May is still a long way off, but Naughty Dog is finally opening up about the characters and setting of the realistic post-apocalypse game The Last of Us.
The latest reveal expands upon a character revealed in the story trailer released earlier this week. The woman seen arguing with main character Joel has turned out to be his “partner,” Tess. Over on the PlayStation Blog, Naughty Dog stated that Tess will be a “pivotal” character. From the blog post:
A hardened survivor living in one of the last remaining quarantine zones, Tess operates in the black market of a city under martial law. Partners with Joel, they have become known within the criminal underworld for their ruthlessness. Street smart and confident, Tess is a savvy strategist and negotiator. Her ability to generate intelligent plans to secure the contraband for their trade is second to none.
The Last of Us was a highlight of this year’s E3 not only because it isn’t a sequel in an already existing franchise, but because the gameplay footage shown at the time exhibited a realistic kind of brutality that stood out even in a year of extremely violent previews. The new trailer gives a short look at how Tess and Joel were animated using their voice actors’ motion capture data.