It doesn't help that I played The Last of Us today and got through the Winter portion of it. (Well, the whole game, really, but still, Winter) There's really not a whole lot going on if you don't care about Steam Machines, which I don't, so there's just not a lot to talk about. Especially since I'm not prepared to really expound on my thoughts on The Last of Us tonight, nor do I know -when- I actually will be able to. It's...quite a different game than I expected, and that's not necessarily a good thing. I really don't know what to make of it. Still, it was definitely an experience if nothing else. I think tomorrow I need to play a game with a lot of fire or something, though.
So, now that we officially know the world isn't going to end in spectacular fashion at a time where many thought that it might and thus we're back to just wondering when it's going to happen, I think it's appropriate to look to the future. You know, the future that is going to be there definitely for sure unless something happens that -nobody- expected, because I guess that is still a possibility or something. Regardless, 2013 is going to be a thing, and from what we've seen already, what we know to expect from the year, it's going to be quite something to anticipate. Here it is, only the end of 2013, and I already know of quite a few big games that will make 2013 a rather big year for everyone, which is saying something to be sure. Not even just games that I am personally excited about, though there are those, but there are things that are just going to duke it out for GotY - that much is clear already. If you think about it for a moment that right there in itself is fairly remarkable.
One such game of that caliber will assuredly be the above-pictured The Last of Us from everyone's favorite developers with the magic touch, Naughty Dog. Boasting some of the best graphics that you'll ever see on a modern console and gameplay to match if the Uncharted games are any indication, TLoU is certainly going to be a ride unlike anything else the year might have to offer. From what we've seen, it does seem to scratch the same itch that an Uncharted game might do (which is just as well, seeing as we likely won't see an Uncharted title in 2013 unless Bend Studios makes a Golden Abyss follow-up.....which I would adore) but it'll do much much more than that which is enough of a hook right there, personally. That's no surprise, I'm sure, since you all know of my absolute love of Naughty Dog, but that adoration is well-earned and what I've seen from TLoU promises that my faith, my excitement, is in fact well-placed.
Something else rather tantalizing that the game adds to the mix is a focus on survival that hasn't been absolutely explained just yet, much like a multi-player aspect that is similarly vague. Parts of me hope that this is, in fact, because they are going to share aspects - specifically that there might be a survival focus on one of the Multi-player modes because that could be really really fun and interesting. Part of the survival bit is a little crafting system with which you can make some weapons and, presumably, medicine and other helpful things, not just destructive things. From what I can tell, it's not the most advanced system, but neither does it need to be, and I'm sure it'll be robust enough to play a vital part in the game as a whole. Really, there's just a lot to like here and I absolutely cannot wait to get my hands on my copy of the game.
Another game that is probably on top of most of the 2013 wish-lists or what have you that are out there is the recently explained Grand Theft Auto V. Not only because of its pedigree which is quite extensive as we know, but because the scope of the game, as it has been detailed is huge and promises to really change what you might expect from a Grand Theft Auto game. Whether or not they'll be hugely successful with the execution remains to be seen, as Grand Theft Auto IV was quite ambitious itself and, depending on who you ask, it didn't really live up to the expectations or the franchise in many many ways. While it is hard to think of a game like Grand Theft Auto V possibly being something even resembling a disappointment, it certainly wouldn't be the first time, nor the most recent time, where a hugely-anticipated game turned out mediocre or otherwise disappointing.
With three different protagonists who all have been suggested to have their own 'lives' when you're not controlling one, the game is really breaking new ground in more ways than one. It's also the biggest source of possible apprehension that I find with the title since I just have no idea how that's going to affect the overall game. I believe sources indicated that the three would share assets (somehow) between them, so the reason to switch between them is really only to utilize their individual skill sets. We don't know what those are just yet, but all three characters will be their own character fully and completely, thus giving you a reason to -want- to play as them, if only in theory. I assume it will also affect other things, possibly contacts and the like, but the reason -is- there at least.
