Sony Computer Entertainment and Naughty Dog have finally showed gamers a hands-on glimpse into the highly anticipated The Last of Us Part Two‘s gameplay and story.
Naughty Dog has kept details about their follow up to the 2013 game of the year tightly under wraps since announcing the game at Playstation Experience in 2016. Fans were treated to a downright brutal trailer boasting new, mysterious characters at Paris Games Week in October, but since then Naughty Dog has stayed mum on all things The Last of Us.
The veil has finally been lifted at E3 2018, with a moody live banjo performance from renowned musician Gustavo Santaolla, who also wrote much of the first game’s soundtrack, leading into the gameplay reveal. The new trailer shows a much older Ellie enjoying what looks to be a wedding with drinking, dancing, and gossiping. It’s a sharp contrast from the tone of previous trailers while providing a heartwarming scenario- that Ellie is experiencing the life Joel wanted for her when he saved her life.
It abruptly transitions to a dense Forrest as Ellie struggles to kill a nameless goon, before switching into a third person perspective allowing the gameplay to take center stage. As Ellie progresses through the wilderness she encounters body after body hanging from lamp posts before seeing a man disemboweled by the same group of religious zealots seen in the Paris Games Week trailer.
One thing that is clear- The Last of Us Part Two is doubling down on it’s sense of atmosphere, with even more brutal violence and savagery than the previous game- especially when hammers are involved. The hammer take-downs are satisfyingly gory as Ellie lodges the hammer into her attackers’ faces.
Taking the reins as Ellie also offers a much faster take on combat, with more emphasis placed on dodging and ducking attacks before countering. The melee combat appears to be much more responsive and interactive, forcing players to actively dodge incoming attacks or face dire consequences.
The trailer concludes as Ellie viscerally executes one of her pursuers just as he mutters some sort of ritual prayer evocative of some type of cult, as Ellie turns to the camera soaked in blood. It’s still not clear if Joel will be a playable character in Part Two, but one thing is clear- Ellie is a fucking bad ass.
The Last of Us Part Two will be released on the Playstation 4, however, no release date has been announced.
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