Sure, Naughty Dog’s Uncharted series is a benchmark for narrative, cinematic gaming. But from the way Naughty Dog is talking up their new franchise to Eurogamer, the upcoming PlayStation-exclusive The Last of Us is going to have a lot to live up to — especially in a setting as well-trodden as the zombie apocalypse.
Naughty Dog wants to “change the f***ing industry” with The Last of Us [Eurogamer]
mchaza
Wednesday, December 14, 2011 at 10:41 AMNaughty Dog must not forget that they are a Games Studio and that if we want to go watch and movie, we will.
Jordaan Mylonas
Wednesday, December 14, 2011 at 10:59 AM+1
If a game has a strong narrative, good for it. But interactivity and core gameplay mechanics should always be the first priority.
Glenn
Wednesday, December 14, 2011 at 11:09 AMAs someone who prefers mutliplayer games I disagree… I’ll happily take gameplay flaws/mechanics if the games story is gripping (Enslaved).
z
Wednesday, December 14, 2011 at 11:15 AM+1
Pariah
Wednesday, December 14, 2011 at 11:36 AM+1
Glenn
Wednesday, December 14, 2011 at 10:59 AMName one movie in the last 10 years that had a story as good as Uncharted 2? Indy 4 was so crap I refuse to acknowledge it’s existance.
I just hope Naughty Dog don’t deliver false promises and over exaggerated hype.
Bryce
Wednesday, December 14, 2011 at 11:26 AMInception, Ides of march, district 9, the bond films, the batman films, the prestige, money ball, the social network. etc
Bryce
Wednesday, December 14, 2011 at 11:27 AMAnd yeah, Indi’ 4 was terrible.
*Insert rant about lucas here*
Pakka
Wednesday, December 14, 2011 at 11:36 AMYou never specified a genre so there are definitely 10 films this year that have a better story than Uncharted 2 – and that is one of my favourite games.
The thing is Uncharted 2 sets the benchmark so high from the beginning than when the zombie/crazy people come around it shanks you in the gut. It’s an engrossing experience for sure, but the ending is really bad. It’s exactly like Indy 4, so don’t try and separate the two there!
Source Code, Drive & Midnight in Paris – some of the best written films IMO this year and also 3 of my favourite films. I experience a more engrossing experience with Source Code I reckon than with any other film this year.
DEV
Wednesday, December 14, 2011 at 1:10 PMyeah, i’ve got a feeling when this game comes out we’re all going to mock this quote.
One_Man_Matrix
Wednesday, December 14, 2011 at 10:45 AMI love to get engrossed and lost in in my games, bring it on! The more Fallout 3/Bioshock/GTA IV type deep narratives, the better.
HotDamn!
Wednesday, December 14, 2011 at 10:49 AMBoy O boy, it better not be just a zombie. Otherwise there will be post-apocalyptic hell to pay Naughty Dog. shakes fist
Akra
Wednesday, December 14, 2011 at 10:49 AMIsn’t this what EVERY developer says about their next big hit?
SunSkorpion
Wednesday, December 14, 2011 at 11:01 AMYep.
Pariah
Wednesday, December 14, 2011 at 11:37 AMDifference is, Naughty Dog are damn good with stories.
Pakka
Wednesday, December 14, 2011 at 11:39 AMI think it’s in Rules 101 of the entertainment industry. Hype it until everyone wets themselves of excitement and not live up to expectations cause people are gonna buy it anyway.
Lady Gaga anyone? “Greatest Song/Album of the Decade” hahahahahahahaha
What I will point out though, is how do WE the CONSUMER experience the “amazing development experience” when we AREN’T the developer. Good on you Naughty Dog, you’re having an awesome experience, but we aren’t.
Tom
Wednesday, December 14, 2011 at 11:07 AMActually I dont buy games for stories. I tried Uncharted 2 because it was supposed to be good, but eventually, maybe half way, got bored with it. I would rather just good action.
My time is limited and I dont want to mess around with stories and mini movies to set the scene, I just want to get to the play/action.