The part I worry about, however, is how three characters is going to affect the game overall. The main reason that the three protagonists are like this is...well, actually it's to try and bait you further into the game, playing you against two of the other protagonists to urge you to find a 'favorite' of them to feel more of a connection with the game, ensuring you'll play it longer and more intently. But the other reason is that three different characters have been created, have been developed and thought out by the teams and they want to make damn sure you play all three of them. So to that end, I worry about how the story will be - will all three characters get their own 'story' told through a series of missions that end up coinciding at certain points? Or is it just that you can play any mission as any character, but they're very clearly designed towards one character or another? It's a hard balance that Rockstar has to draw with this set-up, and I can only hope that works well for them since GTAV has ever opportunity to be pretty fantastic.
Metal Gear Rising: REVENGEANCE will allow me to cut all most of the things.
...
Yeah, that's it, really. I mean, yes, there will be the special brand of Kojima crazy to it assuredly, as well as the Platinum crazy on top of that, and the game will be action-packed and wonderful, but I really, really just want to play with the Zan-datsu stuff. And the rest of the game.
But mostly the Zan-datsu stuff.
This is really just the tip of the iceberg here as there's all -sorts- of other things to be looking forward to in 2013. DmC: Devil May Cry, Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch, Dead Space 3, Tearaway, Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time, God of War: Ascension, Killzone: Mercenary, South Park: The Stick of Truth and Watch Dogs among many, many other games are all slated for the year. And that's just what we know about. There's still plenty of time for things to get announced, finished and released before the end of next year, and at least a couple of those will likely be wonderful in their own right.
So while 2012 was a really fantastic year for gaming (if not much else for some of us), 2013 is shaping up to be quite a contender in its own right. Just when you thought it was safe to bring your wallet out in the light again.
When you're announcing something, there's generally three ways it comes out: 1.) You just say "Hey, this is happening" with some sort of aplomb or spectacle, 2.) You -try- to say "Hey, this is happening" with some sort of aplomb or spectacle but some sort of promo material or leak steals your thunder or 3.) You just sort of mention it casually, presumably with a little grin on your lips as you do so. The third method is not often employed, and when it is, it's actually really kind of effective at disseminating a bit of information more than actually making a spectacle of it would be, since, with an off-hand mention, you're ensuring people are going to pick up on it more intently as if they've discovered a really obscure little fact or something. I say all this because this is what happened with The Last of Us - multi-player was announced in the Playstation Blog Post that offers a new trailer, a re-affirmation of the release date which is May 6th, 2013 and the reveal of both pre-order bonuses.
The first pre-order bonus pack, the Sights and Sounds Pack as it's called, is going to be available everywhere, it seems, and simply includes the Official Soundtrack (presumably as a download), a dynamic theme and two avatars, one each of our main characters Joel and Ellie. The other pack, the Survival Pack you see above, is set to be a GameStop exclusive as a bonus to the Sights and Sounds Pack (so pre-ordering at GameStop nets you both) and focuses primarily on the not-yet-mentioned Multiplayer modes that...continue to be not mentioned. From the items in the pre-order flyer, we can assume it's likely going to be something like the Uncharted MP, but possibly with less Deathmatch (or maybe the same amount of Deathmatch because squads of survivors are out there as trailers have shown) and because if it isn't broke, you don't fix it. Uncharted's MP is certainly not broke and, if I had more time, I would likely spend quite a bit of time with it, but I just do not as I've lamented here several times. But if you don't believe me about the MP just being mentioned off-handedly and don't care to click the link, then hey, here's a quote for you:
Multiplayer, wha? We’re not quite ready to talk about it yet, but stay
tuned as we’ll be revealing more details on multiplayer before The Last
of Us is released on May 7th, 2013.
