At the 2021 Game Developers Conference, Naughty Dog developers Bryan Collinsworth and Michal Mach want to talk to you about ambience. Or more specifically, ambient behaviors, like those seen in the non-playable characters of The Last of Us Part II.

In order to bring the game’s emotional story to life, the studio had to create a number of unique ambient behaviors to guide NPCs through a number of different locations—like an ambient museum, an empty Synagogue, and more.

If those interactions inspired you as a game developer, don’t miss their talk at the all-digital GDC 2021, where they’re going to be breaking down the design principles, system, and technology that made it all possible.

Don’t miss out! Sign up for GDC 2021 today to get the best price on your pass for this year’s show. And remember if you register now All-Access pass by May 26th, you’ll get early access to your GDC Vault subscription.

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