260 Weeks Later...

Thought Naughty Dog was done with its exhilarating apocalypse? Think again. Join us as we delve deep into the haunting world of The Last Of Us Part II.

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But I know, when I die, my soul is damned.” Hoo boy, Ellie. Talk about a glum tune. She may have starred in one of gaming’s great endings, but Naughty Dog won’t let its potty mouthed teen (or her new acoustic guitar) walk into that apocalyptic sunset. Despite containing the most complete, cathartic finale in recent memory, the story of The Last Of Us is far from over. The big takeaway from Part II’s mournful debut trailer, aside from all the machete murder and moody ballads? The most celebrated studio in the world is making a direct follow-up to the game you voted the greatest in PlayStation history in OPM #100.

See, things are beginning to look cheerier already. Well, not really. “If the theme of the first game was about the love between these two characters… then this story is the counter to that: it’s about hate,” says Neil Druckmann, Naughty Dog’s chief creative director speaking during a panel at last December’s PlayStation Experience event. After watching The Last Of Us Part II’s first trailer until our eyes almost implode through nuclear-grade depression, we’re under no illusion it’s about lollipops and kissing puppies. This is still the universe where children get shot, humanity’s baser instincts rule supreme, and the living envy the dead.

TRADING PLACES

The setup may be gloomy, but at least it gives us some idea of the direction this sequel is headed in. Set five years after the original, Part II places you in the blood-soaked sneakers of Ellie, not Joel. Now 19, the only known member of the human race who’s immune to the fungal zombie pandemic that has doomed our species is seriously brassed off. Hate may be the current buzzword, but grief-fuelled fury, pain, suffering and revenge are also on the tip of Ellie’s tongue.