The Last of Us 2 (or The Last of Us Part 2) is a game that we’ve all been looking forward to since it was first unveiled at Sony’s PlayStation Experience back in December 2016. As a matter of fact, most of us have been waiting for a sequel since we finished the first game way back in 2013.
With immersive gameplay, a gripping storyline and fantastic visuals, it’s no wonder The Last of Us Part 1 sold over 1.3 million copies within the first week of its release. Ever since it’s release, the game has been highly praised by players and critics alike.
As the first game is considered to be a masterpiece, we have very high expectations for the second part in the series, The Last of Us Part 2. Very few games compare to how emotionally gripping The Last of Us was (except maybe Telltale’s The Walking Dead), so we’re hoping that the sequel will be just as fascinating.
Of course, a critically acclaimed game can certainly be hard to follow up. That being said, we have faith that developer Naughty Dog will create a sequel that’s just as good as the original.
With only a few months to wait until we can finally play The Last of Us Part 2 on the big screen, there’s more news surrounding the game now than ever before. With that being said, here’s everything we know about The Last of Us 2 so far.
Do note that we will be discussing a previous game in the series and therefore this article will contain spoilers.
The Last of Us Part 2 Story
Back at PlayStation Experience in 2016, creative director and co-writer Neil Druckmann shared the very first details of The Last of Us Part 2. From this moment, we knew that the game would be a sequel that partly takes place in Seattle, around several years after The Last of Us Part 1.
This would make Ellie 19-years-old, an older and more determined survivor on a quest to kill “every last one of them.” What she’s referring to in the 2016 reveal trailer, we have no idea, though we’d certainly like to know.
A more recent trailer gave us a sneak peek of what’s actually featured in The Last of Us Part 2—with scenes that include frightening new monsters and some brand new faces. We also got to see scenes of Ellie on a horse and in a boat as she travels on her journey in The Last of Us Part 2.
Contrasting the original game, the upcoming sequel is said to center around hate and revenge, focusing on the relationship between Ellie and Joel. Of course, The Last of Us was never all that pleasant, although you should expect the sequel to be even grimmer.
The Last of Us Part 2 Gameplay
Two years ago at E3 2018, we got our first real look at gameplay in The Last of Us Part 2. In the 12-minute long gameplay reveal trailer, we can clearly see how Ellie is the leading playable character and how the game will focus primarily on revenge and new relationships.
At the beginning of the gameplay trailer, we see a younger Ellie share a romantic moment at a dance, a scene that appears to take place way before the apocalypse. Shortly after such a peaceful moment, we see Ellie fighting alone against a group of survivors—possibly seeking revenge.
This contrasts the first game in which we saw Ellie embark on an emotional journey with Joel—a playable protagonist in The Last of Us Part 1. So how exactly will The Last of Us Part 2 compare with the original?
In a post on the PlayStation Blog, creative director Neil Druckmann mentioned how Ellie is on a “deadly quest for revenge”—an intriguing comment that makes me want to play the game even more. “Ellie wants to make it right by bringing the people responsible to justice, even if she has to go at it alone,” Druckmann says.
We also get to see how melee combat and the ability to jump is going to make the sequel to The Last of Us Part 1 much more enjoyable. After all, Ellie will need to find more ways to kill the seemingly smarter Infected if she wants to survive in The Last of Us Part 2.
On the topic of survival, when asked if Joel is dead or alive during PlayStation Experience in 2017, Neil Druckmann responded, “Everybody dies at some point.”
All jokes aside, he went on to explain: “With The Last of Us, no one is safe. We want people to go into The Last of Us: Part II, especially with this theme [of hate] and what we’re trying to say with this game, is knowing that no one is safe—not even these two [Ellie and Joel].” What are your thoughts? Will Joel survive? Or will we shed another tear in The Last of Us Part 2?
