Game news The formula “The Last of Us” soon to be abandoned? Naughty Dog takes a cue from Elden Ring
With the approach of the launch of the series The Last of Us on HBO Max, Naughty Dog, the studio behind the eponymous game continues to be talked about. Even today, Neil Druckmann, the co-president of the studio, admitted to wanting to change his recipe for success.
Summary
- Neil Druckmann tired of the formula that he himself democratized?
- Elden Ring and Inside as inspiration
Neil Druckmann tired of the formula that he himself democratized?
Since the resounding success of Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, a game released in October 2009 that was greatly inspired by the seventh art, Naughty Dog has established itself as the master of the “narrative action game” genre. A formula which has also gained in maturity with the arrival of The Last of Us first of the name in 2013 and especially Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End released in 2016. While we thought that the Uncharted saga could not than being made up of high-performance games, Naughty Dog proved otherwise with a focus on writing. The characters then gained in depth, while the cut-scenes multiplied; a finding that we have also been able to observe with the launch of The Last of Us Part II in 2020, a title that shines with its scenario.
Nevertheless, if this recipe for success seems to attract ever more fans and even inspire the entire video game industry – just take a look at Santa Monica Studio (God of War: Ragnarök) or Asobo (A Plague Tale: Requiem) –, Neil Druckmann, the co-president of Naughty Dog, wants to move away from it.
Elden Ring and Inside as inspiration
It was in a recent interview with The Washington Post that Neil Druckmann admitted to wanting to change his formula in the future. In effect, the co-president and creator of The Last of Us saga has indicated that he is now more interested in less frontal narration, which does not take the players by the hand. He takes the example of Inside, a game in which many questions remain unanswered, but also and above all Elden Ring.
More recently, I’ve been more intrigued by things like Elden Ring and Inside, which don’t rely as much on traditional storytelling to tell a story. I think one of the best parts of The Last of Us is in the gameplay, in moving around a space and understanding its story just by looking at it and examining it. Neil Druckmann, co-president of Naughty Dog
As you have understood, Neil Druckmann is alluding here to the environmental narration which, without saying a word, often says a lot about the universe crossed by the player.
Of course, That doesn’t necessarily mean that traditional storytelling is going to completely disappear in Naughty Dog’s next game, but it might fade slightly in favor of a new form of writing.
I think there’s a way to move things forward, at least for the kind of games we make at Naughty Dog. I’m really intrigued. Again, we never rest on our laurels, we try something a little new, a little different. It won’t appeal to everyone, but that’s okay. Neil Druckman
As a reminder, Naughty Dog is currently working on two productions: a fully multiplayer game which, according to the latest news, would take place in the universe of The Last of Us and another creation that is still very mysterious.
So there’s our multiplayer project The Last of Us and there’s another project that I won’t say anything about, which is beyond all of that, and which we’re also very excited about. Neil Druckman
