Naughty Dog is Playing Into The Last of Us' Strengths With Factions' Story Focus

gamerant.com:

During the Summer Game Fest 2022, Naughty Dog co-president Neil Druckmann revealed a small glimpse of the next project set in the world ofThe Last of Us. As creative director, Druckmann gave fans some insight into what the next chapter in the series will be, by announcing a full-fledged multiplayer experience with its own storyline separate from the main story.

Upon its release in 2020, The Last of Us 2 promised to deliver a multiplayer game mode soon after the release of the campaign. However, the much-anticipated mode has since been under wraps with only a few comments from the team in 2021 claiming that it was still in development. During his short time on stage, Druckmann explained that Naughty Dog’s ambitions far exceeded what was originally expected and that led to The Last of Us multiplayer being delayed, but also meant it was going to be much more involved than originally planned.

Standalone Last of Us Multiplayer Experience Coming Next Year

The first rendition of multiplayer in The Last of Us was called Factions. This team-based third-person cover shooter had players choose between two clans, the Fireflies or the Hunters, who were pitted against each other in their attempts to gain supplies and keep their clans healthy. There was no actual difference between the two clans and the entire process acted as a loose plot point to keep the multiplayer connected to the story of the game.

That being said, Factions felt very much like The Last of Us in its combat and crafting. The fast-paced matches along with the different game modes and weapons took all the best beats from the combat of The Last of Us and allowed players to be more aggressive and creative compared to the campaign. Though it was not a standout mode,