The Last of Us Part 2 Release Date
After waiting roughly seven years for a follow-up to The Last of Us Part 1, we’ll simply have to wait an additional three months for the second part in the series, The Last of Us Part 2. Initially set to release on February 21 2020, The Last of Us 2 has been officially delayed until May 29 2020. Game director Neil Druckmann explained the reason for the delay in a PlayStation Blog post:
“-it was during the last few weeks, as we were closing out sections of the game, that we realized we simply didn’t have enough time to bring the entire game up to a level of polish we would call Naughty Dog quality.”
Druckmann continued: “At this point we were faced with two options: compromise parts of the game or get more time. We went with the latter, and this new release date allows us to finish everything to our level of satisfaction while also reducing stress on the team.”
How Much Will The Last of Us Part 2 Cost?
Considering The Last of Us 2 is expected to be the game of a generation, much like the first one, you’re probably wondering how much it’s going to cost. Well, if you’re worried about this game breaking the bank, worry not as you can currently pre-order the standard edition of The Last of Us 2 for $59.99—the typical price for a video game in 2020.
Indeed, this is still a fairly significant amount of money, especially if you’re a student on a tight budget. Nevertheless, we truly believe The Last of Us Part 2 will be totally worth the price—especially if you play the game on one of the best monitors for PS4.
The Last of Us Part 2 Game Editions
These days, almost every game features a collector’s edition available to pre-order alongside the standard edition. As you may already be aware, by paying more for the collector’s edition, you’ll be able to score some exclusive in-game and physical items for you to show off to your friends. The thing is, The Last of Us Part 2 has not just one, but four different editions on top of the standard edition of the game.
At this very moment, you can pre-order the following game editions of The Last of Us 2 for the PS4:
Do note that some of these editions may be out of stock and therefore you’ll have to select another edition to pre-order.
The Last of Us Part 2 Trailers
After waiting four years for The Last of Us Part 2 to be released, we now have our hands on a tonne of trailers that we can use to piece together how the game will look and play. From stunning cinematics to gripping gameplay videos, we simply can’t get enough of the trailers for the sequel to The Last of Us Part 1.
If you’ve watched them already, you’ll know exactly what I mean when I say that they are stunning yet extremely tense. If you haven’t watched them, here’s a list of all of the trailers that have been released over the last few years.
The Last of Us Part 2 Initial Release Date Trailer
During the State of Play Livestream back in September 2019, we got to see a trailer revealing the initial release date for The Last of Us Part 2. In the trailer, we see Ellie alone in action, a brief look at a previously playable protagonist, Joel, and of course, the initial release date that has now been delayed. You can watch the full 3-minute video here:
The Last of Us Part 2 Gameplay Reveal
As we have previously mentioned in “The Last of Us 2 Gameplay” section, E3 2018 gave us our first proper glimpse at gameplay in the upcoming sequel, the Last of Us Part 2. In the 12-minute long gameplay reveal trailer, we can see Ellie share an intimate moment in a more peaceful time, followed by her fighting alone against a group of survivors. You can watch the full video below:
The Last of Us Part 2 PSX 2017
Towards the very end of the PlayStation panel at PSX 2017, we got to see another trailer for The Last of Us Part 2. To begin the panel, YouTuber Hannah Hart introduced co-writers Neil Druckmann and Halley Gross, followed by actors Ashley Johnson (Ellie) and Troy Baker (Joel). During the panel, we learned that a large part of The Last of Us Part 2 will be set in the city of Seattle.
For more information on the game, we highly recommend watching the full panel for yourself below:
The Last of Us Part 2 Teaser Trailer #2
Another trailer for The Last of Us Part 2 revealed during Paris Games Week 2017 focuses on a gruesome exchange between two groups of survivors. An exchange that shows just how dark the sequel is going to be in comparison with the first game.
Perhaps the conflicts takes place in a time before Ellie was even born? Maybe the “mystery woman” is Ellie’s mother? We’ll just have to wait until The Last of Us Part 2 is released in May.
Note that before you go ahead and watch the trailer, you’ll require a strong stomach to sit through it.
The Last of Us Part 2 Reveal Trailer
Our first look at The Last of Us Part 2 came after a reveal trailer was shown at PlayStation Experience in 2016. In the video, we see both Ellie and Joel return for the sequel, something everyone wanted after playing Part 1.
