Continuing its series on The Last of Us Part 2 which goes behind the scenes with development, Naughty Dog spoke more about its design choices for the gameplay in its latest video. Since Ellie is the protagonist, the development team wanted the player to actually feel like they were in her shoes. Co-directors Neil Druckmann and Kurt Margenau along with narrative lead Halley Gross have all the details below.
Since Ellie is more nimble than Joel, new functions like jumping – which can be used to access higher ground – and going prone – with weapons and crafting available in this position – open up. The fundamental gameplay is focused on creating strain for the player given the circumstances. It’s interesting to see how this works considering the various threats Ellie goes up against and the tools at her disposal.
The Last of Us Part 2 releases on June 19th for PS4. Check out the latest story trailer here, which hints at some of the hardships that Ellie will face. Sony also recently revealed a limited edition PS4 Pro bundle, which features a custom console with an engraving and a physical copy of the game. Stay tuned for more behind the scenes videos in the lead up to launch.