That, of course, suggests that there just might be a little more to the whole MP onion than we know of, which is a really intriguing thing. I could sit here and ponder of all the different things that could really be possible, but I'm not...not really going to do that. Since there will either be cooperative MP against Platforming/Puzzles, Cooperative MP against waves of AI, or various modes of Deathmatch or some combination thereof. We've really more or less exhausted the well of just -how- you keep people who are playing a video game on the internet interested in continuing to play a game on the internet, and those three options are pretty much the stand-outs. Mostly because they are in every single game that has multiplayer in its own way, from Assassin's Creed which sort of re-invented the wheel to fit its own mold to Call of Duty which has turned it into a refined, near-game all its own, to Mass Effect which was sort of the last series you would expect to get MP within its casing. What with being a Shooter-RPG with a single-player focus and everything.
If anything, it's just what 'twist' on the existing formulas the game offers that makes it something stand-out. As stated, Assassin's Creed took it and ran with it in its own direction - giving you the single-player focused character feel and turning it on its head as everyone had that as well, in game modes that actively tried to get you to not act as you do when you play Single-Player. You're still killing mans for points at the end of the day, but the line between Point A and Point B bends and swerves in all the different places than most others attempt, and that's what made it stand out. Call of Duty's twist is that there really -is- no twist - it's simply meant to be a very polished, very refined experience and generally lives up to that with the odd exception here or there. The line for it from Point A to Point B is very straight, but lined with all the best, so to speak, which makes it its own beast. So, much as most things in life, it more or less boils down to what is essentially semantics - not what you say, but how you say it.
My own personal hope is that the game sort of takes a page from another popular game that I won't really mention because I am being cryptic or something, and focuses more on survival in its MP. Not survival from enemies, be they AI or Player primarily, but simply survival from the environment I suppose. The game has already shown off a crafting system to create a few things like molotov cocktails and the like made from random supplies and I imagine that could be extended to other things. Things like torches and fires to keep warm, meals to eat and the like. A multiplayer mode in which you simply try to out-live another individual with or without direct contact with them seems intriguing enough, really, and it would likely involve the trappings of enemies whether they're just scavengers or those strange mutants from the first trailer. Regardless, I doubt I'll be disappointed by the MP because I'm not looking forward to it as much as I am the single player campaign. That's what we know of and that's what's exciting and, for all intents and purposes, that's all I really care about. May simply cannot come fast enough.
*Ahem.* So, Sony decided to close their E3-Presser with The Last Of Us, as seen above, which I think was probably the smartest thing for anyone to do ever, because goddamn, how do you top that? You don't. I don't care if you announce God of Star Wars after that in which Kratos goes and kills everyone in the Star Wars Empire brutally and single-handedly, or Grand Theft Auto: Mushroom Kingdom, in which you drive Karts around a fully realized Mushroom Kingdom styled after the piecemeal bits of actual 'city' and 'buildings' that we've seen in games (mostly the RPGs) doing whatever the hell you want. Those just won't top that friggin' video, though I very strongly urge the game industry as a whole to make me eat those words. No really, I would love to see you try because goddamn, that is a slick friggin' video for what amounts to seven minutes of gameplay.
That is the key point here, as well, that this is gameplay, and whereas most companies, you would go "Pshyeah, right", this is Naughty Dog we're talking about and I have complete and utter faith that the game will look exactly like that if not better by the time it releases. Which is currently unknown, unfortunately, but at the same time -awesome-, I don't have to really worry about that right now. That's not the point, though, so let's just move on from that quickly and quietly. The point is that "Holy shit" cannot be said enough times about that friggin' video, not only from exactly what's shown, but the implications of what's shown. As you know, I am particularly good at taking trailers and such and picking them apart piece by piece to say just what it means on its own right. And boy, is there a lot of that to be done with this game, what with the AI and the environment and this and that.
To this end, let's just skip how gorgeous the game is which is shown off in the first couple minutes of the video (as well as showing Ellie take interest in a movie poster which is awesome, and kind of makes me want a Naughty Dog Werewolf game) and get right to the 3:16 point in the video where we see the HUD pop up or rather, materialize. Now, I'm not going to harp on it, nor am I going to say "Boo" to it, but I will say that it seems kind of strange for a blatant HUD like that (with a life bar no less) in a game that looks -this- realistic, where a more minimalistic approach seems the better way to go about it. I imagine there'll be an option to turn it off, however, so it's a non-issue and it -is- rather important for a demo. That said, I will also say that I like that the game has a lifebar, meaning medical supplies will be necessary rather than relying on mysteriously regenerating health which has unfortunately permeated entirely too much of the industry with about half the games that feature it even bothering to give an explanation.
