Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us series has basically become the video game equivalent of an incredible book, impossible to put down, and capable of leaving a void in the player’s life that’s hard to fill. It’s for this reason that fans have been feverishly awaiting news, ever since The Last of Us Part 2 released nearly a year ago, about where the post-apocalyptic franchise will go next. With confirmation having been made that a Part 3 to Ellie’s harrowing life won’t be entering full production anytime soon for the PS5, a unique opportunity has materialized to take the next entry in the franchise in a different direction.
Often overlooked by many, somewhat understandably considering the award winning single-player narrative, The Last of Us’ original Factions multiplayer mode was beloved by many fans. Having promised that a follow up centered around the mechanics of The Last of Us Part 2 was going to happen, the gap now left by a lack of a part 3 makes the multiplayer centric adventure all the more important. The excellent job the studio did in building a suite of unique multiplayer modes back in 2013, means it would be something of a missed opportunity if Naughty Dog didn’t go all out and make Factions 2 a de facto standalone The Last of Us 2.5.
Naughty Dog's Narrative Multiplayer Plans
Ever since Naughty Dog confirmed that the follow up to Factions wouldn’t be included within The Last of Us Part 2 package, the studio has been tight lipped about the online game. Thanks to a Naughty Dog job listing uncovered by fans in March of this year, there are, however, more than a few intriguing hints that can be used to speculate on finer details. At the time of writing, the studio is still on the look out for a multiplayer focused Economy Designer to presumably work on and maintain the standalone Factions mode once it’s released. Crucially, requirements that need to be met by any successful applicant include an “understanding of narrative tone” and a “robust knowledge of multiplayer action games.”
Both of these nuggets of information indicate that Naughty Dog have grand plans instore, that would see the once tangentially relevant mode evolve into a key part of the overall shape of the universe, and its narrative direction going forward. What’s potentially on the cards marks a significant departure from what Naughty Dog have developed in most of their multiplayer modes in the past, and games like the Uncharted series. While that franchise’s multiplayer had its diehard fans, the sole focus was always about providing players with a fun non-cannon distraction, that allowed them to embody beloved characters at the same time. If the original Factions is any indicator that still doesn’t mean players should expect to play as Ellie directly, especially given the likelihood that Naughty Dog will want to continue her story without having to worry too much about what players did in online lobbies.
Factions Should Be More Than A Spin-off
Naughty Dog has always packed The Last of Us universe with detailed environmental story telling, and reference to the lives of off-screen people. Choosing not to focus on Ellie or other prominent established characters wouldn’t therefore limit Factions’ narrative potential, or prevent familiar faces from cropping up along the way via cameos either. If anything the opposite would be true, with the limitless narrative possibilities that would raise being one of the ways the game should be positioned as a true The Last of Us 2.5. While Ellie has always been the poster child of the franchise, its dissection of humanity in the face of the apocalypse has been of equal importance. Letting players create and explore more of those threads, whilst potentially providing extra context for established major events, would be a good way to safeguard the series’ future in the long term. There’s nothing stopping Naughty Dog then incorporating new faces back into the main story, later down the road.
In the original Factions players were given a basic glimpse of this concept in action, through the ability to join either the Fireflies or Hunters at the start of each multiplayer cycle. Over the course of 12 in-game weeks, players were then tasked with keeping their band of survivors alive, through successful performances in each of the games three core multiplayer modes. As a complimentary side activity in a bigger game, the basic comic book-esque splash scenes and accompanying menus in the original Factions left a lot of the tension up to the player’s imagination. Naughty Dog’s standalone follow up should take advantage of the influx of new groups in The Last of Us Part 2, and expand on this idea significantly with higher production values and cutscenes, as the player successfully navigates each faction's storyline. Groups like the Seraphites and Washington Liberation Front are just two examples of recent additions, that have backstories that are ripe for deeper exploration.
Factions Needs More Than Just PvP
Factions now being a standalone experience, that has to stand on its own, means there’s a good chance that Naughty Dog will want to expand on the three modes that were available in the original game. Each of The Last of Us’ original multiplayers options were unique enough from anything else in gaming, that they should still play a part in fleshing out what’s on offer. Scrambling to survive against another group of players, while hobbling together as many crafting resources as possible, created a sense of addictive desperation that few other games have ever even tried to emulate in an online setting.
One addition that would be welcomed in particular, that could set up Factions as a significant development in the franchise, would be the option to play game modes that aren’t just strictly PvP. Taking a page out of Call of Duty’s book through the addition of a co-op PvE zombies-esque fight for survival for example, would go a long way to add depth to what might already be on offer. From a narrative standpoint, the groundwork has already been done in The Last of Us Part 2 that would make the mode viable from a lore perspective too. Hordes of the Infected played a significant driving force in that games story, and could set up the chance to re-explore interesting developments from that game, from different angles.
Faction's Free To Play Potential
How Naughty Dog intends to deliver the standalone Factions game still remains to be seen, beyond the fact it won’t be directly added to The Last of Us Part 2. That leaves the possibility open for the game to be released in a basic form as a free to play experience. Games like Fortnite and Apex Legends have shown that building persistent worlds full of story are still possible, even if developers don’t charge players an entry fee.
Naughty Dog has dabbled with the idea of in-game transactions and purchases before, most notably in Uncharted 4 which allowed players to purchase cosmetic gear, so as unsavory as the idea might be a president already exists. Launching the original game in the late stages of the PS3’s life hurt the game’s multiplayer population, a factor that was compounded by the fact that the The Last Of Us Remastered was sent out in the early days of the PS4’s life. Making the newest Factions game a cross-play and cross-generational experience, within the PlayStation ecosystem, should therefore be factors that are taken into consideration as well.
The Last of Us Part 2 is available now for the PS4.