E3 is done! Though I was not present to
take it all the excitement and spectacle that is the Electronic Entertainment
Expo; I have been glued to my television and computer to stay abreast to any
and all developments. The event covered many games, among them a torrent of
sequels to some of the biggest games this generation: Assassins Creed III, Dead Space 3, and Darksiders II to name a few. The show also included showings from
franchises that gamers will be familiar with, yet offering a fresh coat of
paint; games like Tomb Raider and DmC (Devil May Cry). Though this year’s show was filled with the
kinds of experiences we’ve already had, there were a few new titles that have
me intrigued and are without a doubt, my three most anticipated games.
The Last of Us
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| Can't wait |
I remember when the first trailer
for the game was released. It depicted an ant with spikes protruding from its
body, apparently infected with some sort of virus.
 |
| Poor Ant |
The video was later updated but
remained mostly the same; still showing the poor creature crawling around on a
tree branch, but seconds later the screen goes black. We hear heavy breathing
and soon after, what sounds like a chain saw being revved up. The trailer ends
with a brief pant and loud scream from a female. The trailer immediately peaked
my interest and started to build anticipation of the game. The trailer can be
viewed on the game’s website here (be
sure to scroll over to the very last video). The second trailer is also worth a view and is
equally vague, yet compelling and mysterious.
At the 2011 VGA’s (Video Game
Awards), the studio behind the game was revealed to be Naughty Dog, the studio
behind the Uncharted Series. To me,
this meant the game was guaranteed to tell an immersive narrative with
interesting, well-crafted characters. At this point another trailer (see below)
was revealed confirming my assumptions and solidifying my excitement.
At E3, we finally saw gameplay
for my most anticipated game since… well since Heavy Rain, but more about that in part two. We play as Joel, a man
with a shaky past and tasked with escorting a young girl across the U.S. We’ve
experienced these types of games before; Enslaved
Odyssey into the West and 2008’s Prince
of Persia being among them. For the most part these games felt like we were
baby sitting and didn’t always tell a fulfilling story of how these characters
interact with each other and what effect player’s have on it.
Gameplay in The Last of Us is
expectedly brutal and suspenseful, but unlike games we’ve played in the past,
at least from what I’ve gathered from the demo. I will not spoil the demo;
instead I have posted it below and HIGHLY recommend
giving it a watch. If you can imagine a world in quarantine, nature retaking
what we’ve long inhabited and mankind on the brink of extinction, then I am
sure The Last of Us will impress.
What do you think of The Last of Us? Let me know in the
comments and come back on Monday for my second most anticipated title.
-GamerBloodline.
