How did a wacky franchise like Uncharted hit emotional notes so high in Uncharted 4?
Neil Druckmann got rid of Amy Hennig.
Neil "games don't have to be fun" Druckmann took center stage and decided that Naughty Dog's output would be Oscar-baiting movie games from now on.
It didn't. Drukman tried but failed and killed uncharted off to funnel resources into his precious last of us.
It always had them. That's why the games are so good and memorable. Beyond all the fun and action, the character beats were always nuanced, well written and well performed.