Changes: Infected

Revision as of 19:12, 15 July 2013

The infected

“

They might still look like people, but that person is not in there anymore.

―Ellie to Sam

”

The Infected are enemies that appear in The Last of Us. They are humans that have been infected by the cordyceps fungus that has devastated mankind. They are voiced by Mark Aston, Liam O'Brien, Lani Minella, Misty Lee, and Jon Olsen.

Overview

Abilities

Infected in the first stage of infection (runners) do not possess strength greater than a normal un-infected human and have, in some cases, been unable to overpower an underaged girl (Ellie) in a straight-up test of strength. Clickers have much greater strength, capable of overpowering the average adult human male, and Bloaters have extreme strength, capable of ripping a man's face in two. A bite from an infected in any stage of Infection causes the victim to become an infected, unless immune. Runners are also incapable of out-running physically fit un-infected humans (once unable to catch up to Joel carrying Sarah). Infected are capable of breaking through almost any door, given time. This is because the Infected get physically stronger as the fungus grows and takes over their motor functions, getting stronger as they progress through the stages of infection; this is why Clickers will always overpower Joel when they grab him.

Appearance

The Infected humans have since undergone a strange mutation by a specialized strain of cordyceps. Over time, the host's facial and physical appearance changes from how typical people look prior to infection. The infection causes fungal growths that make their faces completely unrecognizable. At later stages, their body begins to bulge, and more fungi growths can be seen on their skin. They may be eventually killed by the fungus, at which point their corpses will begin producing infectious spores. Their teeth are horribly rotten and jagged. The fungus on Clickers and Bloaters is bioluminescent.

Behavior

Upon becoming Infected, the victims eventually lose any ability to think and begin to behave irrationally as the fungus spreads in the brain. Relying on instincts, the Infected will attempt to throttle any human they find. Humans can become infected through bites, scratches, and by inhaling free-floating spores in the air that are released by deceased infected.

As the fungus grows, it gradually makes the host blind. They then develop echolocation to locate prey, which results in them making a distinctive clicking sound. After some time, the fungus will kill the host if too damaged, usually in a closed-off space so the fungus can spread further.

The Infected, while having a higher pain tolerance than ordinary humans, still have a vulnerability to injury. A Runner, when not attacking survivors, will moan in pain due to the fungal growth deforming its body. Clickers will occasionally struggle while being shived, showing extreme sensory awareness. Sometimes the ones that still have their entire faces intact look sad or worried as they attack others. This may indicate that first and second stage infected are aware of what they are doing, but they can't control themselves. Gunshots are capable of startling an Infected individual, so it's likely they feel fear just as any ordinary person would. However, since their humanity is completely destroyed by stage 3, their feelings of fear completely vanish.

Spores

The first reports of the infection occurred in the city areas in the south (as heard from Tommy). Individuals who worked in the cities were the first few to be infected. Once infected, the fungus will travel up to the victim's brain. Once this happens, fungus will start to grow out of the victim's face. It was stated in the "Hush" development trailer that at a certain point in an infected's life cycle, when it feels it is close to death, it will find a dark corner to die and then the fungus grafts to the environment. When the body dies, it becomes skeletal and brittle as the fungus continues to grow and is capable of releasing infectious spores. It is also known that the dead can't be infected. It has also been stated that the people in the quarantine zones are relatively safe because the fungus needs tightly closed areas to spread. As well as being spread through spores, the infection can be spread through bites.

Stages of Infection

Runners

American History X — Joel and Ellie engaging some Runners.

Runners are the first stage of the Infected who have recently entered their transformation. Since the eyes are first targeted by the fungus, runners have poor eyesight, but maintain many human instincts. For example, their moans are still human, just like their overall appearance. However, a way to tell them apart from normal survivors is their lambent red eyes. Their body language is sluggish while they are passive and makes it seem as if they are trying to resist the fungus. Sometimes they do not attack at all, even when right in front of them. These non-aggressive runners will only attack if attacked first or when an object is thrown at or near them, thus losing control. This is described to be like a "sneeze" like the developers say in a demo, where the host will find it hard to control when a sneeze will occur at any moment and when you are about to sneeze, it is hard to stop from letting the sneeze go through. Runners are confirmed to be able to attack in packs flailing their arms trying to trample the survivor. ^[1]

Like survivors, they can be strangled when grabbed from behind by Joel.

Stalkers

Infected in the Dark — Joel, face to face with a Stalker.

Stalkers are the second stage of the Infected. They have the vision and speed of Runners, although are more similar in appearance to Clickers. The most notable trait that defines the "Stalkers" is the beginning of fungal growths on the head and face, the development of pseudo echolocation, and their discretion when chasing a victim - they will strafe and take cover, eventually closing in on the victim, hence the name "stalker".^[2] Stage 2 may take place anywhere between a few days after the start of the infection (Stage 1) and up to a year (Stage 3).^[3]

Stalkers are the fastest of the infected to spot a survivor as they will spot them usually before a runner will even have a chance to.

