Here’s What We Learned from The Last of Us Part II State of Play
Ahead of the nearing launch of the much-awaited The Last of Us Part II, Naughty Dog showcased bits of the setting and mechanics of the game at the recent PlayStation State of Play.
The Last of Us Part II is initially set in Jackson, Wyoming, and picks up where the story left off with Joel and Ellie finding a peaceful settlement. Ellie is now 19 and lives on her own. Because of a tragedy that happened in Jackson, Ellie ventures off in the world in search of justice and ultimately ends up in Seattle, Washington. Seattle is where much of the action will happen and the story will take place.
In Seattle, Ellie will face three different foes, the militia group Washington Liberation Front (WLF), the religious zealous group Seraphites or Scars, and, of course, the Infected.
The WLF are highly trained and organized, with guard dogs that can pick up Ellie scent. Seraphites, on the other hand, were the ones highlighted in the second trailer that was shown at Paris Game Week 2017 and rely on stealth to kill. Lastly, the Infected are the same creatures in the first game.
Shamblers were revealed as the first new Infected type that the game introduces. Yes, new type that join the Runners, Clickers, Stalkers, and Bloaters. These are heavily armored Infected that are covered in pustule. When they get close to you, they release a corrosive spore cloud. Think even scarier Bloater. One more type was teased but wasn’t shown.
As far as gameplay goes, it looks pretty much the same as the first game at the core of it. You can pick up materials and craft stuff, and upgrade your respective weapons. In addition, you can still throw items at or nearby enemies to stun or distract them.
Ellie is more agile in combat and can dodge when in a head-to-head combat. However, stealth is still very much a part of the game and still looks to be very much worth it.
The map is pretty expansive, as far as the footage goes and allows you to choose how to approach or avoid a situation. You are given the freedom to break glass and go through tight spaces in order to reposition or just find your way around a group of enemies. Speaking of groups, the three factions in Seattle can be pit against each other to whittle down the numbers.
Exploration looks pretty solid as well with a horse to assist in land travel and a boat to aid in water travel. How far or how these travel options will be available, isn’t clear just yet.
You can check out the full State of Play broadcast below.
The Last of Us Part 2 is slotted to be released on June 19 for the PlayStation 4.
