Naughty Dog Wants Gamers to Feel Any Character in The Last of Us II Could Die
Speaking to the Telegraph, Naughty Dog Creative Director and Vice President Neil Druckmann explained the stakes in The Last of Us II are very high and gamers should feel like any character could die. He wants gamers to even feel like Ellie, the games protagonist, could die even more often than the first game. Neil Druckmann also expresses enthusiasm for the narrative of the story and how the studio is approaching her coming of age. The Last of Us II will release exclusively on the PS4 February 21st 2020.
According to Neil Druckmann, during the demo that’s been playable at certain events, gamers can tackle situations from multiple angles. Naughty Dog wants gamers to be able to avoid confrontation on tackle it head-on, similar to the first installment. He talks about the uniqueness of video games being able to convey the complexity of the cycle of violence and the various emotions they can invoke and how it’s essential this story was told through a video game rather than another medium such as film. “This idea that violence doesn’t exist in a vacuum, that pursuing justice by any means has a real cost to it. And all the interesting philosophical questions that emerge from that are being explored with mechanics and some surprises along the way that are unique to video games.”
Neil Druckmann explains that Ellie is flirty and awkward during her teen years where she’s more lighthearted and less afraid than The Last of Us. “You get to play a teenager in this world eventually finding weed and smoking out and hooking up with someone, so it feels like a nice contrast to show two sides of Ellie.” Apparently many gamers have expressed to Neil Druckmann what a big deal it is for them being represented by an LGBTQ character in one of the biggest games of 2020’s AAA lineup and we’re happy with the direction of acceptance the world is heading.
While not giving away too many details or discussing the fate of any particular character, Neil Druckmann expresses this existential dread that Naughty Dog has made an integral theme of The Last of Us II. “The other thing that’s important for this story and the state of the world is for you to understand the stakes that we’re dealing with, that anybody’s life is at risk,” said Neil Druckmann. “And we want you going into this game to really believe that anybody’s life is at risk, including the character you’re playing yourself, meaning Ellie. Including Joel, including Diana. Including all the other cast of characters. That’s really important to us.”
Who’s your favorite character of The Last of Us II so far? Which part of the trailers released so far has you the most excited? Let us know in the comments below!
Source: The Telegraph