plotline
Latest
More The Last of Us story details emerge
Naughty Dog creative director Neil Druckmann and game director Bruce Straley spent some time discussing The Last of Us' two main characters, its world and the changes that world has undergone in a video interview with Game Informer. The game is set 20 years after an apocalyptic fungal outbreak has decimated human society; what little humanity still exists has been relegated to military-controlled quarantine zones that operate under a brutal martial law.Joel, our grizzled protagonist, is a black-market jack-of-all-trades in his late 40s, emotionally broken by the catastrophe and living his daily life at the edges of his waning moral boundaries. He is contracted by an unknown third party to smuggle 14-year-old Ellie outside of the quarantine zone she was born in, and as events unfold the pair find themselves trapped in the wilds of the dystopian, fungal zombie-filled wastelands, unable to return to the (relative) safety of the military zones.Despite how jaded he has become, Joel cannot abandon Ellie to the ruins of the world, prompting an all-or-nothing expedition to a secret safe haven beyond the military's grasp. Sounds kind of like Resident Evil 4 meets The Dark Crystal meets the Will Smith version of I Am Legend. Consider our interest thoroughly piqued.
The Tattered Notebook: No one is left behind
'Allo again, lovelies. Last week has been a week of danger and intrigue as I battled through Nektulos Forest and worked on getting my unique Shadowknight armor. During all of this, though, I thought to myself -- how can I apply any of these experiences to my notebook entry for this coming week? Then of course, it hit me. Why not just explain what I've been doing to get through the areas in a short amount of time? A few tips and tricks for playing the level game? Sure, I've been up and down with grouping and preparations for Sentinel's Fate, but many players are always intimidated when entering a game and "being behind." Well, don't worry about being behind. You're not entering the game late at all when it comes to EverQuest II, especially thanks to the recent additions to the game in Sentinel's Fate. Interested in catching up and experiencing some great content? Then click on through after the break! Also, I'm still looking for questions anyone has on EverQuest II, so I can answer them in an upcoming Tattered Notebook. Ask me anything, from EverQuest II questions, guild leadership and raiding questions, and even questions on my Dark Elven heritage. Send them over to seraphina@massively.com, and she'll be sure to forward them on through the Norrathian Express mail to me.
Anti-Aliased: History of the world, part one
So, besides the Mel Brooks reference in the title, what do I have in store for you this time? Well, in short, I have an idea. Nay, I have an inspiration. Plus, I have a story to boot, so it's really a two for one deal this week in my column. You better read fast, for this deal won't last long! The one thing that many MMORPGs completely miss is making the player character feel triumphant and heroic. When making the conversion from roleplaying game to online roleplaying game, we frequently miss out on the one thing that makes pen and paper RPGs so unique: a history. This week in Anti-Aliased, I really want to cover the concept of history as it pertains to MMORPGs, and make the appeal that more MMOs need to invest in a persistent storyline in addition to the standard canned quests that we already utilize in every game under the sun.
Anti-Aliased: So long, and thanks for all the woah
It's a depressing news day for me today. As we've reported earlier, Sony Online Entertainment has finally made the decision to pull the plug on The Matrix Online, a decision that makes absolutely perfect sense given the dire straights the game has been in for the past few years.MxO was always "the little game that could" in regards to the community outlook. Even with horribly broken systems, a grind worthy of an Asian MMO, and periods where I literally sat around doing nothing, there was some odd charm about the game. Perhaps it was the setting, or maybe it was the really cool combat system (yes, it too was broken, but those animations were sweet), but I think it was the storyline.Let's have a look back the history of Matrix Online and some of the stories no one ever heard about.