The HUD features everything you would want it to - health, your current gun and the amount of ammo in said gun, so that said, it's capable at what it does and doesn't intrude all that much. Even if it does prove to be a permanent fixture, I daresay it won't be that intrusive, and I think I only bring it up because of the minimalist approach Uncharted has taken, if you take away the menus and weapon icons and such. We see it again later on after Joel chokes out (in a not-so-stealthy way, a nod to the fact that he's not a trained friggin' assassin) one of the "Hunters" and drops his Revolver. Specifically, it shows the revolver ammo as a pop-up and has a note that tells you what to push to pick it up. Because of what I'm assuming is the fact that Joel just kind of stands there for a moment after his kill/knock-out, he is then spotted in a realistic manner (especially after the noise that was made) by one of the other Hunters, sending everything into a shootout of sorts.
I would like to point out something very very vital here - the encounter that follows features only four men, but the way it plays out makes it seem that much more. And that's purely because it's more visceral, it's more brutal, and it's more personalized, so to speak. The first guy is taken out in the shoot-out, where the second waits behind cover for backup. The third guy moves off into an adjoining room to set an ambush that Joel walks right into, yet comes out on the winning end of by taking him as a human shield. He walks him out into the main room for the second guy, who briefly tries reasoning with Joel before he's gunned down and Joel loses the shield by knocking him out cold with a pistol whip of sorts. And finally the last guy shows up as Joel takes cover and simply waits. As the click of Joel's revolver sounds out, indicating that he is out of ammo, the final man feels a sense of confidence that brings him out into the open. As in, he is literally lured out because he knows Joel has no ammo. That alone is brilliant, to say nothing of the rest of what I just said.
Equally amazing is how the whole scenario plays out from there. Earlier in the conflict, Ellie had, completely on her own, picked up a brick to defend herself with, as that is honestly a viable weapon considering the circumstances. The guy that laid an ambush for Joel went with a lead pipe, even, which both of those -might- just suggest that you can use improvised weapons, which I am certainly hoping for. Having moved into the room while Joel cleared out the other three men, Ellie hid herself to the side of the room and only after the last man cockily walked out, stalking over to Joel's position did she make herself known. "Hey Asshole!" rings out from our wonderful heroine who then lobs said brick right into the face of this guy, leaving him wide open to be taken out by Joel who does so by making use of the environment in ways that make me get all weak in the knees. Choking him against the wall, followed by slamming his head against a nearby desk is more than enough to take this last guy out and after a bit of small-talk between Joel and Ellie, they continue. Again, this is just the game, it's not a cutscene, I doubt it's heavily scripted out to happen like this, it's just how this played out.
When they move along and hear reinforcements coming (which isn't all that far-fetched considering there -was- gunfire), Joel decides to..er....heat things up a little bit (I'm so sorry) by crafting a molotov cocktail. I use the word Crafting purposefully, as taking off the backpack brings up a little menu that shows off ammo and just what items Joel has on him. Selecting the bottle of alcohol he is possession of shows a few recipes to the side of it, showing what items are also necessary and, with said bottle and some medical binding, he has said Molotov Cocktail after a few seconds of putting it together. It is then used for the exact purpose you imagine and sets one of the three people serving as reinforcements ablaze, much to the chagrin of Ellie who I imagine is a little horrified at the over-the-top solution to the problem. At least the "Holy Shit, Joel!" that followed said reinforcement becoming the Human Torch would allude to that.