Be warned, if you haven’t watched the reveal trailer already, you will get tingles and potentially shed a tear as Ellie sings “Through the Valley” by Shawn James.
The Last of Us Part 2: News and Features
Now that we only have to wait a few months for The Last of Us Part 2, there’s a whole host of information surrounding the game that you’re probably all excited to learn. This is exactly why we have compiled all of the latest news surrounding The Last of Us 2. We’ve even listed some features so that you know exactly what will be included in the sequel. This way, you’ll be able to get even more hyped up about the second part in the series.
The Last of Us Part 2 Is Being Co-Written by Halley Gross
Transitioning from TV to video games, it has been confirmed that Halley Gross will be co-writing The Last of Us Part 2. During the PlayStation panel from PSX 2017, Gross mentioned how she accepted the job after she received an email from her agents regarding a “top-secret job with Neil Druckmann.” After being asked how she’d feel writing for video games after writing episodes of the television series Westworld, Gross immediately showed her enthusiasm and took up the role of a co-writer for The Last of Us Part 2.
Will There Be Multiplayer in the Last of Us Part 2?
Contrasting what co-director Anthony Newman mentioned to Polygon at E3 2018, Naughty Dog has officially confirmed that The Last of Us 2 will not feature multiplayer.
“Multiplayer will not be included with The Last of Us Part 2,” said Newman. “I know we had kind of announced that [it would have multiplayer], but as the game has developed, it’s become so ambitious, so grand in scope, and so intricate in its complexity, that it really required the full focus of the studio to deliver this single-player experience.”
In a tweet posted by the official Naughty Dog Twitter account, the company mentioned that its main focus is to launch the single-player game.
With that being said, there’s a chance we’ll get to play The Last of Us Part 2 online some time in the far future.
“However, you will eventually experience the fruits of our team’s online ambition, but not as part of The Last of Us Part 2. When and where it will be realised is still to be determined. But rest assured, we are as big a fan of Factions as the rest of our community and are excited to share more when it’s ready.” Could this hint to a DLC for The Last of Us 2? Possibly a spin-off? We’ll simply have to wait and see.
The Last of Us Part 2 Job Listing
Following in the footsteps of the original game, The Last of Us Part 2 is an upcoming Sony-developed PlayStation 4 exclusive. At least, that’s what we all thought up until a recent job listing was posted on the official Naughty Dog website.
The role is for a graphics programmer who must have a “thorough understanding of current GPU architectures (AMD GCN, NVIDIA CUDA)” and a “passion for playing and developing exceptional games.” This could suggest that Sony may be giving up on another PlayStation exclusive in order to bring The Last Of Us Part 2 to PC.
Now, game developer Naughty Dog could simply be looking for a developer with a wide range of experience. However, it’s intriguing that the requirements and skills section specifically lists a graphics processing unit that you won’t find in a PlayStation 4.
Additionally, the company is looking for someone with “console and PC programming experience”—something that may hint to a future leap to PC. Regardless, we highly doubt we’ll see The Last of Us Part 2 make the jump to PC any time soon. Be that as it may, Kotaku recently announced that Horizon: Zero Dawn is coming to PC later this year. Therefore, The Last of Us 2 may come to PC sometime in the far future.
Conclusion
The Last of Us Part 2 is a game that we’ve all been waiting for since the original was released back in 2013. If you haven’t played The Last of Us Part 1, what are you waiting for? The apocalypse? As we continue to hear more news surrounding the game, we will update this article so that you’re up-to-date on the latest news regarding The Last of Us Part 2. Until then, why not take a look at our guide to the best PS4 games on the market. Psst! We may or may not have included Last of Us: Remastered in the list—you’ll just have to go ahead and read it to find out.
Want to kill time before you can finally get your hands on The Last of Us Part 2? Maybe you’re interested in learning about an upcoming game set to release in March 2020? How does DOOM Eternal sound? In our DOOM Eternal: release date, trailers, news, and rumors article, we cover just that: the latest news and updates surrounding the upcoming DOOM game set to release in just a couple months.