5 mainline entries2007 — today
Uncharted
A charming thief, a lost city, and the blockbuster that taught games to swing.
The story of the series
Uncharted debuted in 2007 as Naughty Dog’s bid to make a playable summer movie — a wisecracking treasure hunter named Nathan Drake clambering through jungles and ruins in pursuit of lost cities. Across four main entries it perfected the cinematic action-adventure: set-piece pacing, motion-captured performances, and traversal that made climbing feel as thrilling as shooting. The series grew up alongside its hero, moving from pulp pastiche toward a genuine meditation on obsession and the cost of a life spent chasing legends, before closing the book on Drake and passing the torch to Chloe Frazer.
Every release
The release timeline
From the first cartridge to the latest entry — every mainline game in the Uncharted series, in the order it reached players.
- 2007 · PS3
Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune
The debut. Nathan Drake hunts El Dorado in a jungle full of mercenaries and something worse. Clunky in places, but the cinematic blueprint is set.
- 2009 · PS3
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
The leap. A train, a Himalayan city, and set-pieces that left the industry speechless. The moment Uncharted became essential.
- 2011 · PS3
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception
A desert, a plane, and a deeper look at Drake and Sully’s past. Bigger and stranger, chasing the high of the second.
- 2016 · PS4
Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
The farewell. A grapple hook, a long-lost brother, and a quiet, gorgeous meditation on letting the legend go. The series at its most mature.
- 2017 · PS4
Uncharted: The Lost Legacy
A standalone starring Chloe Frazer and Nadine Ross in India. Proof the world could thrive without Drake — and a tight, confident victory lap.
How it changed
What changed across releases
The Uncharted series never stood still. Here is how it reinvented itself, era by era.
The pulp debut (2007)
Drake’s Fortune established the cinematic action-adventure template — climbing, gunplay, and a charming rogue — but felt the growing pains of a new formula.
The set-piece masterpiece (2009–2011)
Among Thieves and Drake’s Deception perfected the blockbuster set-piece, with motion-captured performances and traversal that made every chapter feel like a movie scene.
The mature farewell (2016–2017)
A Thief’s End traded pure spectacle for reflection, grappling with what a life of obsession costs, while The Lost Legacy proved the series could carry new leads.
