The Last of Us avoids regen health

The Last of Us, in many ways, is an extension of the work Naughty Dog has already done on the Uncharted franchise. Unlike Uncharted, The Last of Us is supposed to be a survival game. And with that change, the gameplay must be tweaked.

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The Last of Us, in many ways, is an extension of the work Naughty Dog has already done on the Uncharted franchise. Like the adventures of Nathan Drake, it is a third-person cover shooter with a strong emphasis on AI companions. However, unlike Uncharted, The Last of Us is supposed to be a survival game. And with that change, the gameplay must be tweaked.

"There's more consequences to getting shot," director Neil Druckmann explained. Instead of having automatically regenerating health--a standard feature in most shooters--the team is opting to have "persistent health," harking back to the era of the health pack.

Healing "takes time," meaning it may not be possible in a tight gun fight. "How I heal myself has consequence," Druckmann explained to Game Informer. Unlike with Nathan Drake, players won't be able to just run into a fight, guns blazing.

Because health is always a concern, one thing the team is conscious of is how players will interact with Ellie, Joel's non-playable partner. Druckmann promises that she will be intelligent. "She's not going to break stealth for you... [and] she can make decisions on her own." He says that "when joel's cornered, she can pick up an improvised weapon and throw it at him."

While some of the greatest games created--Ico and Resident Evil 4--had players taking care of an AI partner, Druckmann says that "if we made an entire game that was an escort mission, we would hate it."

Andrew Yoon was previously a games journalist creating content at Shacknews.

From The Chatty
  • reply
    February 13, 2012 1:15 PM

    Andrew Yoon posted a new article, The Last of Us avoids regen health.

    The Last of Us, in many ways, is an extension of the work Naughty Dog has already done on the Uncharted franchise. Unlike Uncharted, The Last of Us is supposed to be a survival game. And with that change, the gameplay must be tweaked.

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      February 13, 2012 4:18 PM

      I guess that's cool and all, but it's not nearly as unique as they think it is. I just finished a game of Killing Floor. No Regen. Stalker? No Regen. Fear, Max Payne, L4D, CS:S, TF2, Half Life.
      I mean, props, but is that really worth a separate media release?

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        February 13, 2012 4:20 PM

        Just wondering...did you actually read the entire article?

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          February 13, 2012 4:22 PM

          Who actually reads linked articles around here? We just post based on the OP alone, dontcha know!

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          February 13, 2012 4:27 PM

          Yes. Yes I did.

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        February 14, 2012 9:28 AM

        Dude. All of those games are obscure, old, or niche. L4D is the closest to a relevent example of the 8 you listed, and L4D2 is already over couple years old. Name a popular single player game in the last 5 years that didn't have regenerating health. Good luck!

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          May 17, 2012 9:23 AM

          Serious Sam 3! Your point still stands though, I just like pointing out that game whenever possible.

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      February 13, 2012 4:25 PM

      No health regen?!?!? Slow down, you wild guys!!!

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      February 13, 2012 4:41 PM

      i am an opponent to health regen. glad to read this.

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      February 13, 2012 6:03 PM

      "if we made an entire game that was an escort mission, we would hate it."

      I can't leave without my buddy Superfly!

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      February 13, 2012 6:06 PM

      I am happy to hear this.

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      February 14, 2012 4:34 AM

      This is an illuminati game

      322 = Skull & Bones

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      February 16, 2012 1:22 PM

      too bad it's only on the ps3 because seems really good and got a hint of intrigue to it.

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