The Last of Us community certainly has a lot to look forward to. Supposedly, a remake of the original Last of Us is in the works, meaning that players could experience an updated version of the beloved game soon. The HBO series also looks like a solid adaptation, with the show’s massive budget shining through in all the set images that have been shared thus far. As far as a new game is concerned, fans know that Factions is coming, a multiplayer game set in the same universe as Ellie and Joel’s story.
Last year, Naughty Dog announced that The Last of Us 2 would not feature multiplayer like the original game. Instead, the sequel’s online component had been spun-off into its own project, with the new Factions likely to be a lot more in-depth than what was seen with the original take on the concept. As such, the sky is the limit when it comes to what Naughty Dog does with the mode, with fans speculating about everything from a free-to-play model to battle royale. However, one thing that this multiplayer game should make sure to incorporate is some AI-controlled infected.
PvE Content Can Make The Last of Us Factions’ World Feel Alive
The Last of Us 2’s story works well because it is more about the characters than it is the infected. Despite Ellie being immune and possibly having the key to a cure inside her body, that topic takes a backseat in favor of a more realistic and depressing narrative about revenge. However, Clickers and other creatures are there the whole way, with gamers always needing to worry about an encounter with the fungus-covered monstrosities.
This tension is what makes The Last of Us 2’s gameplay so exhilarating, as players are always on edge about each area that they step into. While human enemies bring their own challenges to deal with, encountering them always brings a sigh of relief. A fight with the sound-focused Clickers or horrifying Stalkers is far scarier, with the franchise’s horror elements working incredibly well. As such, it only makes sense to incorporate them into the game’s multiplayer spin-off.
One of the standout sections in The Last of Us 2 is seen when players first arrive to Seattle. Gamers essentially get a large open area to explore as much as they want, and there are a ton of interesting things to see. The record store provides a quiet moment where Ellie sings Take on Me for her girlfriend Dina, while the bank includes a nod to Uncharted and an intense Clicker encounter. Capturing this sense of exploration and scavenging would make Factions just as strong as the main game, especially if there was a chance players could bump into threats beyond other players.
PvE Content Can Make A Last of Us Battle Royale Mode Stand Out
While some may immediately lose interest upon seeing suggestions for a Last of Us battle royale, Naughty Dog could do something truly special with the mode. For starters, it can be tied directly to the meta game where players need to provide supplies for their survivor camp. Players could scavenge supplies and extract them like in The Division’s dark zone, while winning the match could allow the victor to have all the unscavenged supplies from the map as a bonus. However, this is just the tip of the iceberg.
Much like how Ellie and Dina had the chance to find either an empty building or one filled with infected when they explored Seattle, players could be taking that same risk as they loot a massive battle royale map. Spawns could be randomized for Clickers and other infected, making every match different and allowing for some intense fights. If players stumble upon a group of AI enemies, they could wait on someone to clear the building, attacking them during or after their attempt to deal with the infected. General zones could be marked to let players know where there is a higher risk of finding infected, similar to players knowing Zombies would be at certain Blackout locations in Call of Duty: Black Ops 4.
Outside of random encounters with infected, Naughty Dog could use the creatures as the storm for its hypothetical battle royale mode. Players would have plenty of motivation to stay in the circle if Clickers were roaming the outskirts of the map, and it would be intense seeing other players jumped on by infected when running toward the new play space. Hearing the various types of AI enemies approaching once the final circle closes in could make the battle even more memorable, with players knowing what will happen to them if they take too long to finish off their opponent. While the battle royale genre may be crowded, The Last of Us franchise provides a rare opportunity to do something truly unique within the genre.
PvE Content Could Make The Last of Us Factions’ Base Management More Interesting
Whenever The Last of Us 2 Factions releases, many will be hoping to see the meta game return. As mentioned above, fighting for supplies gave players a genuine reason to want to win and play well inside the original game’s multiplayer. In the spin-off game, it would be amazing if players had the chance to explore and expand upon a proper camp instead of watching some dots move around on a circle. Players could buy upgrades for their town and interact with their survivors, building a bond with their camp and the people in it.
Not only would an expansive camp system that can be explored in third person add a lot of depth, but it is another area where Factions could be more than just PvP. Randomly, player camps could be attacked by infected, with the difficulty of these encounters changing depending on how the survivors are feeling. If players have struggled in multiplayer, their Survivors could be too sick to help, or people could have left the camp. This could make these attacks far more difficult to survive, with them being nearly impossible to complete with an already-struggling group of survivors.
The PvP Factions multiplayer could give players time to prepare for PvE base attacks, with the entire camp on the line if players are unable to fend off the horde. Being forced to restart and lose building upgrades or special unlocks would be devastating, though a complex system with genuine risks and rewards would be a natural step forward for Factions. While Naughty Dog focusing purely on a PvP experience could certainly work, as the original mode became a cult classic, there are several ways that AI-controlled infected could make Factions a better game.
The Last of Us 2’s Factions multiplayer is currently in development.
