One of the big bits of Uncharted 3 news to emerge from Sony's E3 Conference last Monday was confirmation that Elena and Chloe - respectively Drake's missus and former bit on the side - are both back for Nate's third round of happy-thwacking and treasure hunting.
But don't get too attached to the brainy blonde or wickedly-curved Aussie, because Naughty Dog co-president Evan Wells says he'd have no hesitation in killing off one of the pair - or any other major character - if the storyline called for it.
"We're not dogmatic about anything," he told us when we asked if bumping off one of the lead characters was something Naughty Dog would consider. "If that is what it takes [to advance the storyline] then that's what it takes. And not just for dramatic shock value - it would definitely have to tie into the narrative that [we're] trying to tell and expose an aspect of Drake's character that we would want to delve into."
Wells does confirm is that whether or not they survive to the end of Uncharted 3, the pert pair will be playing a less prominent a role this time.
"We are trying to keep things fresh and draw certain aspects of Nate's personality out as well as the characters he's surrounded with," he explains. "Chloe and Elena are back but they aren't the emphasis of the story the way they were in Uncharted 2. This time round the emphasis is on Victor Sullivan and his mentor/protégé relationship with Drake."
Uncharted 3 is due for release exclusively on PS3 in November.