The second man serving as a reinforcement struggles with Joel as Joel tries to disarm him of his shotgun, spending a round in the process, before Joel wrestles it away and smashes him in the head with the butt of it. He then loads in a new round (a nice touch) before being caught off guard by the last reinforcement who wails on Joel with a length of wood (once again alluding to an improvised weapon system) and trying to strangle him. Joel struggles out vainly and it's only when Ellie stabs the assailant in the back with her switchblade that he is distracted enough for Joel to muscle out and gain the upper hand. Picking up the shotgun and smacking him across the face with it, the man pleads with Joel, knowing the end is near. He cries out "No!" as Joel finishes him off. And that is when the video ends with a black screen showing the "Last of Us" logo.
I have to point out once more that this is all gameplay. I don't quite know how it's all controlled, but I would assume that it's Uncharted-esque, so all these instances of melee, smacking with a shotgun, a revolver, struggling for the disarm and the like are tied to Square and react to the context of the situation. The aiming is very obvious as, in doing so, the standard reticule comes up as the camera is full over-the-shoulder, likely controlled by L1 for aiming and R1 for firing. I'm going to suggest that you don't control Ellie whatsoever, so I don't think there's a "Call for help" button, but I could see ordering her to stay or follow (which is done a few times in the video, albeit without a prompt meaning it can just be based on, again, the context) with some button, perhaps L2 or R2. Everything else is fairly obvious in what it's likely tied to button-wise, so I won't mention it.
Yet all of that gaming is done with such a simplistic approach and it's mind-boggling. Ellie's AI seems rather amazing and useful; I doubt she'll be a burden at any point in the game which is certainly saying something. If anything, she has all the markers to be a real helpful boon as, in all reality, she saved Joel twice in just that seven minutes of gameplay by using herself as a distraction. If you can really pick up just about anything to use as a weapon (or, hopefully, a distraction, like tossing a brick through a window would draw rather than alert to your presence), that's a whole other layer of complexity that can truly be amazing if implemented as it seems. And you know how much I enjoy me some Environmental interaction, which the game seems like it will capitalize on in both finishers and context sensitive ideas (Ellie's brick, again), as well as, again, improvised weapons, should that be included. Regardless, you basically just have to say "Naughty Dog" for me to partition Sixty of my dollars aside, but this video more than vindicates that by a wide margin. Between this and REVENGEANCE, I'm honestly more excited for gaming than I've been in quite some time.
I do so hate that I don't have a whole lot to talk about tonight, but I can't really make news out of pretty much nothing at all. On top of that, I'm having a particularly bad night in terms of allergies and stress, so there's not a bunch I can even come up with since my mind is in quite the fog. Thankfully, however, we have Youtube for nights like these, and with Youtube comes videos of things that are enjoyable. Like new trailers for awesome looking games that you can't wait for unless it's going to come out in 2012 in which case woah now, slow down alright? Which, The Last of Us will -probably- come out 'Holiday' 2012 or just before it as per Uncharted, so that puts me at a probable eleven games that I want between now and the start of 2013. Sigh. I'd hate it if it wasn't so glorious at the same time.
It has been quite a while since we had any information about The Last Of Us, which is a little unfortunate, but this bit of a tasty morsel in trailer form is more than welcome for reasons other than that. Were the bits about the game a deluge, each bit would be fantastic on its own merits as this little bit is, I'm sure. I mean, just look at that friggin' trailer alright? Maybe about a minute, tops, cutting out all the ESRB and Sony stuff, with just the game it's only that much. But it's friggin' -fantastic- and not even just because of the graphics, but of the complete understanding of human exhibition on the part of emotional and thoughtful response. Just look at Joel as he's contemplating just what to do -should he take the off-ramp or turn around? - and, well, just look at him. You can pretty much -see- the thoughts going through his head and that, to me, is friggin' amazing.
Something else to the credit of the trailer is that it reminds all the naysayers that the game actually isn't just about 'zombies', which was pretty evident from the first trailer, though there was a creature in it so, hey, screw logic. With nary a lost soul to be found other than the meaning of 'vagrant', this trailer reinforces that Ellie and Joel will contend with dangers of all types, wherein a good portion of them will be classified as 'living' and 'sentient' in spades. Though, I do have to wonder how they've lasted in the conditions they have - is it just strength in numbers, or is the 'infection' pretty much a rarity? Or some other reasoning to it, perhaps? There's a lot of The Last Of Us' universe that's still a mystery to us, but for the type of game that it is, I think that's for the best, really.
