If one thing is for certain when a new Naughty Dog game is on the horizon, it is that the production values will be through the roof. The Last of Us 2 easily sits among the most graphically stunning PS4 games of its generation, pushing the capabilities of that console to its absolute limits. Environments are huge yet packed with detail, character models are eerily lifelike, and everything in-between from particle effects to lighting help bolster an impressive visual package.
With The Last of Us 2 setting a new bar for Naughty Dog and the gaming industry as a whole, many are already excited to see what the company can pull off on the significantly more powerful PS5. There are already an abundance of rumors for what Naughty Dog's next project will turn out to be, with many of them suggesting the developer is working on a sci-fi RPG title. While the genre itself may be unproven ground for the studio, based on the stunning work done on The Last of Us 2, this rumored sci-fi game is in great hands when it comes to technical prowess and intricate world building.
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Even with the next generation underway, with absolutely stunning graphics being front and center in games like Demon's Souls and Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart, Naughty Dog's PS4 swan song still looks great. The Last of Us 2 made great use of every ounce of power within the PS4 to deliver some of the most wonderfully detailed locations and effects seen in any gaming experience. Because of Naughty Dog's efforts to make the best use of what was available to the team, The Last of Us 2 will very likely still be a beautiful game for the next few years, well into the next generation life cycle.
It is because of this notion that it is so exciting to consider what the studio can pull off with even better technology and resources available. The PS5 is a significant jump from its predecessor, thanks in large part to the SSD architecture within the console. Games are able to load much more quickly and pack in even more content than ever before, giving Naughty Dog more wiggle room in terms of just how much graphical fidelity can be squeezed into one of its titles. There is another series of rumors doing the rounds now that Naughty Dog will be doing a PS5 remake of The Last of Us, due for release sometime in the future. If this is true, this gives the team a good opportunity to test out what is achievable on Sony's latest console, and give gamers a taste of what will be possible from Naughty Dog with a brand new franchise.
Shiny graphics are only half of the equation however, as making believable and authentic worlds are just as crucial to make these visuals pop even more. This is achieved through well-realized characters, fleshed-out locations, and well-thought out narrative structures. Naughty Dog made a name for itself with the Uncharted series, games which are recognized for helping break new ground in what video games can achieve from a storytelling perspective. Flashy set pieces and explosive action are always nice, but to be fully invested in a world takes thoughtful and clever writing.
Games can look no further than the Mass Effect series for proof of this, as the trilogy perhaps remains the most iconic and sprawling sci-fi RPG saga in the entire gaming medium. The franchise has a rich lore and memorable characters, helping to make its universe feel just as deep and full of history as it is grand scale. It is very important that these massive worlds aren't just large for the sake of large, but also feel alive and like a real place. Within the many locations in The Last of Us 2 like Jackson and Seattle, there is a true sense of geography and character to the areas themselves. They don't feel "gamey" like a series of blocks and hurdles that the player must obviously progress through, but rather natural and seamless locations that all help to enhance the feeling of being immersed into these worlds.
If this is what Naughty Dog can pull off in a fictional setting inspired by real world locations, it is a wonder what the developer will pull off when not being limited to working within what exists in on Earth. The science fiction genre essentially has no rules, with imaginations able to run wild to create lively, colorful and often bizarre looking alien worlds. So to take Naughty Dog's reputation for well crafted worlds and combine it with the Mass Effect example above, in how player's are encouraged to explore and discover, gamers may be in for a real treat in the next few years if the rumors are true.
The Last of Us 2 is available for PS4.
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