| “ | ” |
The Last of Us Part II is a third-person action-adventure, survival horror video game developed by Naughty Dog and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. It was released on June 19, 2020.
The game is the sequel to The Last of Us, picking up the story of Ellie Williams and Joel Miller four years after the events of the original game. A remastered version of the game was released on January 19, 2024, for PlayStation 5, and later PC.
In 2025, the game was partially adapted into season two of HBO's TV series adaptation, with the upcoming third season believed to adapt the rest of it.
Plot
Backstory and setting
The Last of Us Part II takes place four years after the events of the first game and nearly 25 years after the outbreak of the Cordyceps brain infection began. Ellie Williams, who is now 19 years old, returns as the protagonist whom players assume control of. Joel, in his mid-fifties, also returns as a briefly playable character, as does Abby Anderson, who functions as the game's dual protagonist.[6][7]
Joel and Ellie, having settled down in Tommy's settlement, live in relative peace within the thriving community. While there, Ellie has even managed to form friendships with Dina and Jesse. However, the survivors face constant threats from infected and other hostile survivors.
When a tragic event disrupts the tranquility of her life, a hate-filled Ellie embarks on a journey to Seattle in a search for vengeance to carry out justice. As she hunts down those responsible one by one, she is confronted with the traumatizing physical and emotional consequences of her actions.[8][9][10]
Characters
- Main article: Part II characters
- Ellie Williams (Ashley Johnson) – The protagonist of the game. Ellie is a 19-year-old survivor of the Cordyceps brain infection outbreak and the only person known to be immune to the infection. Ellie lives in a large community in Jackson. She sports a tattoo over the bite scar on her right arm to hide her immunity. After witnessing a horrific attack, Ellie embarks on a personal quest for vengeance.
- Abby Anderson (Laura Bailey) – The dual protagonist of the game. A former member of the Fireflies, Abby is now a member of the Washington Liberation Front and begins the game attempting to locate a resident of the community in Jackson. Abby is forced to deal with the fallout of her own quest for revenge.
- Joel Miller (Troy Baker) – Joel is Ellie's father figure and a former smuggler, who bonded with her years ago while transporting her across the country to the Fireflies in the hopes of creating a vaccine for the CBI outbreak. Unbeknownst to Ellie, Joel killed the Fireflies who were going to kill Ellie to create a cure.
- Tommy Miller (Jeffrey Pierce) - Tommy is Joel's younger brother and is one of the leaders of the community in Jackson, alongside his wife Maria. Tommy is the only person aware of Joel's killing of the Fireflies and deception of Ellie. Tommy, like Ellie, is on his own quest for vengeance.[11]
- Dina (Shannon Woodward) - Dina is a close friend and love interest of Ellie and a resident of the community in Jackson. She is Jesse's ex-girlfriend, and kisses Ellie which causes a stir in the community. Dina accompanies Ellie to Seattle as their relationship develops.
- Jesse (Stephen Chang) - Jesse is a friend of Ellie, and Dina's ex-boyfriend. He is a resident of the community in Jackson, and accompanies Ellie on her quest.
- Maria Miller (Ashley Scott) – Maria is Tommy's wife, and a member of the Jackson community.
- Owen Moore (Patrick Fugit) - Owen is a member of the WLF and Abby's childhood friend and ex-boyfriend. He is in a relationship with Mel and is having a child with her.
- Mel (Ashly Burch) - Mel is a medic and a member of the WLF. She is pregnant with Owen's child, which causes tension between her and Abby.
- Manny Alvarez (Alejandro Edda) - Manny is a member of the WLF and a friend and roommate of Abby's. He accompanies her to Jackson and fights alongside her in Seattle.
- Nora Harris (Chelsea Tavares) - Nora is a member of the WLF and a friend of Abby's. She accompanies Abby to Jackson and is later sought out by Ellie.
- Lev (Ian Alexander) – Lev is a former member of a religious cult called the Seraphites set to wipe out all 'sin' in the world after the outbreak. Lev is branded an apostate by the Serephites for shaving his hair and is hunted by them alongside his older sister, Yara. Lev becomes Abby's companion and assists her.
- Yara (Victoria Grace) – Yara is Lev's older sister who left the Seraphites with him, and is severely injured by them during their escape. She later accompanies Abby with Lev.
- Isaac Dixon (Jeffrey Wright) – Isaac is the leader of the Washington Liberation Front, and a secondary antagonist in Abby's story.
Prologue
In 2034, in Jackson, Joel Miller confesses to his brother Tommy that he killed Marlene and destroyed the Fireflies' main base in Salt Lake City to prevent them killing Ellie to create a vaccine for the Cordyceps brain infection. While shocked at the news, Tommy forgives his brother for the destruction of his former group. That night, Joel visits Ellie and gifts her a guitar, intent on cementing their surrogate father-daughter relationship and starting their new life together.[12]
By March, 2038, Joel and Ellie still live in relative peace in Jackson as members of the community, but have grown apart as Ellie discovered Joel's secret about his actions at the St. Mary's Hospital and the killing of the head surgeon, Jerry Anderson.[13] While on patrol, Joel and Tommy save a stranger, Abby Anderson, from an infected horde. To escape a snow storm, they flee on horseback to the Baldwin lodge where Abby's group are staying.[12]
Once inside, the group reveal themselves as former Fireflies now based with the Washington Liberation Front (WLF), a militia group fighting a war with the religious fanatics known as the Seraphites in Seattle, Washington.[14] Abby reveals herself as Jerry's daughter and desires revenge for what Joel did to him and the Fireflies to save Ellie.[15] The group attacks Joel and Tommy, knocking Tommy out and Abby proceeds to torture Joel.
