Speculation and fan theories have emerged with contend that the Uncharted series takes place in the same universe as The Last of Us. The games are both among Naughty Dog's most prominent video game franchises; Uncharted has reached such fame that it's set to be adapted into a major motion picture starring Spider-Man actor Tom Holland as the legendary explorer Nathan Drake.
The Last of Us, meanwhile, is no less significant. The sequel released this year to wild acclaim from critics, though there has been some very harsh controversy over certain elements of the plot. This controversy hasn't stopped it from cleaning house in the Game Awards nominations, though; it has more nominations than any other game, including such prestigious honors as Game of the Year, Best Narrative, and Best Art Direction, among others. In spite of all the notoriety, critics have been drawn to the game as a master class in presentation and production; it's a technically excellent game with a gripping and emotionally turbulent story, albeit one that draws very polarized reactions from the players who experience it.
But it seems that Uncharted and The Last of Us may share more than just critical acclaim. Theories abound suggesting that the games actually take place in the same setting, and that the adventures of Joel and Ellie are taking place in the post apocalyptic remains of the world Nathan Drake went gallivanting through during his journeys. These theories got a huge shot in the arm recently thanks to Rodney Reece, a level designer who worked on several Uncharted games as well as The Last of Us. He shared images of a ruined seaplane in a Last of Us level which was actually Sully's seaplane from the first Uncharted game. He confirmed that he lifted the plane straight from that game and tore it apart before dumping it in the new one. He did take pains to avoid calling it canon, but it's still big news for theorizers. One commenter postulates that the mutagenic virus uncovered in the first Uncharted game actually evolved into the zombifying fungal infection that ravages the world in The Last Of Us. Another points out an easter egg in Uncharted 3, in the form of a newspaper discussing a fungal infection that could infect humans.
Easter eggs have been a proud part of the video game industry for a long time now. Developers delight in littering their interactive virtual worlds with hidden nods to other games and pop culture staples, and players take equal delight in ferreting them out. Easter eggs are such a prominent part of video game culture that Ernest Cline has even written an entire book about it, with a full sequel that only recently came out and a blockbuster movie directed by Steven Spielberg himself.
As exciting as the airplane and newspaper easter eggs might be, it's probable that they're just easter eggs. If Naughty Dog wanted its games to exist in a shared universe, like Remedy has been doing with Control and Alan Wake, it would probably do more to solidify that shared universe than slip in a few subtle nods. Still, the possibility of the developer's two biggest adventure franchises being so solidly linked is an exciting one to think about, and the presence of these easter eggs in Uncharted and The Last of Us certainly do indicate that, if nothing else, that possibility is there.
Source: Rodney Reece