Chapter 594: The Last of Us (Requesting Subscriptions, Monthly Passes)

After the New Year, core employees from various departments successively onboarded, and the development of The Last of Us was already underway.

However, compared to the buzz surrounding Chen Xu's new game, the topic had completely cooled down.

This was mainly because, during this period, major game developers had successively announced news of their new titles.

And compared to the three keywords Chen Xu had only revealed before the New Year, the content showcased by these game developers was clearly more substantial.

Among them, FOW's Wasteland 1981 garnered the most attention.

On various domestic and international gaming websites, as well as relevant media channels, related game content was frequently being released, though, of course, there were no explosive actual gameplay demonstrations.

More often, it was concept art, a short CG, and grand promises about gameplay.

However, it was enough to excite players.

“Feels like the sequel's flavor is just as authentic!”

“Yeah, and it seems there's a companion now, a new dog added? Just wonder what the actual game experience will be like!”

“As for the story, I don't think it'll be bad, given the foundation of the previous installment.”

“But speaking of the protagonist's motorcycle, what happened to it? Is it broken? Did they add a motorcycle repair mechanic in the new game?”

As game content was disclosed, many players expressed anticipation upon seeing it.

Although open-world games weren't as sought-after as they were during the time of Red Dead Redemption and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, this type of game remained very popular among players.

………………

As time slowly progressed, the information released by FOW became more impactful and attractive.

The character concept art for Alex in Wasteland 1981 showed him more mature than in the first game, with an added scar on his face, a remnant from the previous installment's story.

Beyond that, more rich and diverse gameplay elements were gradually unveiled.

For example, players could repair and later modify their motorcycle.

This would be the player's primary mode of transport, much like horses in Red Dead Redemption and Roach in The Witcher: Wild Hunt.

He would also have a new companion: a dog, no longer just the motorcycle for company.

FOW continued to release one piece of game-related content and data after another.

The players' excitement and enthusiasm soared.

Alex and Grayson were both very happy.

Everything was progressing in a positive direction.

Until one day in mid-March, Nebula Games and Chen Xu made their move.

On the official Weibo accounts of Nebula Games and Chen Xu, there was simply one sentence:

'The Last of Us'

Along with it, a video attachment.

………………

This Weibo post instantly sent players into a frenzy, and Grayson and Alex were equally stunned.

What about the rumored Resident Evil sequel or horror game?

What was this 'The Last of Us' all about?

Looking at Chen Xu's official Weibo, many fell into confusion.

Because this was completely different from what they had imagined!

For so long, various media speculations and player discussions had led everyone to subconsciously believe that Nebula Games' new title would be a Resident Evil sequel.

Even though Chen Xu and Nebula Games had never confirmed it.

So upon seeing the title 'The Last of Us', they were so surprised.

It wasn't what they expected!

However, after a brief moment of surprise, most people's curiosity shifted to the game itself.

What kind of game was this exactly? A horror game? Or a survival game?

The Last of Us – did it mean only the player was left in the entire world, surviving in a post-disaster setting?

But that didn't quite fit, as Chen Xu had previously mentioned 'bonds'.

Innumerable players connected Chen Xu's past announcements with the game's title, drawing all sorts of associations.

Of course, thoughts were thoughts, but they immediately clicked on the video.

………………

As always, the Nebula Games LOGO appeared, and after it passed, the video went into a brief black screen.

Then, a post-disaster world appeared before all the players.

However, to every player's astonishment, the so-called post-disaster world was not what they had imagined.

A hell on earth, filled with blood and corpses, a ruined apocalypse with burning and exploding cars everywhere?

No, quite the opposite.

Green vegetation covered the towering buildings, and the distant sun slowly set.

Even in the steel-encased post-disaster city, small animals could be seen, a natural beauty.

But before players could fully appreciate the scenery, the scene abruptly shifted to an Quarantine Zone.

Ragamuffin ordinary people lined up for aid, while heavily armed soldiers stood guard.

A little girl's narration began.

'Choices are never easy, are they?'

'When to wake up, where to linger... what to wear... where to go...'

'But now, it's different.'

The scene of the Quarantine Zone slowly distorted, and in the next second, it transformed into a modern city before the disaster.

It was bustling, people laughed as they walked the streets.

Before players could react, time seemed to freeze.

Like a shattered mirror, the video's image cracked and broke, once again showing shouting crowds, explosions, and screams.

The entire city street fell into chaos.

Disaster had struck.

'Can you tell if the person in front of you is a friend or foe?'

'Can you kill without mercy?'

'Are you ruthless enough?'

The camera moved into a cramped room, where a burly man shielded a little girl behind him, shouting a warning at a zombie that had crashed through the glass, then shooting it dead.

'Do I need to remind you what's out there?'

In the dimly lit room, the man and the little girl huddled silently behind a wall. Through the shadows reflected by the sun, eerie, hunched creatures could be seen shambling forward, emitting chilling growls.

'I once had people I cared about very much.'

Dusk, in a lush forest, the man and the little girl slowly walked forward.

Looking at the path ahead, the little girl behind him skillfully cocked her pistol.

The two walked slowly forward, gradually disappearing with the game's slightly melancholic BGM.

What followed was a series of fragmented, rapid-cut scenes.

'We need to get her out!'

'Do I need to tell you what's out there?'

'This is our chance!'

'Enough, Tess, you're playing with fire!'

Hanging corpses in rooms, post-disaster raiders, and infected – every corner was fraught with deadly peril.

'What do we do now?'

'Don't waste a single bullet.'

Putting away the pistol, he stabbed a knife into an infected's head, and then the two sprinted through an abandoned mansion.

'It's not easy for us to survive in this world...'

'It's the same for him.'

They burst through a large door, seeing the world outside.

It wasn't the post-disaster scene they had imagined; there were no streets full of infected, no dead bodies everywhere.

Only a city overgrown with green plants and abandoned cars.

'Joel told me that this journey is either about surviving at all costs, or sticking to your morals.'

'Because today, that stuff has one use, and that is... to get you killed!'

Snow, cityscapes, forests, infected, raiders... scene after scene of the post-disaster world appeared in the video.

'But we've been through and sacrificed so much, it must mean something, right?'

With the little girl's final narration, the video abruptly ceased.

The Last of Us.

The game's LOGO appeared in the center of the screen.

(End of Chapter) <> ```