The Last of Us new gameplay, details on crafting, infection level and more
Last week Naughty Dog held an event to provide hands on time with The Last of Us. The demo was around 40 minutes or so, which was enough to reveal how horrific and tense the game can be. In the demo the developers wanted to show how the people, or survivors have lived in the post apocalyptic world of The Last of Us.
About 20 years ago civilization as we know it completely collapsed with the advent of the deadly fungal virus known as Cordyceps. This is an actual fungi infection that exists in the real world which mainly infects arthropods, or insects. BBC’s Planet Earth has a special on how this fungi infection attacks the nervous system first and forces the insects to seek highly populated areas to spread the spores.
The Cordycep infection in The Last of Us works similarly as humans who are infected still retain some of their mental faculties but are driven by the strong urge to run towards and attack/bite those uninfected. Neil Druckmann, creative director of The Last of Us described this type of infected as Stage 1, also known as Runners.
Runners can visually see you and can run towards you in packs. Stage 1 types can easily be killed even with your fists. Stage 3 is where things really get interesting as the infected have survived for about a year and the fungus have grown out of every orifice leaving an unrecognizable cauliflower-like head. The stage 3 infected are known as Clickers and as the name implies make clicking noises. Clickers are completely blind but like bats have developed a form of echolocation to sense where you are by sound.
As shown by the demo, Clickers are extremely tough and getting caught by one usually ends up resulting in a one-hit-death. This really forces you to strategize on the fly as you contemplate going around the Clicker via stealth, or performing a close proximity kill with a shiv, or unload several bullets into the infected resulting in alerting others to your location.
Another aspect of the game shown during the demo is the crafting system in The Last of Us. The crafting system allows players to create new weapons and aids on the fly from ordinary objects found in the world. Joel can take a bottle of alcohol and a rag to make a Molotov cocktail. You will have to decide carefully as that same rag can be used as bandages or bindings to craft melee weapon like with a 2×4 and a knife.
According to Druckmann, the things revealed in the demo are only the tip of the iceberg as there is still many more that have not been shown. He also hinted that there may be more advanced stages of the infected beyond the 3rd one. Joel also has a form of echolocation of his own, as he can put his head down and hear where the enemies are nearby, shown as outlines even behind walls. I’m not one to spout hyperboles often, but The Last of Us is truly looking like a Game of the Year contender so far.
10 Responses to “The Last of Us new gameplay, details on crafting, infection level and more”
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February 5th, 2013
Video gamers can count on Sony to deliver fresh new games and IPs year after year. They are so prolific in advancing game development so that others could follow and benefit. This is true leadership.
February 5th, 2013
I watched the videos on another site and was wondering how the flashlight wasn’t seen…. Makes perfect sense now.
That clicking sound is creepy as hell.
” I’m not one to spout hyperboles often, but The Last of Us is truly looking like a Game of the Year contender so far. ”
It going to a brand new IP would be refreshing. Especially with Bioshock Infinite, and GTA5 around the corner.
February 5th, 2013
MGS 4
LBP 1 2
Killzone 3
GT 5
Uncharted 1 2 3
Ni No Kuni
The Last of Us
God of War: Ascension
Beyond: Two Souls
My PS3 investment is really well rewarded!
Thanks to the all the honest opinions about the PS3 here on GB.
Since I first join the action here on GB last late 2008 thank you, thank you, thank you, very much to those who stood their ground and Raged Against the M$chine!!!!!!!!!!!
Game on, PS3!
February 5th, 2013
and Mobile Suit Gundam: Battle Operation!
the best Gundam game evar!
February 5th, 2013
Quite a few games now have used the “make a weapon from found objects” thing in the last while.
This looks like its going to be a cross between dead Island and Uncharted.
Looking forward to it
February 5th, 2013
I think the new Tomb Raider also sports some of that too godless.
Bioshock Infinite….. Wouldn’t be surprised if State of Decay (Exclusive Zombie FPSMMO-360), and Fortnite (New UE4 games coming from Epic-PC) also include this mechanic.
February 6th, 2013
At 1:25 in the video, he throws a Molotov Cocktail on the person, then shoots them..
Its a survival game where ammo is scarce, yet they waste it.
I hope they have the option to craft in the pause menu. Who wants to worry about it when youre in a very bad situation.
However, I still like the idea of crafting on the go, because its realistic. Maybe have a tab on the pause menu where it only shows your inventory and shows what possible creations you can make. Then un-pause and create. Sort of like a reference menu to help.
Did anyone else get scared from Uncharted: Drakes Fortune near the end??
I bet they wanted to make this game because they got inspired from U1 near the end.
Here i thought it was just a nice treasure game, then I get ambushed. I was like “I didnt sign up for this” when the nazis where revealed.
February 6th, 2013
“At 1:25 in the video, he throws a Molotov Cocktail on the person, then shoots them..
Its a survival game where ammo is scarce, yet they waste it.”
Blame the guy playing it, he doesn’t get it lol. He also kept shooting which caught the attention of the clickers, he should of stealthed them all.
However, I still like the idea of crafting on the go, because its realistic. Maybe have a tab on the pause menu where it only shows your inventory and shows what possible creations you can make. Then un-pause and create. Sort of like a reference menu to help”
I don’t think you can pause the craft. From the look of what I’ve seen its all in real time. Find a quiet spot, slip your bag off and create and throw it back on when you’re ready. Adds suspense I reckon, I love how he checks his backpack in game. Very cool feature.
Yeah I remember that in UC1, totally didn’t expect monsters in the game but was happy for it. Was glad UC3 has no creatures, they can’t always use a monster chapter toward the end.
February 7th, 2013
@oldschool
“Yeah I remember that in UC1, totally didn’t expect monsters in the game but was happy for it. Was glad UC3 has no creatures, they can’t always use a monster chapter toward the end.”
I was kind of happy that they put it in there. It was a good twist. But I just wasn’t prepared. It was just so nerve wracking with the siren and blinking red lights. And it was a maze.
What are you talking about? They had “creatures” in the end of 3. They had those god damn sand fuckers that are all magic. I know they aren’t creatures, but they still were out of this world.
February 8th, 2013
UC3 was certainly strange when you were tripping balls.