- Original Uncharted designer Benson Russell said the game used dynamic difficulty to slow down strong players.
- Naughty Dog was concerned about charging $60 for a short, single-player-only game.
- This system was present in all three original Uncharted entries, but the first game’s scaling was particularly rough.
The Uncharted trilogy is famous for pioneering the cinematic style of action game that is so popular today. This is exactly why veteran Naughty Dog developers believe the series doesn’t necessarily need any remakes.
Although the first game is considered rough by today’s standards, it also had its fair share of standout elements, including the difficulty scaling. On this subject, a former Naughty Dog developer says that the difficulty was put in place to prevent the game from being too short.
Why it matters: There have been many debates about game length lately, and Naughty Dog’s instance shows how the studio came up with a creative solution to combat a short playtime.
Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune featured dynamic difficulty because Naughty Dog feared the game could be completed in around five hours by skilled players, according to comments from former Naughty Dog designer Benson Russell.
Speaking to FRVR, he described that the game’s development was quite messy, so the environments were constructed before the team had any gameplay to show off. This led to a situation where the combat encounters were made later and not designed for the environments from the beginning.
Ultimately, Naughty Dog found that the game was just 5 hours long as a result of this development. According to Russell, Naughty Dog was concerned that the studio could not charge $60 for a five-hour game with no multiplayer.
That concern led to dynamic difficulty systems that adjusted the experience when players were moving too efficiently. The same system persisted in future games, but the first title’s difficulty was a lot stricter than its sequels’.
We can’t charge 60 bucks for a five-hour game with no multiplayer. We ended up putting a dynamic difficulty setting in, but it’s key thing was to slow the player down.
The designer also explained that this dynamic system worked based on how fast players were able to clear certain combat encounters. Those with better-than-average times then faced more challenges moving forward.
What did you think about the first Uncharted entry’s difficulty? Share your experience with the game in the comments section.
Thank you! Please share your positive feedback. 🔋
How could we improve this post? Please Help us. 😔
[News Reporter]
Bawal is an MBBS student by day and a gaming journalist by night. He has been gaming since childhood, growing fond of the creativity and innovation of the industry. His career as a gaming journalist started one year ago, and his journey has allowed him to write reviews, previews, and features for various sites. Bawal has also been cited in reputed websites such as Screenrant, PCGamesN, WCCFTech, GamesRadar, and more.
Join Our Community
