说实话。有时，战斗系统是如此出色，以至于您几乎希望有更多机会使用它们。确实，《Ghost of Yoteic》确实为玩家提供了大量的机会来测试他们的战斗技能，但战斗只是更大冒险的一部分。不过，这是有道理的，因为当游戏围绕故事构建时，机制必须与游戏的其他重要方面（例如探索和角色）分享焦点。然而，故事最终结束并不意味着游戏无法继续进行。
特别有趣的是，Naughty Dog 已经尝试过这个想法，比如在 2024 年，工作室推出了 No Return，这是《最后生还者 2》的一个独立 Roguelike 模式。它的作用是将游戏的战斗系统置于整个体验的中心。现在，《Sucker Punch》似乎准备在《羊蹄之魂》的新模式（也称为“头号通缉”）中采用相同的方法。尽管这两款游戏确实具有不同的战斗系统，但模式背后的想法却惊人地相似，而且考虑到顽皮狗已经证明这种方法可能会成功，其他游戏想要亲自测试这一理论也就不足为奇了。
《一去不复返》证明伟大的战斗不需要故事
诚然，战斗在《最后生还者 2》中非常重要，但战役中的大多数遭遇都与故事密切相关。这意味着你在叙述过程中会与敌人打交道，并且你无法选择这些对抗何时或如何发生。这就是为什么“不归路”如此重要。它允许玩家选择下一个挑战，而不必与敌人战斗才能到达下一个故事序列，玩家战斗只是因为他们享受战斗的快感。
然而，也许更令人印象深刻的是，工作室在没有重新发明现有战斗系统的情况下引入了多样性。 《不归路》模式有四种遭遇类型，每种类型都有自己的目标。此外，随机修饰符可以通过出现雾来改变战斗条件。这通常迫使玩家采取与他们习惯不同的策略，因为该模式根本不受故事情节和传统战役的限制。
图片来自：Sucker Punch Productions
Of course, being inspired by another game doesn't mean copying their approach, so instead of just recreating No Return, Sucker Punch introduces its own structure that revolves around increasingly difficult bounties. Players have tosurvive waves of enemies, earn perks, and defeat bosses, but what's probably most important is that they are working towards the final confrontation. This means that the choices they make throughout each run could make a huge difference when they finally face the final enemy.
What's more, Most Wanted does not limit players to a single character. The mode featuresfour playable characters, and each one of them has different signature combat moves. This naturally creates more opportunities to approach encounters. This proves that although Most Wanted and No Return have their own mechanics and progression systems, they both approach the challenge of creating diversity quite seriously.
No Return is exclusive toThe Last of Us Part 2Remastered and is not available in the original version of the game.
No Return Shows Why Most Wanted Could Have a Long Future
Without a doubt, it is one thing to introduce a separate mode, but it's an entirely different challenge to keep people interested in it after completing their first few runs. When it comes to No Return, Naughty Dog didn't just release it in 2024 and leave it untouched. The developer expanded the mode in April 2025 by introducing two new playable characters called Bill and Marlene, as well as four brand-new maps for players to enjoy. This is a great example of how aroguelike mode built around an existing combat systemdoes not have to introduce an entirely new story campaign to keep people entertained. What's even more interesting is that Most Wanted already seems to have a pretty good foundation to achieve this same goal.
Players can replay bounties on higher difficulty levels and unlock new weapon upgrades, techniques, and charms. This is most definitely likely to give players a reason to come back, as it creates this sense of progression and achievement. There's currently no information that Most Wanted will be expanded with more content, so it's still too early to say whether it will follow No Return's exact trajectory. In any case, now that Naughty Dog has demonstrated the potential of this approach, Most Wanted could easily set an even more solid example of howa great combat systemcould exist outside of the campaign. It would also be interesting to see whether the devs will keep introducing new challenges in the long run. After all, since the mode is built around replayability, there are plenty of ways to switch things up.
