STACK #188 June 2020

FEATURE GAMING

A DOG’S TALE It started with a JAM back in 1985, and since then game developers Naughty Dog have gone from strength to strength, becoming one of the brightest feathers in the cap of Sony Interactive Entertainment. Words Amy Flower B ased in Santa Monica, California, and originally new generation was on its way, and Naughty Dog created another original title, starring a new pair

Naughty Dog has put into creating fleshed- out enemies. In a game that’s interested in exploring consequences, there will be plenty of those in the moment-to-moment combat. Of course, it’s not all about going loud. Stealth systems have been refined and complemented with a greater sense of dexterity for new traversal opportunities that can help in skirting around enemies or reaching isolated foes. If they do get the drop on you, absolutely take advantage of the dodge ability to avoid an otherwise head-separating axe swing or other jump-scare threats.

to spawn several highly-desired sequels well into the life of the inevitable PlayStation 4. But before the PS3 was done, it would host another Naughty Dog game in The Last of Us . Taking similar mechanics to the Uncharted series and drenching them in a disease- ridden, post-apocalyptic United States, Naughty Dog’s knowing storytelling skills leapt to the fore, as players really felt for the game’s protagonists, in particular teenaged Ellie. A smash upon release, it repeated the success when brought to the PS4, and a sequel was assured. Now, after a few Last of Us Part II launches this month. With the PlayStation 5 just around the corner, we somehow doubt that’s the end of the Naughty Dog story. false starts and a lot of waiting, The

known as JAM Software, those who we know now as Naughty Dog entered the software business with educational title Math Jam for the king of school computers at the time, the Apple II. But it didn’t take high school student founders Andy Gavin and Jason Rubin long to get into developing games. In retrospect, it was a very good idea. After a handful of fairly minor releases, the pair changed their company name to Naughty Dog at the same time that they partnered

of characters for the PlayStation 2. Released in 2001, open world 3D platformer Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy saw titular 15-year-old boy Jak and his best mate,

Daxter - who’d inadvertently been turned into an otter/weasel hybrid – tasked with saving the world in order to rescue Daxter from a life as an “ottsel”. Sony bought Naughty Dog in 2001, and while both Gavin and Rubin left in 2004 to pursue other projects, the company was flying, with their next big release set to mark them as a name to be reckoned with. The game?

with Electronic Arts, who published their platformer Keef the Thief . The relationship continued, with Naughty Dog dabbling their toes in the console world for the first time with

isometric role-playing game Rings of Power for SEGA’s Mega Drive/Genesis, and then Way of the Warrior for the ill-fated 3DO console. But the guy who signed the pair to a three-game deal? Mark Cerny, who’d go on to become synonymous with PlayStation – and still is. It was Sony’s first PlayStation console that marked the beginning of what has become a beautiful – and lucrative - friendship. Cerny suggested that Naughty Dog might be wise to try their hand at coming up with a character- driven game for the new console, and Crash Bandicoot was born. Not only did the 1996 arrival of the spunky Aussie marsupial sell millions and spawn a successful series of sequels, many of which have been remastered for later console generations, but he also served well as an ambassador for PlayStation. As is the way of consoles, a

Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune , a cinematic action adventure spectacular for the

Keep an eye out for new forms of cover, too, like disappearing into tall grass or hitting the deck to avoid a sentry’s gaze. Whatever you do, don’t get too comfortable in the shadows. It’s not just enemy AI that’s smarter, there are also new threats, like guard dogs that have a knack for sniffing out your scent and seeking to turn you into a chew toy. While The Last of Us Part II ’s multiple delays have been disappointing, it’s ultimately amounted to a keener anticipation for what’s shaping up to be another Game of the Year contender for the franchise.

still new PlayStation 3 console, and a game which would go on

SELECTED RELEASE HISTORY

1985 - Math Jam - Apple II 1990 - Keef the Thief - Amiga/Apple II/PC

1991 - Rings of Power - Mega Drive 1994 - Way of the Warrior - 3DO 1995 - Crash Bandicoot - PlayStation 1999 - Crash Team Racing - PlayStation 2001 - Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy - PS2 2007 - Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune - PS3 2013 - The Last of Us - PS3 2020 - The Last of Us Part II - PS4

Did You Know? The JAM in Naughty Dog’s original name JAM Software stood for “Jason and Andy’s Magic Software”. Kids, eh?

• The Last of Us Part II is out June 19

High Impact Violence

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