Yesterday’s reveal of The Last Of Us: Part 2 lifted the lid on the best kept secret in the industry.
Acclaimed developer Naughty Dog has had its hands full in 2016 with Uncharted 4 and the soon-to-be-released Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, but Ellie and Joel’s tale is far from over.
The Last Of Us 2 will take place a number of years after the original, with Ellie now 19 years old. The game is still quite a bit off according to creative director, Neil Druckmann, but we do have some interesting tidbits by way of the discussion panel at this year’s PlayStation Experience.
Most interesting about the game is that Druckmann called it an experience about “hate”, whereas the first game was focused on “love” and the father-daughter relationship between Joel and Ellie.
The announcement trailer was an eerie blend of beautiful sounds and gore, with an obvious focus on an older Ellie while Joel stands in the distance watching her play the guitar.
[youtube]https://youtu.be/W2Wnvvj33Wo[/youtube]
“If the first game was really about the love between these two characters, this story is the counter of that,” Druckmann said during the panel. “This is story is about hate, through Ellie this time. The first game you play as Joel, this game you play as Ellie.”
Ashley Johnson, who plays the role of Ellie, admitted that Ellie has “gone through some shit”. Being only 19 years of age, she would have spent much of her adolescence fighting and surviving in a post-apocalyptic world.
Speaking during the game’s reveal yesterday, Druckmann said the team at Naughty Dog had an unwavering love and appreciation for the characters.
“I can’t tell you how satisfying it is to finally be able to say that Ellie and Joel are back for another intense, harrowing, and emotional adventure,” Druckmann said. “Like many of you, we have a deep love for the world of The Last of Us and its characters, and while a sequel may have seemed like a foregone conclusion, that wasn’t the case.
“We knew that it needed to be a story worth telling and, perhaps more importantly, a story worthy of Joel and Ellie. After spending years on different ideas (and almost giving up), we finally uncovered a story that felt special — a story that evolved into an epic journey.”
More information for The Last Of Us: Part II has been promised for the coming months. There is currently no release window or date.
