There were a few things that made The Last of Us Factions stand out when it made its debut back in 2013. Its use of crafting encouraged strategy and captured the vibe of the singleplayer mode, while the meta game where gamers had to keep their Factions camp alive made matches more intense and meaningful. As the weeks passed, players had to perform better and better to provide for their growing camp, with fights for supplies taking place on a variety of maps.
Currently, fans have no idea what the upcoming multiplayer spin-off for The Last of Us is going to look like. Not only is a battle royale mode possible and a free-to-play format rumored, but it is unclear if there will be a mode like the original Factions. At the moment, all fans know is that Naughty Dog will be attempting to merge its strong storytelling with online play. Still, if a Factions-like experience is present, it could be good to see a couple classics making a return.
Maps That Would Be Great To See Again in The Upcoming Last of Us Multiplayer Game
Given how memorable the location was in the campaign, it is no surprise that Bill’s Town proved fairly popular with Factions fans. Bringing back the map could make for a good tribute to a popular area and character, and Naughty Dog could even update the map to show how it looks years after Joel and Ellie visited. Perhaps it would be more overgrown or more damaged from Bill’s traps and infected encounters.
While the University is a memorable location from the original game since it is where Joel suffers his near-fatal injury, leading players to take control of Ellie during Left Behind and a large portion of Winter, it also served as one of the very best multiplayer maps. Some good verticality allowed for a variety of fun encounters, something that can also be said about the multiplayer map High School. Being able to battle inside and outside the school or fight around staircases was interesting. The map offered a mix of long sightlines for snipers and close quarters classrooms where shotgun wielders could thrive, too.
A few final maps worth mentioning are Dam, Lakeside, and Suburbs. Dam stood out by featuring guaranteed gunfights on the Dam itself, with flankers able to push through a small wooded area if they wanted to get away from the slaughter. Lakeside also shined, as its snowy setting served as a welcome change of pace. Lastly, Suburbs was an iconic map that saw players battling through a neighborhood, and the various houses ensured it was one of the more memorable maps in the original The Last of Us game.
Naughty Dog Should Not Overdo It When It Comes to Map Remakes
Though there are other good maps worth mentioning, such as Wharf and Checkpoint, Naughty Dog should not overload the new multiplayer game with remakes. This is something that has become all too common in franchises like Call of Duty, with Black Ops Cold War prioritizing old maps over new ones and Modern Warfare 2 beginning its post-launch seasons with two remakes.
If Naughty Dog wants its new Factions mode to stand out, it should never let remakes overpower its original content. Instead, sprinkling remakes out across several post-launch updates would be wise, adding an old map alongside a few brand-new ones here and there. From the Santa Barbara beach to downtown Seattle to the Seraphite island, there are many fun locations from the second Last of Us that would work as multiplayer maps in the upcoming spin-off. As such, Naughty Dog should explore The Last of Us 2 content fully before bringing back older locations for its next multiplayer experience.
A multiplayer The Last of Us game is currently in development.