Game developer Naughty Dog must be on edges these days while preparing for the official release of the role-playing game “Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End” exclusively on the PlayStation 4 on April 26.
However, rumors are already swirling wildly on the internet about the next big video game to come from Naughty Dog, which is no other than the action-survival horror game “The Last of Us 2.”
While Naughty Dog has not said anything official about the sequel to one of the most popular and one of the best zombie apocalypse games ever, there are reports coming out that the developer is now deep in the development of “The Last of Us 2.”
It should be noted that the rumors about “The Last of Us 2” started immediately after the successful release of “The Last of Us” way back in June 2013.
According to Shu Yoshida, a Japanese legend in the tech industry, the game sequel to “The Last of Us” had already been in gaming circle talks following the launch of the first game almost three years ago. He disclosed that Naughty Dog creative director Neil Druckmann has talked about possible ideas for a potential sequel and also some experiments that they want to do.
New main protagonist
As far as the game’s plotline goes, there are reports that Ellie might become the main protagonist for “The Last of Us 2” because Joel will all be dead and gone, reports Breathecast.
The rumors about Joel no longer being part of “The Last of Us 2” came from voice actor Nolan North who said back in June of last year that his character in the sequel has apparently met an untimely demise, details the Parent Herald.
Although North did not say which character would it be, he was the one who lent his voice to Joel in “The Last of Us.” North is also the voice actor for Nathan Drake in “Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End.” Reports also have it that Drake will also die towards the end of the role-playing game so it is not clear which character was North referring to, whether it is Joel or Drake, notes the Parent Herald.
Immediately after the interview with Nolan North, Neil Druckmann made his reaction by confirming that they at Naughty Dog are just hatching ideas for “The Last of Us 2” so the development in the game is still in the pre-production phase. Druckmann said that North and another voice actor Bruce Straley were still brainstorming for new ideas on characters, settings, and scenarios at that time last year.
The creative director also added that the real work on the game will begin after they are through with “Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End.” At this time, it is almost sure that the game is complete and Naughty Dog is just putting on the finishing touches and preparing its sales, marketing, and promotion strategies for their latest game. So it is also possible that the developer is indeed working on “The Last of Us 2” which is why the game continues to make it to the rumor mills.
Further along in game development
While Naughty Dog has been very silent about “The Last of Us 2,” there have been some pieces of evidence out there that would seem to hint at the possibility that the game may be further along than what fans might expect, according to latest reports.
In “The Last of Us,” players traverse post-apocalyptic environments, moving through locations such as towns, buildings, and sewers to advance through the game’s story.
Players use firearms, improvised weapons, and stealth to defend against hostile humans and cannibalistic creatures infected by a mutated strain of the Cordyceps fungus.
For the most part of the game, players control Joel who was tasked with escorting the young Ellie across the United States. Ellie and her other companions are controlled by artificial intelligence. Players also control Ellie throughout the game’s winter segment.