Multiplayer aspects for The Last of Us have hit the web. The folks over at NowGamer have played the game and are ready to share what they’ve found. They claim that it’s enjoyable, but pretty much your average multiplayer mode – not too deep of an experience, but a fun enough. They kind of liken it to Uncharted‘s multiplayer.
The multiplayer in The Last of Us ties in with the single-player campaign and the world. Modes are 4×4 deathmatch, where you and three other players are cast as groups of survivors from the single-player campaign. You’re faced off against four players from an opposing faction. However, unlike some other multiplayer deathmatches, The Last of Us requires that you be a bit more stealthy. Each player creeps around and carefully picks off enemies, or works as a team to strategically eliminate the competition. Respawns are limited, so staying alive and working together is key.
The basic idea of the multiplayer mode is that you are part of a band of survivors, just trying to survive day to day. Each match counts as one day. You fight against the opposing team, picking up new survivors and being required to complete missions during matches to stay alive. Players will scavenge for supplies from corpses, but those supplies are taken away as time progresses, so players will need to be on a continuous hunt for supplies. The demand for supplies will increase as the size of your band of survivors increases.
While players will be given a wide assortment of weapons to start the match with, looting crates will provide more items to use. Crates will also provide materials to allow players to craft their own weapons. So, not only will you have access to an even wider assortment of weapons that you thought possible, so will the opposing team. Parts and equipment do not carry over into the next round, so you’re going to need to use everything that you have access to, making the need for scavenging extremely important.
Like in the single-player campaign, sound and knowing your way around the map will be crucial to your survival. Start firing off shots and everyone is going to know where you are. Not only do you have the other team to worry about, but there are often other NPC enemies on the playing field, and they don’t discriminate As the days wear on, Infected will litter the playing field, and your own NPCs will become ill and need supplies.
However, missions and NPCs are apparently all menu-based, which leaves kind of a sour taste.
NowGamer says that the pacing of the multiplayer in The Last of Us is slower than in other games. A “much slower, thoughtful affair.” That alone makes it something to look forward to. However, they claim that the game never really feels as fleshed out as it could have been.
Still looking forward to something that isn’t just “army guy-shooty-shooty-run-around and blow shit up” kind of multiplayer.
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