Ellie is pinned to the floor as she watches Joel die.
Elsewhere, Ellie, her girlfriend Dina and friend Jesse leave Jackson to find the brothers. Hours later, Ellie reaches the lodge only for Nick and Nora to restrain her and make her watch as Abby kills Joel. Ellie swears to kill them all for their actions, then is knocked out. Jesse and Dina later rescue her and Tommy and return Joel's body to Jackson where he is buried.[12]
Ellie's days
The next day, Tommy sets out for Seattle to hunt Abby, and Ellie and Dina follow him. By April, the pair reach the city and fight their way through the WLF, with Ellie killing one of Abby's friends, Jordan and finding Tommy has already tortured and killed Nick. Following Tommy's trail, they also locate Leah, killed hours earlier by Seraphites, and they loot her corpse for information on Abby and her remaining friends. Soon after, the duo escape an infected horde, during which Ellie breaks her mask. Once at a shelter in the deserted Pinnacle Theater, Ellie reveals she is immune to the CBI while Dina reveals she is pregnant. They rest for the night, during which Ellie plays a guitar and thinks back to her fifteenth birthday with Joel.[16]
The next day, Dina repairs an old FEDRA radio and uses it to track sightings by the WLF of a trespasser in Hillcrest. Assuming it is Tommy, Ellie goes there to help him. However, on arriving, she finds Jesse. The pair fight their way back to the theater, where Ellie has Jesse protect the weak Dina while she pursues a lead that Nora is at the Lakehill Seattle Hospital. On the way, Ellie encounters the Seraphites, and fights through a stalker-infested apartment complex. Once at the hospital, Ellie corners Nora in the basement and tortures her to reveal Abby's hideout at the aquarium. However, the incident leaves Ellie traumatized and regretful of what she's doing to avenge Joel.[13]
Ellie killing Mel.
The following morning, Jesse convinces Ellie they need to get Tommy to the theater and leave Seattle behind, stating he does not want to risk Dina's life further, who has grown sick. Ellie agrees, but while looking for Tommy, Ellie breaks off from Jesse to continue her pursuit of Abby. She reaches the aquarium, where she finds two more of Abby's friends; Owen and Mel. She attempts to interrogate them, but is attacked, leading to a brawl that ends in Ellie killing the pair, leading her to break down from the stress of her actions. However, Tommy then arrives with Jesse, the pair convincing her to leave with them, but they leave her map behind.
That night, the trio plan their route out of the city but Abby attacks them in the theater, having tracked them down. In a standoff, Jesse is killed and Tommy is taken hostage. Ellie begs Abby to let Tommy live in exchange for her life. Abby, enraged that Ellie and Tommy killed her friends, aims her gun at Ellie.[17]
Abby's days
Isaac tells Abby not to find Owen.
The game now shifts perspective, displaying an analepsis of the prior three days, this time from Abby's perspective. On the first day, Abby fights on the front lines with Manny Alvarez and Mel, who both worry Abby's actions in Jackson have not cleared her conscience as she wanted. Later that day, Abby and Manny visit the WLF's leader, Isaac Dixon, at the forward operating base (FOB), who reveals he wants the pair to lead the WLF forces in an all-out attack on the Seraphites' island. However, Abby refuses, having heard from Nora that Owen has been ostracized from the WLF for refusing to kill an old Seraphite. Isaac does not relent, leading Abby to flee the base to find Owen.
Abby sets Yara's arm.
On the way, a Seraphite patrol ambushes and captures her. Abby escapes with the help of Lev and Yara, two Seraphites branded apostates because Lev refused to follow Seraphite traditions. Despite Yara breaking her arm in the escape, Abby leaves them at an abandoned office trailer. She reaches her private hideout at the aquarium, where she finds a drunk Owen speaking of a desire to find a rumored Firefly encampment in Santa Barbara. The pair have a heated argument that ends in them having sex.[14]
By morning, Abby is plagued by nightmares, leading her to return to the trailer to save Lev and Yara from pursuing Seraphites. She brings them back to the aquarium, where Alice and Mel have arrived, also looking for Owen. Abby has Mel assess Yara's arm, concluding it needs to be amputated. Abby takes Lev out in to the city to retrieve supplies from the Lakehill Seattle Hospital.
Abby fighting the rat king.
After fighting through an infected-filled hotel, the pair reach the hospital. Abby walks in, using her rank to get access, but is soon apprehended as Isaac has put out an order to capture her. Nora helps Abby escape and leads her to the basement, where supplies are still found. Abby collects the medical supplies after killing the rat king infected living there, and leaves the hospital with Lev. That night, Mel operates on Yara, removing her arm and saving her life.[18]
Abby and Tommy fighting.
By the morning, Lev flees from the aquarium to go back to his mother at the Seraphite island. Yara, knowing their mother will kill Lev for having broken Seraphite traditions, convinces Abby to go to the island with her to rescue him. On the way, Abby meets Manny again at the marina and helps him advance on a sniper, who killed his team. They corner the sniper in a restaurant, only for the sniper--who is actually Tommy--to ambush them. In the struggle, Manny is shot dead and Tommy nearly succeeds in killing Abby, but Yara saves her. Assuming Tommy drowned in the pier, Abby and Yara push on to the island.
