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The Last of Us 2 with an open world, and our other ideas

GotGame writes: I trust Naughty Dog to think about what a sequel would look like and choose the nteresting aspects to focus on. That said, it’s always fun to speculate, especially given our distance from the game’s release and the upcoming PS4 remake.

98xpresent3992d ago

A dog would be cool for adult Ellie and old Joel

C-H-E-F3992d ago (Edited 3992d ago )

I don't think he got the joke.... 98xpresent... wait for it.... wait for it

but... what's up with everyone (large amount of people) wanting every game to be open-world? Like seriously?? I think this is a new age, young gamer mentality. Like I really read on one of the Knack 2 posts last week someone wanted that to be open world, an open world GOW (the REAL GOW as in God Of War). Some games are great because they are linear, how many open world games that's been created has actually been successful in making it feel alive? You literally can count them on both hands (and most of them will start with Grand Theft Auto). Since so many of you have ideas how about you do like I did and get a degree in game and simulation programming or some gaming degree or just learn how to develop games. So that you can use kick starter to fund your games and booosh now you have the vision, the knowledge and the wealth to make it come true.

Kingthrash3603992d ago

Dear god not open world.
Great stories are never told in an open world...there is no pacing at all.

-Foxtrot3992d ago

I think Ellie and Joel should be in the story...why throw away two well written characters.

I would like to see the sequel take place a few years after the first game with Ellie a little bit older and how they've settled in quite nicely into Tommy's settlement. However the town is attacked by the reformed Fireflies or a scientific division of the Militar who have come to find Ellie after learning about her immunity.

Ellie then somehow finds out she is the reason for the attack and learns how Joel slaughtered the fireflies and Marlene. After arguing with him Ellie runs out and is captured by the group who leave, they injure Joel so he can't go after her. After he recovers he then sets out alone to go after her. Despite wanting to go with him he tells Tommy to stay and help the wounded and recover.

Throughout the game we play as Ellie and Joel switching between story perspectives. Maybe a chapter each, I'm not sure, although I would like to see it focus more on Joel side.

I would like to see Joel die at the end of this game while we take control of Ellie fully in the third game. Although I would prefer it if they kept this until the third game so the Last of Us 4 in the far future will focus on just Ellie starting a new chapter in her life.

showtimefolks3992d ago

I agree we should play as the same characters, the story in TLOU didn't end, it was left wide open for a sequel. Its not like by the end the world was fixed and there were no infected or fireflies

all i will say is ND know what they are doing so while many of the ideas being mentioned are very smart, i will leave it up to ND to decide the best course of action

ABizzel13992d ago (Edited 3992d ago )

While they are great characters, I personally want to see a completely new duo of survivors. Their story has been told outside of what happens next, and it would be nice to see how things unfold from a different perspective.

Personally I want to see 2 new characters in a different part of the country, and I want to see how things unfolded from the initial outbreak over a 10 - 20 year time span. As you start the game human interaction and choices should affect what happens as time goes on and people die. For example you meet someone who you needed help, but say you leave them to fend for themselves, well later on you need shelter and supplies, but since you didn't help him/her they tell their group not to assist you.

If I had to come up with a list of 8 things I'd want.

1. New duo in a new region

2. The game to traverse a time span of 10 - 20 years.

3. Open Area > Open World for heavily story based games (big maps, but not open world).

4. Choices. Like TWD give choices to help people or not, and have cause and effect.

5. Wildlife. The fungus only infects specific host, so since humans are basically an endangered then the wildlife should take over again. Visit a city with a major Zoo, and you have a brand new gameplay experience.

6. Dynamic Infected evolution.
When the game starts off Runners need to be the main enemies.
A few weeks / months later Runners, Stalkers, and Humans should be the main enemies.
A few years later Clickers, Runners, Humans need to be the main enemies with a few Runners.
Say 10 years later Clickers and Bloaters need to be the main enemies, with a few Humans, and rare encounter with Stalkers and Runners.

7. Cliffhanger Ending: I hate it, but I love it so much. It also leaves the game open for sequels and.....

8. More story based DLC. I know this one is one to be weary of, because we often want all the content on the disc; however, I for one certainly wouldn't mind a 2 - 4 hour stand alone single player DLC packet annually to tide us over until TLoU 3 was ready.

-Foxtrot3992d ago

The reason I don't want new characters is that we have enough already who's stories haven't been told.

Marlene
Tess
Joel (20 Year Gap)
Tommy
Bill
Frank
Sam
Henry
Anna
Hell even David...see how he became...him

I really think they should keep their focus on Joel and Ellie or move to one of the existing characters. It's why I would of liked to see a different DLC instead of Ellie and Riley. Hey the DLC was fantastic but when you have so many characters who we know nothing about you'd rather have one of them instead.

bjmartynhak3992d ago (Edited 3992d ago )

"Open Area > Open World for heavily story based games (big maps, but not open world)."

Thanks for sharing this idea! o/

ABizzel13992d ago (Edited 3992d ago )

@Foxtrot

But we don't need to really know Marlene, Tess, Tommy, Bill, Frank, Sam, Henry. Anna. and David's stories, because for we already know how things end up for them.

Trying my best not to spoil anything.

This is why I said the annual story based DLC would be a great idea, because it would be perfect to tell the back story to many of these characters and how they ended up where they were.

When a story goes bad it's usually, because the writers are trying to continue with something people think of as Perfection, which when that same level isn't achieved can end up disappointing the audience.

I think this is one of those situations where it's best to start with a blank slate, and progress with a story involving new characters in this world. I personally have thought about this for a while, and would even love to write it if I could XD, but the main characters IMO should be two completely new people which leaves room for far better character development, than simply riding along with people you already know.

