The Last of Us 2is a testament to Naughty Dog’s detail-oriented game design, with small bits of information about characters like Ellie adding up to sell a compelling experience. And while players likely smashed a few windows while making their way throughThe Last of Us 2’sdepiction of Seattle, it turns out that the glass breaking mechanic is far more complex than some assumed.
As it turns out, the glass shattering inThe Last of Us 2isn’t dynamic, even though it may seem that way. The reality is a fair bit more complex, as glass in the game is always broken, Naughty Dog just uses tricks to make it appear intact when players stumble upon it, hiding the seams where it splits apart.
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Players may also be surprised thatJohn Wickinspired the glass.TheLast of Us 2Sound Designer Jesse Garcia stated that they enjoyed the sound of the glass breaking in the film series, along with the sound of glass debris on the floor, due to its subtle crunch. According to Garcia, that extra layer of detail was the type of storytelling the team wanted to achieve.
The glass' sound design runs a bit further than that, too. Interestingly, there’s no single sound of the glass breaking from start to finish. Instead, the sound is made up of “different layers and variations,” according to Garcia, which helps simulate the sound more accurately. That breakage takes place in a few separate phases, making them incredibly complex, proofThe Last of Us2’s excellent sound design.
Perhaps the best aspect ofLast of Us 2’sglass is how relatively inconsequential it is to the overall game. While Naughty Dog could have opted for static glass breaks throughout the world, the complex system helps sell the world as authentic, which becomes a major part ofTheLast of Us 2’sexperience. Even some ofLast of Us 2’spuzzlesintroduce glass breaking, turning an insignificant mechanic into an integral piece of gameplay.
Thesmall details ofThe Last of Us 2have built it into a formidable entry for the PS4’s final year. While it hasn’t escaped controversy, it’s a culmination of Naughty Dog’s vast experience in game design, and that comes across in details like glass breaking. It isn’t clear what Naughty Dog’s next project will be, whether it’s another part of an existing franchise or something new entirely, but one can hope the developer puts as much care into the next game as it has intoLast of Us 2.
