Naughty Dog is a master at telling stories in the most cinematic way possible. The Last of Us and Uncharted 4. The studio no longer has anything to prove in this area and that is perhaps why its co-president Neil Druckman now has other desires, just as he also wants to change the communication around the games developed by his teams.
Towards games with fewer cutscenes?
Currently on a media tour to promote the series The Last of UsNeil Druckmann took advantage of his interview with The Washington Post to express interest in other types of storytelling than what the studio usually produces. He takes as an example the case ofElden Ringwhich tells us a story in a totally different way than a The Last of Us :
” I’ve been more recently intrigued by stuff like Elden Ring and Inside, which don’t rely as much on traditional storytelling to tell a story.. I think some of the best storytelling moments in The Last of Us – although yes, a lot of the game relies on cutscenes – are in the gameplay, moving through a space, and understanding the story of a place just by looking at it and examining it. For me, right now, it’s one of the best joys I get from games that trust their audience to figure things out, that don’t hold their hands. That’s what really intrigues me for the future. »
He then clarifies that this does not mean that Naughty Dog will completely do without dialogue or cutscenes thereafter, but the creator seems interested in the idea of exploring a narration which is characteristic of the video game medium.
Games that will be announced less early in production
In another interview with ComicBook, Druckmann discusses the studio’s communication, saying that announcing games too early in development has hurt teams in the past. He acknowledges that this has caused stress within the studio, and that is why the multiplayer game project The Last of Us still hasn’t given a date:
” We announced Uncharted 4 and The Last of Us Part 2 too early and it actually caused some work-life balance issues for our employees.. By delaying this announcement a bit, we could play with the schedule more and we are now more aware of how we approach production. »
He then indicates that in addition to the multiplayer game in question, another project is in the works, but he cannot say anything about it yet. We will therefore wait until the studio speaks.