Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End developer Kurt Margenau revealed what inspired the game’s iconic jeep chase sequences.
Speaking to Couch Soup, developer Naughty Dog’s Margenau, who worked as co-lead designer on the game explains that much of the team’s inspiration for the jeep chase scene came from watching Hollywood action flicks to gain a better idea of how they might structure these complex sequences. "[The team was thinking] how do we get onto the roof, or crash down through it," Margenau said, referencing director Michael Bay's explosive action movies. "[We were] pulling all the craziest chase stuff from movies."
www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1AO23C91fs&t=2103s
The iconic segment in question sees Drake and Sully barreling down the side of a steep, mountainous town in their jeep, crashing through marketplaces, backyards, and across rooftops while being pursued relentlessly by an armored vehicle. Speeding through streets, alleyways and roadworks, pedestrians and scenery are scattered in their wake as Drake quips that this is yet another town they can never return to.
Margenau explains that particular influence was taken from director Bay’s movies, with Bad Boys being the key reference, as his team set out to emulate physics-defying vehicular stunts and set-pieces. Bad Boys 2 includes a lengthy chase scene where a Hummer is pursued by jeeps through a ruined mansion, across open fields, and down into a mountainous South-American town, with a similar kinetic style to that seen in Uncharted 4.
Margenau also explains that a scene that reached the prototyping stage drew its inspiration instead from the legacy of 007. The movie in question is Diamonds Are Forever, which sees Sean Connery, returning for his sixth and final outing as James Bond, flip his car onto two wheels to squeeze it through a narrow alleyway. This scenario was eventually abandoned, however, and did not make it into the final game.
Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End is considered by many to be among the best PlayStation 4 games ever made. The title follows Nathan Drake as he embarks on one last adventure to uncover Captain Henry Avery's fabled pirate treasure. A Thief's End received largely positive reviews from critics who praised its graphics, writing and explosive presentation.
Fans looking to catch up with Nathan Drake can catch him in the Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection which is now available on PlayStation 5 and hits PC in summer 2022. The package includes remasters of the original game and The Lost Legacy, a shorter self-contained adventure with a tangential storyline.
Sources: Couch Soup via Eurogamer