Three years ago, Naughty Dog's Anthony Newman took to the stage at GDC 2014 to deconstruct a complicated topic: the melee system at play in the studio's 2013 game The Last Of Us.

It was interesting because Newman's talk addressed both the deisgn of the system (discussing solutions to the challenges of creating an effective hybrid between gunplay and melee combat, and how those mechanics emphasized the tone and world) and the practical implementation of said system.

He delved into the technical details of how the Last Of Us team synced animations, handle memory management, and practiced efficient scripting practices. It was a neat talk that also touched on how the studio's production process changed between Uncharted and The Last Of Us, as well as examining techniques the team used to achieve the game's brutal aesthetic.

If that sounds like something you'd like to watch but you missed it in 2013, no worries -- now you can watch it for free on the official GDC YouTube channel!

About the GDC Vault

In addition to this presentation, the GDC Vault and its accompanying YouTube channel offers numerous other free videos, audio recordings, and slides from many of the recent Game Developers Conference events, and the service offers even more members-only content for GDC Vault subscribers.

Those who purchased All Access passes to recent events like GDC or VRDC already have full access to GDC Vault, and interested parties can apply for the individual subscription via a GDC Vault subscription page. Group subscriptions are also available: game-related schools and development studios who sign up for GDC Vault Studio Subscriptions can receive access for their entire office or company by contacting staff via the GDC Vault group subscription page. Finally, current subscribers with access issues can contact GDC Vault technical support.

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