Naughty Dog has announced that its highly anticipated "The Last of Us" will no longer be released on May 7. The title is now slated for a June 14, 2013 street date.
The developer revealed that the delay was necessary to be able to create the highest quality game possible. "As a team we pride ourselves on setting a very high quality bar for every aspect of our games - gameplay, story, art, design, technology and more. We want to make sure The Last of Us raises that bar even further - for ourselves, and most importantly, our fans," said the company in a statement.
The released added, "As we entered the final phase of development for The Last of Us, we came to realize just how massive Joel and Ellie's journey is. But instead of cutting corners or compromising our vision, we came to the tough decision that the game deserved a few extra weeks to ensure every detail of The Last of Us was up to Naughty Dog's internal high standards."
The title was originally unveiled on Dec. 10, 2011 during the Spike TV Video Game Awards. The game is set in a post-apocalyptic world in which a fungus has killed off millions in cities and towns. During the course of the adventure, the protagonist Joel and a girl Ellie will travel through the United States while avoiding cannibals, the fungus creatures, and the military regime that wants to take Ellie into its possession. The game operates in third person view and players will control Joel. Naughty Dog co-president Evan Wells noted that the title is "a genre-defining experience that blends survival and action elements to tell a character driven tale about a modern plague decimating mankind. Nature encroaches upon civilization, forcing remaining survivors to kill for food, weapons and whatever they can find. Joel, a ruthless survivor, and Ellie, a brave young teenage girl who is wise beyond her years, must work together to survive their journey across what remains of the United States."
The title will be released exclusively for the Playstation 3.