Not a lot of new enemies from the upcoming video game The Last of Us Part II were teased by Naughty Dog for the fans. Some of the gameplay videos did show one particular infected enemy that might become a big problem for players in the game. They were called the Shamblers and are pretty much the equivalent of an enemy who wants to get you out of your hiding place and forces you to move.
Game Director Neil Druckmann shares some details of this new infected.
Shamblers can throw poisonous gas bombs at the player, which explode on impact and release a very dense cloud of smoke that can obscure sight. When they are killed, they also release the same kind of dense smoke, which can be problematic if they get killed in close combat. This was a definite upgrade for combat and it made the development team excited according to Druckmann.
Druckmann revealed that the Shambler will force players to move because its gas bombs have that corrosive damage. The developers wanted the players to move around and want fights to feel dynamic so this type of infected was created. The smoke also obscures the senses of the character, it blocks their vision. Combining the abilities of the Shambler with other infected will result in one dangerous group for Ellie to face on the field.
In one situation Druckmann described, Ellie could be in real trouble if players do not find the Shambler right away. If Ellie gets caught on an exploding gas bomb, her senses are clouded and she will not see where the Shambler is hiding. Runners will then be running through that cloud emerging from it, which will make them more dangerous than ever.
From how the game director described it, the best way to deal with this enemy is with long range weapons from a safe distance and it should be a silenced gun. Drawing attention of other infected will get you in trouble, so it should be done with precise and quick timing. Distracting it by throwing a broken bottle in another direction could only spell trouble with the poisonous smoke it will leak out.
The Last of Us Part II will launch this coming June 19 exclusively on PlayStation 4. It will also play smoothly on PlayStation 5 when the console launches.
Interview source: IGN