The 'Last of Us 2' Reveal Needs These 5 Things to Make Fans Happy
A release date is just one of the details we need from Naughty Dog.
Gamers will finally get an update on one of the most anticipated PlayStation exclusives of all time in September. Game developer Naughty Dog announced it will host a The Last of Us Part II media event on September 24, hosted by games journalist Geoff Keighley.
There’s no word on what time the event will be streamed, but fans of the critically acclaimed action-adventure horror series are already riled up. It’s been over a year since Naughty Dog revealed new information about the sequel. The last glimpse gamers got was the E3 2018 gameplay trailer that primarily showed off a more mature Ellie.
Naturally, The Last of Us diehards on Reddit are expecting an avalanche of news after such a long period of silence. Here are five crucial details Naughty Dog will need to deliver more than six years after the launch of its iconic franchise.
5. A Last of Us Part II Release Date
To no surprise, fans are craving a release date. Many of the Redditors who reacted to the announcement of the September 24 event are expecting at least a broad deadline, like spring of 2020.
A recent Reddit rumor suggested that The Last of Us Part II would launch around the same time as Sony’s PlayStation 5 to “show the world the features the PS5 has to offer.” Next-generation consoles are expected to hit shelves in the fall of 2020, but it’s possible that Naughty Dog could release its next magnum opus even sooner.
The Last of Us was released as the final exclusive on the PS3, months before the PS4 was released. The developer then released a remastered PS4 version to make use of the upgraded console’s capabilities. Sony and Naughty Dog could do the same thing this time around.
The Last of Us 2 E3 2018 trailer
4. A First Glimpse of Joel
The Last of Us: Part II takes place 5 years after the first game and Naughty Dog has already revealed how aging has hardened 19-year-old Ellie in the E3 2018 trailer. There hasn’t been a single glimpse of Joel, though, leading some fans the speculate that he might be dead.
Fans are expecting to see at least a cutscene showing a mid-50s Joel, who will presumably be replaced by Ellie as the main character of the sequel. There’s been little to no information about how time has changed Joel.
The 2016 The Last of Us Part II featured Joel’s silhouette and him speaking for a few seconds, but that’s the extent of what Naughty Dog has shown. We know that both him and Ellie live in the safe haven community in Jackson County, Wyoming but fans are yammering to see Joel’s face.
Assuming he’s still alive, expect a few gray hairs.
3. A Look at the Infected
The E3 2018 trailer showed off multiple stealth battle sequences of Ellie taking on crazed bandits. But there hasn’t been any footage of the most horrific enemies in the game: The Infected.
The original game featured four stages of mutation for humans hat were infected by the Cordyceps fungus: Runners, Stalkers, Clickers, and Bloaters. These phases were presumed to be the complete lifecycle for infected humans, but the The Last of Us Part II could change that.
A five-year gap between games could mean the infection has adapted or evolved and Naughty Dog could show off some sickly new mutations. If not, fans want to at least see gameplay of Ellie or Joel shivving a few Clickers.
Crafting on the go in "Last of Us 2"
2. A Big Plot Teaser
A surprising amount of details have surfaced about new characters and the settings of The Last of Us Part II, but there’s been little information to tie it all together.
At the PlayStation Experience 2017, game director Neil Druckmann confirmed that “a large part” of The Last of Us: Part II takes place in Seattle, a new setting for the series. Plus, new characters include Yara (played by Victoria Grace), Emily (played Emily Swallow), Lev (played by Ian Alexander), among others.
Fans are looking for a cliff hanger reveal to tie together all of these moving parts.
1. Multiplayer Reveal
Finally, many fans want to see what Naughty Dog has cooked up for the expected multiplayer mode of the game.
While The Last of Us was primarily praised for its single-player campaign, its multiplayer developed a cult following that continued to play it six years after its launch. It came with three types of games: Supply Raid, Survivors, and Interrogation.
The success makes it more than likely that the sequel will also come with a multiplayer mode, but fans are expecting a refresh.
The Last of Us: Part II will likely arrive in 2020 exclusively for the Sony PlayStation 4.*