Yara embracing a tearful Lev.
They reach the island shortly before the WLF, led by Isaac, launch their invasion. Fighting through the Seraphites, the pair find Lev at the sibling's house, who killed his mother in self-defense. The group sneak back through the island but cross Isaac's WLF team. Yara kills Isaac, sacrificing herself so Lev and Abby can escape. The duo steal a horse and ride through the WLF and Seraphite's battle at Haven. They steal a boat and flee, leaving the two factions to kill each other.
Abby sobbing after finding Owen's and Mel's bodies.
Back at the aquarium, Abby and Lev find Alice, Mel and Owen have all been killed. Lev finds a map, which reveals the killer's location. Following it, they head to the Pinnacle theater and break in through the upper levels. Abby sneaks downstairs to find Tommy, back towards her, in the main hall. She trains her gun on him, and beats him to the floor.
It is at this point the flashback ends, as it has now caught up with the events of Ellie's story. Abby aims her gun at Ellie, but Tommy intervenes; Abby and Lev overpower and wound him. Ellie flees back stage, where Abby pursues her. They brawl, with the fight ending with Abby successfully defeating Ellie and Dina. Abby prepares to kill Dina, but Lev convinces her not to. Abby leaves Ellie alive, warning her to never cross her again.[19]
Santa Barbara
Ellie and Dina on their farm.
One year later, Ellie and Dina returned to Jackson, now living on a farm with Dina and Jesse's son, JJ. However, Ellie still suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder brought on by Joel's death and the events in Seattle. After Tommy gives her a lead that Abby and Lev moved to Santa Barbara, Ellie abandons her life with Dina and JJ to hunt and kill Abby again.[20]
Abby is beaten and abducted.
In Santa Barbara, Abby and Lev are attempting to find the Fireflies. They locate a radio station, and learn the group have moved to Catalina Island. However, as they attempt to reach it, a slave-owning group known as the Rattlers capture and torture them over several weeks, culminating in the pair attempting to escape but failing. Ellie arrives in Santa Barbara and finds the Rattler's base. She breaks in, freeing the prisoners and learns from their leader that Abby and Lev have been strung up on the beach to die. She finds them there and frees them.
Ellie trying to kill Abby.
Knowing they are weak from their months of torture, Ellie threatens to kill Lev if Abby doesn't fight her. Abby is forced to comply, and the two women fight in the water, with Abby biting two of Ellie's fingers off. Ellie eventually pins Abby under the water, but refuses to kill her after realizing killing Abby will not bring Joel back to her. She lets Abby and Lev flee on a boat to Catalina island while she returns to the farm.[21]
At the farm, Ellie finds Dina and JJ have left. She finds her guitar, but is unable to play it without all her fingers. She remembers the day prior to Joel's death in Jackson, when she reprimanded him for defending her from Seth's homophobic remarks at a party. That night, they talked on Joel's porch, with the pair deciding they would try to repair their relationship. In the present, Ellie sets the guitar down and leaves the farm.[22]
Gameplay
Exploration
Ellie was originally intended to be the sole playable character in the main story.[23] However, this changed at some point before release, with Joel, Ellie, and Abby all being playable for portions of the game. Ellie is assisted by Dina and Jesse in combat during her sections, as well as Joel in a brief flashback sequence. Abby is mostly assisted by Lev, but also Manny Alvarez and Yara in some segments.
Part II features a more open world style of gameplay, particularly in the Seattle level. However, Abby's story is more linear in design. Compared to the first game, Part II has more down time where there is no combat, allowing the player to relax more as they explore and loot.
Ellie and Dina on horseback.
While the first game gave the player a horse near the end, Part II instead provides the player horse travel at the beginning, which is also mandatory to use to jump over barbed wire fences. Horse travel is only available for a few hours, however. Later in Ellie's section, she will use a boat to travel around, although this part should not take longer than an hour.
New mechanics involve the ability to climb and swing ropes, as well as smash glass windows and surfaces using Ellie's knife melee or throwing bricks to enter rooms. There are also options to auto-loot nearby items, and switch to another weapon if one runs out of ammo.
Ellie now carries a journal with her which she will sometimes write in.
Combat and enemies
Ellie wielding a shotgun.
Part II features expanded traversal and stealth mechanics, including a jump button, ability to go prone (crawl) to hide in tall grass, and a dodge mechanic. This means Ellie can now hide under beds and cars, although this also means she can be pulled out. Similar to the previous game, Ellie can not strangle enemies, so she either shoots them in the head or uses her knife instead. Abby can strangle, however. Another new addition is the ability to pick up glass bottles and/or bricks, and throw them while running.[24] It is now possible to jump and kill enemies from above.
Shivs still exist but are for Abby. Ellie has learned how to stealth kill clickers using her knife. Compared to the first game, Part II gives a couple seconds of leeway if a player decides to ambush an enemy from the front. However, if the player takes longer than two seconds to attack, the enemy will call out and alert their allies. Silencers can be put on small guns to assist while stealth killing.
Ellie shooting a woman's head apart.
