The Last of Us

[KALEL114]

This is a great article discussing the game, how it came to be, a lost iPad containing the trailer, and how freaked out they got when they saw that Dead Island trailer. Here are some things that stuck out that are game related.

"If you break down the trailer, all the action there is meaningful," says Straley. "It's teasing the different kind of mechanics you're going to be playing with in the gameplay set-ups. There's some melee and a gun - where that goes as a strategy is kind of intriguing."

Contrary to evidence in the trailer, however, The Last of Us is "not a zombie game," insists Straley. Druckmann explains: "If the game was about the monsters, we would have not showed them. The story's not about them, so [we thought] let's get it out of the way."

Instead, he wants us to consider the relationship between its two lead characters. Joel is a survivor and anti-hero (played by Troy Baker), and Ellie is a 14 year-old girl (played by 28 year-old Ashley Johnson) with no memory of the world pre-apocalypse.
"What are those non-verbal signs [in the trailer] saying about how long they've known each other. What about the other non-infected person?"
The game will play out across various US cities and it's suggested that survival will involve both killing and scavenging. Do you control Joel alone? Ellie? Both? Is it co-op? Naughty Dog isn't saying.
"It's story-driven, [but] the whole triangle is story, gameplay and art," says Straley. "As a gamer it's all about strategy and giving the player enough tools in their toolkit so that they can come upon something and choose and have the consequences play out within their choices."

How those choices play out remains unclear, but don't expect any kind of Heavy Rain-esque branching narrative. "We're telling it the way we've been developing this method at Naughty Dog," explains Druckmann. "We're evolving it, but I can't say anymore."

With a bloody corpse, a brutal murder, a bullet to the face and a knife to the back of an infected human in the trailer alone, The Last of Us is set to be Naughty Dog's most violent game yet. But Druckmann insists it will not be "gratuitous - the monsters are not the focus. It's the relationship between Joel and Ellie."
So if not a horror game, what is it? "This is going to sound corny and it might not appeal to gamers, but I would say it's a love story," he says. "It's not a romantic love story, it's a love story about a father-daughter-like relationship."

When the fruits of this labour of love will be shared with gamers, no-one is saying. And, in the wake of the brutal crunch endured by the Uncharted 3 team in order to meet a release date it recklessly announced a year in advance, that should come as no surprise.
"We will never do that again, not a year out," sighs co-president Christophe Balestra. Wells agrees: "The minute we saw [the date] on screen we were like, oh god, I really regret that."
So, while the game has already been in development for two years, with the team not yet ready even to discuss gameplay let alone show it, don't be surprised if The Last of Us fails to materialise before 2013. It'll be done when it's done, as the saying goes.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...-of-us-preview

[Superhero 101]

I really hope it's released in 2012

[Spider-Who?]

Just watched this trailer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLGxu...eature=related

*mind blown*

I love Naughty Dog. So very much.

[KALEL114]

Awesome new artwork.

Spoiler!!! Click to Read!:

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...enshot-gallery

Is the Manning cut out a clue pointing toward Indy as a location? Will we have to hunt for food (deer)? I need moar info!

[Electro UK]

Oh man, that last piece of art is amazing. Imagine if you have to hunt n'stuff.

[Resistance61513]

The second concept art gives me chills. THAT'S something that needs to be explored in games. How selfish human beings are. When the world comes to an end, morals will be tossed out the window.

Games always tone that sort of thing down. Judging from the trailer, it looks to be a theme Naughty Dog has no problem exploring. I know a lot of people seem to be throwing this term around, but I really want something ala The Road. That encapsulated humanities desperation beautifully.

Resistance 3 ALMOST scratched the surface but that was watered down in a very cartoony way in my opinion. Really disappointed by Insomniac's representation of humanity in a post apocalyptic setting. Here's hoping Naughty Dog delivers.

[TheBat812]

Originally Posted by Resistance61513

The second concept art gives me chills. THAT'S something that needs to be explored in games. How selfish human beings are. When the world comes to an end, morals will be tossed out the window.

To be fair, nature is selfish. But I agree, it's a great thing to explore, something much more interesting and tense than any worn out action scene. I'm really loving the look of this game, but I guess I'm expecting great things considering its affiliation with Naughty Dog.

[Jick09]

Why is nature selfish?
Just curious about your point of view.

[Superhero 101]

It' will be interesting to see how they handle the night portions of the game. I liked how in the First Gears of War they were able to capture the tension i hope Naughy Dog can do better and i am sure that they will

[TheBat812]

Originally Posted by Jick09

Why is nature selfish?
Just curious about your point of view.

Survival of the fittest? Any animal will do what preserves itself, not what helps another. Humans are no exception once the rules of society are stripped away.

[Why Are You Crouching Spock?]

Article discussing the teaser

[Superhero 101]

I hope we get some gameplay footage by CES 2012

[KALEL114]

I don't think so. They will be pushing Vita and 3D this year.

[The Squirrel]

When is CES? If it's before E3 then probably not.

[Resistance61513]

Originally Posted by TheBat812

Survival of the fittest? Any animal will do what preserves itself, not what helps another. Humans are no exception once the rules of society are stripped away.

Just so you know, I love this post.

[KALEL114]

Originally Posted by The Squirrel

When is CES? If it's before E3 then probably not.

Yeah it's before E3. January 10-13th.

[KALEL114]

Here is a code for a Dynamic Theme. Not sure what the limit is on it, so get it while you can.

G2LJ-GTNE-NKHM

[Jick09]

Thanks man. I'm downloading it.
It's always good to get stuff for free.

[KALEL114]

No prob.

[Superhero 101]

Nolan North Confirms he is in Last of Us

http://www.gamerlive.tv/article/unch...80%99s-last-us

[Jick09]

Where isn't he nowadays?
I really like him, but I just hope he is not the voice of almost every other survivor. I can only hear him so much in Arkham City.

He is one funny guy, too.

[Havok83]

I love NN's work but I hate how he's in almost every game and he sounds the same in the vast majority of them. The worst for me was when he voiced the Prince of Persia. I mean, really?

[Nathan]

It wouldn't be so much of a problem, if he didn't voice so many main characters. Makes them less unique, if you have like a dozen characters who sound exactly the same.

[The Squirrel]

Honestly, outside of playing Drake, his voice is starting to annoy me. But good for him on being able to continue to feed his family.

[Superhero 101]

I actually love Nolan North. And glad he's in it.