Although not a game designer, Gery, as a reviewer, had seen and played many games.
But the prologue of "The Last of Us" right now had truly stunned him.
The short prologue of the game completed three tasks: the tutorial, the setup of the plot's beginning, and the narration of the background.
But more importantly, it wasn't these three parts, but rather the use of emotion to drive it.
At first, the father-daughter interaction between Joel and Sarah at home made players feel warm.
Then the disaster began, and players would see Sarah looking around with curiosity and wonder during the adults' conversations, just as a girl her age should be.
This was when players were meant to connect with Sarah's emotions, which was why the game initially focused its perspective entirely on Sarah.
But then came the game's boldest move, making the Sarah that players had just grown to love die suddenly in the chaos.
And die tragically.
At the same time, before this sad emotion could even fully erupt, the screen went black, and the game immediately entered a new world.
Listening to the newspaper reports playing in the background, introducing the post-disaster world.
Gery hadn't recovered from the shock of Sarah's death and the transition.
He couldn't imagine how shocked players would be.
Although it was just the beginning, he had already seen a glimpse. It could be said that Nebula Games was truly bold with this game.
Because "The Last of Us" would be a game centered on emotion.
This emotion wasn't about the game's theme, but about resonating with the player.
Instead of focusing on gameplay or level design, where it's easier to make an impact, it focused on controlling player emotions. Could this game named "The Last of Us" achieve this?
......
With doubt, Gery quietly watched the story unfold.
As expected, the virus infection was not controlled, and tens of thousands of people were infected, and once infected, it meant certain death.
Bodies piled up in the streets, and the city was declared a restricted zone.
Citizens rioted and were suppressed, and the entire country's order was on the verge of collapse.
Food and other necessities were strictly rationed, and armed groups also launched riots.
At this point, Joel reappeared. Twenty years had passed since then. Joel was now wearing torn and dirty clothes, his hair half white, his face weathered. On his hand was a broken watch.
It was a birthday gift from his daughter Sarah twenty years ago.
Noticing this detail, Gery felt as if the wound inflicted earlier had started bleeding again.
After all, that scene was too heartbreaking.
Then, a character from a previously released preview video appeared in the house, a woman named Tess.
Through their conversation, Gery gained a deeper understanding of this post-disaster world.
Although the infection was still spreading and not fully controlled, official forces still existed.
Things like food were strictly controlled and required ration cards for exchange.
Most places in the city seemed to have turned into ruins, with tattered American flags hanging from the tall buildings on both sides.
Soldiers patrolled on rooftops and streets, and piles of garbage were in the corners below.
Various graffiti filled with despair adorned the walls of the buildings.
"There is no future!"
"Burn it all down!"
"Only Fireflies can save us!"
But upon entering the streets, wanted posters for the resistance group called "Fireflies" could be seen everywhere.
Armored jeeps patrolled the streets, and loudspeakers reminded citizens to carry their new identification cards when going out.
Along the way, two people were discussing issues regarding being chosen for work.
Tess warned Joel that the ration lines hadn't opened yet, implying there were no more supplies.
But even so, people were still lining up at the ration station with hope.
Gery controlled Joel, wandering around the city, seeing what the post-apocalyptic world of "The Last of Us" was like.
Soldiers blockaded a building, and two heavily armed soldiers in protective suits drove four people out of the building, forcing them to kneel and raise their hands for infection checks.
These were survivors hiding in the blockaded building. The first two passed the check with no infection, but when it came to the third person, the detector sounded an alarm.
Without hesitation, the soldiers in protective suits pushed the person to the ground.
Even though the person kept shouting, begging for another scan and claiming the test was wrong.
The soldiers behind him showed no mercy, injecting him with a drug. Within two seconds, he convulsed and fell silent.
When it was the fourth person's turn, he didn't choose to be tested for infection but tried to escape and was shot dead by a soldier.
During this time, Gery was curious and wanted to get closer, but the next moment he was roughly pushed to the ground by a soldier.
If he got any closer, he would be shot dead.
It was incredibly realistic, and even in peaceful times in this free land filled with the smell of gunpowder, getting that close would surely get you killed.
Besides this checking scene, anywhere there were soldiers, it was like this.
Fully demonstrating how human life was the cheapest thing in the apocalypse.
Although the game hadn't shown much gore in the apocalypse so far.
But the strict rules in this city and the surrounding environment.
Had already fully shown Gery what a post-disaster world with a collapsed civilization was like.
There were no grand spectacles, and not even any fighting.
But this simple opening of the game had already made Gery feel the apocalyptic atmosphere.
......
It wasn't just Gery sighing; all the media participating in this closed review had the same feeling.
The almost bold design of the initial emotional blow, and then the sudden transition when the impact was greatest, allowing players to reflect on the shock.
Such clever design was perfect in terms of pacing.
And the game's background and world design also surprised them.
Because the world of "The Last of Us" was not a typical post-apocalyptic game where the disaster had just happened or the world had completely collapsed.
But a world that had passed the initial phase, where human society had begun to change, a highly realistic world.
Had civilization been destroyed in twenty years?
It had been destroyed. From the conversations between Tess and Joel, one could get quite a lot of information, such as smugglers making money in gray areas and the so-called hunters outside the quarantine zone.
But this world also still had some remnants of civilization, such as currency, and the military.
Of course, there was also something that made the reporters curious and a little excited.
And that was about Sarah's death.
The pain of liking someone and then having them taken away was indeed shocking.
But similarly, the many small details from before suggested that she wouldn't just be a plot device.
The bond between Sarah and Joel, and the watch that had been broken for twenty years but still wasn't taken off.
Everything seemed to hint at something.
But what exactly was it?
Everyone believed they would find out in the subsequent story.
(End of chapter)
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