I can't help but find it pretty amazing at how realized the world in The Last of Us seems from what little bit of it we've seen. It -looks- like a city, has all the same architecture that you might expect, which is brilliantly shown off as they drive through a neighborhood just before they come across the 'wounded' man. Things are where they are for a -purpose- and they look wonderful where they are, thanks to the wizardry that only Naughty Dog can work. There's not a whole lot else to say about the trailer, unfortunately, so I do think that's about it. I imagine I'll watch it about a half a dozen more times and then head off to bed for a nice, relaxing slumber. Hopefully.
It's one of those days again, I'm afraid. Nothing too interesting in my life that I can write about it (not yet at least, I have something in the works, but it requires a little more time with the subject material), and there's not really something news-worthy that is also something I can go on about for four or five paragraphs. But there are a lot of little stories that I can cover in a broad swath of text, so that's what I'm going to do. First off, as you might suspect from the above image is the fact that The Simpsons Arcade is finally coming to consoles starting with PSN on the Seventh of February. I imagine the graphics will be a little nicer looking, perhaps up to par with its iPhone brother, but it will also support up to four player online multi-player since, let's face it - it's an arcade game. It's meant to be played with more than one person. I -imagine- given the type of game, Couch co-op is possible as well, but it doesn't explicitly say that. Anyone subscribing to Playstation Plus will enjoy the game at the easy price of "Free" where the rest of us can expect $10 which is likely a small price to pay for nostalgia and also playing a Simpsons game that doesn't suck.
Much like the rest of us in the same age range as I and, I suspect, the bulk of the 'main' gamers out there who do like we do - read the news about games, get excited for everything and just generally live it in a bigger capacity than most, I have fond memories of playing The Simpsons Arcade. Not sure if anyone out there knows what this is, but when I was but a tot, my older siblings would sometimes take me to a place called Chuck E. Cheese which was, well, a place where you took kids to run around and do whatever and have fun in while you either unwound yourself with a few games or just tried to catch a breather amidst the chatter and clamor of dozens of other kids adding to the shouts of your own. There was all the standard fare for a playground as well as an arcade section and little games that would win you tickets for prizes like at a midway or what have you. And while my sister loved Skee-ball and I sometimes helped with that, the real, main reason, the main draw was the arcade section where there were plenty of games, but there was also The Simpsons Arcade. And while I don't remember a single thing about the game, I remember playing it, and I suspect that's enough.
On the topic of releases and release-related news, Naughty Dog released this video above that shows the making-of process of the trailer that went out at last year's VGAs in so much as you get to see some of the mo-cap work done compared to the very, very bare-bones animation that Naughty Dog apparently shines to a mirror polish with tools that may just be infused with some sort of magic. It's a neat little look into the world 'beyond the veil' as they say, and aside from that, I daresay there's some voice-over by the main character that isn't in the trailer proper. In fact, there -is- some voice-over that isn't in the trailer proper since I just watched it again and holy shit. My interest in the game just sort of regrows rapidly to a fever pitch whenever I really think about it, only subsiding to acceptable levels when I don't. I honestly can't wait for the release and hope that some of the nonchalance its met with is slapped back in a few faces. If people are so willing to accept questionable genre attempts from other studios, then 'just another zombie game' from Naughty Dog should turn quite a few more heads than it has. But there's still time yet, of course.
The final bit of news comes from the world of Lollipop Chainsaw which, you might have noticed, I've completely neglected talking about for...well, ever now. I assure you this is intentional and for purist reasons as I know in my head what the game was, so when I play it when I buy it, and I will do both of those things ASAP, I can see where the game has gotten which will surely give it a little bit of an unfair advantage over other games, but I don't even care because it's Lollipop Chainsaw. I'm sure the graphical presentation won't impact my overall view of the game that much anyway, so no real worries there. Though I have caught the headlines here and there of the game, I've mostly ignored them by and large for the above mentioned reason, as I want to know as little about the game as possible.
