One of the most popular and lucrative video game franchises ever is the Uncharted series. The Naughty Dog-created television show chronicles the exploits of treasure hunter Nathan Drake and his companions as they travel to exotic locales, solve riddles, and engage in combat. The games have developed a reputation over time for their secret Easter eggs, which up the fun and intrigue factor of the gameplay. Here are the top five Easter eggs found in the whole Uncharted franchise.
- Crash Bandicoot in Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
Players can locate a playable version of the vintage PlayStation game Crash Bandicoot in Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End. Players can control Crash as he jumps and spins his way through the game’s levels on a TV that can be discovered in Nathan’s attic. A homage to Naughty Dog’s early years, when the studio created the original Crash Bandicoot games, is made by including Crash Bandicoot.
- Jak and Daxter in Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception
Another Easter egg that pays homage to Naughty Dog’s past can be found in Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception. In one level, players can find a poster for Jak and Daxter, another popular PlayStation franchise created by Naughty Dog. The poster is hanging on a wall in a hidden area, and it can be easy to miss if players aren’t looking carefully.
- The Last of Us in Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
It comes as no surprise that Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us, another well-known video game series, appears in Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End. A newspaper with the title “Scientists are still striving to explain dangerous fungus” can be found in one level. This is a reference to the fungus in The Last of Us that causes the zombie-like infestation.
- Nathan Drake’s Ring in Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune
In Drake’s Fortune, the first Uncharted game, there is an Easter egg that predicts what will happen later in the series. Nathan Drake can be seen wearing a ring on his right hand in the game. The Latin writing on the ring reads “Sic Parvis Magna,” which translates to “Greatness from tiny beginnings.” Later games use this inscription as a major plot point.
- Marco Polo’s Ships in Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
A fleet of Marco Polo’s ships that are stranded in the Himalayan highlands serves as the setting for one of the game’s most iconic levels, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. Players can locate a secret area in the level where they can view Marco Polo’s map of his journey to China. As another homage to the series’ themes of travel and adventure, the map also bears the line, “May the road you have chosen lead to your desires.”
Sources:
https://www.ign.com/wikis/crash-bandicoot/
https://www.playstation.com/en-ca/games/jak-and-daxter-the-precursor-legacy/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Last_of_Us