It'll probably be the biggest PS4 game full stop, but when will you be able to play Uncharted 4: A Thief's End?

Uncharted is, almost without debate, PlayStation's most important fan-franchise. Uncharted 4 is already lined up to be one of the biggest games of this generation, but you've got a while to wait yet: it now has a release date in 2016.

Naughty Dog's final installment (yes, it really is the last one) in the Nathan Drake adventure series, Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, will come packed with all that lovely PS4 power and a full-suite multiplayer component. DLC is promised for both offline and online play. If you're looking for the key PS4 triple-A action game, this could well be it.

Uncharted 4's release date has been pushed around a little since the game was first announced. Originally penciling it in as a 2015 launch, Sony has since pushed Uncharted 4 back to next spring. You'll find everything you need to know about when it's coming out, which edition to buy and what you can expect from play itself below.

Uncharted 4: A Thief's End release date - when is Uncharted 4 coming out?

Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End's release date is May 10, 2016. You're only going to be able to play it on PlayStation 4, as developer Naughty Dog is a first-party Sony studio, so you'll need to make sure you have the right hardware. The chances of you reading this and not already owning the right console for the game are slim, but there we are.

Naughty Dog and Sony confirmed the release date at the end of August 2015, following an announced slip in March.

The Uncharted 4 editions - what they contain and how much they cost

Uncharted 4 is going to be one of Sony's biggest 2016 releases, and it's got a range of packages to match its significance. There are five editions to choose from. Aside from the basic game, you'll be able to take your pick from two digital and two physical offers. Be warned: the Uncharted 4 Digital Deluxe Edition is seemingly the only one to include access to future premium content, so if you're planning to get fully involved this is probably the best deal. Unless, of course, you have to have the 12" Drake statue from the Libertalia Collector’s Edition. God help you, in which case.

• Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End - The vanilla game can be pre-ordered for £46.99/$59 at Amazon, £46.99 from GAME or €65.75 from ShopTo. Other retailers are yet to go live with prices, but we'll have a round-up closer to release.
• The Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End Special Edition - If you're in the market for something a little more salubrious, the Special Edition may be for you. It includes the game, a steelbook case designed by Alexander “That Kid Who Draws” Iaccarino, a 48-page hardcover art book by Naughty Dog and Dark Horse, a Naughty Dog and Pirate Sigil Sticker Sheet and Naughty Dog Points to unlock multiplayer content and character upgrades. It costs £69.99 from Amazon, whose version ships with the Desert Drake Multiplayer Outfit and the Desert Weapon Skin.
• The Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End Libertalia Collector’s Edition - This pack's reserved for those with Uncharted tattoos, for the sort of person who's been considering changing their name by deed poll to "Nathan Drake" for most of their adult lives. Costing €129.99 on Amazon, the Libertalia edition nets you a 12″ Drake statue by Gentle Giant; three multiplayer outfits (Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, Heist Drake and Desert Drake); three custom weapon skins (Golden Weapon Skin, Snow Weapon Skin and Desert Weapon Skin); Henry Avery, Thomas Tew and Adam Baldrige Sigil Ball Caps; Madagascar Sidekick Outfits; a Phurba Dagger Taunt; and, last but by no means least, an Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End dynamic theme for your PS4. This edition's likely to cost several million dollars, but it's totally worth it. Think of all the mad taunting you'll be able to do in multiplayer.
• The Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End Digital Standard Edition - If taking out a second mortgage for a video game isn't a priority for you right now, you could check out the basic digital edition. You can pre-order it from the PlayStation Store for €59.99. It includes two multiplayer outfits (Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune and Heist Drake); two custom weapon skins (Golden Weapon Skin and Snow Weapon Skin); the Phurba Dagger Taunt; and Naughty Dog Points. Critically, you won't end up with a giant box and another "thing" to put on your desk for six months before retiring it to the junk box in the attic. Probably for the best.
• The Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End Digital Deluxe Edition - If you prefer to accrue digital tat, the more expensive digital version may be a good choice. For a piffling €74.99 from the PlayStation Store or $79.99 from Amazon, you'll get three multiplayer outfits (Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, Heist Drake and Desert Drake); three custom weapon skins (Golden Weapon Skin, Snow Weapon Skin and Desert Weapon Skin); the Phurba Dagger Taunt; Thomas Tew and Adam Baldrige Sigil Ball Caps; Naughty Dog Points; the instant unlock of two multiplayer customization items. The most important thing to note with the Digital Deluxe Edition, however, is that it's the only version to include a DLC a Season Pass called Uncharted 4 Triple Pack. This grants future access to the Uncharted's first-ever single-player story add-on and two multiplayer packs that will unlock new, rare and legendary multiplayer items.

Uncharted 4: A Thief's End videos and trailers

First up, here's the Uncharted 4: A Thief's End reveal trailer from E3 2014. There's no gameplay to speak of here, just a story set-up.

We got the gameplay reveal footage at E3 the following year.

And here's the extended footage from the behind-closed doors demo at E3, assuming you have 14 minutes to spare.

To give you a taste of what to expect in multiplayer, here's a couple of videos from the beta via Arekkz and Westie.

Uncharted 4: A Thief's End gameplay and multiplayer

The Uncharted series has always been the poster-child for third-person action on consoles, and Uncharted 4: A Thief's End is aiming to raise the genre's game considerably. Plot-wise, Uncharted 4 is set three years after Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception. Drake, enjoying his retirement with wife Elena, is thrown back into adventure-land when his brother Sam, whom Nathan believed to be dead, appears with a quest to uncover the secrets of Libertatia, a fabled pirate colony.

The campaign gameplay we've seen so far shows that next-gen Uncharted 4 will benefit heavily from PS4's grunt in terms of contextual action, draw distance and general splendour. Multiplayer, aired for the first time at Paris Games Week 2015, is to include sidekicks, magic weapons and abilities called Mysticals, and a grappling hook with which to take advantage of all that lovely verticality. You're going to get eight maps at launch, but more will be added later via DLC.

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