Without going into details, the ending of The Last of Us Part II Remastered is not the same as the first game (or the TV series). At the end of this emotional and revenge journey that we take as Ellie, a survivor raised in the middle of an apocalypse, we find that many wounds were left open, others closed with great pain and some stories and questions were intentionally left in the air. Its creators wanted the players to give them meaning. Does that mean that the saga has come to an end?
The Last of Us is one of the key franchises for PlayStation. In fact, although the plot is divided into two parts, both have received generational revisions and even a remake, as well as a very faithful television adaptation that continues to take shape through the joint efforts of HBO, PlayStation Productions and the Naughty Dog itself. We can hope that through the new seasons, four according to what the creators want, we will see new stories as happened with the first batch of chapters. However, I already tell you that Video games will continue to be the engine of the saga.
The Tommy Story That Was Never Told
One of the great incentives of The Last of Us Part II Remastered They were the three unfinished levels that were added within the game’s Extras. A missed opportunity to make a kind of extended edition, although the length of each one would not have contributed anything really substantial to the experience as a whole either. Now, to Neil Druckmannwho directed and wrote the sequel, left an interesting story in the pipeline.
As told in the final bars of the documental Grounded II, Druckmann was thinking about a new chapter in which Tommy, Joel’s brother, takes center stage. Something that was left in the past, but that was never considered a third part of the saga itself.
I did another interview where someone asked me about The Last of Us, and if there would be more stories or something. So I told him that I had written a story that takes place after The Last of Us II starring Tommy. And I hope that one day we will do it.
So headlines appeared in the specialized media stating things like “Naughty Dog talks about The Last of Us Part III”, and that is not true. It was always a small story, not a full game.
Although we are not very clear about the format, it is normal to look at the reflection of the first game and understand that the plans were to hit The Last of Us Parte II something similar to a DLC as we saw in Left Behind. And we are not going to deny it, the character lends himself wonderfully to starring in an adventure before both games and even telling us what happened between one and the other.
Why wasn’t Tommy’s already written story created until now? According to Neil Druckmann, Naughty Dog was busy with other priorities. Because we cannot forget that, since the launch of the sequel, they have released three versions of their games for PS5 and PC (including the latest Uncharted) and have dedicated themselves to the television series. However, they do not rule out that sooner or later it will end up taking shape in some way.
We currently have other immediate priorities at Naughty Dog, including rearranging our priorities, improving our work life. So based on where we were, I didn’t want to prioritize this story and it was shelved. However, I believe that one day it will come to light. I don’t know if it will be like a video game, like a television show. The truth is that I am not clear.
All in all, in addition to the games that Naughty Dog has adapted to the PS5 hardware, we cannot forget the discarded and most ambitious project ever made by the studio. The one that, fortunately or unfortunately, we will no longer see.
El cancelado The Last of Us Online
The Last of Us Parte II It didn’t have multiplayer. I was going to have it, like the first, but Naughty Dog decided to go further and create an independent game, embarking on an odyssey that was known internally as The Last of Us Online.
A project proposed as a game as a service to keep players connected to the franchise indefinitely. The other reality is that, after having been considered the largest and most ambitious game made by the studio, it was canceled at the end of 2023. On the eve of the launch of The Last of Us Part II Remastered.
We know that The Last of Us Online began to develop in parallel with a The Last of Us II and that there was a lot of work already done and many resources invested in it that Naughty Dog assumed indicating that they would be lessons learned for the future. We even know that Bundie, the creators of Destiny 2, provided advice for the future.
The problem, the reason for the cancellation, was simpler: that great game would transform Naughty Dog forever in something they didn’t want to be.
As we reached full production, the enormous scope of our ambition became clear. To release and support The Last of Us Online, we would have to dedicate all of our studio resources to supporting post-launch content for the next few years, which would severely impact the development of future single-player games.
So, we had two paths before us: become a purely live-service game studio or continue to focus on the single-player narrative games that have defined Naughty Dog’s heritage.
In other words, Naughty Dog was neither prepared nor intended to become a studio largely dedicated to keeping the game alive. The Last of Us Online. A game that would force them to give up what they do best: single-player narrative experiences. Which brings us to the ultimate question: what do we know about a hypothetical The Last of Us Parte III?
Will there be a third installment? This is what we know
They say there are no two without three, and the first step has already been taken. There is no written script, but there is a writers room. There are no specific (and untouchable) characters, but The Last of Us Parte 2 It leaves us with more points of view and new protagonists whose future is not very clear to us. And most important of all: Neil Druckmann knows exactly what he wants the third part to be about.
The first game had a clear concept about the unconditional love a father feels for his children. In the second, with the previous idea already established, we investigate the search for justice at any price. Justice for those you love. And it also felt like the concept was clear there. And there’s a clear through line that comes from the first game about love.
I have been thinking about whether there is a concept [para un nuevo The Last of Us] and, for years, I have not been able to find that concept. But that has recently changed. I don’t have a story, but I have that concept. So, to me, it’s as exciting as The Last of Us and as exciting as The Last of Us II. It is its own thing and something that encompasses all three games.
So it feels like there’s one more chapter to this story.
Does that mean there is a The Last of Us 3? Not quite. Neil Druckmann has begun to shape the project around an idea, but before Naughty Dog makes the official announcement, a series of substantial factors must happen: the script is completed, it has the approval of the rest of the studio, that the circumstances are met (the pandemic affected the final stages of the development of the sequel) and that, with everything above aligned, PlayStation sees the viable package.
The big problem is that, given the ambition of the current games, the fact that nothing has been done almost implies that it will come out at the end of the PS5 cycle or the beginning of the next console. What will happen until then? Well, at Naughty Dog they are not sitting idly waiting for Druckmann to hit the keys, but at the moment we are waiting for new official announcements.
What if The Last of Us Part III never arrives?
Neil Druckmann ya ve The Last of Us like a trilogy. And, to be honest, we do not rule out that over the years it will end up being a saga like Uncharted. However, in case the stars do not align, its creators will conclude the Ellie saga.
According to Druckmann, the final heartbreak of The Last of Us Parte II It was intended to be the “last bite at the apple.” And the truth is that the calming impact that is given to the player is enormous in accompanying Ellie far beyond the sensations of revenge. And it cannot be denied that at Naugty Dog they managed to exhaust that need, at the cost of an enormous price that has to be experienced at the controls.
If we are not able to do it again, [The Last of Us Parte II] It’s a wonderful brooch. The last bite of the apple, and with the story closed. And one of the best things about working at Naughty Dog is that we don’t have to go any further.
We always have that feeling that we would love to do another The Last of Us, but the studio is passionate about doing something else, we will support them in that. A totally privileged position and I cannot thank you enough for it.
However, and as we mentioned at the beginning, there is a “plan B” to expand the universe of The Last of Us at Naughty Dog in the worst case scenario and which consists of expanding the stories through the different media in which it already exists. Like the comics and, starting in 2025, the new seasons of The Last of Us for HBO. Who knows? Maybe it’s even enough to give Tommy his own chapter or spin-off.
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