Summary
The Last of Us Part 2was initially envisioned as aBloodborne-inspired open-world game, according to comments made by Naughty Dog developers in a recent documentary. This news follows last month’srelease ofThe Last of Us Part 2 Remastered, which has reinvigorated online discussion and publicity about the ambitious and controversial title.
Naughty Dog took some significant creative leaps withThe Last of Us 2. Aside from general polish thanks to advancements in technology and gaming conventions, the game featured a number of new mechanics, movement and combat options, and core elements of level design, generally being more open-ended than its predecessor. Still, the game is mostly seen as a direct evolution of the first game, both in terms of story and stealth-focused gameplay with a dash of survival horror. However, it would seem that this was not always meant to be the case.
In theGrounded 2: Making The Last of Us Part 2documentary, developers Anthony Newman and Emilia Schatz touch on the early plans for the game: rather thanThe Last of Us 2featuring a level-based, fairly linear design, the game was originally conceptualized as a semi-open-world game that got bigger as the player explored. Additionally, it was meant to be purely melee focused, with no firearms. Schatz and Newman both nameBloodborneas the primary, specific influence for this design approach. Ultimately, the open-world design wouldn’t have worked well for the story Naughty Dog was trying to tell, as Newman explains.
The Last of Us 2’s Potential Take On Bloodborne
For fans of bothThe Last of UsandBloodborne, a melding of the two franchises may seem like a dream come true. Indeed, it would have been one of the boldest decisionsNaughty Dog could have made withThe Last of Us 2, but it certainly could have worked. In fact, some of the DNA of this original plan may have been retained in the final product, in the form of one of the early Seattle levels, which adopts a semi-open-world structure. That area is one of the most memorable parts of the game, so it would have been interesting to see how Naughty Dog would have handled an entire game with a similar style.
At the same time, Newman’s comments about open-world design not fittingThe Last of Us 2’s narrative ring true. Additionally, it would have been hard to justify the complete absence of firearms within the context ofThe Last of Us’s survival horrorfoundations. Still, the idea ofThe Last of Us Part 2mixed withBloodborneis certainly intriguing, so perhaps the third game in the series could revisit the concept.
The Last of Us Part 2
WHERE TO PLAY
Play the winner of over 300 Game of the Year awards, remastered for the PlayStation®5 console. Relive or play for the first time Ellie and Abby’s story, now with graphical enhancements, new gameplay modes like the roguelike survival experience No Return, full DualSense® wireless controller integration, and more. Five years after their dangerous journey across the post-pandemic United States, Ellie and Joel have settled down in Jackson, Wyoming. Living amongst a thriving community of survivors has allowed them peace and stability, despite the constant threat of the infected and other, more desperate survivors. When a violent event disrupts that peace, Ellie embarks on a relentless journey to carry out justice and find closur
