The Last of Us is unique in its approach to zombies. Rather than the typical undead, the infected in the universe of
The Last of Us are a result of contact with deadly fungus and spores. This leads to interesting types of infected enemies to take on.
The first instalment included Runners, Bloaters, and the iconic Clickers.
The Last of Us Part II will be introducing more to the roster. At the moment, the only new infected that has been confirmed is one which goes by the name: Shambler. Though, it's thought that the game will feature multiple other types of infected enemies — such as zombified animals — but that hasn't been confirmed.
In a recent and official blog post (via
PlayStation Blog) by one of the directors of
The Last of Us Part II, Neil Druckmann goes into what separates the infected types and what the new Shambler zombie is capable of inflicting.
“We have Runners that close the distance quickly. We have Clickers that move slowly but are one-hit kills," says Druckmann before detailing Shamblers.
"Shamblers provide this area of attack, where they have this cloud of gaseous acid that burns materials around it. It burns your skin. The way you saw it in this demo is that they’re mostly on their own. It gets really interesting because you have a cloud that hurts you when you enter it, but it also blocks your view, then Runners burst through it. So the combinations get really interesting.”
As well as gameplay, Druckmann also talks about how new infected types have to be justified by the story and the world.
“Now we have to justify why there are different stages. Why are there mutations of these things? Without getting into it here, there is something about the environment and how much time has passed that has allowed these mutations to occur.”
Five years after their dangerous journey across the post-pandemic United States, Ellie and Joel have settled down in Jackson, Wyoming. Living amongst a thriving community of survivors has allowed them peace and stability, despite the constant threat of the infected and other, more desperate survivors.
When a violent event disrupts that peace, Ellie embarks on a relentless journey to carry out justice and find closure. As she hunts those responsible one by one, she is confronted with the devastating physical and emotional repercussions of her actions.
The Last of Us Part II will release exclusively for the PlayStation 4 on February 21st, 2020.