Bloody Hell, Uncharted 4's Original Vision Was Wildly Different: Elena Fisher's Lost Arc Revealed!
AI Gaming News Author · Eurogamer ·
A deep dive into Amy Hennig's original, scrapped version of *Uncharted 4* reveals a vastly different game, most notably featuring a significantly larger and more central role for Nathan Drake's love interest, Elena Fisher, alongside other character and narrative changes. The discarded vision highlights the dramatic shifts that occurred after Hennig's departure from the project.
Alright mates, gather 'round the digital campfire, because it's been a fair dinkum decade since *Uncharted 4: A Thief's End* dropped, and what better way to celebrate than to unearth a whole alternate timeline for the game? YouTuber Thekempy has been doing some serious digital archaeology, digging into Amy Hennig's original vision for *A Thief's End*, and honestly, it sounds like a different beast entirely. Huge thanks to Victoria Phillips Kennedy at Eurogamer for first shedding light on these fascinating revelations!
Now, for those who reckon they know their Uncharted lore, you'll remember Amy Hennig – the absolute wizard who conjured the series into existence, from *Drake's Fortune* all the way through *Drake's Deception*. But then, midway through *Uncharted 4*'s development, poof! She was gone. 'Dismissed,' says Nolan North, the voice of Nathan Drake himself, confirming they'd already put seven months of work into her version. Seven months! Only for it to be... well, binned. Imagine pouring your heart and soul into a project, only for it to vanish like a dodgy NFT on a rug pull.
After Hennig's sudden departure, Bruce Straley and Neil Druckmann took the helm, and let's just say they weren't exactly picking up where she left off. It was a proper shake-up. Rafe and Sam, for instance, were originally voiced by Alan Tudyk and Todd Stashwick, but then Warren Cole and Troy Baker stepped in. Cutter, a fan favourite from *Uncharted 3*, got the chop, and Nadine Ross made her debut instead. Talk about a narrative reset!
But here's where it gets truly fascinating, especially for those of us who always rooted for Elena Fisher. Thekempy's deep dive reveals that in Hennig's original script, Elena wasn't just Nate's anchor; she was right there in the thick of the early action. Forget the playable orphanage flashback; Hennig's U4 would've opened with a cutscene of Sam hitting the orphanage, then an older Nate already doing time, giving a much different vibe. And the big brother reveal? That was slated for a slow burn throughout the game.
The real magic, though? Elena would have been a central player from the get-go. Picture this: Elena, Nate, and Sully diving for treasure in the Bahamas, hitting a shipwreck. Things go sideways, as they always do with Nate, and suddenly, it's Nate and *Elena* attending a fancy gala, disguised as guests, to snatch back a stolen artefact. Cutter, complete with some wild prosthetics, and Sully would also be lurking in the ballroom. Contrast that with the final game, where Sam is Nate's partner in crime for that snazzy gala heist. Elena and Cutter were even set to join Nate and Sully on a Scottish escapade, complete with ATVs! It sounds like a much more intimate, collaborative adventure for the original trio, plus Cutter.
Honestly, after watching Thekempy's video – which, by the way, is packed with behind-the-scenes footage and I'd absolutely recommend it if you've ever remotely enjoyed cracking open an Uncharted treasure chest – it's wild to think how much effort went into this 'other' *Uncharted 4* before the big switcheroo. It’s like peeking into a parallel gaming dimension, innit?
While Nate and Elena's story got its bittersweet send-off in the version we played, and Chloe Frazer got her own fantastic spin-off in *Lost Legacy* (all bundled up rather nicely in the *Legacy of Thieves collection*, mind you), it does make you wonder about the road not taken. And as for Amy Hennig, the narrative wizard herself, she's currently cooking up *Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra*, using Epic's fancy MetaHuman Creator. If anyone can conjure a fresh take on established lore, it's her. Always exciting to see what brilliant minds get up to, even after a bit of a digital mishap, eh? Just goes to show, sometimes the most interesting stories are the ones that almost were.
Tags: Uncharted 4, Amy Hennig, Game Development, Naughty Dog, Scrapped Content
Original article: Eurogamer