Naughty Dogs’s upcoming Uncharted: The Lost Legacy will contain the largest level the developer has created for any Uncharted game to date. The level, which will be set in the Western Ghats mountain range, will be larger than Uncharted 4’s Madagascar level.

The news comes courtesy of a Game Informer interview with Naughty Dog, where the developer shared a few details about the The Lost Legacy level’s size. Designer James Cooper said:

"This is the single largest level we've ever done in Uncharted. Geographically, it's much bigger than Madagascar, which was previously our largest level."

While the large size of the level is exciting, gamers are undoubtedly wondering if they’ll be relegated to a narrow path through the accompanying mission, or if the vast area will allow for more open-ended exploration. According to game director Kurt Margenau, the team at Naughty Dog is hoping to give players a bit more freedom in the last game of the franchise. Margenau said:

"We have this really great location with the rural Western Ghats that allows us to get a true sense of exploration, unlike anything we've done before where the level design isn't directing you exactly where to go."

This is good news and a bit of a departure from past Uncharted games, which funneled players down a set path during each mission. Granted, linear missions haven’t stopped the Uncharted games, especially Uncharted 4, from receiving stellar reviews for their stories and gameplay experience. But it will be nice to have a bit more exploration in a franchise that’s centered around treasure hunting.

To go along with the larger area, Naughty Dog will give players more collectibles, weapons, and encounters in The Lost Legacy than any previous Uncharted title. This should hopefully make the game a bit more individualized as players seek out their own experiences rather than be relegated to the same, linear path.

Uncharted: The Lost Legacy is expected to release in 2017 for PlayStation 4.

Source: Game Informer