Enemy AI has been improved, notably how human enemies will often communicate with each other, relaying information about Ellie's position through whistling. If an enemy has a teammate that has been killed, they will become much more inspired and aggressive while attempting to kill Ellie. Every enemy has a name and their names can be called out by their teammates. Unlike the first game where every human enemy was a man, human enemies can now be women. They can now knock Ellie to the ground if certain bullets hit her.
A man screaming loudly in horror after his leg is blown off.
Part II features an advanced gore system and humans can now be dismembered; for example, Ellie can shoot their leg off and they will scream in horror and pain, although this will draw enemy attention. If an enemy has been too injured and their teammates are dead, they may ask Ellie to end their life. Infected with crippled limbs will now crawl towards the player.
Two additions are an "identification meter", which, in addition to the audio cue from the first game, alerts the player to how close an enemy is to seeing them (while it's white, the player still has the opportunity to hide, but once it turns red, they have been spotted), and an "injury gauge", which indicates when the player receives a serious wound (such as an arrow to the shoulder) and must press and hold the R1 button in order to treat it.
Ellie wrestles with a shambler.
Part II features new enemy types. Dogs are now enemies and will hunt Ellie's scent trail which can vanish if Ellie keeps her distance. There are two new infected types. The first is the shambler type that emits acidic spores similar to bloaters except these are also exhibited immediately after death. There is also a special unique boss infected that is fought while playing as Abby. Stalkers will hide after their attacks, which did not occur in the PlayStation 3 and 4 versions of the first game. There are also a new human enemy type that resemble the Brute enemies encountered in the Uncharted series, another game series by Naughty Dog.
| Ellie's weapons | Abby's weapons |
|---|---|
| Semi-auto pistol | Military pistol |
| Revolver | Hunting pistol |
| Pump shotgun | Double barrel shotgun (incendiary moddable) |
| Bolt-action rifle | Semi-auto rifle |
| Silenced submachine gun | Flamethrower |
| Bow | Crossbow |
| Smoke bomb | Pipe bomb |
| Stun bomb | |
| Molotov cocktail |
Other
Crafting has also been expanded, along with new ammo types (such as explosive arrows).
One of the game's unlockables is Mirror Mode which horizontally flips the screen and level design.
Multiplayer was originally planned to launch with the game,[25] but it was revealed this was dropped, becoming The Last of Us Online instead, but this ended up being cancelled later as well.[26]
Development
In February 2014, creative director Neil Druckmann said the possibility of a sequel to the The Last of Us was "about 50/50", and the team needed to develop a story "really worth telling, and that's not repeating itself".[27] In July 2014, community strategist Arne Meyer said that not considering a sequel "would be a disservice" to the studio and the fans.[28]
The first hints of a sequel in development came in a patch released for The Last of Us in 2014. Naughty Dog accidentally leaked prototypes for Part II in the game files under the heading "thing 2 prototype"; The Last of Us, when in development, was called "thing 1" in the game files.[29] In December 2014, character artist Michael Knowland, who worked on the first game, updated his LinkedIn page to include The Last of Us 2 with him as the lead character artist designing head sculpts. His page was soon updated to remove all mention of the sequel.[30]
At MetroCon 2015 in June, Nolan North, who portrays David in The Last of Us and Nathan Drake in the Uncharted series, was asked if he was involved in any future Naughty Dog projects. He replied "For now, Uncharted 4 is the last one. I know they're doing The Last of Us 2, but my character in The Last of Us kind of met an untimely demise".[31] Druckmann responded to North's comments, saying that a small team at Naughty Dog had explored ideas and begun building prototypes for a sequel, but were interrupted when the team shifted their focus to development of Uncharted 4: A Thief's End.[32]
Rumors rose again after an Easter egg referring to The Last of Us appeared in Uncharted 4's denouement, specifically a picture of a pregnant woman resembling Ellie with the title The Last of Us: American Daughters next to it.
GameInformer accidentally leaked images and information regarding a sequel to The Last of Us at E3 2016, specifically that Ellie would be 19 years old and that the story would transition between the present and the past.[33] An image was also revealed on September 26, depicting a tattooed arm holding a switchblade, evidently teasing the reveal of Ellie's tattoo.[34] Another poster was also released on the same day in 2017, depicting an arm holding a hammer amidst flames that resemble the face of a wolf.[35] A third poster was released by Naughty Dog to celebrate outbreak day in 2018, the image displaying a man playing an acoustic guitar in the woods with a wolf next to him.[36]
The game was originally set to be released on May 29, 2020.[37] However, Naughty Dog announced on April 4, 2020 that, while Part II was finished, they could not ship physical copies due to the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak.[38] As such, the release date was changed to June 19, 2020.[4]
Marketing
Official announcement at PSX 2016
On December 3, 2016 at Sony's annual PlayStation Experience event (PSX), Naughty Dog closed the event by officially announcing a sequel to The Last of Us via a reveal trailer, titled The Last of Us Part II.[39] Ellie was confirmed to be the main playable character who would "play differently" than Joel from the original. Troy Baker and Ashley Johnson were confirmed to reprise their roles as Joel and Ellie respectively while Neil Druckmann would write the script. No release date was announced and the game was noted to be in very early development by Shawn Layden.[40] Druckmann also remarked it was Naughty Dog's "most ambitious game yet".[41]
Reveal trailer
The trailer opens with a sequence of five shots of a forested area. The rusty remains of an abandoned vehicle and a tree with claw marks in its trunk are shown as the camera pans outwards. Some run-down houses then appear in the foreground, before an old 'Stop' road sign with the Firefly logo graffitied on it comes into view. The scene changes to Ellie sat on a bed, tuning and subsequently playing an acoustic guitar as she sings Through the Valley by Shawn James. The next shot reveals a tattoo on her arm as the camera cuts around the room, showing among many other things an open window to Ellie's left. Some have noted the resemblance between this window and the window depicted on the main menu screen of the original game.[5]
"I'm gonna find and I'm gonna kill every last one of them."
