When The Last of Us came out in 2013, it proved to be a huge success both commercially and critically. With the sequel set to arrive on PlayStation 4 in 2020, more and more information is coming out. To keep you up to date on all the latest news, here is everything we know about The Last of Us Part II.
It has been delayed to May 2020
Despite first being announced way back in 2016, a release date for The Last of Us Part II only came in September 2019. In the trailer above, Naughty Dog revealed that the action-adventure survival horror game would release on the PlayStation 4 on February 21, 2020.
However, within a month, creative director Neil Druckmann announced that the release date has been delayed to May 29, 2020.
“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 said. “We were faced with two options: compromise parts of the game or get more time… this new release date allows us to finish everything to our level of satisfaction while also reducing stress on the team.”
So, while fans will have to wait a few extra months to see the sequel, we can rest assured quality won’t be sacrificed.
The Last of Us Part II is about revenge
It has always been clear that The Last of Us Part II will be a revenge story. While many assumed it would see Ellie getting revenge for Joel’s death, we now know that is not the case. Instead, the most recent trailer suggests that it could be Ellie’s love interest that sparks her vengeance.
Dina is seemingly ambushed and captured by bandits. The same group then forces Ellie on the floor and makes her watch as they execute her friend. In this instance, it appears that Ellie will be trying to avenge the death of Dina by attacking this group.
Both Joel and Ellie return
For most of the last three years, it was not clear that Joel would return in the sequel. Many had assumed that the character would have died in the intervening five years. This would be what fueled Ellie’s revenge mission that was being set up in all the promotional material. Even more so as Ellie is now the main protagonist and the lead playable character.
However, things changed in September when a trailer showed that Joel was definitely in the game. The developers have revealed that much of the experience will deal with the evolving relationship between Joel and Ellie.
A new type of infected enemy will attack you
One of the better things about The Last of Us was that it didn’t stick to stereotypical zombie types. Instead, a type of fungal infection led to their mutated forms. The first game had four different types of zombie-like enemies. These were Runners, Stalkers, Clickers, and Bloaters.
This time around, there is a new type of infected in the form of the Shambler. As they charge at you, they release a cloud of burning gas that causes area-of-effect damage.
It will push the limits of the PlayStation 4
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that The Last of Us Part II will push the limits of the PlayStation 4. Like its predecessor, it is set to release near the end of the life of the console, meaning the developers have a lot of experience working with the hardware. That gives them the ability to create much bigger levels for players to get through. Another added bonus is that they can create larger groups of enemies with better A.I.
“As you saw with Uncharted 4 and The Lost Legacy, we’re experimenting with much larger layouts,” Druckmann said. “We’re going to do that with [The Last of Us Part II], and find ways to use that to mirror the story. Now we’re able to have much wider environments, sequences with a horde of infected, several squads of enemies looking for you in big spaces.”
You can buy a variety of special editions
Like many other games, The Last of Us Part II comes in a variety of special editions. These versions of the game have additional content and merchandise for the most die-hard fans.
The first is a Collector’s Edition of the game. It comes with a 12-inch statue of Ellie, a Steelbook, stickers, pins, a 48-page art book, a bracelet, and a digital copy of the soundtrack. It will cost $169.99 and is available for pre-order right now.
The Ellie Edition costs $229.99 and has everything included in the Collector’s Edition along with a backpack, an embroidered patch, and a vinyl record of music from the game.
A PlayStation 5 port is likely
With the PlayStation 5 due to launch for Holiday 2020, there are plenty of rumors surrounding which games will launch with the console. A strong contender is The Last of Us Part II.
Several leaks and rumors have suggested that the game will not only come to the new platform but will actually be a launch title, taking advantage of the additional power to get physical and technical improvements.
Although there has been no official announcement, it seems likely that The Last of Us Part II will come to PlayStation 5.
Will you be playing The Last of Us Part II? Let us know in the comments below!
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