Now that TLOU Online got cancelled, what games should ND do?

[Yurinka]

We know they were working on TLOU Online, two new SP games and TLOU2R.

Now TLOU Online is cancelled (and seems they won't do MP only/GaaS games), how would you structure ND (to move the TLOU Online people to these other two teams or to move them to a third SP game) and which games would want them to develop?

If they already have the preproduction ready for a 3rd SP game, I'd go with 3 SP games at the same time making sure they don't go too woke and that they are respectful with their iconic characters:

• Uncharted 5: Nate and Sully remember their first adventures while sharing some drinks comparing them to the first adventures of the daughter. Nate's daughter is investigating Atlantis and lose communication with her, so both and Elena go to help her. In different parts of the game we play as either adult Nate, young Nate, young Sully and as the daughter. Bluepoint would be codeveloping it, who in the future maybe could take the lead for future Uncharted games
• New IP: Fantasy in alien planets and space, something like a more pulp version of Star Wars but less serious (add some Uncharted-like humor instead all the TLOU drama) and more focused on narrative. Female olive skin protagonist with no references to her sexuality. Maybe Savage Starlight
• TLOU3: In the intro Ellie and Tommy find and kill Abby cutting her head off with a chainsaw. Then both remember stories with Joel and the other 95% of the game is a flashback with Joel+Tommy and Joel+Ellie stories. Mixing these stories with something they found where they killed Abby they realize who were Ellie's parents and why she is inmune

A small team would support and overview a mostly externally developed stuff:

• TLOU2R for PS5 (and later its PC port)
• Uncharted VR spinoff (imagine an evolved Horizon CoM) developed by Firesprite with the daughter as main protagonist and Nate as sidekick -a minor part of the game playable too-

If don't have the preproduction ready for a 3rd SP game I'd put all their resources in the other 2 SP games until they are ready to start full production of a 3rd one.

 

[Satoru]

Uncharted 5: Nate and Sully remember their first adventures while sharing some drinks comparing them to the first adventures of the daughter. Nate's daughter is investigating Atlantis and lose communication with her, so both and Elena go to help her. In different parts of the game we play as either adult Nate, young Nate, young Sully and as the daughter. Bluepoint would be codeveloping it, who in the future maybe could take the lead for future Uncharted games

New game has to be Nate's daughter and Nate as the protagonists. Atlantis is a good setting. They should retire Sully, since Nate would take his role.

New IP: Fantasy in alien planets and space, something like a more pulp version of Star Wars but less serious and more focuse on narrative. Female olive skin protagonist with no references to her sexuality. Maybe Savage Starlight

Could be cool

TLOU3: In the intro Ellie and Tommy find and kill Abby cutting her head off with a chainsaw. Then both remember stories with Joel and the other 95% of the game is a flashback with Joel+Tommy and Joel+Ellie stories. Mixing these stories with something they found where they killed Abby they realize who were Ellie's parents and why she is inmune

Horrible idea. Next game will likely be about Ellie trying to find the fireflies so she can sacrifice herself to develop a vaccine. It's cliche, but that's how the story seems to be going, and would provide closure to her arc. She would also forgive Abby at the very end.

TLOU2R for PS5 (and later its PC port)

Bold of you to assume there will be a PC port.

 

[Yurinka]

Horrible idea. Next game will likely be about Ellie trying to find the fireflies so she can sacrifice herself to develop a vaccine. It's cliche, but that's how the story seems to be going, and would provide closure to her arc. She would also forgive Abby at the very end.

Well, she already forgave tried to forgive Abby in TLOU2, but couldn't and went for her at the end of TLOU2. And at the end decided to don't kill her. In her context pretty likely Ellie will go again for her.

The thing is, if she is going to sacrifice herself at the end of the game, which is what I thought, in terms of narrative they can't do it just after a big and tense boss fight, specially being an important and iconic character. They need some time in terms of narrative to prepare the player for the moment and to let her "say goodbye".

So this is why I think it's also better to kill Abby at the start of the game, find the fireflies, found about her parents, discover why she is inmune, to see that they really can make a cure and really need her for it. That needs gameplay and story. And characters need development and the player needs fan service, so they need to remember Joel to say how he changed them and take/justify the decisions they will take or took.

Bold of you to assume there will be a PC port.

Well, not sure if already announced but I assume that the only reason of remastering TLOU2 (in addition to milk the popularity of the game and tv show) was to port it to PC.

 

[Box]

Last Of Us Part 1.5 HD Remix

Last Of Us 2.5 HD Remix

Last Of Us 1 Remake

 

[Satoru]

Well, she already forgave tried to forgive Abby in TLOU2, but couldn't and went for her at the end of TLOU2. And at the end decided to don't kill her. In her context pretty likely Ellie will go again for her.

She didn't. She decided not to kill her, but she didn't forgive her.

The thing is, if she is going to sacrifice herself at the end of the game, which is what I thought, in terms of narrative they can't do it just after a big and tense boss fight, specially being an important and iconic character. They need some time in terms of narrative to prepare the player for the moment and to let her "say goodbye".

Agreed, but you don't need a big impact death, or to kill Abby. In fact, I think Abby will again be one of the protagonists, and that the game will cover Ellie and Abby on their journey to the fireflies.

So this is why I think it's also better to kill Abby at the start of the game, find the fireflies, found about her parents, discover why she is inmune, to see that they really can make a cure and really need her for it.

Many things to unpack:

• Killing Abby would set Ellie's character arc back. It makes zero sense considering the end of Part 2
• Ellie already knows about her parents, or at least her mum
• We already know why she is immune, this is covered in both Part 1 and Part 2. Her body mutated cordyceps when infected, and this mutation does not take over the host.

And characters need development and the player needs fan service, so they need to remember Joel to say how he changed them and take/justify the decisions they will take or took.

Joel will probably be in the game via flashbacks. I don't see a scenario where he doesn't show up.

Well, not sure if already announced but I assume that the only reason of remastering TLOU2 (in addition to milk the popularity of the game and tv show) was to port it to PC.

And yet they didn't announce it, despite having announced TLOU PT1 for PC at the same time as the PS5 game.

 

[DForce]

The Last of Us Part III and a new IP are in development. Another new IP should begin after these two games are finished.

The Last of Us Part III

I don't see Ellie going after Abby again just to fight her because it would be a repeat of what happened at the end of Part II.

If there's any conflict between the main characters from Part II, then I can see only a few different scenarios.

1. Ellie lied to Tommy and Dina about killing Abby.
2. Abby finds Ellie, but seeing her again brings up past trauma. This could lead to an argument until Ellie finds out why Abby is looking for her.
3. Something happens in Ellie's life where she wants to find the Fireflies and give her life for the cure. Either he's sick (dying) or someone close to her died.

Something has to start the journey for the protagonist. The first game focused on Joel bringing Ellie to the fireflies, and the second focused on Ellie finding Joel's killer.

Maybe there's someone else who is immune... but overall, I think it's going to come down to the Fireflies and the cure/Ellie's immunity. If there's anything involving Joel then I think it will be in a flashback.