After the New Year, core employees from various departments gradually joined. The development of "The Last of Us" was also proceeding as planned.
However, the hype for Lucas's new game had completely cooled down.
This was mainly because news of new works from major game manufacturers had also been released during this period.
Moreover, compared to the three keywords Lucas had only hinted at before the New Year, these game manufacturers had clearly shown much more.
Among them, the most anticipated was FOW's "Wasteland 1981."
On various domestic and international gaming websites and media channels.
Related game content was frequently revealed. Of course, there were no exciting live gameplay footage.
Most of it was concept art, a short CG, and promises about gameplay.
But it was enough to excite players.
"Feels like the sequel has the right vibe too!"
"Yeah, and it seems there's a companion, a new dog? I just don't know what the actual gameplay experience will be like!"
"Story-wise, I don't think it will be bad, considering the previous game."
"But speaking of which, where's the protagonist's motorcycle? Is it broken? Does the new game add motorcycle repair gameplay?"
As game content was revealed, many players still showed anticipation after seeing it.
Although compared to the times of "Red Dead Redemption: Redemption" and "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild," open-world games are not as popular anymore.
But this type of game is still very popular with players.
.........
Time slowly passed, and the information released by FOW became more and more impactful and attractive.
The character design art showed that compared to the first generation characters, the protagonist in "Wasteland 1981," the sequel, had become more mature, with a scar on his face, a memento from the previous game's plot.
In addition, more and richer gameplay was gradually revealed.
For example, players could repair and later upgrade their motorcycles.
This would be the player's main mode of transportation, much like the horses in "Red Dead Redemption: Redemption," and the "roach" in "The Witcher: Wild Hunt."
There was a new companion: a dog, not just the company of the motorcycle.
Piece by piece, game-related content and information were released by FOW.
Players' excitement and emotions soared.
Alex and Grayson were also very happy.
Everything was progressing in a good direction.
Until one day in mid-March, Nebula Games and Lucas made their move.
On the official Weibo accounts of Nebula Games and Lucas.
There was only a simple sentence.
"The Last of Us"
In addition, there was a video attachment.
.........
The moment this Weibo post went out, players exploded, and so did Grayson and Alex.
What about the rumored zombie sequel or horror game?
What is this "The Last of Us" all about?
Looking at Lucas's official Weibo, many people were confused.
Because it was completely different from what they had expected!
After all this time, the speculation from various media and discussions from players.
Had led everyone to subconsciously believe that Nebula Games' new work was a zombie sequel.
Even though Lucas and Nebula Games had never admitted it.
So seeing the title "The Last of Us" made them so surprised.
It was not what they thought!
However, after a brief surprise, most people's curiosity shifted to the game.
What kind of game was this?
A horror game? Or a survival game?
The last of us, does it mean the player is the only one left in the world, surviving in a post-disaster world?
But that's not right either, because Lucas mentioned bonds before.
Countless players combined the previous information released by Lucas and the game's name, making associations.
Of course, while they were thinking, they still clicked on the video first.
.........
As usual, the Nebula Games logo appeared, followed by a brief black screen.
Then the post-disaster world appeared before all the players.
But what surprised all players was that the so-called post-disaster world was not what they had imagined.
Like a living hell, a world of blood and corpses, a post-apocalyptic scene with burning cars and ruins?
No, quite the opposite.
Green vegetation covered the tall buildings, and the distant sunset slowly descended.
Even in the post-disaster city surrounded by steel, small animals could be seen, a kind of natural beauty.
But before players could finish admiring this beautiful scenery, the screen suddenly switched to the quarantine zone.
Ragged ordinary people lined up to receive aid, guarded by soldiers holding firearms.
A little girl's narration appeared.
"Choices are never easy, are they?"
"When to get up, where to stay... What to wear... Where to go..."
"But it's different now."
The scene in the quarantine zone slowly warped and the next second turned into a modern city before the disaster.
It was prosperous, with people happily walking on the streets.
Before players could react, time seemed to stand still.
Like a shattered mirror, the images in the video cracked and broke, again showing shouting crowds, explosions, and screams.
The entire city street descended into chaos.
Disaster struck.
"Can you tell if the person in front of you is friend or foe?"
"Can you kill without hesitation?"
"Are you ruthless enough?"
The camera focused on a narrow room, where an uncle protected a little girl behind him. He looked at the zombies breaking through the glass and lunged in, warning them loudly before shooting one dead.
"Do I need to remind you what's outside?"
In the dark room, the uncle and the little girl hid behind the wall in silence. Through the shadow reflected by the sun, they could see grotesque creatures huddled in the room, moving shakily and emitting heart-stopping roars.
"I used to have someone I cared about deeply."
At dusk, in a lush forest, the uncle and the little girl walked slowly forward.
Looking at the path ahead, the little girl behind him skillfully cocked her handgun.
The two walked slowly forward, fading away with the slightly melancholic background music of the game.
Next was a series of fragmented clips.
"We need to get her out!"
"Do I need to tell you what's out there?"
"This is our chance!"
"That's enough, Tess, you're playing with fire!"
Bodies hanging in rooms, post-disaster raiders and infected.
Everywhere was filled with deadly danger.
"What do we do now?"
"Don't waste any bullets."
Putting away the handgun, plunging a small knife into the infected's head, the two ran forward in a dilapidated mansion.
"It's not easy for us to survive in this world..."
"It's the same for him."
The two burst through the door and saw the outside world.
It was not the post-disaster scene they had imagined, no streets full of infected, no dead bodies everywhere.
There were only cities full of green plants and abandoned cars.
"Joel told me that this journey is either to survive at all costs, or to hold onto your morals."
"Because nowadays, that thing also has a use, which is... to get you killed!"
Snowfields, cities, forests, infected, raiders... Scenes of the post-disaster world appeared in the video.
"But we've been through so much and paid so much, it must have some meaning, right?"
As the little girl's final narration ended, the video cut abruptly.
The Last of Us.
The game's LOGO appeared in the center of the screen.
(End of chapter)
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