The Last of Us Part II to Solve Companion AI

Naughty Dog’s The LAst of Us Part II is looking to improve a flaw from the original game where enemies would ignore your companion AI, mostly leaving Joel to fight the brunt of enemies. This is especially true as the enemy AI would ignore Ellie even though she was always with Joel, so it kind of makes no sense.

According to Gamespot, they interviewed Part II’s co-director Anthony Newman. He talked about how there have always been problems with the first game’s companion AI and this is something that the team is working to fix with the sequel.

“[Companion AI is] actually one of the few really significant technical achievements we’ve been able to make on the game,” said Newman. “[In the original] there is a mode the AI can be in–which is their default mode when you’re in stealth–where they will just never be seen. They’re almost better than the player can be at being stealthy… There’s a tricky balance there because [Ellie] could then just hang way, way back and just never be seen, but then you don’t feel like you have an ally with you, [so] you feel lonely. So there’s a really interesting line we’ve been walking but I can definitely say that that aspect of the game has been dramatically improved, I would say.”

Additionally, they want to have the AI improved for moment-to-moment combat so that the ambient AI will do more damage to enemies around them as enemies in the past took way less damage from Joel’s companions. Well hopefully when The Last of Us Part 2 gets released, these changes will feel amazing.

For more information about The Last of Us Part 2, check out here.

Follow Gaming Instincts on Facebook and Twitter and don’t forget to check our channel at Youtube.