Hideo Kojima famously described the gameplay of Death Stranding as that of a new strand-type game, consisting of asynchronous multiplayer that allows players to collaborate to help each other out in their respective games. They contribute to the development of tools and recover other players' lost cargo without ever being in the same instance of the game together. Although it's unclear how Death Stranding 2 might improve the original's strand gameplay, another PlayStation exclusive could make great use of it: Naughty Dog's multiplayer spin-off of The Last of Us.

The Last of Us' multiplayer game will seemingly expand upon the multiplayer modes of the series' past while taking it to a whole new level as Naughty Dog claims the game will be a fresh, new experience for players. While details of the game are said to be revealed later this year, there has already been much speculation as to how a full-scale multiplayer game could function within the world of The Last of Us. Given the isolation of the world in the post-apocalyptic series, borrowing elements from Death Stranding's strand gameplay could be a natural fit for the game.

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How The Last of Us Multiplayer Game Could Feature Strand-like Gameplay

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Death Stranding's strand gameplay featured mechanics that allowed structures built in one player's world to be used by players in their own worlds. Death Stranding's delivery tools include zip lines, bridges, and timefall shelters that could be built over time and give players across multiple worlds access to features that will make their journey a little bit easier.

This kind of asynchronous gameplay made Death Stranding feel less isolated and helped support the game's theme of connection and mutual aid. As a game with a similar theme of connection in an isolated, post-apocalyptic world, The Last of Us is in a great position to capitalize on similar gameplay elements for its multiplayer spin-off.

Players could influence the environment in a variety of ways to help other players complete their objectives using things like community resource pools, messages that players can place around the map, and the building of structures to help protect settlements from infected hordes. While some of these elements are present in other multiplayer games, they could be presented in a way that fits the more asynchronous, community-oriented strand gameplay of Death Stranding.

A feature that lets players leave a message upon death, similar to Dark Souls' message system, could be a particularly effective mechanic at making a desolate world feel more connected. The Last of Us already features graffiti around parts of its world spreading the word about the Fireflies and other various warnings, so letting players leave their own messages would mesh with the established lore.

Not only would this system enhance gameplay, but also serve as a solid foundation for further world-building within the greater Last of Us series since it could explain how various groups of survivors were able to communicate and form settlements together. Although the lack of details about The Last of Us' multiplayer game leaves room for pure speculation, it's likely the game won't be a typical multiplayer experience as Naughty Dog is renowned for pushing the envelope with gaming as a medium.

As the lines between single and multiplayer games continue to blur, more titles could adopt Death Stranding's asynchronous strand gameplay approach to multiplayer. In keeping with its tradition of cutting-edge titles, it wouldn't be surprising to see Naughty Dog adopt a similar type of gameplay when designing a multiplayer game set within the solitary world of The Last of Us.

The Last of Us' multiplayer spin-off is currently in development.

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