Highlights
- Uncharted could benefit from spin-offs featuring side characters like Charlie Cutter, adding a fresh perspective to the franchise.
- A spin-off with Charlie Cutter could explore his character more fully and tie up loose ends from Uncharted
- Using Charlie for a spin-off would be unexpected, but it could be a compelling and exciting new direction for the series.
The Uncharted franchise remains one of the best action-adventure series in gaming, and an underused character from Uncharted 3 could help unexpectedly prolong the series. Although the games have followed protagonist Nathan Drake through the years, a fun character from the third game in the franchise could provide an interesting look into the world Naughty Dog has created.
Uncharted has already experimented with using a side character as a spin-off protagonist with the likes of Uncharted: The Lost Legacy and more spin-offs could be a brilliant way to explore Nathan Drake’s world without using him as the main character. There is indeed an argument for those who believe an Uncharted game without Nathan Drake isn’t really an Uncharted game, but the world of underground treasure hunting is arguably the actual star of the franchise. This leaves room for other characters to be explored, like Uncharted 3‘s Charlie Cutter.
Uncharted, Not The Last of Us, is Naughty Dog’s True Backbone
The Last of Us is easily Naughty Dog’s most popular IP, but Uncharted deserves as much praise if not more for being its guinea pig all the while.
Charlie Cutter Would Be an Unexpected Choice for an Uncharted Spin-Off
Uncharted’s Uncertain Future May Not Allow Risky Endeavors
At this moment, the Uncharted franchise is stuck in limbo. That said, an eventual sequel or spin-off choosing Charlie Cutter as the main character would be an unexpected choice that would allow the game’s story to flesh out the character more.
Uncharted 3 introduced Charlie who quickly became a fun addition to the group dynamic of Nathan Drake’s crew, but his story had an unsatisfying ending that left a lot to be desired. Charlie deserves a better conclusion, and a spin-off showing how he became acquainted with Drake or what he did after the events of Uncharted 3 would be the perfect opportunity to tie up those loose ends.
There is at least a good reason behind Charlie’s abrupt departure from Uncharted 3‘s story. Graham McTavish, who portrayed Charlie, had to cut his time with the project short to work on The Hobbit, so Charlie’s storyline had to be changed due to scheduling conflicts. This doesn’t mean the character has to be long forgotten, though. The events of Uncharted 4 seemed to wrap up Nathan Drake’s story, and using Charlie for a spin-off could be a surprising way to keep some familiarity in the game that still connects Drake in a small way.
Uncharted’s Charlie Could Be the Somewhat Fresh Face the Series Needs
Although using Charlie as a protagonist for a spin-off would be an odd choice for some fans, that may be what the franchise really needs. A Charlie-centered story could show players a deeper look into England’s underground treasure-hunting ring. Katherine Marlowe was a great villain, and a story that shows how Charlie initially gained her trust would be a fascinating inside look into that world. With recent rumors of a new Uncharted game possibly in development, Naughty Dog could benefit from doing something truly unexpected.
If a prequel isn’t the route that Naughty Dog would like to go with a Charlie spin-off, an exploration into the events following Uncharted 3 would be the next best option. Following Uncharted 3, all fans get to hear of Charlie are brief mentions throughout Uncharted 4, and he has too much potential as a character to just be mentioned and forgotten. There are a lot of expectations for the future of Uncharted, and subverting those expectations in a compelling way that still connects the franchise to Nathan Drake in some fashion could be an exciting new turn for the series.
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception
- Franchise
- Uncharted
- Platform(s)
- PS3
- Released
- November 1, 2011
- Developer(s)
- Naughty Dog
- Publisher(s)
- Sony Computer Entertainment
- Genre(s)
- Action, Adventure
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Blood, Language, Violence