According to the Stages of Infection collectible found in The Last of Us demo released with God of War: Ascension on May 31, the modus operandi of a stalker is to "hide and ambush victims." The collectible goes on, imploring readers to check their surroundings, but no other information is provided.^[4]

Stalkers can also be strangled like Runners, and there is a tag worth 100 in game currency called 'The Hunter Becomes the Hunted' for stealth killing a stalker from behind for the first time.

Stalkers are very rare in the game. Their "clicking" may however be heard in the distance in various other areas, but it only serves as ambience.

Clickers

File:ClickersRun.jpeg

A Clicker.

Clickers are the third stage of the Infected that have had prolonged exposure to the fungus. By this stage, the infected possess strength that significantly surpasses the average human, making them deadlier- at the price of being completely blind due to the exposure from fungus in its face. However, Clickers are able to maneuver through areas by utilizing echolocation, which produces intense clicking noises to locate prey and sounds, much like bats but in a far more crude version, not able to locate prey unless right in front of them. Clickers appear less human than Runners, with faces that are skewed and scarred by fungus developed from their infected brains. Clickers are dangerous and much more aggressive than Runners, but no longer resist the fungus because their humanity has been diminished.

When provoked, a Clicker will immediately enter into a "berserk mode," aggressively flailing its arms. At this point, if a survivor has been "spotted" by a Clicker, the Clicker will attack head on and will not flinch when shot if not using high powered rounds. If the player is grappled without a shiv, Clickers will bite and rip Joel's neck, instantly killing the player. It is possible to avoid or distract Clickers instead of fighting them directly, by using bottles or bricks. Boxing a clicker with bare hands is ineffective and reckless, use a melee weapon if you choose this form of attack. You can stealth kill clickers by sneaking up behind them and using a shiv, in which Joel with drive it into the Clickers skull, or by using the Bow & Arrow.

It is fairly easy to outrun a clicker as their crude echolocation has a short range and they only walk quickly to their destination. When far enough or behind cover, the clicker will get confused and click in all directions.

In the launch trailer for the game shown at the 2011 Spike Video Game Awards, Clickers have the ability to run as fast as Runners. This ability, however, was removed from the final game.

Bloaters

File:Bloater.png

The first Bloater to appear, which is the one in the gym of the High School.

Bloaters are the fourth and final stage of the Infected and developed extreme brute strength. Bloaters take the longest to develop making them the rarest of the infected. They are guarded in thick fungus that effectively doubles as plate armor. Due to this protective covering, they can withstand multiple hits from weapons such as the Shotgun and Hunting Rifle, and even hatchets and machetes making them extremely tough to eliminate. Bloaters are extremely aggressive, but are rather slow-moving causing them to be more predictable than other infected. Like Clickers, Bloaters 'see' using echolocation to locate and trap a survivor as the fungus has completely deformed their face and blinded them, however their echolocation is a lot cruder than the clickers. If a Bloater grabs a survivor, it will forcefully rip their jaw apart through brute strength; there is no way to defend yourself if grabbed like you can with a Clicker, so use extreme caution when fighting one. Bloaters will throw balls of spores from their own body as a weapon, which disperse on impact, making a cloud of spores. These will eventually damage the health of anyone in the immediate area, even if they are wearing a gas mask. Their spores are not infectious, however. But this may just be for gameplay purposes, it is unknown if it is infectious in the canon story.

Bloaters, like all Infected, have a weakness to fire which is one of their few weaknesses. When set ablaze a Bloater will wildly thrash around trying to put out the flames as if in pain while other projectiles barely make it flinch. After being on fire, they will be charred black and smoking. Their armor will also be charred brittle, making them vulnerable to low-powered weapons, like 9mm. Despite this, fire-based weapons such as Flamethrowers or Molotov cocktails require multiple uses before killing a bloater. Their other less effective weakness if fire is inaccesible is armor piercing rounds from an upgraded weapon like the hunting rifle. It will take fewer shots to kill it if the weapon has the Power upgrade.

Bloaters are found in the five following locations:

1 in the gym of the High School in Lincoln. (Must be fought)
1 in the basement of the Hotel Grand in Pittsburgh. (Can be avoided; only on normal & higher difficulties)
1 in the dormitories in the UEC. (Can be avoided)
1 in the mill during winter. (Must be fought)
3 in the underground tunnel in Salt Lake City. (All can be avoided)

Death and Cadaver

Infected Final Stage — A deceased infected releasing spores.

The host can die at any stage of infection, killed off by the fungus when it feels that they are close to death. If the fungus kills the host, the fungus continues to grow post-mortem and is capable of releasing infectious spores. Infected Cadavers have become a regular inconvenience for survivors trying to avoid infection.

