Well, PlayStation fans are so sick and tired of this happening that they’ve begun making their own versions of these cancelled projects. Among all the many cancelled PlayStation projects was a Last of Us multiplayer game that, sadly, was cut before gameplay footage was released. In response, developer Albatross Interactive has decided to resurrect the idea and create its own spin on The Last of Us: Factions titled Terminal War. It remains to be seen how successful it’ll be, but this new indie project has plenty of incredible ideas that fans of the beloved Last of Us multiplayer mode will enjoy.
Terminal War Looks To Revive The Last Of Us: Factions
Image Courtesy of Albatross Interactive
The Last of Us: Factions was well ahead of its time, offering an experience comparable to the likes of Fortnite or even Warzone, albeit significantly more brutal. Its heavy focus on stealth and survival mechanics set it apart amidst a slew of Call of Duty-esque experiences of the time, with players having to scavenge for resources, craft weapons on the fly, and deal with extremely limited ammo. It is no wonder that it drew such critical acclaim and garnered a staggering number of devoted fans at the time, and continues to be popular to this very day.
Unsurprisingly, Naughty Dog had been working on a dedicated successor of sorts, one that would, in theory, evolve and update the ideas explored in Factions. Unfortunately, PlayStation cancelled the Last of Us multiplayer project due to the advice it received from Bungie that it would struggle to retain player interest. It was just another victim of Sony’s aggressive yet unfocused expansion into the live service industry that led to it losing hundreds of millions of dollars, if not significantly more. Sadly, this means that fans won’t be getting an official Last of Us multiplayer game anytime soon. Of course, this is where the aforementioned fan-made Terminal War comes in.
To be clear, unlike some fan games, this is a full-blown project set in its own Last of Us-inspired universe that is simply taking heavy inspiration from the core Factions experience. While developer Albatross Interactive is certainly marketing it as an attempt to rectify the cancellation of the Last of Us multiplayer project, it is nevertheless an original game. However, for those of us who have always wanted a sequel to Factions, Terminal War seems like the next best thing. From the limited information we’ve been given so far, in addition to the handful of gameplay clips, it looks like it’s aiming to capture the same moody, bleak tone of The Last of Us with its own interpretation of a United States that’s collapsed.
You’ll be wrenching axes into the shoulders of enemies, sneaking around as you carefully manage your dwindling ammo supplies, and working together with your team to ensure your faction (of the available three) survives. Terminal War is exactly what fan games should be: a passionately crafted spin on a formula abandoned by the original developers. The love for Factions has not waned, and Terminal War is clear evidence of that. So, why not produce something that caters to that loyal fanbase, especially when you don’t have the financial expectations of a AAA studio? It feels like the perfect solution to an increasingly prevalent problem.
More Studios Should Embrace Fan Games
Image Courtesy of Albatross Interactive
I recently wrote about how CD Projekt Red can save the gaming industry thanks to its revival of the once common practice of handing IP and projects to other, smaller studios, to help keep a steady flow of games set within a specific universe. We used to see it all the time, with the likes of Obsidian taking on the Fallout reins briefly to deliver one of the greatest games in that series. What I hadn’t accounted for in that original article was how indie studios can ostensibly do the same thing by simply taking ideas abandoned by AAA developers and revitalizing them with a fresh coat of paint.
We’ve seen this happen a few times, and occasionally we get fan games that are better than the original. It is largely how many sub-genres are born or grow in popularity, as developers take the games popular in their youth and implement their own ideas to add a unique twist to the mix. Yet, for the most part, especially if said game is inspired by anything remotely associated with Nintendo, it’ll get quashed. Sure, some studios support fan games, but a lot of the time, they can end up in legal trouble and back out of production in order to not lose a ridiculous amount of money in court fees.
I think that more AAA studios should be encouraging of fan games and indeed advocating for the ideas they no longer have capacity or interest in pursuing to be utilized by indie developers. Sure, this is a fairly utopian ideal, one that is likely impossible, as the likes of PlayStation would never actively suggest taking ideas that they could one day monetize. However, if PlayStation and its ilk have no plans to make games in their most beloved franchises, or indeed expand upon modes like Factions, then why not allow others to take over? In fact, I would hazard a guess that by having other developers build upon a mode or idea a AAA developer created, it’ll only help popularize it, allowing said developer to swoop in at the last minute with the so-called “official” version or a revival of an iconic idea lost to time and make a lot of money.
At the very least, I think taking heavy inspiration from the lost media hoarded by AAA developers is a smart idea, and one that more indie developers should do. Terminal War is bringing back a niche multiplayer mode from well over a decade ago because PlayStation clearly has no interest in doing the same, and I respect that. Additionally, as aforementioned, unlike Bungie, which has to deliver a hugely financially successful video game to recoup its exorbitant employee costs and justify Sony’s multi-billion dollar buyout, studios like Albatross Interactive only need to garner a small, dedicated fanbase to keep the lights on. It makes sense then for these kinds of studios to take on the task of reviving franchises, ideas, and modes that still appeal to a niche subset of people desperate to play more of what they love.
What do you think of Terminal War? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
