Uncharted 4 isn’t only taking a look back at the history of Nathan Drake, but taking a look at the storied history of the developers that brought his story to life — Naughty Dog. What does that mean? Well, it means Easter eggs and references to explore in the intricately detailed environments of the presumably final Uncharted adventure. Come with us as we explore everything that’s secret and strange in Nate’s last big adventure on the PS4.
Beware, there will be spoilers ahead. If you want to go into Uncharted 4 with no knowledge, it’s recommended that you turn back now. We’ll try to keep the spoilers to a minimum.
Set years after the conclusion to Uncharted 3, the fourth in the series returns to explore Nathan Drake’s retirement from the thieving business, a retirement that’s cut short when Nate’s brother appears out of the blue with one more job to offer the globe-trotting hero. Sully and Elena Fisher both return as Drake catches up with his past in the conclusion to the Uncharted series.
Want to explore every nook and cranny of this third-person adventure? Check out the Uncharted 4 Collectibles Guide for journal locations and tons of hidden treasure.
Easter Eggs List
Work-in-Progress: Check back as we add more entries to our list below.
Guybrush Threepwood – Mighty Pirate
The hero of one particular Lucasarts adventure is integral to the backstory of the next lost civilization Nathan Drake visits in Uncharted 4. You’ll find Guybrush in Chapter 11 in the underground puzzle chamber. In the third gallery, Nate and Sam won’t be able to identify a young pirate from his sigil — a monkey.
Fans of the Monkey Island series will recognize the mighty pirate by his uncannily coiffed haircut. The heroic pirate also appears in later chapters in statue-form. Captain Threepwood has really moved up in the word.
American Daughters – Last of Us 2 Teaser?
In the Epilogue, that’s a particularly interesting poster located on one of the walls. It’s a little obscured, but the text is easy to identify — Last of Us: American Daughters. Take a look here:
The image appears to be a comic depiction of Elle in a gasmask. The text at the bottom reveals that this might be related to a future Darkhorse mini-series. Does this relate to something in a future Last of Us? Only time will tell.
The Last of Us / Jak & Daxter / Crash Bandicoot
Found in Chapter 9 there is a hidden treasure referencing Naughty Dog’s previous game, The Last of Us.
To find the “Strange Pendant” — solve a certain complex puzzle featuring crucifixes and other contraptions. Once the door rolls out of the way, follow the right-path and stop at a ledge. Look down the cliff to spot a rope-swing pole. Drop down and use your rope mid-jump to swing to a far alcove with a skeleton.
The skeleton is carrying a Firefly dog-tag. The Fireflies were an underground resistance group in The Last of Us, and were dedicated to finding a cure for the plague when they weren’t busy dodging raids from the only authority left in the post-apocalypse — the army. What isn’t revealed in this Easter egg is what magical artifact teleported a Firefly to this inescapable corner of Uncharted 4.
There are two more hidden references to Naughty Dog’s past hidden away — check them out here! In Chapter 12, and then Chapter 21, it’s possible to find two more common collectibles: a Precursor Orb from Jak & Daxter, and a Wumpa Fruit from Crash Bandicoot. Not a bad haul!
Marco Polo Returns
Nathan Drake has some fun in the sun in Uncharted 4 with this call-back to a cute sequence from Uncharted 2 — that’s right, Marco Polo is back.
To play Marco Polo, start up Chapter 12 and orient your ship toward the larger of the two main islands. Scoot around the left side of the isle. In the distance, you’ll see a tiny sandy island with rocks jutting out. There’s clear shallow water here next to a shipwreck.
Jump into the water on this island and go for a swim. You’ll also unlock the “Marco Polo Returns” trophy for your trouble.
The Easter egg originated with Uncharted 2, where Nate took a leisurely swim in a rooftop pool. The tradition continued in Uncharted 3 — only that time he was alone and stuck on a pirate-infested cruise ship. Both of those trophies were unlocked by swimming in pools. This time, you’re taking a dip in the ocean.
Stage Fright Hidden Trophy
Nathan Drake immortalizes that 30-seconds of nothing from the E3 2015 Uncharted 4 presentation with this hidden trophy / Easter egg combo.
During the Uncharted 4 live stage demo at E3 2015, Naughty Dog hit a snag when the marketplace cutscene played out, and Nathan Drake stood still for a solid half-minute due to controller problems. It was a gaff witnessed by those in attendance and anyone watching the live stream.
Now you can relive the moment and earn a hidden trophy while you do it. In Chapter 11, play until you reach the aforementioned cutscene. Sully and Nate open and door and step out into the marketplace. Just put the controller down as the cutscene continues, and don’t pick it up against until the trophy pops. That’s thirty seconds Naughty Dog probably won’t soon forget.
Crash Bandicoot is Back
This cool Easter egg, detailed right here on Gameranx, puts you in control of Crash Bandicoot, the PS1 mascot that put Naughty Dog in the spotlight.
The Easter egg is found in Chapter 4. You’ll find the game in the home — check near the TV. You won’t miss it.
A video, originally posted by Youtuber Hexoradon which has now been taken down, revealed a scene with Nathan Drake at home playing the original Crash Bandicoot — it is an emulated version, allowing players to take direct control of Crash using the PS4 D-Pad. Why the D-Pad? Because the original PS1 controller didn’t have thumbsticks. You controlled Crash with the directional pad only.
Crash Bandicoot was published on Sept. 9, 1996 and went on to become one of the best selling games on the system. The title spawned two more official Naughty Dog sequels, along with dozens of spin-offs. Naughty Dog went on to develop the Jak and Daxter series in the PS2 era before switching over to the Uncharted trilogy on the PS3. It’s been a long road for Naughty Dog, but it looks like they haven’t forgotten their roots just yet.
Cel Shaded To Perfection
Another impressive feature (revealed here) allows players to switch between multiple in-game filters. Cel shading is just one of the options, which include: ASCII (low resolution), film negative, monochrome, chalky, pixellated, rainbox, Thief Vision, and one option that makes everyone look undead.
Thief Vision, which mutes colors and highlights enemies in red, is a play off Batman: Arkham Asylum Detective Vision, which Naughty Dog partially cribbed with The Last of Us Listen Mode. Uncharted 4 features more stealth than ever, so that particular filter might help when going for those ghost runs…
Here’s the full list of visual effects:
- Cel Shaded
- ASCII Mosaic
- Thief Vision
- Negative Land
- Afterlife
- Chalk Dust
- Tri-Color
- Rainbow Fun Land
- 8-Bit
More to come! Found something we missed? Let us know in the comments.
