Wikipedia

The Last of Us Part II

This is thelatest accepted revision,reviewedon15 February 2025.
"TLoU 2" redirects here. For the second season of the TV show, seeThe Last of Us season 2.

The Last of Us Part IIis a 2020action-adventure gamedeveloped byNaughty Dogand published bySony Interactive Entertainment.Set four years afterThe Last of Us(2013), the game focuses on twoplayable charactersin apost-apocalypticUnited States whose lives intertwine:Ellie,who sets out in revenge for a murder, andAbby,a soldier who becomes involved in a conflict between her militia and a religious cult. The game uses athird-person perspective;the player must fight human enemies and zombie-like creatures with firearms,improvised weapons,andstealth.

The Last of Us Part II
Block text with the words "The Last of Us Part II" beside the bloody, angry face of Ellie, who has brown hair
Cover art depictingEllie
Developer(s)Naughty Dog[a]
Publisher(s)Sony Interactive Entertainment
Director(s)
Designer(s)
Programmer(s)
  • Travis McIntosh
  • Christian Gyrling
Artist(s)
  • Erick Pangilinan
  • John Sweeney
  • Christian Nakata
Writer(s)
Composer(s)Gustavo Santaolalla
SeriesThe Last of Us
Platform(s)
Release
  • PlayStation 4
  • June 19, 2020
  • PlayStation 5
  • January 19, 2024
  • Windows
  • April 3, 2025
Genre(s)Action-adventure
Mode(s)Single-player

The game's developmentbegan in 2014, after the release ofThe Last of Us Remastered.Neil Druckmannreturned ascreative director,co-writing the story withHalley Gross.The themes of revenge and retribution were inspired by Druckmann's experiences growing up inIsrael.Ashley Johnsonreprises her role as Ellie, whileLaura Baileywas cast as Abby. Their performances included the simultaneous recording ofmotionandvoice.Gustavo Santaolallareturned to compose and performthe score.The developers pushed thePlayStation 4's technical capabilities. Development reportedly included acrunch scheduleof 12-hour workdays and cost aroundUS$220 million,making it one of themost expensive video games to develop.

Following some delays, partly due to theCOVID-19 pandemic,The Last of Us Part IIwas released for the PlayStation 4 on June 19, 2020. Aremasteredversion was released for thePlayStation 5on January 19, 2024, and is scheduled for release onWindowson April 3, 2025.Part IIreceived acclaim for its gameplay, audio design, score, performances,characters,and visual fidelity, though its narrative and themes divided critics. It wasreview bombedonMetacritic,with some players criticizing the story and characters; discourse surrounding the game became adversarial.Part IIis one of thebest-selling PlayStation 4 gamesand the fastest-selling PlayStation 4 exclusive, with over four million units sold in its release weekend and over ten million by 2022. It won more than 320Game of the Year awardsand receivedmultiple other accoladesfrom awards shows andgaming publications.

Gameplay

edit
In a change from its predecessor,The Last of Us Part IIallows the player to crawl in aprone positionto evade enemies.

The Last of Us Part IIis anaction-adventuregame played from athird-person perspectivefeaturing elements of thesurvival horrorgenre.[2][3]The player traversespost-apocalypticenvironments such as buildings and forests to advance the story. The player can use firearms,improvised weapons,andstealthto defend against hostile humans and cannibalisticcreaturesinfected by a mutated strain of theCordycepsfungus.[4]Control intermittently switches betweenEllieandAbby;[2]the player also briefly controlsJoelin the opening sequence.[5]The nimble nature of the player character introducesplatformingelements, allowing the player to jump and climb to traverse environments and gain advantages during combat.[6]The player can break glass objects such as windows to access certain areas or obtain supplies.[7]Some areas are navigated by horse or boat.[4][8]

In combat, the player can use long-range weapons such as rifles and bows,[4][9]and short-range weapons such as pistols and revolvers.[6]The player is able to scavenge limited-use melee weapons such as machetes and hammers,[10]and throw bricks and bottles to distract or attack enemies.[11]Collected items can be used to upgrade weapons at workbenches[12]or craft equipment such as health kits,Molotov cocktails,and makeshiftsilencers.[2]The player can collect supplements to upgrade skills in askill tree;training manualsfound throughout the environment unlock additional skill tree branches, allowing upgrades to attributes such as thehealth meter,crafting speed, and ammunition types.[13]

