARTED franchise.
A lot of people will be excited
for the Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End Multiplayer Beta, what can you tell us about
that?
The Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End Multiplayer
Beta will be coming December 4, 2015. It’ll run until December 13, 2015. We’ll
have more details about multiplayer very soon. The beta will be a great way for
players to familiarize with the core mechanics and gameplay of our unique, new
multiplayer. We’re excited to get the player feedback as well!
And can you give us a sneaky
spoiler for the Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End release….?
Well, any spoilers wouldn’t be sneaky.
They’d be spoilers and we really don’t have much to say in the way of those.
It’s going to be another hallmark Uncharted thrill ride – which is something
you can be sure of.
What does the future hold for
Nathan Drake – we had the Young Indiana Jones Chronicles years ago, and a Tomb
Raider reboot, would you be tempted to look at something similar?
That’s an intriguing idea. We’re not sure
what will happen with the UNCHARTED franchise but we can tell you that
Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End is the final chapter in the Nathan Drake story. What
does that mean? Well, you’ll have to play the game in March 2016 to find out.
We’ll definitely drop some hints as the date approaches.
The past recreations work well in terms of look, thanks to a faded palette bringing the encroaching Nazi threat vividly to life and an impressively restrained and understated turn from Orphan Black's Tatiana Maslany as the young Maria. Maria's escape from the Nazis is tensely handled and adds some colour to the backstory that's desperately needed as the movie begins to sag in its own syrupy schmaltziness.
