Factions, the original multiplayer mode in The last of uswas well received in its time. It divided players into two groups – Hunters and Fireflies – and was a tactical, team-based multiplayer that mixed stealth, resource gathering and survival elements to mirror the feel of the single-player campaign. The multiplayer mode allowed players to craft, scavenge and fight for survival while choosing their allegiance to one of the two factions. But when Last of us part 2 released in 2020, it did not feature multiplayer, despite the popularity of Factions in the first game.
Naughty Dog was originally supposed to release a multiplayer component too Last of us part 2however, it was delayed and the studio ultimately decided to turn it into a separate, standalone project. Unfortunately, that multiplayer project was scrapped last year, but hopefully that doesn't matter The last of us will never have multiplayer again. A future version could finally take advantage of a long-needed feature.
Playing as Infected after death can make TLoU Multiplayer much more interesting
If Last of us franchise is revisiting multiplayer again, incorporating the ability to play as infected (possibly after the player's death) would be an interesting step. Naughty Dog explored many multiplayer ideas in the past with Factions, but it has yet to take advantage of playable infected.
The idea of allowing players to control infected characters i Last of us could reinvigorate multiplayer by adding unpredictability. It would create higher stakes and provide an immersive way to watch. After death, instead of traditional spectatorship, players could respawn as infected and continue to contribute to the ongoing match. This would increase tension and improve immersion – sort of like how Counter-Strike 1.6 and Counter-Strike source handled their zombie modes back in the day. Players can evolve from a runner to a clicker or even an inflater while hunting down remaining survivors.
Infected players after death in multiplayer would also enhance the horror elements
This feature will not only make the experience more engaging for defeated players but also enhance the horror elements. One way to ensure this is to make map borders and objectives feel significantly more dangerous, which is completely in line with Last of us the story of the game and how the TV show of the same adds novelty to the plot. One way to create scarier environments and map boundaries is to make them shift or deteriorate instead of keeping them static.
How adding infected can help The Last of Us Multiplayer's tactical gameplay
Additionally, this type of system would encourage more tactical play. Survivors would have to contend with the constant threat of fallen teammates returning as their worst nightmare, leading to less predictable encounters. Also, these features don't have to conform perfectly to Canon, and can be done as a standalone mode that takes creative liberties where needed to create a fun multiplayer experience.
Doing all of this thoughtfully can increase fear as the infected will continue to come in and become more aggressive near the edges of the map. While no such multiplayer game appears to be on the horizon, this is the kind of innovation that could help create a future version of Last of us multiplayer sets it apart from other survival games and makes it a must-play experience.