Though the player can attack enemies directly, they can also use stealth to attack undetected or sneak past them.[2]"Listen Mode" allows the player to locate enemies through a heightened sense of hearing and spatial awareness, indicated as outlines visible through walls and objects.[11]In thecover system,the player can crouch behind obstacles to gain advantages in combat, and can also crawl in aprone positionto evade enemies.[14]Hostile enemies useartificial intelligence;they may take cover or call for assistance, and can take advantage when the player is distracted, out of ammunition, or in a fight.[15]The player may be impaled by an arrow, which will progressively decrease theirhealth meterand disables Listen Mode until removed when in cover.[16]Player companions, such as Dina, assist in combat by killing enemies or announcing their location.[17]The game introducesguard dogsthat track the player's scent, which can be visualized in Listen Mode.[2]

Plot

edit
See also:Characters ofThe Last of Us Part II

Joel (Troy Baker) confesses to his brother, Tommy (Jeffrey Pierce), his responsibility in preventing the Fireflies attempting to develop a cure for theCordycepsfungus pandemic by saving Ellie (Ashley Johnson) from a non-survivable surgical procedure. Four years later, Joel and Ellie have built a life inJackson, Wyoming,though their relationship has become strained. While on patrol, Joel and Tommy rescue a stranger, Abby (Laura Bailey), from an Infected horde. They return to an outpost used as a temporary hideout by Abby's group, former Fireflies now part of the Washington Liberation Front (WLF), amilitiagroup based inSeattle, Washington.The group attack Joel and Tommy; Abby seeks revenge against Joel for murdering her father, the Firefly surgeon (Derek Phillips) who was to perform the operation on Ellie. Meanwhile, Ellie and her girlfriend, Dina (Shannon Woodward), search for the brothers. Ellie enters the WLF outpost and witnesses Abby beat Joel to death. Abby spares Ellie and Tommy, who swear revenge.

Tommy sets out for Seattle to hunt Abby, and Ellie and Dina follow him. In Seattle, Ellie reveals her immunity to Dina, who in turn reveals she is pregnant. The next day, Ellie pursues Tommy alone and encounters Jesse (Stephen Chang), Dina's ex-boyfriend, who followed them. While searching for Abby's friend Nora (Chelsea Tavares), Ellie encounters the Seraphites, a religious cult locked in a battle with the WLF over control of Seattle. Ellie tracks down Nora and tortures her for information on Abby's location, which traumatizes Ellie. The following day, she kills two more members of Abby's group, the pregnant Mel (Ashly Burch) and her boyfriend, Owen (Patrick Fugit). A flashback reveals that, two years earlier, Ellie traveled to the Firefly hospital in Salt Lake City and learned the truth. Devastated, she cut ties with Joel. In the present, Ellie's group is ambushed by Abby, who kills Jesse and holds Tommy hostage.

Three days earlier, Abby learns that Owen, her ex-boyfriend, has gone missing while investigating Seraphite activity. Abby searches for Owen and is captured by Seraphites. She is rescued by Yara (Victoria Grace) and Lev (Ian Alexander), Seraphite siblings who have been brandedapostatesafter Lev defied Seraphite traditions. Though Yara suffers a broken arm, Abby leaves them to find Owen who, disillusioned with the war, plans to sail toSanta Barbara, California,where Fireflies may be regrouping. Abby returns to rescue Yara and Lev, and travels across Seattle with Lev to retrieve medical supplies so Mel can amputate Yara's arm. After the surgery, Lev runs away to convince his devout mother to leave the Seraphite cult. Abby and Yara find him in the Seraphite settlement, where Lev has accidentally killed his mother in self-defense. The trio flee as the WLF begins an assault on the Seraphites. Abby betrays the WLF to save Lev, and Yara sacrifices herself to allow Abby and Lev to escape. The pair return to find Owen and Mel dead and a map leading to Ellie's hideout. An enraged Abby shoots Tommy, impairing him, and severely beats Ellie and Dina. At Lev's insistence, Abby spares them and tells them to leave Seattle.

