Naughty Dog has been lauded as one of the most influential development companies in the games industry, upholding a cinematic quality through its single-player titles like Uncharted and The Last of Us. In recent years, the latter's overwhelming success has paved the way for the company's exploration into additional routes within its IP; following in the footsteps of The Last of Us Factions MP, a new standalone multiplayer experience was announced, leaving fans intrigued for further news. However, given the update regarding Naughty Dog's delay of The Last of Us' multiplayer title as well as its assurance of other projects in the works, including a "brand new single-player experience," it seems that the company stands committed to upholding what it's most known for.
Given the overwhelming success of The Last of Us series and its recent HBO adaptation, it is no surprise that a multiplayer title set within its world was announced. While many remain excited to see what experiences the title could bring, others have been cautiously optimistic over the company's foray into live-service games. Such fans will be happy to hear that the company seems to be continuing its development of single-player titles, as Naughty Dog's recent statement suggests a balancing between both avenues.
Naughty Dog Is Smart to Keep Its Single-Player IPs in Mind While Balancing Newer Avenues
It can be argued that Naughty Dog demonstrates its prowess most through the art of storytelling, evident from the expansive world-building and characterization stemming from The Last of Us and Uncharted games. Both IPs emphasize players' connections with their characters and the adversities within their respective worlds, but in different ways. One is about the harrowing yet emotional journey of Joel and Ellie traveling through the post-apocalyptic United States, and the other focuses on Nate, Sully, and Elena's jaw-dropping explorations in search of treasure and discovery. These stories are a testament to this, aided by the impressive graphical fidelity seen across both series.
This is one of the many reasons that The Last of Us was perfectly primed for TV adaptation, as its acclaim has helped to bring video games back into the conversation of what constitutes an art form. Uncharted's live-action film debut, though a bit divisive in its reception, helped to further cement the viability of Naughty Dog games being brought to the big screen, honing in on the company's expertise in storytelling. While multiplayer games are certainly capable of telling unique and compelling stories in their own right, it seems that the single-player avenue feels most conducive to the company's brand of storytelling, especially with its emphasis on cutscenes and NPC development.
The development of The Last of Us' standalone multiplayer game calls into question how it might approach the live-service game trend through the use of microtransactions and in-game purchases. This would be a given if the game follows the free-to-play model, though it remains to be seen how exactly Naughty Dog intends to format the title. These qualms continue to point towards the company's development of future single-player titles being a good sign, from both an audience and sales perspective. If The Last of Us' multiplayer game reception isn't as successful as hoped for, then it would be helpful for the company to have its tried-and-true formula to fall back on.
Additionally, the prospect of a "brand new single-player experience" from Naughty Dog could be a great next step in the company's vision for a number of reasons. Going in the direction of a new IP altogether would be quite an exciting avenue, especially given the finality of Uncharted 4's ending and Ellie's revenge quest coming to an end in The Last of Us Part 2. A new spin-off title could also be an interesting approach, as the characters seen throughout both series are compelling enough for their own branched-out stories to be told. Whatever the case, it will be intriguing to see which direction the company decides to land in next.
The Last of Us is available now for PC, PS3, PS4, and PS5 platforms.