As you’ll find out in just two weeks’ time, Naughty Dog’s rabidly-anticipated new survival adventure The Last of Us does a phenomenal job of making you really care about its two protagonists, Joel and Ellie.
Partly through Neil Druckman’s nuanced writing, partly through the tactile, reactive gameplay, and partly through the pitch-perfect performances of the voiceover cast, The Last of Us packs an almighty emotional wallop to go with its blockbuster action set-pieces. It’s bar-setting stuff from the Uncharted studio, and these are characters that will resonate with you long after the game’s epic conclusion.
To find out a little more about how Naughty Dog pulled it off, we sat down for a quick chat with Ashley Johnson, the young actress bringing world-weary teen Ellie to life.
Ashley Johnson: My voice-over agent sent me the audition and asked if I’d be interested in doing a video game. She warned me that it was motion capture and that whole thing. I said yes, so I went out for the audition and met with Neil, Bruce and Evan. I did a few auditions and got the part. After that I put on the mo-cap suit and we did auditions for Joel, until we finally settled on Troy (Baker).
PSB: How did you get on with mo-cap? Was it your first time?
AJ: Yes, it was my first. It’s been really fun. It was definitely difficult at first to get over the fact that you’re wearing this really strange suit but once you get into the scene and get into the character… Neil would show us all the environments and we’d get to see pictures of the world we were in – that made it pretty easy.
“I actually think it helps in a lot of ways.”
AJ: It definitely was very different for me because I’m not used to it. Sometimes when you’re playing a character, how you’re dressed or what shoes you have on, that changes the way you walk and how you act. So when you have that funny suit on – just a skin-tight jumpsuit – and your hands are covered, and you have a sock on your head, it can be a little challenging at first!
But a couple of hours in you get used to it. I actually think it helps in a lot of ways. You have to expand your imagination a little bit more, which I think is really good.
PSB: Have you played the final game yet?
AJ: I’ve played parts of it. I haven’t been given a finished copy yet. But I’ve played parts when I’ve visited Naughty Dog. I’ve been tempted to play more… but I want to wait. I want to experience it as a whole. I don’t like spoilers and I don’t like watching trailers – I like to play something from start to finish.
AJ: It’s very weird. I think if you were voicing a character and then you see that person walking around with your body movements you’d think it was weird too. Weird and exciting. Mostly I’m just so excited that it’s done and I can’t wait for people to play it, knowing where the story goes. It’s going to be good!
Day 1
Sorry for being off topic, but where’s the June PS+ update?
Day one here too. (Digital)
Nice work, ND, Neil and Ashley, thanks for your time and efforts. The voices in the trailers so far are really excellently done. I would say easily in the Top 5 of video games voices and mocap! Did I say easily? : )
Can we download the demo yet?
Isn’t the demo out tonight if you have God of War Ascension?
Thank You. I promise to purchase the Last Of Us on Day 1
Please bring The Last of Us to PS4
Dear Sony. I would like to play the Last of Us on PS4 in 1080P
Looking forward to this as usual, Naughty Dog has become the definitive AAA studio.
Already, pre-order for the Digital copy of The Last of Us
You see, I will also purchase the game at Best Buy as well…
Oh hey, Ashley also played nerdy Gretchen Grundler in Disney’s Recess, and the waitress in The Avengers.
Today is the Last of us day for posts right? This one then the one about the demo then the one about the multiplayer right? ;)
Im not even a multiplayer fan but this one has me very intrigued. It sounds like its going to be different.
Ready to play the demo in 2 hrs yayyyyyyyy!
Why does that video say 7/5/13?
Delayed until 7/5/13??
I’ve got this Fred,
In europe their date system is different. day/month/year. That was their previous launch date after they delayed it.
Now its new release date is 6/14/13 or for europe 14/6/13
@2 June 3.
@5 blog.us.playstation.com/2013/01/24/the-last-of-us-demo-coming-first-to-god-of-war-ascension-owners/
I am to busy to play any game but I am making mandatory requirement in my house to Play This day one and finish it soon after.
What reason does ND have for waiting until 2 weeks before launch to talk about the Multiplayer component? that said does my pre-ordered Post-Pandemic edition include the season pass(anyone)?
Any word on multiplayer? Would like to know a bit about it before opting for the season pass!
Ellie for PSAS:BR !
Quip aside, to think there was pressure to drop this character. Oy… Alas, I’ll be holding off on the game, but I hope it does well.
Ashley Johnson is one gorgeous gal
So where’s that MP news? We gotta wait until next week? Lol soon my @$$!
And how about adding the Season Pass to the people getting the Post Pandemic edition? That’s so much money invested that I think the season pass should be awarded to us.
I have Ascension… making I’ll be playing the demo today. Can’t wait!
i hope they’ll make a version of this title for Vita :O
I’m a fan already!
Congrats to the entire team at ND.
Making games is incredibly difficult.
Thanks for making games like this.
It feels like it was made just for me :D
lol
There is something totally off about Naughty Dog choosing a 30yrld woman to portray a little girl in this game.
@28 MP_is _for_Chumps
Dude, you’re gonna be so mad when you find out Mike Myers isn’t actually a green ogre named Shrek, and that Christian Bale isn’t actually Batman…
Pre-ordered on PSN and I’m just waiting for the 14th! Come on stupid clock, go faster!
Is it true that there’s going to NOT be a public demo for the game(Besides the one on GOW)?
*Buying five different versions of this game* This game is going to be great. Downloading the God of War Demo right now!
I meant the demo included in God of War, haha
Is someone sleeping on the Plus update?
Played the demo… Its safe to say I hate Clickers! Love Ellie! Her character has been growing on me since the Comic Book release. Great job Naughty Dog! The sixaxis rumble on thunders got me all rev’d up! Hehe!!
Played the demo and put my controller down, got in my car drove to Gameslop and put $40 down.
such a shame i have to wait till december to get this.
sorry naughty dog, got tons of backlog :(
plus MGS The Legacy Collection is coming out, so that will take a lot of my summer time :P
@34 Come back on June 3rd.
I doubt Naughty Dog will bring Last of Us to PS4.
@37 I have a huge backlog, I just play what I can. But no plans to buy this game.
Go to Google
Search “Let’s Get FlatOut Head On PS Vita Compatible”
Click on the first result.
Sign the petition please.
Thank you
I made my mind up about this game a long time ago (already pre-ordered).
I met Ashley Johnson at E3 last year. She complimented me on my Doctor Who T-shirt. :)
I already preordered this game it would of been nice to play a demo instead of purchasing a game that u don’t want just to play the demo, I’ll wait till the 14th.
Wow Chrissy Seaver all grown up and playing, a kid? Yeah that’s a bit odd for me. Then again, she does tend to play young characters like Terra and what’s her name from Ben 10.