A man enters through the front door. Initially nothing more than a silhouette, he walks through the house with a revolver in his right hand, taking stock of the several dead bodies littered in the building, implied to have been killed by Ellie. None of the bodies show obvious signs of infection by the CBI from the original game. The man eventually enters Ellie's room, and the camera angle then reveals his identity: Joel. The pair exchange the following dialogue:
- Joel: "What are you doing, kiddo? You really gonna go through with this?"
- Ellie: "I'm gonna find... and I'm gonna kill... every last one of them."
The trailer ends on a closeup of Ellie's face before fading-in the title The Last of Us Part II.[42]
PSX Q&A
At a panel after the reveal, Neil Druckmann was asked why Naughty Dog ultimately decided to make a sequel. He explained, "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... After spending years trying ideas, we have finally created a story worthy of Joel and Ellie." He also stated that the game was ultimately about human relationships, as was The Last of Us, and that it wouldn't work without Joel and Ellie as "it is their journey."[43][44]
Druckmann confirmed that Gustavo Santaolalla would return as the composer for the game's soundtrack,[45] having already created a new rendition of The Last of Us theme for the sequel that was also unveiled at PSX.[46] Bruce Straley, who helped Druckmann make early prototypes for Part II,[47] did not return to assist Druckmann with directing the sequel, instead taking a sabbatical after the pair finished working on the DLC for Uncharted,[48] and subsequently leaving Naughty Dog.[49] In his place, Halley Gross co-wrote the story with Druckmann.[50] On April 7, it was revealed that actress Shannon Woodward would play a role in the game.[51]
Part II utilizes new motion capture technology for its characters as well as an entire new engine for the PlayStation 4.[52] Druckmann indicated that Ellie plays "different to Joel", particularly in regards to movement and speed.[53]
PGW 2017 trailer
At Paris Games Week on October 30, 2017, Naughty Dog released another trailer depicting new survivors, namely: Lev, Yara, Emily, and Abby, whose name was not revealed at the time. Druckmann remarked that these new characters would be integral to Joel and Ellie's journey.[41] To create the unnamed woman's physique required the use of a body-builder double.[54]
The trailer uses the opening cutscene from the level "The Forest". It opens to a clearing at night, in the middle of a forest, with burning cars littering the scene as it rains heavily. The camera follows the entire scene in one take. Two men appear, dragging Abby across the ground to Emily, where they subsequently hang her by a rope next to several other corpses. As Abby struggles to breathe, Emily draws a knife, poking the Abby's stomach, taunting her. The two men appear again, this time dragging Yara. Emily taunts Yara as well, the latter retaliating by spitting in her face. Irritated, Emily has the two men pin Yara down to "clip her wings" with a hammer. After breaking one arm, an arrow flies out of the nearby woods, killing one of the men, enabling Yara to kill the other with the hammer. Emily draws a revolver, firing into the woods as more arrows fly. Yara gets to her feet, prompting Emily to aim at her.
The mysterious unnamed woman, later confirmed to be Abby.
However, Abby uses her legs to trap Emily in her grip, allowing Yara to kill her with the hammer as well. Thunder briefly erupts as Abby allows Emily's corpse to fall to the ground. With Emily dead, Yara collapses against a nearby wall, clutching her broken arm. From the woods, Lev appears with his bow. He checks on Yara, who orders him to free Abby, which he hesitantly does. Abby proceeds to pry the hammer from Emily's corpse before telling the others to prepare themselves. From the woods, a group of infected charge at the trio before the trailer cuts to black.[55]
PSX 2017
In December, 2017, Neil Druckmann alongside the principal cast for The Last of Us Part II and fellow writer Halley Gross, appeared to answer questions regarding the upcoming release of the game. Druckmann and Gross revealed the game was "about 50 to 60%" complete and Druckmann himself teased that Gross provided an idea to "get a character pregnant". For the event, Ashley Johnson and Troy Baker performed Wayfaring Stranger by Johnny Cash, as a duet to open their segment, performing in role. Druckmann left it up to opinion as to whether the lyrics in the song, which focused on a journey for the two to a "mother and savior", were literal or metaphorical. Druckmann also revealed the story they wrote is "big" with "hopeful" moments, to contrast the overall theme of hate. Gross stated the story provides the characters an authentic arc that will grow and change them.[56]
E3 2018
On June 11, 2018, Naughty Dog showcased more content from the game to an audience. Gustavo Santaolalla played live music (a segment from the game's score) for the audience and Shawn Layden introduced a gameplay demonstration for Part II. The demonstration showcased new melee combat, stealth mechanics, in-game graphics and also provided a look into the locations the player will encounter while playing as the 19-year-old Ellie. Spliced alongside the gameplay was the cinematic reveal of the characters Dina and Jesse.[57]
State of Play 2019
On September 20, 2019, Naughty Dog posted a video on Twitter teasing Part II details to be revealed during PlayStation's State of Play broadcast a few days later on September 24. For each day up until the event, they tweeted a new teaser video showcasing an artifact for several key characters.[58]
"You think I'd let you do this on your own?"
