UPDATE 10-20-2017: While The Last of Us 2 release date has yet to emerge, this hasn’t prevented a good deal of speculation regarding one of the most significant video games of this or any other year. The plot of the original game in the series was not particularly original; essentially it is a combination of zombie survival and road movie. But the narrative and characters included in the game were handled so deftly that the story was hugely compelling, and the overall game perhaps the most convincing exhibit in the case for video games being art.
This has meant that many people who played the first title are wondering precisely what will occur in the second game in the series. Many strands remain unresolved, while those familiar with the work of Naughty Dog will be aware that the software house will almost certainly surprise us when The Last of Us 2 release date does roll round.
The influence of The Last of Us is palpable in the video games universe, with many other titles taking a more sombre and serious approach to storytelling recently. This reflects the mature narrative that Naughty Dog delivered with The Last of Us, one that has effectively changed the entire mood of the video games industry.
Anger
However, Naughty Dog is likely to throw us a curveball when The Last of Us 2 emerges, and there have already been hints regarding the direction of the game from creative director Neil Druckmann. The talent behind the original game in the series has indicated that while the first game was intended to touch the player, the second title in the The Last of Us universe is intended to make us angry.
Speculation on plot
Naturally enough, Druckmann provided no further details regarding the cause of this anger, and this has inevitably led to widespread speculation. One of the most common suggestions is the idea that The Last of Us 2 will see Joel killed in some context, with Ellie rampaging around on a quest to then avenge this death.
This would certainly make sense based on the trailer that Naughty Dog revealed for The Last of Us 2, which features Joel as a rather shadowy figure. Many believe that he has become a figment of Ellie’s imagination, and is already dead at the time that the trailer depicts.
Fuel was added to this particular fire when it emerged that the primary gameplay character in The Last of Us 2 will be Ellie. The second protagonist of the first game will now become central to The Last of Us 2, with a no longer adolescent young woman no doubt considerably more capable even than the formidable Ellie from the first game.
Will Joel be a playable character?
This begs the question of whether Joel will be a playable character when The Last of Us 2 release date rolls round. Although Ellie was probably the star of the first game, many players nonetheless came to identify with Joel as well, and it would perhaps be somewhat disappointing if the alpha male of The Last of Us series does not put in a tangible appearance in the second game.
However, it is worth noting that Naughty Dog has made no comment on the inclusion of Joel, and also that it deliberately misled viewers with the first game in the series. Both Druckmann and his former assistant Bruce Straley where specifically asked whether Ellie would be a playable character in the first game of the series, and explicitly said that this would not be the case. Of course, Ellie was a playable character, and this had only been said to protect the plot of the game from revelation.
Risky approach
It would certainly be a risky decision to remove Joel from The Last of Us 2, as the contrast between the capabilities of the two characters works extremely well in the first game. When playing as Ellie, one certainly felt considerably more vulnerable than as Joel, and once Joel became active in the game again there was a huge feeling of power that emanated from being reunited with this character.
Other gaming franchises have also taken the decision to include multiple player characters recently as well. For example, GTA 6 featured three playable protagonists for the first time in a GTA game, with the title being praised for its technical proficiency and creative achievement.
Release date
The Last of Us 2 release date is still very much a carefully guarded secret, but there is some good news on this matter. Naughty Dog is working on this game exclusively, and the title will not have the sort of lengthy development schedule associated with the GTA universe. So the prediction that this game could emerge in 2019 seems entirely credible, and gamers will have a great deal to look forward to when this title does indeed hit the stores.
UPDATE 10-13-2017: The Last of Us 2 release date is undoubtedly one of the most sought-after items of information in the gaming world. The sequel to the hugely successful and critically revered first game in the series has now been officially announced by developer Naughty Dog, and this will undoubtedly be one of the biggest PlayStation releases ever. Perhaps only usurped by the yet to be announced GTA 6, The Last of Us 2 promises to be one of the gaming highlights of any year when it finally arrives.
And a recent interview with the composer of music for this exciting sequel gave us an insight into The Last of Us 2 release date. Composer Gustavo Santaolalla commented on whether the game could ultimately be released in 2019, and although he was unable to offer concrete information on the matter, his words did give hope that The Last of Us 2 may arrive before the end of 2019.
“It’ll be done in 2019 (laughs). No, I don’t know exactly when it will come out, but a project like this usually takes at least 2 years to make. I’ve been working on it now for about a year, and after my last concert at the 28th of October, I will be travelling to LA to keep working on the game,” Santaolalla.
Perhaps E3 2018 could provide more insight on The Last of Us 2 release date, with a confirmation trailer having been uncorked at the trade show this year. While some have been concerned about the exit of Bruce Straley – best-known as the co-director (along with Neil Druckmann) of The Last of Us and Uncharted 4 – from Naughty Dog, the release of a dynamic theme for the PS4 to mark ‘Outbreak Day’ has certainly whetted appetites for the sequel to the original.
Most cinematic game ever
Aside from The Last of Us 2 release date, there is no doubt that this game is one of the most hotly anticipated in the entire history of console gaming. And one of the central reasons for this is that The Last of Us 2 promises to be the most cinematic game in the history of the PlayStation. Already, The Last of Us established the series as the pinnacle of storytelling and character immersion in gaming, and at The Last of Us 2 will pick up this baton and advance these qualities of the series still further.
