The Last of Us Part II

[Moonface]

Official Website

Developer: Naughty Dog

Platform: PlayStation 4

Release Date: TBA

You’re in for an intense, beautiful, harrowing, and emotionally moving ride. We’re extremely proud of the game we’re crafting and can’t wait to show you even more – and we promise you won’t have to wait as long for the next big reveal!

The Last of Us Part II - Paris Games Week Trailer

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I'm really looking forward to this game, and seeing more from it at E3 this weekend. What hopes or theories do you guys have for the game? Do you think Joel is still alive in this game? Who do you think the main character is in the PGW trailer? Why is Ellie on a path of hatred?

[Karo]

I blame Joel for not letting her make the choice and possibly lying to her. That my guess unless she pissed cause they killed her girlfriend?

[Nightingale]

Since I won't realistically be playing this game until years after its release at the earliest, I won't speculate too much.

But I'd like to say that this is the only game on the PS4 library that actually made me consider saving up for one... a phenomenon that's only ever happened once before, with the Latin American release of Pokémon Yellow and the Gameboy Color console.

I do like that this is Ellie's story, though. And I like that this is Ellie's MAIN story even more... I didn't play "Left Behind", but I did watch a gameplay of it and it honestly looked bare-bones in terms of the story and characters. Glad to know that's gonna be -hopefully- fixed here.

[Moonface]

I blame Joel for not letting her make the choice and possibly lying to her. That my guess unless she pissed cause they killed her girlfriend?

Do you mean Riley? She dies before the events of The Last of Us, so it wouldn't make sense for her to be seeking revenge over that.

I do like that this is Ellie's story, though. And I like that this is Ellie's MAIN story even more... I didn't play "Left Behind", but I did watch a gameplay of it and it honestly looked bare-bones in terms of the story and characters. Glad to know that's gonna be -hopefully- fixed here.

Left Behind was pretty much just making Ellie's backstory playable. Apart from showing her relationship with Riley, it doesn't add much importance to the overall plot.

[Moonface]

E3 2018: The Last of Us Part II Gameplay
Opening Sony's E3 2018 Showcase, the first gameplay footage of The Last of Us Part II was shown. In it, we see Ellie at a party interacting with a female character before transitioning into gameplay featuring stealth and combat mechanics.

[Mr EliteL]

Good opening to the E3 Showcase. I've still yet to completely finish The Last Of Us, but am aware of what happened with Joel. By Jesse, who talks to Ellie at the bar, he mentions "Old man", and him bothering Jesse on patrols. Sounds like Joel to me. Also Ellie wears Dina's bracelet, so she doesn't have a good chance of survival. Gameplay was good, taking down enemies like that. Ellie took a few big hits there too, she really toughened up more. Not that she was soft in TLOU. Hope Ellie will find allies in that part of the story.

[Relic]

Thanks for the post Moon, that gameplay looks solid and really fresh. I'm going to have to pick up a PS4 it seems. 

[Moonface]

Here's a statement about what was shown by Neil Druckmann on Naughty Dog's website:

“Six months ago, I promised that we would have something special to share with you at E3 2018 and I’m excited to finally say that the wait is over. In The Last of Us Part II, Ellie is now 19 and has found a semblance of peace and normality living in Jackson. She’s had a chance to be a teenager and forge lasting relationships. When that peace is disrupted by a violent act, Ellie is thrust into a brutal journey of retribution, fueled by a need to bring those that have wronged her to justice, pushing her to her very limits.
From the way Ellie plays to the way she navigates through this hostile world, you’re going to feel her physical, emotional, and mental state expressed through every facet of gameplay. We’ve completely overhauled our engine, developed new combat mechanics, created a new analog stealth systems, and revamped our animation system to fully express Ellie’s desperation, resourcefulness, and unique agility.
We’re also upping the stakes and tension of the world. Our environments are broader, more complex, and more detailed--bringing unprecedented realism, verticality, and player choice to the world of The Last of Us. The human enemies you’ll encounter are now more threatening and capable, using sophisticated communication and environmental awareness to create intense, more dynamic stealth and head-on combat encounters.
All of this is underscored by the characters that surround Ellie and their shared experience. The Last of Us Part II features new and returning characters (including that gruff Texan who’s yet to make his full appearance), brought to life by our latest performance capture techniques and our exceptional cast. This week at E3, Ellie, played by Ashley Johnson, is joined by two new characters: Dina, played by Shannon Woodward, and Jesse, played by Stephen Chang.
We’ve got a lot more to discuss in the week ahead at E3, including interviews and live show appearances. We’re kicking it off with a panel at the E3 Coliseum on Tuesday, June 12 at 11am PT. On Wednesday at 4:30pm PT, our Co-Game Directors Anthony Newman and Kurt Margenau will appear on the PlayStation Live from E3 stream as they do an in-depth breakdown of our gameplay demo. Don’t miss it!
Until next time, endure and survive,
Neil

I expect the town might get attacked somehow, but Joel won't be involved because he's out somewhere else as mentioned by Jesse. Killing off only one person wouldn't necessarily disrupt peace, so it'll probably be something big that kicks off, similar to how the first game started off peaceful then turned into a nightmare.

[Nightingale]

Man, this is starting to look like such a "must-have" for the PS4 and Last of Us fans alone... maybe I'll budge and get the darn thing sooner than expected.

That aside, I really like how you can tell that everyone involved in crafting both this game and the original had such a wonderful time making it. It really does show on the finally product and it is most welcomed and appreciated.

[Moonface]

If you don't want to wait you could always play the first game on PS3 Tsu.

I just hope that the AI is almost this good in the final game. I remember how the AI was doing communication like this in the trailer for The Last of Us and the final game had nothing like it.

[Moonface]

I came across this incredibly good fan piece for a main menu of The Last of Us Part II, and it is honestly so good it could pass as being real.

The transition of time during it is a superb touch and should really be a thing if Naughty Dog have a menu design similar to this or Part I.

[Mr EliteL]

That would've easily fooled me if I was shown that and was told it was the real thing. Really well made there.

[Moonface]

Yeah, and some people took advantage of that to upload this onto their own channels claiming it to be "leaked" footage and got more views on their video than the original creator has.

Also since it wasn't mentioned yet, Ellie will have an NPC companion with her through the game. I'm expecting it will either be Joel or a dog. Naughty Dog did want a dog for Part I but decided not to implement it.

[Nightingale]

A dog would be impractical to a sin in a game like this one (just imagine it attracting Zombos to you). I hope ND isn't foolish enough to try it.

[Moonface]

Yeah, I agree a dog wouldn't make much sense because even though they could have AI ignore it like they did with Ellie in Part I, it still wouldn't be sensible in that universe to bring something with you that could bark or make noise without warning.