'Uncharted 4' creators plot Nathan Drake's last hurrah

(AP) — The creators of "Uncharted 4" — much like cliff-diving, treasure-hunting series protagonist Nathan Drake — aren't afraid to take a few risks.

With the release of "Uncharted 4: A Thief's End" on April 26, directors Neil Druckmann and Bruce Straley are ending the smart-alecky fortune hunter's story at the peak of the franchise's popularity.

Since the release of the original Uncharted:

After working on the first pair of "Uncharted" games and the apocalyptic saga "The Last of Us," Druckmann and Straley were brought onto "Uncharted 4" after "Uncharted 3" directors Amy Hennig and Justin Richmond departed the studio.

"Uncharted 4" finds Drake (played by Nolan North) retired from his continent-hopping career until his thought-to-be-dead brother Sam (Troy Baker) shows up seeking his help.

("If you're done lying to me, then you should stop lying to yourself," she cautions him in the game's most recent trailer.) For the developers, the introduction of Drake's long-lost brother provided them with a unique storytelling opportunity.

[...] she's portrayed in the real world with a vocal- and motion-capture performance by Caucasian actress Laura Bailey, who worked with a dialect coach on a South African accent and was cast before developers finalized the character's look.

[...] we moved forward with the concept for this really strong character of color that you don't see often in a game with this person we already cast who was great in this role.