Loose ends
Speaking of which, there are many loose ends to tie up from the first game in the series, which should lead to a great deal of narrative thrust in The Last of Us 2. The relationship between Ellie and Joel was at something of an impasse at the end of the first game, while Ellie has yet to discover that Joel gunned down the woman who had cared for her since she was a baby. There are also issues related to the Fireflies to resolve, with this obviously ambitious organization probably still keen to get its hands on both Joel and Ellie, considering the events of the first game.
This means that there is no shortage of story potential for The Last of Us 2, and additionally the creative talents of Neil Druckmann can steer the game in new directions as well.
Unrivalled storytelling
The unrivalled storytelling ability of Naughty Dog was demonstrated once more in the recent Uncharted 4 title, which is generally considered to be a masterpiece. Certainly the game received outstanding reviews from gaining publications, even if there have been a few gripes about the gameplay from players.
Regardless of the slight disagreement in opinion, there is no doubt that the presentation for Uncharted 4 is of an absolutely outstanding quality. This quality should then translate into the forthcoming release of The Last of Us 2, possibly even enhancing the storytelling and cinematic experience that was achieved in the first game.
First next gen The Last of Us title
And this process will be greatly enhanced by the fact that The Last of Us 2 will be the first ever next-generation game in the series. Considering that the remastered version of the original Last of Us title was so successful, it is easy to forget that this is a game designed for the PlayStation 3. With this hardware now being 11 years old, it is fair to say that Naughty Dog should be able to produce something far more impressive when The Last of Us 2 is unveiled.
Possible PS5 release
And The Last of Us 2 release date means that this game could also debut on the PlayStation 5, depending on the release date of that console. There is still considerable debate over both The Last of Us 2 release date and the date that the PlayStation 5 will ultimately emerge, so it is difficult to say with any certainty that the game will indeed be a PlayStation 5 launch title. Recent reports have suggested that the PS5 could be unveiled in 2020, which would mean that The Last of Us 2 predates the console.
However, this obviously wouldn’t prevent a remastered PlayStation 5 version of The Last of Us 2 being produced at some point, and this is a pretty exciting proposition, considering that it would almost certainly delivered 4K resolution at 60 frames per second.
Final release date
When considering the final The Last of Us 2 release date, we can look at the precedent of previous AAA titles from Naughty Dog. It is interesting to note that the developer has paid little heed to the key Christmas marketplace, and has instead tended to bring its major games out in the middle of the year. This was the case for the original Last of Us title, along with the remastered version and the recent Uncharted 4.
This suggests that we can possibly expect The Last of Us 2 to be set around June 2019, based on an approximate development schedule of 24 months.
In December 2016, Naughty Dog revealed a trailer for its upcoming title The Last Of Us 2, the highly-anticipated sequel to the developer’s first thrilling survival-horror game. Now fans want to know whether The Last Of Us 2 release date is nearly here. We’re going to try to answer that in the best way we can.
When will The Last Of Us 2 release date be?
When the game was revealed as a trailer at the PlayStation Experience event, Naughty Dog would only say that it was under development and refused to give a release date. Now, six months later, reports suggest that the development is still in the early stages. In fact, it sounds like the developer has a lot of work to complete before it can give its full attention to the game’s development. This work includes the completion and release of Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, which, according to co-writer Josh Scherr, will be released on August 22.
In an interview with Eurogamer, Scherr said, “Right now, the studio’s focus is Lost Legacy. We have a genuinely ambitious schedule. The Last of Us (is in development) but at a lot slower pace right now. The entire team is on Lost Legacy — that’s a couple hundred of us strong.”
So it appears that The Last Of Us 2 release date will not be any time soon. Instead, keep your eyes and ears peeled for updates.
No show at the E3 Expo
If you were among the many who had expected Naughty Dog to provide some important information at E3, it didn’t. However, there’s no reason to keep guessing, as Neil Druckmann, the writer and director of the game, recently gave an answer. He posted a short explanation on Twitter; apparently, Naughty Dog wanted to leave E3 as a spotlight for Uncharted: The Lost Legacy.
As such, with the hype that’s about to take center stage around another Uncharted title, all we have are predictions for The Last Of Us 2 release date. If, as Druckmann says, Uncharted has hundreds of people working on it. You can bet that The Last Of Us sequel will eventually have those numbers too. After all, the first game was one of the biggest sellers for Naughty Dog. It also featured an immersive story and graphics so fantastic that the hunger for a sequel is palpable.
The good news right now is that the rumor mill is suggesting that we won’t have to wait for a year to pass. Instead, the release date could be in early 2018, although an exact date is something no one yet knows.
What is the game about?
The game is set in a post-apocalypse North America, and the sequel will be set five years after the original. However, it does apparently start where the previous game finished, with Ellie being the game’s main character. Joel makes a comeback and watches carefully over Ellie as he slowly ages. The premise of the story remains unclear; however, it is known that Ellie is now an angry woman.
That’s all we have to share with you today on this matter. When we find out more, we will inform you. In the meantime, share with us why you think The Last Of Us 2 release date should be sooner.
