The McGinn Perspective - The Last of Us

I would just like to say for the record that i am extraordinarily excited about this post, as this time i will not be reviewing, instead covering some of the details that i noticed from the footage released for the game "The Last of Us" for the Playstation 4 console.

So what is this exciting new game, and who has brought it to us? Well "The Last of Us" is a survival horror game developed by "Naughty Dog Studios" and is part of the generation of games to mark the transition to the latest consoles. Now before anyone gets too worried, this game is going to appear on the PS3 as well as the PS4, so drinks all round in that respect.
However i would say that with many games made for both consoles, it is probably the safer bet to invest money in the latest generation and buy the game for that, simply to avoid performance issues which will become noticeable as they have already with many other games...*Cough* Skyrim! *Cough*.

Okay so on to the purpose of this blog, and i want to say right now that i will not be covering the storyline. Instead i will be analyzing certain features in the gameplay footage that was released not too long ago.

I will start off by saying that this is a Third Person Shooter, which is a class of games not held in the highest regard when realism is concerned. After looking at the gameplay, what becomes most obvious is that they have really worked well to make the character movements seem naturalistic, so you as a player cannot notice that transition between gameplay and cut scene. I don't think that i have seen enough to decide whether or not it works, but i have faith that it will show "Assassin's Creed" how it is done.
As far as graphics go the game seems  to be pretty sound, i personally will not be buying a next generation console for its graphics, instead i will be buying it for the potential of better quality gameplay and expanded possibilities. But it is nice to see that the developers have really worked hard to create a believable landscape, and it will be nice to see that the PS4 will be able to sustain such a high standard of visuals, as a PC would, without the constant lag spikes that frustrate me to the point where my moral limits are tested.

Okay so AI, that is the big story to tell about this game, as the AI represents a higher degree of capabilities present in digital games. During gameplay i noticed that the AI seems to adapt itself, for example: "You the player, are suppressing an enemy by, over the shoulder, firing at its cover, suddenly you run out of bullets, the enemy hears that you have ran out, and adopts braver tactics." I was pretty impressed when i saw the enemies could use tiny little situational details like that to alter their own tactics, assuming that this type of quality will be present throughout the entire game, it is much more than a simple gimmick. But it really goes to show how the enemies do not simply consider themselves cattle, to be killed and replaced, instead, they attempt to preserve themselves almost as if they are trying to survive you as much as you are trying to survive them.
A more impressive example is how enemy AI are able to initiate what appear to be interactive cut scenes at their own will, cut scenes that both interact with the environment, and other characters filling it. For example: "An enemy AI sneaks up behind you, the player, as you are engaged in a firefight with two other enemy AI, he grabs you and holds you up. While doing this, the other two enemy AI notice and start to shout 'Keep him still so we can shoot him!', at which point the begin to take advantage of the situation." The in game scenarios far to show how the enemy AI is able to be self-preserving and think about the best course of action, so we as the player, get real difficulty and challenge rather than receptivity, and seen as this is a survival game, challenge will be everything.

I am genuinely excited about this game for this simple reason, that the AI looks amazing, if anyone reading this is unaware of this soon to be released title, i would strongly advise that you give it a chance. Based on what i have seen you can look forward to a very strong story driven experience, with vast attention to detail. But above all, if you are a lover of true gaming challenge, then this is a survival game that stands a good chance at satisfying that need. But i guess we will have to wait and see.


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