After the rousing success of The Last of Us, Naughty Dog is putting its Uncharted series back in the limelight. The charismatic thrill-seeker Nathan Drake returns in Uncharted 4: A Thief's End. This time around he's searching for a mythical pirate utopia in Madagascar, and is joined by his long lost brother, Sam. Naughty Dog introduced Sam at the PlayStation Experience expo this past December, and after a visit to the studio in Santa Monica, we have the scoop on what this mysterious man brings to the adventure.

Uncharted 4: A Thief's end takes place three years after the events of Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception, and Drake's life has changed significantly. Our cover story reveals what Nathan has been up to, what conflicts he's facing, and why he got back into the treasure-hunting life. We also saw an extended version of the PlayStation Experience demo, showcasing more gameplay and an extra scene between Drake and Sam that teases more of what's at stake. Find out Naughty Dog's approach to a new-gen Uncharted game and how it's pushing the boundaries of the hardware to create the most trying adventure yet. Nathan Drake has secrets, and this entry promises to expose them.

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See for yourself what's in store for the month of content ahead in the coverage trailer below, or watch and share it on YouTube.

This issue also contains our breakdown of the top 50 games of 2014. Not only will you find out which game won our coveted Game of the Year award, but we also put the entire year into perspective, examining all of the successes, disappointments, characters, and dorks of 2014. In addition, we look back at RPGs that helped propel the genre forward, celebrate the life of the late Ralph Baer, the father of video games, and get an exclusive look at the new King's Quest.

Print subscribers should see their issues arriving in the next week or two, but it's available now if you subscribe digitally (available on PC/Mac, iPad,Android, and Google Play). You can also get the latest issue through third-party apps on Nook, Kindle, and Zinio starting tomorrow. To switch your print subscription to digital, click here, or to create a new subscription to the digital edition, click here.

The cover story is only a slice of the content we have coming for Uncharted 4: A Thief's End. We also have a month packed with online content, featuring interviews with the developers and voice actors, more insight into the characters, and extra details about this game's MacGuffin. Access the hub by clicking the banner below.