During the State of Play broadcast that went live on September 24, Naughty Dog unveiled a three minute trailer for Part II revealing the game's release date as February 21, 2020. The trailer included more details regarding the plot and gameplay itself of different environments and locations, including combat with new infected types and dogs. It suggested Joel would join Ellie on her journey and that Jeffrey Pierce reprises his role as Tommy.[59][11]
State of Play, May 2020
On May 27, ahead of the game's June 19 release on PS4, Druckmann provided a further release of Part II content. Included was further gameplay, notably Ellie's ability to swim and the use of a boat and rope to traverse terrain, a backstory expansion for the Washington Liberation Front and Seraphites (who are at war with one another) as well as showcasing a new extended gameplay sequence.
Druckmann expressed that Naughty Dog staff aimed to make the areas players explore in the game as beautiful, big, and authentic as possible. He elaborated that much of the story occurs in the Seattle area. The open environments lead to several story moments that act as extra parts to the main story, meaning the player does not have to engage or find these moments to progress the story.[60]
2020 TV Commercials
A week before release, a thirty second commercial was run on TV along with an extended version that was uploaded on all official PlayStation accounts.[61] These two versions both feature Ellie running through Seattle accompanied by a cover of True Faith by New Order. There are two versions, with Ellie holding a revolver in the American version and a switchblade in the European version.[62] The European version of the TV commercial contained an alternate version of the cover with slight pronunciation and instrumentation changes.[63]
Release and reception
The Last of Us Part II released to universal acclaim among critics worldwide. Many praised the game for its visuals, gameplay, and story. GameSpot's Kallie Plagge remarked the game's combat was "intense and exhilarating", liking how the game maintained the freedom from the first game for players to choose between stealth or gunplay during combat, though did criticize that the level's sizes were too expansive, especially since collectibles available in such areas did not match the size of the level design. They concluded the game's duration of more than twenty hours could have been considerably shorter.[68]
Chris Carter from Destructoid wrote praise regarding the actors, especially Ashley Johnson's performance as Ellie, and the game's environments, believing the Naughty Dog developers brought the game's setting to life in a way that surpasses the previous installment. In fact, they declare it the best looking game on the PlayStation 4 console. However, they would have liked if the game did differ more from the first one, remarking "Part II is essentially the same wheel from the first game." Still, Carter concludes "Part II improves on what it's predecessor did in 2013."[69] Euro Gamer's Oli Walsh agreed Johnson was the stand out performance but especially praised Gustavo Santaolalla's score for the game, believing the music was "excellent" in conjunction with its "minimalism".[64]
Some were critical that the game failed to evolve much from its predecessor. Maddy Myers from Polygon remarked that Part II failed to live up to the first game, citing the character's lack of growth and the dull story that felt bloated and long, citing the game's critical problem was its poor pacing and failure to justify its own existence as a sequel.[71] Koji Fukuyama from IGN agrees, saying they also found the amount of combat encounters "excessive", believing the developers failed to strike the balance between combat, story and exploration that the first game excelled at.[67] Myers believed the game's combat additions with dog enemies, new infected types and ability to go prone was a "half-hearted" effort to hide that the game was little more than the first game with a new engine. They expanded that, while it was still a strong game, the industry had evolved in the seven years since the first game's release so they were expecting more from this sequel, rather than simply more of the same. Regardless, they still thought the game was aesthetically "gorgeous" and would have received higher praise if it wasn't so similar to The Last of Us, which Myers believed the superior game.[71]
IGN's Jonathan Dornbush contested such claims, believing the gameplay was a "satisfying evolution" from the first game with a "profound story" that justified it's creation. They go as far to say "The Last of Us Part 2 is a masterpiece that evolves the gameplay, cinematic storytelling, and rich world design of the original in nearly every way."[66] Andy McNamara from Game Informer agreed, writing that Part II was "the best narrative game [they] ever played", highlighting the complex story and compelling characters.[65]
Leaks and controversy
Joel's death received a polarizing reaction from players.
About two months prior to its release, Part II was leaked by a young fan in an attempt to hasten the game's release. The leak involved Joel's death, and that players were expected to play as his killer. This greatly disheartened the game's developers, as it meant people spoiled the way his death was intended to be experienced, and people formed an opinion on the game before experiencing it. The leaks also generated hatred for the character of Abby.
On Reddit, a community called r/TheLastOfUs2/ was formed who are critical of the game's story; examples include when Joel reveals his name to complete strangers which many felt was out-of-character, Ellie leaving the map in the aquarium which led to Abby finding the theater, as well as the ending in which Ellie spares Abby's life. Some threatened Abby's voice actress Laura Bailey with death threats on her and her child. On Metacritic, the game was review bombed with many 0/10 reviews. Part II still has a divided reaction to this day, effectively breaking the franchise's fanbase into enjoyers and critics.
A dog attacks Ellie.
Also controversial was the game's usage of dogs being portrayed as violent killable enemies, which caused an uproar on social media. There is one interaction with a dog about halfway through the game, in which the player must complete a quick-time event to kill it. However, every other dog slaughter is optional.
