Often times when a developer has been working on several iterations in a franchise they become so attached to a set of characters that they treat them like their family. While developer Naughty Dog may have developed that relationship with Nathan Drake and Co. working on Uncharted, they have revealed that they aren’t afraid of killing off any character if the story calls for it.

Hot on the reveal that Chloe and Elena would be returning for Uncharted 3, these morbid comments from Naughty Dog aren’t meant to confirm anything about the game’s story only to show where the developer’s motivations lie.

Though gamers have grown to love Drake and his cohorts over the course of the Uncharted series, they have become more enamored with the storytelling devices Naughty Dog employ to draw out real emotion. As a result, it's those same storytelling techniques that Naughty Dog feels could eventually lead to unfortunate circumstances for any of the game’s main characters.

"We're not dogmatic about anything. If that is what it takes [to advance the storyline] then that's what it takes. And not just for dramatic shock value - it would definitely have to tie into the narrative that [we're] trying to tell and expose an aspect of Drake's character that we would want to delve into."

Of course, Naughty Dog aren't confirming that Elena or Chloe won’t make it past Drake’s Deception, only making sure gamers know that the developer will not lull into a robotic state of churning out Uncharted facsimiles one after the other.

Naughty Dog also revealed that Chloe and Elena will be taking a back seat to the wise-cracking Sully in Uncharted 3, as this title focuses on his mentor relationship with Drake.

"We are trying to keep things fresh and draw certain aspects of Nate's personality out as well as the characters he's surrounded with. Chloe and Elena are back but they aren't the emphasis of the story the way they were in Uncharted 2. This time round the emphasis is on Victor Sullivan and his mentor/protégé relationship with Drake."

What types of twists and turns are in store for the pair — aside from a wild trek through a burning chateau — have yet to be revealed, and that’s how we like it.

Even this tease of character deaths might have revealed too much, but, as Uncharted 3 is one of 2011’s most anticipated titles, its still worth reporting. The game is still a few months from releasing, which leaves plenty of time to start betting on whether Elena or Chloe will surive for Uncharted 4.

How do you feel about Naughty Dog revealing they aren’t afraid to kill off a character if the storyline warrants it? Aside from Nathan Drake, which character from the series would you be most sad to part with?

Uncharted 3 releases November 1, 2011 for the PlayStation 3.

Source: CVG