I'll PM you.

@bjmartynhak

No problem, I think Open World is the first thing most of us go to, bubt in this situation I think it's just better to keep things moving for story purposes. I think Exploration should definitely play a bigger part in the game since scavenging is the new way of life in this world, but it would also benefit them if they keep things focused on point A to point B, with multiple routes to get there.

creatchee3992d ago

@ABizzel1

"3. Open Area > Open World for heavily story based games (big maps, but not open world)."

Totally agree. A game with a narrative as tight as TLOU would suffer if it went open world. A major part of the emotional punch of the game is that it continually throws you forward headfirst into the story. Having fetch quests and "kill the zombies in the cave" stuff would negatively affect the pacing of a game by adding a more leisurely pace to it.

Only way it could work is if they went the original Dead Rising route with an ultimate time limit and time limit for each of the side quests. Even then, I feel it would be against the spirit of the original. I don't necessarily want a redo of the first one, but going too much in another direction is not the best idea either.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 3992d ago
-Foxtrot3992d ago

No Problem

Next time don't read an article on a sequel to a game you HAVEN'T played yet.

It's your own fault.

ThatEnglishDude3992d ago (Edited 3992d ago )

Leave it alone. The ending was fantastic as it is. Why continue their story and sap away every ounce of profoundness it had? Jeez. It just loses it's emotional weight and impact. Without spoiling it - some dialog is shared, then the screen cuts to black and the credits roll. You're left with YOUR IMAGINATION. You can debate yourself the events following the game. Why must you all insist on being SHOWN everything? Why must we see someone die onscreen to accept they're dead? Why can't anything be left ambiguous these days. This isn't just games - it's with film too. The ending to TLOU left me thinking about it for quite some time after it had ended. If a sequel is made following the same storyline (or characters even) then all my pondering and speculation is wasted like I'm being denied an imagination. I HATE that.

It's one thing to come up with fan fiction. It's just that: fan fiction. But to want it manifested and visually created so you can validate and verify your version of what YOU think the story should be - all you're doing is ruining it for everyone else who thinks differently. I have my own beliefs on what happens to the characters, as do you. This is a GOOD thing. It leaves us talking about it long after it's been released. This is what a GOOD product does. To carry on with this story would be a giant middle finger to those people, as well as undermine the excellency of the ending. Can you people not see this?

Yes, they're fantastic written characters, but it's not mandatory to include them in another game, through being protagonists or cameos. Just for crying out loud, leave it alone!

All you people want is more, more, more. Why can't you just have a single solitary game that delivers a phenomenal masterpiece of an experience and just leave it at that?

My_Name_BTW_Is_Dante3992d ago

People consider cliff hanger endings that solve nothing in the end "fantastic"? lol

ThatEnglishDude3992d ago (Edited 3992d ago )

Why must there be a resolve? That is the entire POINT of the story. After all the fighting, all the loss and tragedy, things are not really any better off than when they started. It's a depressing story that had a depressing end. What did you expect? Did you want to see them ride off into the sunset? This is what makes the ending so excellent. It defies the rules of storytelling. Neil Druckmann done something incredible and mostly unheard of in this day and age - forced us to come up with our own conclusions, use our imagination and employ all the knowledge we've accumulated over the course of the game to come up with what we believe happened. That's genius. But besides everything else, it's not a fairy tale and not everything has to have a happy ending.

That isn't lazy storytelling at all. You're more than able to formulate a conclusion using what we know of the story. A bad writer wouldn't give us enough clues to do so. It's a very smartly written story that you need to pay attention to. It's written, but not shown - if you know what I mean. It makes heavy implications, but doesn't need to show it. THAT'S smart. Like I said, I have my own thoughts on the ending. I mean, it's a pretty damn depressing game in it's own right.

Must you be spoon fed everything in order to reach a conclusion?

I just can't help but feel the vast majority of you 'fans' are so dense as to not realize this.

Look, I love this game too. It's arguably the most smartly written and emotionally strong game I've ever experienced. There doesn't need to be a sequel.

@goldwyncq, I DO understand what you're saying - truly I do, but just because it CAN be done, doesn't mean it has to. Not everything has to come to fruition. A sequel runs a VERY heavy risk of tarnishing the image of the original. Am I suggesting Naughty Dog would make a bad game? Absolutely NOT. All I'm saying is, it'd get compared to the original, and whether or not it was a better or worse game - it would take away from the whole thing. Whereas at the moment, we can say TLOU was a fantastic experience, if a sequel were made, it would inevitably be 'I liked X, but Y was the better one' and as a result - takes away from both products. This is why I oppose a sequel, regardless as to whether or not it would feature any characters from the original. It'd end up being compared, and by extension - take away from the impact the original game had/has.

It's like these people who bang on about wanting Breaking Bad to carry on, telling Jesse's story, or even finding a way to continue Walt's. Let it end and carry a legacy with it. Which is what I would like to be the case for TLOU.

It just doesn't need to happen. Not EVERY successful videogame, TV show, or film (even book) needs a sequel.

Of course, I'm just a minority I suppose.

(I wish I had more bubbles to discuss this...)

goldwyncq3992d ago

Or you know, they could just replace it with an even more ambiguous and thought-provoking ending in the sequel. The prospect of having a sequel doesn't need to be inherently bad.

TricksterArrow3992d ago

I'd be ok with new main characters and cameos of the older ones. I'm way too attached to Joel and Ellie to see them milked beyond their purppose, which they achieved pretty successfully.

RichardDawkins3992d ago

The ideas presented in this article are terrible.

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