Uncharted fans have a surprising name to talk about today. Zoran Lazarevic, the ruthless Serbian war criminal who hunted Nathan Drake across Nepal and the Himalayas in Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, is reportedly set to return in some form in Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception.
That raises an obvious question, because anyone who finished Among Thieves knows how Lazarevic’s story ended. His quest for the Cintamani Stone and the sap of the Tree of Life ended badly for him in Shambhala, so any return in the main story would take some explaining. Naughty Dog has not said how, or where, he will appear, and until the studio confirms the details it is worth treating the reports with a little caution.
Multiplayer Could Offer Lazarevic A Way Back
There are plenty of possibilities. Uncharted 2’s online modes already let players fight as villains from the series, and Naughty Dog has made it clear that multiplayer is a major focus for the sequel, with both cooperative and competitive modes planned. A role online would be the simplest explanation for a character whose fate in the campaign looked rather final.
Flashbacks or cameos would also fit the bill. Graham McTavish, the actor who voiced and performed Lazarevic, would be the obvious person to bring him back, though there is no word yet on whether he is involved.
Katherine Marlowe Takes Center Stage In Drake’s Deception
What we do know is that Drake’s Deception already has a new adversary at the center of its story. Naughty Dog unveiled Katherine Marlowe this week alongside new footage tied to the Game Developers Conference. She heads a secret society said to be some 400 years old, hides a blade in her umbrella and takes a keen interest in the ring Drake wears, said to have belonged to Sir Francis Drake. That is a long way from Lazarevic’s brute force approach, and it suggests the old warlord is not about to take over the main story again.
The game itself is shaping up nicely. Drake’s Deception was revealed by Game Informer in December and sends Nathan Drake and his mentor Victor Sullivan into the Rub’ al Khali, the vast desert of the Arabian Peninsula, in search of a legendary lost city. Naughty Dog has talked up new hand to hand combat that lets Drake take on several enemies at once and improved climbing, and the studio is building in stereoscopic 3D support for owners of compatible televisions.
Uncharted 3 is due exclusively on PS3 on November 1, a date confirmed at the Spike Video Game Awards in December. With more than seven months still to go, there is plenty of time for Naughty Dog to reveal exactly what role, if any, its most famous villain will play. For now, fans can enjoy speculating about how a man last seen in Shambhala might find his way back into Drake’s life.