"The Last of Us Part 2" is one of Naughty Dog's most anticipated games in recent years. Their latest trailer was released during Sony's Paris Games Week press conference. Despite its mixed reviews and controversy, the five-minute video left plenty of fans wondering if the tone is going to be much darker than its predecessor.
An article by AVClub.com has hinted that the violent trailer has been heavily discussed since its release, but the main complaints are not about violence. What fans are questioning is the absence of the main characters: Ellie and Joel.
Director and writer of the series, Neil Druckmann, clarified in an article for PlayStation Blog: "The Last of Us is still very much about Ellie and Joel, but for this reveal, we wanted to showcase several new characters that are integral to their next journey."
'The Last of Us Part 2' trailer
The trailer begins with two hooded strangers dragging a female prisoner in the pouring rain. The only contrast to the gritty cinematic backdrop is the blazing fire of burning vehicles. "The Last of Us" is known for not holding back with its grim storytelling and apocalyptic wasteland.
We see a noose tightened around the prisoner's neck and further tormented by her captor. Followed by a fight, three gruesome deaths, and a cliffhanger.
The hammer sequence is the most controversial aspect of the trailer, as the character is about to face death, but she is unexpectedly rescued.
In the previous PSX 2016 trailer, we saw the original cast of Joel and Ellie playing an acoustic guitar in the aftermath of a fight. We saw an older, more experienced Ellie, unlike in, "The Last of Us," where she was merely a 14-year old girl trying to learn from Joel about survival.
One thing we didn't see in the first trailer were "clickers." We saw them this time charging at the new characters. We are also expected to encounter infected wildlife. Another frequent rumor is that Joel might be dead and his presence in the first trailer is a flashback. Fans speculate that this is why we didn't see more Joel and Ellie in the most recent trailer.
'The Last of Us Part 2' release date
As of right now, the game is still in the early stages of development and it is not expected to come out anytime in 2018. The video game's composer, Gustavo Santaolalla, accidentally hinted in an interview of a 2019 release date, but it is unconfirmed by Neil Druckmann and Naughty Dog. Now that "Uncharted Lost Legacy" has been released, Neil Druckmann and Naughty Dog are going to focus on promoting "."
