A short analysis of the game from the initial vision
Uncharted is an action-adventure game series developed by Naughty Dog and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment for PlayStation consoles. The main series of games follows Nathan Drake, a treasure hunter who travels across the world to uncover various historical mysteries.
Locations are usually unexplored remote places, rich in uncontaminated nature, if not by the presence of ancient temples and hidden treasures.
The main character is Nathan Drake as mentioned before, the kind of successful middle-aged man that conceals his reprehensible behavior behind good looks, buckets of charm, and moral gymnastics. Nathan is the contemplative man torn between the adventures of his past and the domesticity of his present.
The peculiarity and uniqueness of this game, in addition to the adventurous plots full of twists, is the graphics in general and the landscape choice that accompany the protagonist throughout all the saga. Starting from a very realistic vision of landscapes and characters, the game develops its own characteristics: a combination of cinematic design and theatricality, like a movie story, but in the experience of being caught up in an adventure so compelling that you feel, if only for a moment, that you’re there.
Naughty Dog’s concept artists, character artists, environment artists, modellers, UI artists, lighting artists, shading artists and technical artists have all posted their Uncharted work in ArtStation portfolios, here some examples:
In these concepts, which I personally think contain the essence of the game, they reflect the principles mentioned in the previous lesson: grouping, focal area, balance and rhythm.
Technical achievement mixes with impeccable art design to give a warmth feeling of a William Turner painting. Uncharted artists have learned a fine and unique touch that sets them apart. This unique touch allowed them to create landscapes and locations full of details, cinematic light that give life to a theatricality environment. This is why Uncharted doesn’t look like most movies; it looks better.