The Last of Us: Part II, the original game still has a devoted fanbase, particularly its "Factions MP" multiplayer feature. Even in 2021, Factions devotees are still battling, still debating, and still discovering new features about the game. Recently, one YouTuber has noticed a subtle difference between male and female characters in Factions, and it's a pretty strange one.
In Factions, the player s either the Hunters or the Fireflies, two groups from the original game, and competes against the opposing faction in teams of twelve. Its three different game modes (Supply Raid, Survivors, and Interrogation) are all variations on the classic multiplayer goal, to wipe out the other team before they wipe out the player's. But by using the same survival-horror gameplay mechanics found in the base game, like ammo scarcity and non-regenerating health, The Last of Us creates a riveting multiplayer experience rarely found in the average arena combat title.
Well-designed as Factions may be, one feature is a head-scratcher. As YouTuber Anthony Caliber pointed out, only male characters have the "shaky cam" feature when they run. This is a mechanic from The Last of Us' base game which causes the camera to gyrate whenever the player sprints. Using a side-by-side comparison, Anthony Caliber showed that the male character's camera shakes when he sprints, but when the female character runs, her camera is smooth. Check out the video below:
What The Last of Us Factions Player Difference Looks Like
It's unclear whether this is a deliberate design choice or an oversight, but it's more likely to be the latter. There are no gameplay differences between Faction's two clans or between the male and female multiplayer characters. The game doesn't even let the player choose between a male or a female player, instead asg it randomly. Furthermore, The Last of Us: Part II's accessibility features allowed the player to do away with camera shake entirely. The shaky camera is essentially an aesthetic preference that doesn't affect gameplay, so it's unlikely Naughty Dog meant for this difference to be a game-changer.
Last of Us 2 Factions Mode Is Coming Eventually
Either way, providing quality Last of Us multiplayer is clearly a priority for Naughty Dog. It was a disappointment to many series fans when The Last of Us: Part II launched without multiplayer, but the company explained that it wanted to focus on the single-player mode. Since then, the company has said that there would be The Last of Us: Part II multiplayer in the future, in the form of a standalone game. No further details nor a release window have been announced. But one detail about The Last of Us: Part II's multiplayer is certain: male or female, the camera won't shake when the player sprints unless they really want it to.
Source: Anthony Caliber/YouTube
