A jewel in Sony's crown, Uncharted has become the gold standard in the adventure genre, combining dynamite action with highly polished cinematics and a cast of likeable characters.
The second game was so good that it topped Digital Spy's Game of the Year list way back in 2009, while Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception made it into the top ten in 2011.
With a fourth game in the works for PS4, we've decided to put together a comprehensive list of everything we know about the game so far, including launch dates, trailers and story details.
What is Uncharted 4: A Thief's End?
Announced at the PS4 launch event in November 2013, Uncharted 4: A Thief's End is a PS4 exclusive developed by series regulars Naughty Dog.
Set three years after the event of Uncharted 3, the upcoming sequel could be the last game in the series, at least according to Nathan Drake voice actor Nolan North.
After one or two high profile studio departures, it was revealed that Uncharted 2 and The Last of Us co-directors Neil Druckmann and Bruce Straley will lead the project.
Originally scheduled for launch in 2015, the game was pushed back until spring 2016, as it turned out to be even more ambitious than Naughty Dog had expected.
The release window was narrowed down even further by Sony's Andrew House, who said it would launch before the end of the fiscal year on March 31, 2016.
The game's official box art features a seemingly warn out and bloody Nathan Drake.
While creative director Neil Druckmann has admitted that 60FPS is really hard to achieve, Naughty Dog's Arne Meyer told Eurogamer that the studio was aiming for 60FPS on all its PS4 games.
That said, a 15-minute gameplay video was shown running in 1080p at 30 frames per second.
Uncharted 4: A Thief's End's story and characters
Uncharted 4: A Thief's End follows Nathan Drake as he searches for a mythical pirate utopia.
According to the official synopsis, Nathan Drake is retired, but is forced back into the world of thieves to save the ones he loves. Phrases like "globe-trotting journey", "historical conspiracy" and "fabled pirate treasure" have also been bandied around.
It all revolves around Drake's older brother Sam, who reappears seeking his younger brother's help. Drake thought Sam was dead, and it turns out he will be if he doesn't find an artifact from Henry Avery.
Sam will be voiced by popular video game voice actor Troy Baker, and will accompany Nathan Drake on his journey. Sam will serve a similar role to Ellie from The Last of Us, but is much stronger and more reckless.
Drake's mentor Sully will also make an appearance in the game, and will join the intrepid treasure hunter on "one last job". Elena is also teased to make an appearance.
According to Game Informer, rival treasure hunters include Rafe and Nadine, the latter of whom owns a private military company in South Africa.
Part of the game will take place in Libertaria, a mythical pirate colony in Madagascar, and the location likely used in the game's trailers.
So far we've seen Drake explore a tropical island setting and its cavern interiors. It's all very reminiscent of the original Uncharted, only it looks far better. In fact, there are said to be 60 animations just to govern Drake picking up objects.
Cutscenes are in real-time, while Nathan and Sam will form a bond as they react to the environment while exploring - much like Ellie and Joel in The Last of Us.
New gameplay features
Based on a 15-minute demonstration, Uncharted 4 will once again combine stealth, hand-to-hand combat, gunplay and exploration.
While the game itself is linear, areas will be much larger and contain multiple paths for players to explore. Naughty Dog says there isn't a "golden path", and that each has its own risks and rewards. For example, players can bypass enemies and discover new locations if they attempt a much more dangerous climb.
Nathan Drake will have access to a host of new tools, including a rope and metal spike, both of which can be used for climbing and navigation. The rope allows Drake to swing around areas like Tarzan, and is a handy tool for sneaking past enemies.
Tools - including a bunch that Naughty Dog is yet to announce - will be incorporated into puzzles. The large puzzle rooms from Uncharted 3 will also return.
The game's combat will be much more free-flowing and dynamic. "To us, the Uncharted combat works best when it has a flow to it - when you are not just behind cover, shooting over and ducking back down, when your cover is getting flanked and you have to jump and move down to another level," explained creative director Neil Druckmann.
This is evident in the demo, as Drake flits between hand-to-hand combat, stealth and cover-based shooting, while his enemies move around the environment to get the drop on him.
In one sequence, Drake shoots an enemy on the opposite platform, swings off a ledge and punches out the enemy below, catches that same enemy's machine gun, before turning and firing at two more hired goons.
We also see Drake shoot enemies with one hand while climbing, and using the environment to hide and incapacitate his adversaries as they walk past.
Drake can grab and throw enemies as he ascends ledges and platforms. Some enemies will grab his feet as they fall, resulting in a quick-time sequence to wriggle free.
Uncharted 4 multiplayer beta
While details remain thin on the ground, Uncharted 4: A Thief's End will contain a multiplayer mode of some kind. Lead game designer Robert Cogburn recently told Twitter followers that multiplayer was up and running in the studio, and that it was "getting so awesome".
There will be a multiplayer beta for the game, with access confirmed through each purchase of Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection, a remastering of the PS3 trilogy on PS4 this October. Details of the beta, as well as other means of entry, have yet to be revealed.
Uncharted 4 in trailers
Uncharted 4: A Thief's End will be available exclusively on PS4 in early 2016.