But the headline "Lollipop Chainsaw Boss Battle Composer is Also a Zombie Boss" was a little too tantalizing to pass up on and in seeing that and the article itself, I've found quite a bit of new pearls of information. I think, if anything, Lollipop Chainsaw has been a very very interesting experiment on blending East and West if you really look at it: the story being written as a joint-effort by James Gunn and Grasshopper Manufacture through a collaborative effort brought about by Warner Bros., and now the fact that, while Akira Yamanoka is the main composer of the game, Jimmy Euringer of Mindless Self Indulgence is the composer for all the boss music and is, in fact, the Punk Rock Zombie Zed that we've seen in so many trailers already. (If your memory is a little foggy, he is the boss who attacks by yelling profanities which then materialize into words that fly towards poor Juliet.)
I was originally going to do a Music! post dedicated to Mindless Self Indulgence because of this fact, but I decided against it for a few reasons. The bulk of them being that while I enjoy MSI, I'm not sure I like it, nor am I sure that it's something I'd want to freely toss out here for you, since you might then take that as an indicator of acceptance and enjoyment or something. And while I don't -not- accept the music because, hey, it's music what the hell else do you need?, I also don't need to really throw it out there in the same type of post that's covered music from Nier, Chrono Trigger and the Sonic games. Which is a really fancy way of saying "I stumbled across a cover of a Method Man song and went, 'nope.jpeg'." But I did want to bring up that story at least because, hey, Lollipop Chainsaw.
That's about it for tonight though, kiddies. If all goes well tomorrow, I might just have the first review of the new year posted up. Maybe. I kind of have to decide if I got into the game enough to qualify for actually reviewing it. Guess we'll all just see how it turns out!
So yesterday (I almost feel terrible linking the last post made before this but oh well) I posed the question that has been on a lot of minds this past week: "What the hell is The Last of Us?" And tonight on the Spike VGAs, the answer was revealed to us. In a trailer that went on for just under two and a half minutes (not counting the time spent on showing Presenting screens and other such non-game-related things) we have got a pretty good introduction into the game but by no means do we know a lot about it. What can be said is that it is definitely post-apocalypse (more to the I Am Legend style, also possibly Enslaved? I didn't play that, but I think I'm remembering right) and it is definitely having to do with 'infected' humans that may or may not act like 'zombies'. But at the same time, it's being made by Naughty Dog, so those put off by the last thing should still have some interest at least.
Unsurprisingly, the game looks absolutely beautiful and the animations are as fluid and just plain good as one would expect from Naughty Dog. To me, I'm already sold on the concept, but the opinion I'm seeing around the internet is one of dismissal for being 'another zombie game' that we apparently have a glut of. Which is quite disappointing as it's quite obvious with Naughty Dog at the helm that it'll be quite a bit more than it appears to be at first, but I guess people will see that when it comes out and not a moment before. Regardless, all I can do is talk with what I've got to work with, which is still very little unfortunately, until more information comes out which won't be soon enough.
I can already tell that that girl is going to be one of the better characters of 2012, even though she'll be up against some rough opposition (The Last Guardian says what), or at least she should be with all things considered, which I'm quite looking forward to. There's just a quality that Naughty Dog puts into their trailers (well, their characters that comes -through- in their trailers) that elevates whatever or whoever it is, so just the subtle characterization made with "Ellie" in those two and a half minutes (the non-flinching reaction to violence, the fact that she's apparently grown up in this disaster world, thus her perceptions are clearly different, etc.) means that any writer worth their salt will be able to make a complex, yet good and understandable character for us all to enjoy.
I am excited for this, quite a bit, and I look forward to seeing what's going to come of it. The news we have, however sparse it is, is setting it up to be great as is, so as far as I'm concerned, we're just looking for more filler to accentuate that. Well, and information to help shape what we're looking at, really. Despite the Uncharted games that definitely have Naughty Dog in the public's eyes, I don't expect something similar to them, though I don't know what else to really suggest. Something more platform/puzzle-reliant? I certainly wouldn't turn it down.
