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Naughty Dog’s Neil Druckmann wrote Uncharted 4’s story just weeks after taking over from Amy Hennig
Former Naughty Dog character technical director Ryan Trowbridge says Neil Druckmann developed a new story outline for Uncharted 4 within weeks of taking over as creative director from Amy Hennig. His account offers a glimpse of how the team got the project back on track during a period of change.
Trowbridge says Druckmann adapted existing material, added new elements and quickly moved development forward, though he allows Druckmann may have known about the appointment earlier. Hennig left during production in early 2014; claims that Druckmann and game director Bruce Straley forced her out were denied by Naughty Dog and later retracted by IGN.
In short
- Trowbridge says Druckmann shaped a new Uncharted 4 plot within weeks.
- Druckmann took over from Amy Hennig during development.
- He reportedly adapted existing material and added new elements.
Explained simply
Uncharted is Naughty Dog’s action-adventure game series, following treasure hunters through stories told with film-like scenes and exploration. Uncharted 4 was the fourth main game, developed for PlayStation consoles.
Amy Hennig, a writer and director on earlier Uncharted games, left Naughty Dog while the fourth game was being made in 2014. Neil Druckmann, who had worked on the studio’s The Last of Us and earlier Uncharted games, took over as creative director, with Bruce Straley serving as game director.
The change drew attention to how the game’s story and development were handled. Accounts of Hennig’s departure have included disputed claims about the circumstances; Naughty Dog denied claims that Druckmann and Straley forced her out, and IGN later retracted its reporting.
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