Former Naughty Dog Artist Details Amy Hennig's Original Uncharted 4

Former Naughty Dog VFX artist Matt Radford described a version of Uncharted 4 developed under Amy Hennig that differed markedly from the game players experienced in 2016.

Sam served as the villain in Hennig's version. Radford joined the studio while Hennig remained in charge and worked directly on material for the project. He stated that Sam appeared in the game but functioned as the antagonist rather than Nathan Drake's brother. The original Sam was portrayed by a different actor who spent time at the studio and continues to work with Hennig on a Star Wars project.

Development remained extremely early when Radford arrived. The team produced a green-light demo that ran at one frame per second on a PC. Radford characterized the work as super early and scrappy. Hennig departed Naughty Dog in 2014, after which Neil Druckmann and Bruce Straley assumed leadership of the project.

Radford found Hennig's approach distinctive. He recalled her working late hours and sending messages at two in the morning to discuss ideas. Radford described her as approachable and willing to engage directly even with junior staff. He noted that she came across as vulnerable and treated team members as equals despite her position.

Radford viewed both versions positively. He said Hennig's vision seemed cool at the time. He also praised the final game, stating that Uncharted 4 was amazing and that he loved the story delivered by Druckmann and Straley.