A recent video has revealed how the cinematic design choices in Uncharted 4 tell just as much of a story as the game’s narrative. The Uncharted series may have wrapped up over four years ago with the award winning A Thief’s End, but that does not mean that fans are done talking about it.
One of the reasons that gamers have such a strong affinity with the Uncharted games is thanks to Naughty Dog’s excellent characters. Nathan Drake, Elena Fisher and Victor “Goddam” Sullivan were with players from the very beginning, making their debut in 2007’s Drake’s Fortune. Seeing the world that these personalities created for themselves as the games progressed forged a bond between the player and the characters. When their adventures, at least in game, came to an end in 2016, the epilogue chapter gave a beautiful and fitting send off for the series’ beloved heroes.
However, it is not simply good script writing and well-cast motion capture actors that made the Uncharted stories so compelling. In a recent video from GDC, Naughty Dog’s Lead Environmental Artist Christian Nakata and Art Director Erick Pangilinan speak about how much the setting that the characters find themselves impacts the players’ perception of events in Uncharted 4. Pangilinan says that, “Like a character without dialogue, the environment can tell a lot of stories; it can tell layers of stories in a single shot… it is a very important medium.”
How Character Placement Within A Scene Affects Game Narrative
Many players of Uncharted 4 will recall the scene in which Nathan Drake, along with long-lost brother Sam and father figure Sully, gets caught in a lie by his wife Elena Fisher. Having told Elena that he was working on a salvage job in Malaysia, Nathan instead went in search of treasure in Madagascar. The scene plays out in a rather dingy motel in King’s Bay and, while many gamers were on the side of Elena during this tête-à-tête anyway, this was not simply because of the impassioned performance from actress Emily Rose. Even on a subliminal level, there are signs that Elena has the high ground in this marital tiff.
Pangilinan shares that, “where you put the characters in a space can affect the way you perceive their emotional state in the story… The shapes and lines will add to the intensity, or the proclivity, of the mood.” If players go back and watch the scene play out again, they will see that the character of Elena is always very stable within the setting. She is close to the wall, and very grounded. Meanwhile her husband is in the middle of the room, with Sully and Sam both set back away from him and slightly out of focus. Nathan is apart from them, and there is open space all around him. He is not stable in the setting, rather he is alone and unsupported.
Structurally, behind Elena in the scene, there are very defined and linear objects, such as the maps on the wall and table as well as the decorative picture frame. Pangilinan explains that straight lines within a scene relate to “being direct, aggressive and strong.” Meanwhile, gentle or curvy lines relate to being “soft, passive or organic.” Behind Drake, there are round baskets on the wall. As the scene continues, and the couple moves around the motel room, Elena is still always the more grounded of the two. When the camera pans to her on her way out, she is close to the door of the motel, which has a very angular design on it. Meanwhile, Drake is once more left with a distant background and softer features, such as the ceiling fan, behind him.
This extra insight into Uncharted 4 offers a fascinating look into a somewhat underappreciated aspect of the videogame industry. Both Pangilinan and Nakata go on to reveal further details that they included within A Thief’s End, with everything from the way a certain scene is lit right down to the contents of Nate and Elena’s fridge touched upon. These incredible details that were included within the final hurrah for Nathan Drake and his compatriots is indubitably one of the many reasons that Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End is still so treasured today.
Source: GDC/YouTube