Though they wouldn't exactly say they'd like to go back and change everything, although we do hope the aiming could have been improved, Uncharted 3 developer Naughty Dog did have a few ideas for their highly anticipated sequel that just didn't make it into the game. Some were changed in favor of concepts that eventually made it into the finished product, while others were ideas that, due to time constraints or what not, just didn't make the cut.

Now that Uncharted 3 has been out, and fans have had some time to appreciate it for what it is, Naughty Dog felt it was high time to reveal a few behind-the-scenes secrets before we forget about Uncharted 3 altogether.

One of the most interesting things Naughty Dog reveals to IGN is that the shipyard sequence in Uncharted 3 was initially supposed to be much longer. Even though that sequence, which sees Drake fighting his way through a graveyard of docked ships and then ending up on a listing cruise liner, made up a pretty significant part of the game, there was an entire dry dock and extended oil refinery sequence that didn't end up making the cut.

Since that ship graveyard sequence is one of the more frustrating sections in the whole game it's probably for the best that Naughty Dog made the cuts they did.

Another interesting feature that was altered to accommodate a different time of day involves the pre-chateau sequence in the game, where Sully and Drake are trekking through a typical Uncharted-style forest. Initially this forest was supposed to be populated by dense fog cover — certainly a cool effect — but when the time of day for the Chateau sequence changed, the fog had to be axed.

Beyond these interesting tidbits Naughty Dog was also pretty open about the various iterations they explored for their Atlantis of the Sands, including it being located within a giant sinkhole. One idea that was brought up — having a flowing river running through the underground city — didn't make it into Uncharted 3 but ended up being reused for Uncharted: Golden Abyss, Nathan Drake's first Vita adventure.

Even before adding the age and decay to the city, Naughty Dog first mapped out what it looked like at the height of its glory, and then had the pleasure of destroying it. To see some really interesting concept art for the location, some that got cut and some that was slightly altered, head on over to IGN.

It's really fascinating to get a peak behind the scenes at Naughty Dog and see how their concepts evolve over time, especially after seeing the final product first. Hopefully the lessons learned from Uncharted 3 can help make the next game just as spectacular.

Do you think that Uncharted 3's shipyard sequence needed to be longer or shorter? Is there anything, design-wise, that you think Naughty Dog should have changed?

Source: IGN