Trivia

It seems the Infected rest standing up. They do not click or attack even when you are in front of them unless provoked while resting.
From the concept art it is quite clear that the fungus is able to rip through bone.
Runners don't moan as much nor the same way as in previous beta demos as if in horrific pain but remain silent for the most part. However, they will screech when startled. This may have been done so players may have a higher chance of running into one.
Despite Clickers using echolocation, their echolocation is very crude compared to creatures like bats where they will not notice that something is alive or moving unless it is directly in front of them. This supports the theory of being where the clicks come out, as it is shaped like a megaphone, directing it straight ahead of them, but not all around.
Even though objects can be thrown to distract Infected, it is not advised unless absolutely necessary as doing so will alter their scripted paths and allow them to travel to all areas of the map, making their behavior more unpredictable, making the chances of death higher.
Some of the concept art in The Art of The Last of Us shows Runners wielding tools such as shovels and rakes. This indicates that at one point in development, humans in the early stages of infection would possess enough of an intelligence to use tools as weapons against Joel. As this concept was not used in the actual game, there is no way of telling if the in-universe Runners and Stalkers were still capable of such actions. However, since their hands are still intact and can be used to hold their victims to bite them, this may point towards intelligence.
The Infected inexplicably do not react to having your flashlight on, even Runners.
Seeing as how the concept art shows a hole in the middle of the Clicker's heads, this may mean that the eyes of the former human could come out of it in an unknown 5th stage of the infection. However, that is very unlikeIy, so it may also be a sort of mouth where the clicks come out (some in game Clickers do not have this hole) or an ear that hears the clicks. It could also be to launch possibly infectious spores, like a cannon.

Gallery

Videos

File:Infected Death Scenes

References

↑ http://www.shacknews.com/article/77676/the-stages-of-infection-in-the-last-of-us
↑ http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=00y3QRovboA
↑ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HA2cuwYSIqs
↑ Demo. The Last Of Us. May 31, 2013.

[1] ttp://www.shacknews.com/article/77676/the-stages-of-infection-in-the-last-of-us

[2] ttp://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=00y3QRovboA

[3] ttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HA2cuwYSIqs

[4] Demo. The Last Of Us. May 31, 2013.

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[2]

[3]

[4]

@@ Line 53: / Line 53: @@
 ===Bloaters===
 [[File:Bloater.png|thumb|left|225px|The first Bloater to appear, which is the one in the gym of the High School.]]
-'''Bloaters''' are the fourth and final stage of the Infected and developed extreme brute strength. Bloaters take the longest to develop making them the rarest of the infected. They are guarded in thick fungus that effectively doubles as plate armor. Due to this protective covering, they can withstand multiple hits from weapons such as the Shotgun and Hunting Rifle, and even hatchets and machetes making them extremely tough to eliminate. Bloaters are extremely aggressive, but are rather slow-moving causing them to be more predictable than other infected. Like Clickers, Bloaters 'see' using echolocation to locate and trap a survivor as the fungus has completely deformed their face and blinded them, however their echolocation is a lot cruder than the clickers. If a Bloater grabs a survivor, it will forcefully rip their jaw apart through brute strength; there is no way to defend yourself if grabbed like you can with a Clicker, so use extreme caution when fighting one. Bloaters will throw balls of spores from their own body as a weapon, which disperse on impact, making a cloud of spores. These will eventually damage the health of anyone in the immediate area, even if they are wearing a gas mask. Their spores are not infectious, however.
+'''Bloaters''' are the fourth and final stage of the Infected and developed extreme brute strength. Bloaters take the longest to develop making them the rarest of the infected. They are guarded in thick fungus that effectively doubles as plate armor. Due to this protective covering, they can withstand multiple hits from weapons such as the Shotgun and Hunting Rifle, and even hatchets and machetes making them extremely tough to eliminate. Bloaters are extremely aggressive, but are rather slow-moving causing them to be more predictable than other infected. Like Clickers, Bloaters 'see' using echolocation to locate and trap a survivor as the fungus has completely deformed their face and blinded them, however their echolocation is a lot cruder than the clickers. If a Bloater grabs a survivor, it will forcefully rip their jaw apart through brute strength; there is no way to defend yourself if grabbed like you can with a Clicker, so use extreme caution when fighting one. Bloaters will throw balls of spores from their own body as a weapon, which disperse on impact, making a cloud of spores. These will eventually damage the health of anyone in the immediate area, even if they are wearing a gas mask. Their spores are not infectious, however. But this may just be for gameplay purposes, it is unknown if it is infectious in the canon story.
 Bloaters, like all Infected, have a weakness to fire which is one of their few weaknesses. When set ablaze a Bloater will wildly thrash around trying to put out the flames as if in pain while other projectiles barely make it flinch. After being on fire, they will be charred black and smoking. Their armor will also be charred brittle, making them vulnerable to low-powered weapons, like 9mm. Despite this, fire-based weapons such as Flamethrowers or Molotov cocktails require multiple uses before killing a bloater. Their other less effective weakness if fire is inaccesible is armor piercing rounds from an upgraded weapon like the hunting rifle. It will take fewer shots to kill it if the weapon has the Power upgrade.