Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End was not released as originally envisioned.

After eight years of research, data mining, and perseverance, Thekempy, a YouTuber, came up with an incredibly detailed analysis offering the clearest picture yet of what Amy Hennig’s Uncharted 4 could have been (the game was released on the tenth anniversary of this concept). While there isn’t a bad game in the Uncharted series, the pinnacle of the franchise is likely Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End. Naughty Dog wrapped up Nathan Drake’s story in a touching, satisfying, and epic way while delivering the series’ best gameplay, graphics, and cutscenes. Although the Uncharted: The Lost Legacy spin-off came very close, but it didn’t receive the recognition it deserved.

What makes A Thief’s End particularly interesting is that it would have been an entirely different game. Amy Hennig was originally the game’s director, and it seemed she had much darker ideas for it, as Sam sounded like a villain in the reveal trailer. The video below showcases Thekempy’s findings about the version of Uncharted 4 in development from 2011 to 2014. It starts with significant changes to the story. The opening of Uncharted 4 would have unfolded differently after the prison scene. Nate, Elena, and Sully would have searched for Avery’s sunken ship before stealing the artifacts. This would have led to a heist at a gala where Cutter would have appeared as well. Remarkably, Thekempy found motion-capture footage of a scene featuring Nate and Elena together at the gala, as well as footage of Cutter’s actor, Graham McTavish.

This is just a small sample of the many story changes revealed in Thekempy’s video. There’s a wealth of new footage and discoveries, ranging from Sam’s role in Hennig’s version of Uncharted 4 to various game mechanics, including a mace-like melee weapon, and scenes cut from the final game. While some elements of the original Uncharted 4 remain a mystery because it was only about halfway complete before the remake, Thekempy has provided the most comprehensive overview of the project to date.

Source: TheGamer (https://www.thegamer.com/uncharted-4-datamine-deep-dive-amy-hennig-original-version-explained-showcased/)