Preview

The Last of Us preview

Ever since its reveal, The Last of Us has been shrouded in mystery. While the developers have talked up many of the game's ambitious goals, little is known about how it actually plays. Finally seeing the game in action...

Andrew Yoon

May 17, 2012 9:00 AM

The Last of Us shocked the gaming community when it made its surprise debut at the VGAs late last year. Having just shipped Uncharted 3, no one expected developer Naughty Dog to have another game in the works so soon. The home of Nathan Drake was no longer a one game studio, it was revealed. After the end of Uncharted 2, the studio split into two. Ever since its reveal, The Last of Us has been shrouded in some mystery. While the developers have talked up many of the game's ambitious goals, little is known about how it actually plays. Finally seeing the game in action, it's easy to sum up Naughty Dog's latest as such: Uncharted in hardcore mode. Anyone familiar with Uncharted will see the similarities immediately. For example, at the start of the demo, the game was paused during a cinematic. The menu is identical to that in Uncharted, giving you the ability to skip the cutscene. During gameplay, many elements of the HUD are ripped from Drake's adventure, including QTE prompts for opening gates, ammo indicators, aiming reticules, and more. At one moment in the demo, the player has to bash the circle button as he holds a gate open for Ellie to sneak under. It's a scene that's been ripped out of every Uncharted game ever. For better or for worse, the similarities don't just stop there. While the tone is very different, The Last of Us is yet another cover-based third-person shooter. The aiming and cover mechanics should be more-than-familiar for anyone that's played one of Naughty Dog's recent games. However, there are key differences that will make you approach the gameplay differently. Ammo is very scarce, for example. At the start of the demo, Joel has four bullets in his gun--and won't really get much more at any given time. Encounters are a lot more deadly, as well. There's no regenerative health. Enemies go down in one or two bullets--meaning each bullet becomes a lot more valuable. While it's a bit disappointing to see how rooted in Uncharted The Last of Us is, there's still plenty to get excited by. Naughty Dog's strengths in storytelling and performance are evident yet again in this post-apocalyptic universe. Joel and Ellie are far grittier and edgier than anything the swashbuckling adventure world of Nathan Drake can offer. Yes, there's cursing (and a lot of it). But, it's the odd commentary here and there--"I've seen much worse"--that make these characters feel worn. The dynamic between the two is fascinating to see play out in gameplay. While you are Ellie's "protector," she is clearly capable on her own. Not only does she manage to get out of the way of danger, but she finds opportunities to help out, throwing objects at enemies when you've managed to get cornered, without ammo. Characters are especially chatty in The Last of Us, including the enemies. Encounters against other survivors--people who are equally as desperate for supplies as you--feel far more human than ones against nameless cronies and goons. They will taunt, they will flank, and most satisfyingly, they will run away when overwhelmed. After Joel manages to shoot a few guys, and stealthily kill a few others, one other remained. He ran away, and Joel called out, taunting him to come out of the shadows.

The environment is compelling and invites exploration

More so than in the Uncharted games, the environment feels like a character of its own. Unsurprisingly, The Last of Us is a beautiful game, and the lush overgrowth makes it one of the most technically impressive efforts on the PS3 ever. Walking through the ruins of Pittsburgh, the environment tells its own story. Stores that have been looted ages ago have long-dead bodies strewn about. What happened here? These carefully constructed sets invite players to simply look around and absorb. Given how bombastic games are becoming--with more enemies and bigger explosions--I find myself very intrigued by the more intimate gameplay offered by The Last of Us. It may not be an entirely new and original experience, but Uncharted is certainly a great blueprint to jump off of. I'm definitely looking forward to more.

Watch the Shacknews E3 2012 page to follow all our coverage of this year's show. This preview is based on a hands-off demo shown at a pre-E3 event.

Andrew Yoon

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

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May 17, 2012 9:00 AM

Andrew Yoon posted a new article, The Last of Us preview.

Ever since its reveal, The Last of Us has been shrouded in mystery. While the developers have talked up many of the game's ambitious goals, little is known about how it actually plays. Finally seeing the game in action...
- Mecha Tofu Pirate
  
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  May 17, 2012 9:06 AM
  
  Kind of disappointed that it's not as experimental as I was hoping it would be. Still sounds pretty cool though
- [deleted] 1518227089
  
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  May 17, 2012 9:08 AM
  
  [deleted]
- snubble100
  
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  May 17, 2012 9:09 AM
  
  "Joel has four buttons in his gun"
  A gun that can shoot buttons? Nothing like good old human ingenuity! (Just kidding)
  - Keefinator
    
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    May 17, 2012 9:44 AM
    
    Yes, it's a new weapon that kills by sewing buttons through the clothes into your skin.
    
    (Fixed, btw)
- Eskimo Keith
  
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  May 17, 2012 9:10 AM
  
  I was hoping that Naughty Dog would try something different in light of a new game, but the similar gameplay style albeit fewer ammo and more realistic enemies has let me down slightly. Although I have not seen gameplay in action, this preview has certainly painted a very clear picture of what it will be. I hope Naughty Dog take a leaf out of 'I Am Alive's book and adds more character to the enemies rather than a standard 'we want to kill you to get your stuff' mentality. Maybe a trade option or peaceful resolutions would make the game more satisfying from a story perspective although killing them would also be an option.
- rtjd22
  
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  May 17, 2012 9:50 AM
  
  Am I crazy or does the little girl have the mannerisms and speech patterns of Drake? I'm almost certain he's said "Not Good, NOT GOOD!" as one of his catch phrases when grenades come at him.
- BlockheadBrown
  
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  May 17, 2012 10:09 AM
  
  I really did not like this "preview". It tells me more about that gameplay than I cared to know about before playing it myself. Also, it's written in a bit of a whiny fashion. It comes off as encouraging me to disregard the game and that there might be some nice things, but the overall opinion from Andrew Yoon comes off in a "been there" "done that" kind of way.
  - Eskimo Keith
    
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    May 17, 2012 2:02 PM
    
    With so many supposed similarities to Uncharted, I would understand if Andrew Yoon was coming from that perspective. We've had 3 Uncharted games (4 including the Vita release), and if the combat in The Last Of Us is borrowed heavily from them, can you really blame him?
- badcaps
  
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  May 18, 2012 9:46 AM
  
  Andrew: have you considered not writing your articles like they're being read on a local news broadcast? Your otherwise excellent content is marred by your syntactic structure.