Mon, Feb 06, 2012 | 09:03 GMT
Last of Us details spill from GI: story info, online confirmed
The first details on The Last of Us’s story and gameplay have emerged from the latest Game Informer, as has confirmation there’ll be some sort of online mode.
The game is set in a world killed by a human fungus outbreak 20 years ago, as shown in the debut trailer.
The main playable character is Joel, a weapons and drugs smuggler. The young girl, Ellie, is living in a boarding house in a military quarantine zone (QZ), and is fascinated by items, such as CDs and books, from the old world before the fungus outbreak.
Anyone spotted with any sign of the fungal infection in a QZ is executed on the spot.
Joel removes Ellie from her camp as a favour for a dying friend. Their relationship is apparently inspired by movies such as True Grit or Road to Perdition, and by that between Nathan Drake and Tenzen in Uncharted 2.
The demo GI saw takes place in Pittsburgh, with Joel and Ellie ambushed by hunters. Being a former hunter himself, Joel has to fend off scavengers throughout the world.
The presentation mainly focussed on human enemies, not the infected species shown in the trailer, because it’s “the focus of the game,” according to Naughty Dog co-president Evan Wells. The infected do seem to be teased at the end of the demo, according to the magazine.
Online support confirmed by Naughty Dog
Naughty Dog confirmed to GI that the game will have some sort of online functionality. What that is remains to be seen.
“We’re going to have some sort of online component,” said director Bruce Straley. “We’re working on a bunch of ideas, but we haven’t nailed anything down. We definitely know it’s going to be awesome.”
It may be a new IP for the studio, but in case the unthinkable happens, the story will be its own thing, meaning no cliffhangers for one.
“The story is self-contained. The story stands on its own,” said creative director Neil Druckmann. “We don’t end on a cliffhanger. The characters and the journey they go through ends with this story.”
The magazine mentioned a late 2012 release in its preview rather than the previously-said late 2012 or early 2013 date, although Sony has come out and said the detail is speculation on GI’s part.
More details on GAF.
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Posted in: PS3, Sony
Tags: game informer, naughty dog, The Last of Us
26 comments
#1
jedieagle
06/02/12, 9:21 am
Can’t wait for this game
I am not a huge zombie game fan, but I will definitely get this. Hell, it’s Naughty Dog 
#2
Perfectionist
06/02/12, 10:31 am
This games is PS3 exclusive, right? FML
#3
Patrick Garratt
06/02/12, 10:32 am
Not sure how this can be bad, really. I sincerely hope it isn’t, anyway.
#4
Christopher Jack
06/02/12, 11:12 am
@3, Naughty Dog can do no wrong. It’s outrageous to even consider that possibility.
#5
The_Red
06/02/12, 11:21 am
“inspired by movies such as True Grit” SOLD.
ND can do superb character interactions as seen in Uncharted (love the Nathan / Elena parts) and J&D games. With inspiration from that classic (The original or the superb remake), this is definitely gonna be awesome.
Heck, it was partially done in Enslaved and I enjoyed every second of banter between heroes of that underrated gem.
#6
Perfectionist
06/02/12, 12:07 pm
Crash Bandicoot > Uncharted.
Thats right, i said it
#7
CPC_RedDawn
06/02/12, 12:11 pm
@4, Whilst I agree that Naughty Dog is an amazing company and they make some of the most polished games that I have ever played. I will say that I was pretty disappointed with Uncharted 3. Do not get me wrong it was a great game, but it was as if they pulled back from what made Uncharted 2 so amazing. It just seemed it was starting to get a little stale. I only completed it because I thought I had to, not because I wanted to like other ND games. I am so glad they are working on something new and different from Uncharted to give the company a break from that series. Last Of Us does look extremely interesting, if it wasn’t fro Bioshock Infinite, this would be my most anticipated game of the year.
#8
CPC_RedDawn
06/02/12, 12:12 pm
@6 LOL troll
#9
Perfectionist
06/02/12, 12:16 pm
Whoa, that the first time ive been called a troll, and i don’t appreciate it mister.
#10
Clupula
06/02/12, 12:33 pm
Uh oh…someone’s in for a spanking.
#11
LOLshock94
06/02/12, 1:46 pm
uncharted is the most over rated game on the planet…its not even fun the AI are terrible the climbing is ok liner as hell but ok at best and the graphics are amazing ill ggive it that but thats it…
^sound like erth much?
#12
Perfectionist
06/02/12, 1:50 pm
Now that,CPC, is a troll.
#13
LOLshock94
06/02/12, 1:58 pm
@6 yeah crashbandicoot was kick ass specially the 3rd one were you got the rocket launcher thing
#14
Perfectionist
06/02/12, 2:01 pm
@13 Tru dat, my troll friend, tru dat
#15
Lounds
06/02/12, 3:51 pm
@LOlshock94
Erth would saying something along the lines of… “This gen is so shit the hardware is shit blah blah blah, PS3 games use too much bloom, it’s Sub par HD etc”
IMO uc2 was long and tedious, UC3 is fun, and UC is amazing.
#16
Gekidami
06/02/12, 4:04 pm
The mag also says that the game has health packs rather than regen.
#17
ManuOtaku
06/02/12, 4:07 pm
#16 That will be good in my eyes, it suits the survival aspect of the game if you ask me
#18
Perfectionist
06/02/12, 4:08 pm
@16
Ah, old school. I’m down with that
#19
Gekidami
06/02/12, 4:11 pm
[Scans pulled due to legal reasons - JC]
#20
Perfectionist
06/02/12, 4:20 pm
@19
Thanks bud
Damn, i had a feeling that would happen
#21
poketrainer
06/02/12, 4:38 pm
It is really outrageous the gaming community knows so little about this game yet anticipates it. I’m sure it will come out good, but I’m hearing everything from giant ants to zombies.
#22
Gekidami
06/02/12, 5:11 pm
Pulled for legal reasons? What? It was an external link to GT. Either way, the scans are ‘out there’. …And by ‘out there’ i mean go to the PS3 section of the GT forums.
#23
Christopher Jack
06/02/12, 5:15 pm
@21, It’s because everything ND touches turns to gold.
#24
Johnny Cullen
06/02/12, 5:36 pm
Pulled because they’re a direct link to the scans. That’s the way we’ve worked as of the start of 2010. We don’t link to scans anymore in our pieces and we pull any links that lead to scans in the comments.
S’how we roll, yo.
#25
The Last Nomad
07/02/12, 12:36 am
This sounds damn amazing. Still so little info about the game though.
#26
Da Man
07/02/12, 10:26 am
Meh, it’ll be another overly scripted corridor shooter with probable idiot-proof sticky jumps and puzzles. Crash wasn’t nearly in the same league as Super Mario 64 but at least it was a competent light-hearted platformer.