It's no stretch to say that The Last of Us Part II might be the most anticipated triple-A game currently in development alongside Cyberpunk 2077.
Naughty Dog's reputation warrants as much, particularly with regards to The Last of Us, arguably their pinnacle game which managed to trump Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto V for several Game of the Year Awards in 2013.
Millions of PlayStation fans are eager to play the next adventure of Ellie and Joel (though the beloved gruff-but-loving protagonist of the first game hasn't actually been confirmed to be playable in the sequel). After the gameplay reveal at E3 2018, they have been wondering about the release date and as it turns out, it might be closer than anyone might have thought.
During a recent concert in Kuwait, acclaimed music composer Gustavo Santaolalla said that The Last of Us Part II is coming 'very soon'. Of course, our mileage may vary when it comes to the definition of 'very soon', but it certainly provides a solid base to hope for a release in 2019.
We don't know much about the game's features yet, with the exception of the following excerpt shared by Game Director Neil Druckmann alongside the gameplay reveal. Stay tuned on Wccftech for more details as they become available.
In The Last of Us Part II, Ellie is now 19 and has found a semblance of peace and normality living in Jackson. She’s had a chance to be a teenager and forge lasting relationships. When that peace is disrupted by a violent act, Ellie is thrust into a brutal journey of retribution, fueled by a need to bring those that have wronged her to justice, pushing her to her very limits.
From the way Ellie plays to the way she navigates through this hostile world, you’re going to feel her physical, emotional, and mental state expressed through every facet of gameplay. We’ve completely overhauled our engine, developed new combat mechanics, created a new analog stealth systems, and revamped our animation system to fully express Ellie’s desperation, resourcefulness, and unique agility.
We’re also upping the stakes and tension of the world. Our environments are broader, more complex, and more detailed--bringing unprecedented realism, verticality, and player choice to the world of The Last of Us. The human enemies you’ll encounter are now more threatening and capable, using sophisticated communication and environmental awareness to create intense, more dynamic stealth and head-on combat encounters.
All of this is underscored by the characters that surround Ellie and their shared experience. The Last of Us Part II features new and returning characters (including that gruff Texan who’s yet to make his full appearance), brought to life by our latest performance capture techniques and our exceptional cast.
About the author: With over two decades of experience in gaming journalism, Alessio Palumbo has led the gaming vertical at Wccftech since August 2015. He started working at a young age for Italian websites like Everyeye.it, Gamestar.it, Nextgame.it, and Multiplayer.it before kickstarting the indie English-language publication Worlds Factory as its founder and Editor in Chief. In the last decade, he has coordinated the overall output of Wccftech's gaming section, managed PR relations, assigned reviews, produced daily news coverage, edited gaming content as needed, and delivered game reviews. Arguably, his trademark content is the long series of exclusive developer interviews that have been cited by Wikipedia and by the biggest news media and gaming publications. His passion for technology also makes him knowledgeable when it comes to gaming hardware and tech. His favorite genres include RPGs, MMORPGs, and action/adventure games.
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