Hello fellow PAX goers,
Yesterday I had the joy of playing an early build of The Last of Us after braving what was probably the longest line I have ever been in (two and a half hours). Needless to say, the wait was well worth it and Naughty Dog is on their way to putting out yet another epic AAA title.
Those who are fans of Naughty Dog know them for the Crash Bandicoot franchise and the Uncharted series. Naughty Dog brings you a tale of survival and peril that follows a family of three through the ruins of Boston. Now as a Bostonian I was utterly astounded with the attention to detail as the team at Naughty Dog recreated a post apocalyptic version of the city I’ve spent my entire life in. The game opens with you walking on the remains of Massachusetts’ main highway (The Massachusetts Turnpike) as it enters the city. Those who are familiar with Boston will be happy to see familiar highway signs as well as buildings and landmarks such as The John Hancock Building and the Prudential. Not much is explained story wise aside from being given a destination which is the Capitol Building/State House (another famous Boston landmark with a golden dome). You traverse abandon and desolate buildings as you attempt to find your way underground in order to safely traverse the city ruins, sadly you will feel anything but safe in this sure to be thrill ride.
You assume control of the father as you fight your way though hordes of victims of an unknown infection. Any one expecting the high octane run and gun of the Uncharted games will be in for a surprise as this game is built mainly on stealth but most importantly, survival. You start with very few supplies and you’ll pick up a revolver in in your travels though bullets are scarce and you will have to rely on stealth kills or head shots to guarantee your survival. Melee options are available though they are highly discouraged and should only be used as a last resort. The demo pits you against two enemy types, runners which charge at their enemies the first chance they get though they are weak and can easily be dealt with via melee as long as there are only two. In the case you’e stuck with at least three of these guys in one room it is best to run until you can get one alone. Getting flanked can be all too common if you’re not careful with these guys and getting attacked from the rear can almost guarantee an instant death. Stealth kills are another way of dealing with these guys and are highly encouraged as well as keeping a distance. Your next enemy type are Clickers, you’ll know they’re around cause they’ll make an infamous clicking noise that you will grow to fear as the demo progresses. Clickers are blind and there for rely on echolocation (sense by sound) in order to find their prey. Though blind these guys are vicious and though can be killed with a headshot or several bullets, such a risk is again highly discouraged if you want to survive. The trick to dealing with these guys lies in the game’s next but crucial mechanic which is the ability to throw items. Idle bricks and bottles will be scattered about and these simple items will be your ultimate key to dealing with these guys. By tossing these items in any direction, you are able to divert the attention of these bad boys and in the process giving yourself an empty lane of escape.
In a desolate wasteland of a city, strategy and stealth will be your main lifeline against the denizens of this ruined city. From playing this early build of the game it appears that The Last of Us has a substantial amount of promise and I am confident that Naughty Dog will deliver a beautifully crafted family tale of survival. This early build of the game gets a 10/10 in my book. Hopefully the finished product will earn the same rating.
