Recently, members of the press were treated to two full hours of The Last of Us Part 2 when they were invited by Naughty Dog to attend a media event on September 24 in Los Angeles. Over on the PlayStation blog, Tim Turi dished out all the details when they got some hands-on time in the demo in which they stated the game saw them perform "violent actions" that stuck with them throughout their time playing The Last of Us Part II as well as plenty of amazing details to share.

Tim states that from the early moments of the gameplay, Ellie and Dina share "heartfelt story moments" and "exchange playful teases" with each other that occur beneath the outstanding back-drop of the Wyoming wilderness. Ellie's vulnerability and awkwardness are also showcased in the demo, and this is highlighted when she screws up trying to make a move on Dina. Turi goes on to discuss that when playing the second half of the demo, things take a very different direction. Ellie’s rage is more apparent here especially so when she comes face to face with a group of xenophobic survivors in Seattle and has to rescue Joel’s brother, Tommy. Tim states that "Violence is sometimes necessary to survive and endure in this world, but it constantly weighed on my conscience."

 

 

So, what's new and what can we expect to find in The Last of Us Part II?

  • A Patrol system based around the survivors’ hometown of Jackson, Wyoming.
  • Ellie now has a role to fulfill by patrolling the area, sometimes on horseback with Dina as they look for the infected, marauders, or survivors.
  • Lush green areas that surround what was once the busy city of Seattle, Washington. In this area, we will see The Last of Us iconic overgrown aesthetic that we have come to know well.
  • Impressive details are mentioned where Naughty Dog have gone above and beyond to showcase each little element to the highest degree. In the demo, Tim points out that they could even see their "horse’s muscles flex and jiggle as it gallops" and "Tallgrass ripples and tree bows flex with the wind". Ellie's facial features are also discussed in which you can see the intense focus on her face as she brings enemies to their knees.
  • A brand new workbench has been implemented where Ellie can upgrade her weapons. The "strikingly detailed animations like swapping out a shotgun’s magazine" were especially amazing. Ellie is now able to jump higher giving her an amazing opportunity to reach higher vantage points or cross small gaps.
  • Ellie can now dodge out of the way to avoid getting hurt in those close-quarter battles. She is also able to sidestep survivors’ ax swings or slashing Runners with a quick button tap.
  • By just holding circle, Ellie can lay flat on the ground and crawl giving her that much-needed space to keep out of the way of any oncoming enemies or crawl into a small space to stay hidden. This is also useful for keeping a low profile while the long grass for those stealthy attacks or keeping an eye out.
  • Trained Guard Dogs are able to sniff you out and attack at a moments notice. Ellie can activate listen mode to see the scent trail she has left behind. Tim adds in a word of warning here though and advises you to "Be careful when you take out a dog’s handler, though, because solo canines are difficult to spot in the tall grass without their master walking next to them. Getting jumped by a dog is not only nerve-racking and dangerous, but it also presents players with the moral choice of whether they flee or take it out".
 
  • A brand new infected called 'Shamblers' are introduced that "spray gaseous acid" if you get too close to them where you will take a lot of damage. When eventually killed, the Shamblers explode with violent force. What makes these even more terrifying is that they are super fast so you will need to have a good strategy planned out.
 
  • The Last of Us Part II players will now be able to "choose from multiple skill upgrade paths to customize Ellie to their playstyle" which is a really new and refreshing feature to The Last of Us. "Survival focuses on improving health, expanding Listen Mode’s range, and throw distance". Ellie can craft melee upgrades, add smoke to stun bombs and increase her crafting speed. Stealth improves prone movement speed, speeds up stealth kills, and unlocks pistol silencers.
 
  • You can now upgrade your silencers by crafting Canisters onto Ellie's semi-automatic pistol. Tim states that this action "makes her next three shots dead silent, expanding Ellie’s strategic options in the field"
In some other The Last of Us Part II news, apparently the multiplayer aspect of the game will not be appearing in the sequel. This piece of very surprising news comes from USGamer who had the information given to them by Naughty Dog’s Lead Game Designer Emilia Schatz who has stated that “We’re focusing on a single-player experience, so we’re just making a single-player game for this,”. I'm fairly sure we will be hearing more about this as the story expands. The Last of Us Part II will release February 21, 2020, and it will be arriving exclusively on the PS4.