Jordaan Mylonas
Wednesday, December 14, 2011 at 11:07 AMAll I want from a game’s story is to justify the set-pieces for exciting gameplay.
Just look at Arkham Asylum, or the original Halo. The story in both of these was not particularly complex or sophisticated, but it guiding the player through various set-pieces with escalating gameplay difficulty while maintaining internal logic.
Bryce
Wednesday, December 14, 2011 at 11:30 AMIt gave me justification to what I was doing, it enticed me to continue on and it swept me up enough that everything I did felt just damn awesome.
Modern warfare did it. Modern warfare 2 forgot how to do it.
Trjn
Wednesday, December 14, 2011 at 11:44 AMI think Modern Warfare 2 is a good example of a company not quite knowing what they did right.
Modern Warfare managed to get a lot right and saw the success it deserved for it. Modern Warfare 2 copied all of the elements from MW but didn’t realise which ones were important, so ended up focusing on the wrong ones (set pieces with little setup etc).
DanMazkin
Wednesday, December 14, 2011 at 1:18 PMFunny thing is Halo had a surprisngly deep and intricate story, they just didn’t present it directly to the player. It was hinted and but mostly hidden, forcing the player to really dig to find it, but it was that story and depth that I craved in the game.
It all comes down to personal taste, and while I agree that gameplay should trump story (they are games after all), I don’t see anything wrong with developers trynig to combine the two in different ways.
Take your first trip into Mexico in Red Dead Redemption. I know there would be people out there who just complained that you had to travel across the entire map to get to your next mission, but for me, once Jose Gonzales started playing, it became one of the most surprisingly touching and beautiful moments for me in any game.
Kitty
Wednesday, December 14, 2011 at 3:34 PM+1
I love a game that doesn’t seem so intricately wound on the surface but requires all that thought, research and confusion to figure out. Portal 2 was one game that had me sitting at the computer for hours trying to figure out more about the story, characters and how they all connect.
N3RD1001101
Wednesday, December 14, 2011 at 11:08 AMThis thing better have co-op is all im saying…
James Mac
Wednesday, December 14, 2011 at 11:24 AMYeah… I’ve just started playing the uncharted games.
I, wouldn’t be talking so much smack if I were them.
os42
Wednesday, December 14, 2011 at 11:41 AMThis remind anyone else, in an extremely non-subtle way, of I Am Legend? Sure, fungus instead of virus, but still…
Even so, though, as a mostly single-player gamer, I’m really excited for this game.
Raazel
Wednesday, December 14, 2011 at 12:08 PMDefinite I Am Legend aspects, although I hope the narrative and interactivity are bounds and leaps ahead of (a) Dead Island type scenario…
Sliphsurfer
Wednesday, December 14, 2011 at 10:06 PMMy first thought too. Looks like it could have great atmosphere though. S.T.A.L.K.E.R was in essence a basic shooter but the atmosphere and world of the game really sucked you in. Actually if this has some good RPG elements and an interactive world this could be quite good.
Sam
Wednesday, December 14, 2011 at 12:10 PMFunny I was just thinking how boring and unoriginal The Last of Us looks, and that I have zero interest in yet another zombie game. But then I’ve never been a fan of any type of gore… maybe that’s all you need for zombie fans.
Adamski
Wednesday, December 14, 2011 at 12:43 PMIt’s still a zombie game. I’m sick to death of zombie games.
DanMazkin
Wednesday, December 14, 2011 at 1:08 PMI would call bullshit hype-talk on this… if it were anyone other than Naughty Dog.
Geregh
Wednesday, December 14, 2011 at 1:30 PMClearly these people never played the original Deus Ex.
Spoonie
Wednesday, December 14, 2011 at 5:09 PMI want them to make it something like ‘The Road’…I kinda wish it was a father / son dynamic, but we’ll see how this goes. I dont want this to be another dead island. Although I would like to see it in first person…I know it will be 3rd, but I find 1st person is more imersive…IMO
mcgarnigal clone
Wednesday, December 14, 2011 at 10:01 PMcall of duty…