Naughty Dog has finally shed light on the struggle you will face against the infected enemies of The Last of Us. A recent posting from GamesRadar offers up the juicy details on a recent gameplay demo that revealed how a core portion of the game is purely survival-horror.
Joel and Ellie rarely have enough ammo to blast their way through the hordes of infected, so scavenging plays a pivotal role in your survival. This encourages players to think on their feet, make use of what they can, and always have a back up plan. The world of The Last of Us is filled with all kinds of resources such as blades, batteries, alcohol, bindings, rags, and many more. These items can be combined into support items and deadly weaponry. Players will also be able to uncover recipes that allow Joel to craft new items. Scissor spiked two by four anyone?
If you decide to bash in an infected’s spore riddled brain be sure to watch your melee weapons durability. Damaged weapons will eventually break, but the resourceful gamer will use these to their advantage. When you’re desperate, surviving puts anything on the table, so tossing your empty pistol might just save your life.
The game will feature several different types of infected enemy types. Stage one infected enemies are referred to as “Runners”, and are more like the zombie hordes you’ve grown familiar with. The “Clickers” that have been mentioned in previous gameplay footage are stage three infected. These enemies sport cracked skulls with mushrooms growing out of their heads and eyes. They are unable to see and use echolocation to find their prey. Hence, the eerie clicking noises. Never let a Clicker grab hold of you because it will be a one-hit-kill for Joel.
Interestingly, sound is not only used by clickers, but by our hero as well. Joel has access to a ‘Listen’ mode that highlights any enemies within his field of vision. This will allow players to see through walls, form a plan of attack, and execute. Infected enemies should never be underestimated, which means stealth is crucial for dispatching the infected without placing yourself into more danger than you already are.
The Last of Us is set for release on May 7th for the PlayStation 3 and thanks to these new, juicy details, the wait just got much, much longer.Â
