With a bevy of PlayStation news and upcoming titles, from an exclusive Death Stranding PS4 Pro to L.A. Noire in PS VR, State of Play packed an extremely powerful punch to the industry. Among the most anticipated of the titles portrayed, The Last of Us Part II easily stole the show. Revealed later into the event, Naughty Dog's upcoming dystopian is primed to be far even darker and more disturbing than the original.
A Whole New Faction
Diving into the life of Ellie following the events of its predecessor, The Last of Us Part II picks up with the female character now living (somewhat) peacefully in a secluded mountain town. From the first few minutes of the trailer, fans are awarded a gaze into the forthcoming title with a stellar new community, one that appears to be thriving. Though it isn't quite a city just yet, by the looks of the size it seems they've gathered a plentitude of additional support. This is all experienced through a kind of warm and fuzzy look at a world known to have far darker underpinnings.
Horsing Around
One sleek new addition shown off during the new State of Play trailer was horses. As Ellie bounds off with a group of fellow survivors, on the hunt for necessary supplies and assorted gear, Ellie rides casually on a mount along with her counterparts. Among those in the search party is the character's love interest, revealed in the E3 2018 gameplay, Tina. Before exiting the community, one member calls out, "Run your routes. Mark your logbooks. You run into anything you can't handle...come back." The trailer highlights the nature of Ellie's role in this new society, growing close to her love interest even in the face of potential danger, as well as the overall way of the plot: Tina goes missing.
Moments of levity are much needed when everything happening is so grim. The very beginning of the trailer showed Ellie and Tina in a slightly romantic moment, as the latter asks, "Scale of one to ten, how would you rate our kiss from last night." Obviously caught off guard and surprised beyond words, Ellie's eyes merely dance across Tina's body as the wordless reply is just enough. Moments like these are what makes The Last of Us such an endearing narrative. At one moment it can be funny and warm, yet at the next turn...
Danger in Many Forms
Fans may well already know how Joel is more villain than hero, though there's more to this than meets the eye. The entire point surrounding The Last of Us is survival, aiding the true nature of having no villain at all, but several in the forms of mind-infested zombie-like creatures, rabid humans, and (some may say) the surrounding side-characters themselves.
Though the zombie-like creatures are obviously making a huge comeback, there's still plenty more villains to explore this time around. Revealed in the GameStop Managers Expo, much of the intricate story beats surrounding this newest iteration revolve around human to human contact, most of which will be darker and more graphic than the original.
Enraged Ellie
The Last of Us as a whole is fond of showcasing relationships in amazing ways. The relationship between Ellie and Joel was something to be cherished in the original, as will the relationship between Ellie and Tina in the sequel. As the teaser relates, it seems Tina gets kidnapped and killed by a dastardly cult, to which Ellie responds with rampaging venom.
How far will Ellie go to enact her revenge? The complex nature of her story is what brings players back to the fold. Though the first may have centered around Joel, players knew the story was Ellie's all along. She's, after all, the only one with the cure in her blood.
A Familiar Face
The return of Joel was to be expected, but the years have clearly not treated him well. He and Ellie have clearly been apart for quite some time, and wherever Joel has been, he has surely endured unmentionable horrors, by the looks of him.
"What the Hell are you doing here?" Ellie asks, to which the familiar face responds after a long breath, "You think I'd let you do this on your own?"
With that all-too-familiar gruff voice, Joel has come to save the day once more. Or, at least, maybe to save Ellie from herself. With the promise of the "most ambitious cinematic shooter they've ever done" in mind, this newest title will be filled to the brim with a multitude of emotions. Whatever The Last of Us Part II has in store, there's bound to be no stoppage of carnage.
The Last of Us Part Two will release on PS4 February 21, 2020