Creative director Amy Hennig explained that the desire for a desert-themed Uncharted stemmed from wanting to push the team creatively and technologically, as "organic" elements such as sand, water, and fire are "technically difficult to credibly render with animation".
At the start of Chapter 9, the group is making their way through narrow passageways after Cutter attacks Nate. When the group enters the second narrow passageway, Sully wishes to go last to make sure Cutter won't go crazy and attack Nate again. Cutter then makes a remark that references John Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men," saying: "Next you'll be standing behind me with a gun, telling me about the rabbits."
Nathan & Sully visit a pub in London at the beginning of the game. There is a newspaper titled 'The Overseer' with a story titled 'Scientists Are Still Trying to Understand Deadly Fungus'. As well as the story being a nod to 'The Last Of Us', the newspaper is a nod to the UK news publication 'The Guardian'. The logo and typography is similar to the real newspaper.
Cutter was supposed to appear throughout the entirety of the game, but his role was cut short because Graham McTavish had to move to New Zeland to film his role in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)
At the end of Chapter 9, the characters take a bus ride. During a conversation with Chloe, a Sackboy doll from LittleBigPlanet can be seen hanging from the front window.