Why do we love Nathan Drake? Uncharted 4 designer explains all

He's the Indiana Jones of video games and with his fourth and possibly final adventure awaiting, we ask Naughty Dog why this character has proved so popular

We have followed him all over the world, from the coast of Panama to the lost city of Ubar. We've swooned at his burgeoning romances, we've sighed at his jokey yet loving friendship with Sully. We are, as Dinah Washington once put it, mad about the boy.

But why? What is it about Nathan Drake? How do you design a video game character who captures the imagination and emotional investment of players - even while they're controlling the same character to mercilessly gun down hundreds of baddies?