Sales
Part II sold 4 million copies in its first three days, setting a new franchise record.[75] It sold ten million copies by 2022.
Sequel
Speaking with the Script Apart podcast in April 2021, Druckmann revealed that he and Gross had written an outline for a story that explores what happens after The Last of Us Part II. He noted that the story was not in active development, but hoped that it could "see the light of day" in some form eventually.[76]
In the February 2024 Grounded II documentary on the making of The Last of Us Part II, Druckmann revealed that while he doesn't have a story for a potential third game yet, he does have a concept, and mentioned the idea of Tommy being central the story. He feels "there's probably one more chapter to this story."[77]
When asked about The Last of Us Part III while promoting the second season of HBO's The Last of Us at SXSW 2025, Druckmann told Variety, "I guess the only thing I would say is, don't bet on there being more of Last of Us. This could be it."[78] However, on March 11, 2025, it was reported that The Last of Us Part III was in "advanced production," with some casting being done and even some scenes already filmed, despite Druckmann's comments about a third game almost a week earlier.[79]
Trophies
- Main article: The Last of Us Part II trophies
Gallery
Logos
Concept art
Artwork
_closeup.png "Ellie (Seattle) closeup.png (1.19 MB)")
Reveal trailer
E3 2018 official stills
Cinematic trailer
Screenshots
Videos
External links
References
- ↑ GameSpot - The Last of Us Part II will have multiplayer
- ↑ GameSpot - The Last of Us 2 Brings on Westworld Writer; Story Described as "Intense"
- ↑ - The Last of Us Part II: how Naughty Dog made a classic amidst catastrophe, GQ UK
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 The Verge - New TLOU 2 Release Date (Accessed 27th of April, 2020)
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 TLOU2 Reveal Trailer Analysis, IGN, via YouTube
- ↑ The Last of Us Part II: PSX 2017, YouTube, (Accessed 2017)
- ↑ "Dual Protagonists: How to Handle TWO Lead Characters in Your Screenplay", Industrial Scripts, (Accessed June 9, 2022)
- ↑ Polygon: The Last of Us Part 2, PolyGon, (Accessed December, 2016)
- ↑ The Last of Us Part II official website, PlayStation, (Accessed 2019)
- ↑ E3 2018: The Last of Us Part II is all about honoring Ellie, IGN, (Accessed 2019)
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Part II trailer (September, 24th, 2019)
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 "Jackson"
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 "Seattle Day 2"
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 "Seattle Day 1
- ↑ "The Park"
- ↑ "Seattle Day 1"
- ↑ "Seattle Day 3"
- ↑ "Seattle Day 2"
- ↑ "Seattle Day 3"
- ↑ "The Farm"
- ↑ "Santa Barbara"
- ↑ "The Farm"
- ↑ Good, Owen (2018-06-14). The Last of Us Part 2’s creators said Ellie is the only playable character. Polygon. Retrieved 2018-06-15
- ↑ Osborn, Alex (2018-06-12). E3 2018: New The Last of Us Part II Gameplay revealed. IGN. Retrieved 2018-06-13
- ↑ Tach, Dave (2018-06-13). The Last of Us Part 2 will have multiplayer (of some sort). Polygon. Retrieved 2018-06-15
- ↑ The Last of Us 2: No Multiplayer Mode, US Gamer
- ↑ Eurogamer - Will there be a new "The Last of Us"?, Eurogamer
- ↑ Exploring ideas for The Last of Us 2, Videgamer
- ↑ Annie Marie's findings, YouTube
- ↑ Leak by Character Artist
- ↑ IGN - Nolan North on the possibility of a sequel, IGN
- ↑ GameSpot - The Last of Us or Uncharted?, GameSpot
- ↑ GameInformer leak, YouTube
- ↑ Teased artwork, Eurogamer
- ↑ Outbreak Day 2017, IGN
- ↑ Outbreak Day 2018, PlayStation
- ↑ Druckmann, Neil, TLOU 2 Comes to PS4 in May, PlayStation Blog, (Accessed October 24, 2019)]
- ↑ Part II delayed PushSquare, (Accessed April 6, 2020)
- ↑ Trailer for the new Last of Us, The Verge
- ↑ Last of Us 2 revealed, Forbes
- ↑ 41.0 41.1 Druckmann, Neil, Another piece of the puzzle, PlayStation, (Accessed November 5, 2017)
- ↑ The Last of Us Part II - 2016: Reveal Trailer, PlayStation Experience, (Accessed 2 November, 2017)
- ↑ New Last of Us Announced, Kotaku
- ↑ TLOU2 Revealed at PSX, Youtube
- ↑ Play as Ellie in new "Last of Us", GameSpot
- ↑ 2016 - Last of US 2, PSX
- ↑ Straley not taking part, IGN
- ↑ Straley is not coming back, GameSpot
- ↑ Straley is out, Game Industry
- ↑ New writer, GameSpot
- ↑ Woodward in Sequel, Game Informer
- ↑ The Last Of Us 2 Will Be A Game 'About Hate', Kotaku
