Written by: Richard on September 22, 2012.

In Collaboration with Klumzypinoy

If you couldn’t tell by now, when it comes to gaming I like to refer to the nostalgic history that the game company has made beforehand. To me it’s the essence of how the game’s style was developed, or how it’s progressed over time. So with a group like Naughty Dog with a list of games such as the Uncharted series, Jak and Daxter, and Crash Bandicoot; it’s pretty easy to assume that the games that they will develop in the upcoming future will usually be above average.

And The Last of Us is no exception to that rule. Though the game is still in development and not much has been announced about the game, the trailers and game play shown at Tokyo Game Show make the game look fantastic. Click here for the TGS 2012 Trailer!!

    The game centers around Joel and Ellie, as they go through a post apocalyptic Pittsburgh to survive and overcome any hardships. And with the theme being a post-apocalyptic setting, they found a way to get the ‘zombie infestation’ and ‘wasteland thugs’ to seem very different from this particular title. Yes in a sense they sort of exist here, but they execute it in such a way that really brings a new original concept to the table, while still using the post-apocalypse future . Like in Uncharted, the environment and characters are highly graphical and damn near realistic. And the world looks natural and organic, rather than a playground which can make the world appear smaller.

The environment is just simply gorgeous and gives the player a sense of depth than restriction.

The scenario they had for the game play trailer was introduced during E3. The camera is 3rd person cinematic, and the HUD is just like Uncharted; where it shows the weapons and health. However unlike Uncharted, the level of attention taken to making the world feel alive was very finite. When in a panicky situation, the character actually has staggered breathing, and anxiety like one would in real life. And when it comes to creeping to a corner, it doesn’t seem like a step-by-step procedure to crouching, it’s as if you’re slinking quietly while awaiting what’s around the corner. The way of picking up environmental cues was very subtle and realistic. It didn’t necessarily feel like puzzle solving as it felt more like, doing what felt natural in the world with limitations.

The combat in Uncharted was really flowy and natural, so in THIS game it’s way more natural and close to something that would happen in real life. In the game play, the combat feels just like a cut scene and like the environment, there were limited cues on what to do next.

This particular fight scene didn’t cue any quick time events (QTE). It was all natural fighting mechanics, something even Uncharted didn’t completely pull off.

In the game you get a partner 14-year old Ellie who is born during the apocalypse era, so as a smaller character she actually has more ability and smarts as a survivor. As a partner she helps you out in tight spots, where her particular small stature and talents will be involved. In an instance in the video, it shows that she is used to climb up areas and crawl into small spaces. In usual video games you would have a smaller character to a ventilation shaft or something like that. But in here, it feels like she does more than that and doesn’t need any real babysitting like any dumb AI characters in other games.

Environmental challenges isn’t the only thing that Ellie can save you from.

To me a game like this needs a heavy emphasis on environment and location. In a game like this, I don’t want to feel like being surrounded or limited by the game mechanics; I want to feel isolated, alone, and most of all become resourceful in an empty world where I need to fight to survive. And with what the game has so far I am very impressed with this concept. I can’t wait to see future updates of this title. Expect to hear us playing this very soon.

Klumzypinoy’s Fanboy corner:
When I first saw the trailer for this game at E3, I was pretty damn excited. The post apocalyptic mood of the environment, buildings overran by plant life, and a calm young female companion. Other sources told me that she had been around that type of environment for some time. Also, the fact that zombies aren’t the only enemies brings something a little different to the zombie game genre. I am the type who loves playing zombie games, and this game has peaked my interest. In terms of combat, I’m surprised the click of an empty gun triggers the enemy to engage the player in a confident manner. I also like the fact that Ellie can step in to help save the player from an undesired outcome. Good enough to get me hyped. I can only patiently wait to see more of what this game has to offer. Oh yeah, this is called Klumzypinoy’s Fanboy corner, so I’ll end this with something fanboyish. THIS WILL BE WAYYYYY BETTER THAN STATE OF DECAY AND DEAD ISLAND RIPTIDE!