The worst has happened. A fungus transmitted through insects has spiraled out of control, going airborne and infecting humans causing death and ultimately reanimation into a mere shadow of what they once were. All that drives them is the need to feed and survive. Fast forward 20 years. Joel is a black market dealer selling drugs and weapons and also the main protagonist in this world. At the request of a close friend he hits the road with Ellie, a young teenage girl born in this domain knowing nothing of life before the mass infection. Together they must survive the perils that plague life in the future including not just those infected, but military forces as well as other survivors.
The post-apocalyptic world is getting a makeover from today’s norm of burning buildings, boarded up windows, and looted drug stores. Instead of dropping players in the middle of a world going to shit, in The Last of Us that ship has sailed. The cities are totally overgrown with weeds, algae, moss, and trees transforming the concrete jungles of our time more into actual jungles. The military has quarantine zones throughout the U.S. with multiple checkpoints and scanners to identify those infected. Any and all of those with remote traces of the fungus are immediately killed in an attempt to quash the spread of contamination.
Players will directly control Joel from a third person perspective and be assisted by the AI-controlled Ellie as they make their way through one perilous ordeal after another. Real time gameplay applies when using health packs or constructing items such as a molotov cocktail leaving Joel exposed and open to attacks.
An all new AI system Naughty Dog is calling “Balance of Power”, is promised to deliver more “human” responses from non-infected enemies. Foes will take into account whether Joel is holding a pistol or a rock and react accordingly such as taking cover if they see a gun or taking their chances with the rock. Additionally a single shot will be lethal and ammo will be sparse, taking away any run and gun aspects that most survival horror games have adopted. Yes, we’re talking about you Resident Evil!
Multiplayer has been confirmed however nothing more is known about it other than the fact that it will NOT be a co-op experience of the campaign. Neil Druckmann, the creative director, has claimed that the multiplayer will provide a unique experience but with nothing to show the fans so far, we won’t hold our breath just yet.
The Last of Us, revealed by Naughty Dog at the 2011 Video Game Awards, has been met with great anticipation as a brand new PS3 exclusive and with seemingly nothing else on the table; The Last of Us may be the last of the PS3 exclusives in 2013. See what I did there? A release is slated for June 14th after being delayed. Expect updates and a full review of The Last of Us this summer.