- ↑ TechRadar - The Last of Us 2: What you need to know, Tech Radar
- ↑ Druckmann, Neil, Body Double Used Here, Instagram (Accessed 11 November, 2017)
- ↑ The Last of us Part II - PGW 2017 Trailer], YouTube, (Accessed; 30 October, 2017)
- ↑ The Last of Us Part II: PSX 2017, YouTube
- ↑ E3 2018: The Last of Us Part II Gameplay, IGN
- ↑ Naughty Dog Tweet, Twitter, (Accessed September 20, 2019)
- ↑ Naughty Dog Tweet, Twitter, (Accessed September 24, 2019)
- ↑ The Last of Us Part II, State of Play
- ↑ New TLOU 2 trailer, Games Radar
- ↑ TLOU 2 - Trailer, American edition, YouTube
- ↑ TLOU 2 - Trailer, European edition, YouTube
- ↑ 64.0 64.1 The Last of Us Part II review, Euro Gamer, (Accessed June 13, 2020)]
- ↑ 65.0 65.1 The Last of Us Part II review, Game Informer, (Accessed June 13, 2020)]
- ↑ 66.0 66.1 The Last of Us Part II review, American IGN, (Accessed June 12, 2020)
- ↑ 67.0 67.1 Review of Part II, Japanese IGN, (Retrieved 13 June, 2020)
- ↑ 68.0 68.1 GameSpot - The Last of Us Part II review (Accessed June 12, 2020)
- ↑ 69.0 69.1 The Last of Us Part II review, Destructoid, (Accessed June 12, 2020)
- ↑ The Last of Us Part II review, The Telegraph, (Accessed June 13, 2020)
- ↑ 71.0 71.1 71.2 The Last of Us Part II review, Polygon, (Accessed June 13, 2020)
- ↑ The Last of Us Part II review, The Guardian, (Accessed June 13, 2020)
- ↑ The Last of Us Part II review, Toronto Sun, Retrieved June 16, 2020
- ↑ The Last of Us Part II score, Metacritic, (Accessed June 12, 2020)
- ↑ Last Of Us 2 Sells 4 Million In First Three Days, Setting New Franchise Record, GameSpot, (Accessed June 28, 2020)]
- ↑ Script Apart podcast April 2021 [timestamp: 39:51], (Accessed 1 December, 2022)
- ↑ Grounded II: Making The Last of Us Part II, 2 February, 2024 [timestamp: 1:58:12], (Accessed 2 February, 2024)
- ↑ Variety "Making ‘The Last of Us’ Season 2" by Adam B. Vary, Mar 5, 2025
- ↑ THE LAST OF US PART 3 Reportedly In "Advanced Production"
| "Jackson" | |
|---|---|
| "Seattle Day 1" | "The Gate" · "Downtown" · "Eastbrook Elementary" · "Capitol Hill" · "Channel 13" · "The Tunnels" · "The Theater" · "The Birthday Gift" |
| "Seattle Day 2" | |
| "Seattle Day 3" | |
| "The Park" | |
| "Seattle Day 1" | "The Stadium" · "On Foot" · "The Forward Base" · "The Aquarium" · "Hostile Territory" · "Winter Visit" · "The Forest" · "The Coast" |
| "Seattle Day 2" | |
| "Seattle Day 3" | |
| "The Farm" | "The Farm" |
| "Santa Barbara" | |
| "The Farm" | "Epilogue" |
| Lost Levels | |
| Long guns | |
|---|---|
| Short guns | |
| Melee weapons | |
| Craftable items | Arrows · Explosive arrow · Health kit · Hunting pistol ammo · Incendiary shells · Melee upgrade · Molotov · Pipe bomb · Shiv · Silencer · Smoke bomb · Stun bomb · Trap mine |
| Supplies | |
| Other items | |
| Miscellaneous | |
| The Last of Us Part I | "Hometown" · "The Quarantine Zone" · "The Outskirts" · "Bill's Town" · "Pittsburgh" · "The Suburbs" · "Tommy's Dam" · "The University" · "Lakeside Resort" · "Bus Depot" · "The Firefly Lab" · "Jackson" | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Left Behind | "Back in a Flash" · "Mallrats" · "So Close" · "Fun and Games" · "The Enemy of My Enemy" · "Escape from Liberty Gardens" | ||||||
| The Last of Us Part II | "Jackson" · "Seattle Day 1" · "Seattle Day 2" · "Seattle Day 3" · "The Park" · "Seattle Day 1" · "Seattle Day 2" · "Seattle Day 3" · "The Farm" · "Santa Barbara" · "The Farm" · "Jackson Party" · "Seattle Sewers" · "The Hunt" | ||||||
| The Official The Last of Us Podcast | "Your watch is broken." - Summer Part 1 · "What are you scared of?" - Summer Part 2 · "You have no idea what loss is." - Fall and Left Behind · "It can't be for nothing." - Winter and Spring · Artifact 1: "Sad Town USA" · Artifact 2: "Your dad's eyes and your mom's baggage" · Artifact 3: "Still searching for the happy ending" · "Take on me" - Behind Part II · "They should be terrified of you" - Ellie · "You're my people" - Abby · "I would do it all over again" - Beyond Part II · Bonus Ep 1: "I know, I know, I know" | ||||||
| HBO's The Last of Us |
| ||||||
| HBO's The Last of Us Podcast |
| ||||||
| Stage adaptations | The Last of Us: One Night Live | ||||||
| Web series | The Last of Us Development Series · Grounded: Making The Last of Us · From Dreams: The Making of The Last of Us: Left Behind · Inside The Last of Us Part II · The Last of Us Revisited · Building The Last of Us · Grounded II: Making The Last of Us Part II | ||||||