There’s a part of me that’s relieved that Naughty Dog is no longer venturing down the live-service route.
That doesn’t, however, mean I wouldn’t have loved to have played the studio’s cancelled multiplayer The Last of Us project.
While I’d rather The Last of Us Part III enter development, I’ve never really stopped wondering what that multiplayer entry might’ve looked like.
Any The Last of Us fan will tell you how brilliant Factions was, the multiplayer mode that accompanied the original release.
Transporting that to a sprawling world complete with an engaging story would’ve been, well, something else.
Naughty Dog is sticking to what it knows though, with the single-player Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet in the works alongside another mystery project.
There is one game on the way that could scratch the Factions itch so many of us have, however.
The Last of Us’ Multiplayer Was Cancelled, So Fans Are Making It Themselves For Console & PC
United State is a new game that’s being developed by The Last of Us fans that cites Factions and Part II’s gameplay as its “north star for inspiration”.
According to a dev post on Reddit, United State will officially be revealed later this year, where it’ll receive a cinematic trailer, extended look at gameplay, and updated title.
It’s due to launch in Q4 of this year, so we’re talking October to December, and it’ll land on PC with PlayStation and Xbox launches planned for further down the line.
“We aim to be a competitive 4v4 third-person shooter set in a 1990s post-war America,” devs state.
“TLOU Factions & TLOU Part II gameplay is our north star for inspiration. We are a very small, international team working within real budget constraints & full-time careers. That affects our pace, but not our standard.”
The stills released from the game seem to back up that latter point about quality.
There’s a couple of images on the game’s Instagram that I could easily mistake as being from The Last of Us Part II.
Of course, a static image isn’t proof of fluid gameplay. There’s a lot more we need to see of United State.
Still, The Last of Us fans are already hyped.
“Hope it does well! Nothing has really filled the gap left by Factions,” said djmcdee101.
“Day one purchase if you guys get there,” added another user.
“I’m rooting for you guys! There is a niche for small team tactical third person gameplay that is open for the taking. Can’t wait to see more,” remarked toke1, while MadonnasFishTaco said, “I’m super excited about this and I hope everything goes well. I’ll definitely buy it if and when it comes out and I’d even be happy to help playtest. I’m a huge fan of Factions.”
A Steam page for the game is expected to go live this spring.
As I said, United State is planning a name change in the coming months so if you do keep an eye on the project, remember to keep that in mind.
Let’s hope the game sticks the landing and delivers on its vision.