Update!: There have been a few trickles of information to come out after what we got that seems worthy of at least a little attention. More or less both are covered here but there's also this to reference as well. First and foremost, it should be said that the mains have been named Joel and Ellie (though we knew the latter) and are being played by Troy Baker and Ashley Johnson, who has been in a lot of stuff that I have missed completely. The game, unsurprisingly, will have survival and action parts to it as the pair make their way across the country for reasons unspecified. Worthy of note is the fact that The Last of Us has apparently been in development for two years and will very likely (and also unsurprisingly) be a Mature game, which will be a first from Naughty Dog. And if you were hoping to co-op this game with a buddy across the states, that isn't slated to happen as of now, but could change. Personally, I have serious doubts about having a multiplayer thing at all for the game, but we'll just have to see. I would hope that it would stick to just telling a story in the single-player perspective and focus on that, really.
The short answer is: I don't have a damn clue. The long answer is: It's a new IP being announced tomorrow at the Spike VGAs alongside a lot of other stuff that is similarly interesting as well as confounding. There's not a whole lot of information about, so much as a smattering of things here and there, all of them leading to roughly the same conclusion. It's a good bet that the new IP in question here is going to hop in with the trend set by games such as I Am Alive and possibly even Dead Island, depending on how it all works out, by putting out a facade of the apocalypse at first. Art pieces and the trailer that's been out for a few days suggest a virus outbreak has caused pandemonium on a grand scale, where other sources indicate it's a sort of fungus that could possibly lead to something far worse. This is evidenced by the video on the the Official Site that is opposite the trailer that features an ant doing what can only, tastefully be called 'losing its shit'. The footage is apparently from a documentary about a fungus that takes over a body and kills it to grow out of its corpse, which is just lovely sounding.
Now, if the above hasn't gotten your interest, there are a few other pieces of information out about it, mostly in the form of lack of information, that can get your attention, likely. Firstly being the fact that the information we have so far is precisely all there is. To my knowledge, there's no inside info, no leaks, no information being gleamed from the official site using all sorts of technical wizardry or anything of the sort. For once, a game is going to be announced and people likely won't know about it beforehand. Unless it's somehow 'Title Fight' which I have to say is very unlikely, barring some real metaphorical shit going down. There's a chance for a last minute leak, ala 360 slim, but even in that case, it's at least impressive that something that is apparently this big has gone this far without being known to the internet at large.
The above information leads to the obvious conclusion that no developer has been really announced as attached to the project. Obviously somebody's been working on it, but we don't know who, clearly, though there are a few guesses. Here's where it really gets interesting however, as the above screenshot, seemingly directly connected to The Last of Us, was taken from Uncharted 3. That's right. Go into Uncharted 3 at the bar in the beginning and look around for that newspaper; you will find it most likely. I haven't confirmed for myself, but it's been documented already if you similarly don't want to go looking for it. It's hard to tell if that was there in the beginning or if it was added in the aiming patch (if such a thing is even possible), but it's highly suspect that it's completely unrelated. Of course that doesn't mean Naughty Dog is working on this, whatever it is, nor does it mean any other number of other things, but I would certainly suggest that it's at least likely that this game is being made by a First (or Second) party studio which implies its own set of things on its own.
I know I'm just buying into it exactly as intended but I can't help but be pretty excited for this, if just for the mystique surrounding it. It could be any number of things and even if it ends up looking like something else out there already, the idea that it could be a First or Second Party effort for Sony leads me to think the level of quality and polish will be enough to make it stand out. Of course, I could be completely wrong about this, but I'm already impressed as I stated, so I'll have to stay tuned to whatever it ends up being. Hopefully tomorrow we'll have the information we need and the information we want so we might begin to hype properly, but we won't know til the VGAs have come and gone. Why is there always a reason to watch that abomination every year?