Several months later,[18]Ellie and Dina are living on a farm, raising Dina and Jesse's son, though Ellie suffers frompost-traumatic stress.When Tommy arrives with information on Abby's whereabouts, Ellie leaves to find her, despite Dina's pleas to stay. Abby and Lev arrive in Santa Barbara searching for the Fireflies, who they discover are regrouping atCatalina Island, California,but are captured, tortured, and left to die by the slave-keeping Rattlers. Ellie arrives at Santa Barbara and rescues the pair. Ellie forces Abby to fight her, during which Abby bites off two of Ellie's fingers. Ellie overpowers and nearly drowns Abby, but has a change of heart after having a flashback of Joel, and ultimately spares her. Abby and Lev sail to the Fireflies. Ellie returns to the farmhouse and finds it empty. She tries to play Joel's guitar with her damaged hand, recalls her last conversation with Joel in which she expressed her willingness to forgive him, and leaves.[19]

Development

edit
Main article:Development ofThe Last of Us Part II
Neil Druckmann
Halley Gross
Anthony Newman
Kurt Margenau
Druckmann returned as creative director forThe Last of Us Part II,co-writing the story with Gross, while Newman and Margenau were co-game directors.

Early story concepts forThe Last of Us Part IIwere conceived during thedevelopmentofThe Last of Usin 2013.[20][21]Naughty Dogbegandevelopmentin 2014, soon after the release ofThe Last of Us Remastered.[22]By August 2017, with the release ofUncharted: The Lost Legacy,the entire 350-person team at Naughty Dog had shifted to developPart II.[23][24]Neil Druckmannled development ascreative directorand writer, reprising his role fromThe Last of UsandUncharted 4: A Thief's End(2016).[25][26]Anthony Newman and Kurt Margenau were selected to be co-game directors forPartII,[27]overseeing gameplay elements such as level design and mechanics.[28]For the final months of development, due to theCOVID-19 pandemic,the team operated viaremote workarrangements.[24]In total, approximately 2,169 developers across 14 studios worked on the game.[29]According to documents from publisherSony Interactive Entertainment,the 70-month development peaked at 200 full-time employees and cost aroundUS$220 million,making it one of themost expensive video games to develop.[30]

Druckmann wrote the story withHalley Gross.[24]The team experimented with different plot structures and considered scrapping the project until they settled on an idea that mirrored the first game;[31]Druckmann said that whereasThe Last of Usis about the extreme measures one would take for love,Part IIis more about how far one would go to bring justice for those they love.[32]The themes of revenge and retribution were inspired by Druckmann's experiences growing up inIsrael,where violence was a frequent topic.[24]He recalled watching footage of the2000 Ramallah lynching,and how, after hearing the cheering crowds, his mind turned to violent thoughts about bringing the perpetrators to justice.[33][34]He wanted the player to feel a "thirst for revenge" before making them realize the reality of their actions.[24]Druckmann said other themes includetribalism,trauma, and the pursuit of justice.[32]Artists at Naughty Dog traveled to Seattle to analyze the architecture, vegetation, materials, topography, lighting, and capturephotorealistictextures.[31][35]

Motion capturerecording forThe Last of Us Part IIinPlaya Vista, Los Angeles

Ashley Johnson and Troy Baker reprise their roles as Ellie and Joel, respectively, while Laura Bailey was cast as Abby.[36][37]The actors' performances were recorded at a studio inPlaya Vista, Los Angelesusingperformance capture,recording motion and voice simultaneously.[38]Gross noted that a goal of the writers was to "create the most multifaceted characters you've seen in games".[35]She particularly wanted to explore the multifaceted behavior of Ellie, showing her power as well as her insecurities.[39]The change of player character from Ellie to Abby was inspired by the change from Joel to Ellie in the first game, though emphasized inPart IIdue to its focus on empathy.[40]Druckmann wanted the player to hate Abby early in the game, but later empathize with her.[41]

The developers pushed the technical capabilities of thePlayStation 4when creatingPart II,adding more enemies and larger environments than in previous games.[21]Druckmann noted that any drops in detail would ruin the sense of authenticity, which required consistent optimization of the technology.[31]Improvedartificial intelligence(AI) allowed for deeper connections with characters and the creation of bonds through gameplay.[42]The Last of Us Part IIwas originally planned as an open world game withhub worlds,but later the game transferred to a more linear style as it better served the narrative.[43]Naughty Dog wanted to increase theaccessibilityoptions introduced inUncharted 4to ensure that all players could complete the story, and the developers attended conferences and worked with advocates.[44]

Gustavo Santaolallareturned to compose and performthe game's score,ashe had done with the first game,[45]whileMac Quaylecontributed combat music.[24]The developers received permission to use the songs "Future Days" byPearl Jamand "Take On Me"byA-ha.[46]To achieve the sound of the Shamblers, the team hired voice actors Raul Ceballos andSteve Blum,and used items such asgrapefruitsto create the explosion sounds. The dialogue team referencedwhistled languagessuch as Sfryria andSilbo Gomerofor the Seraphites' whistling, and hired actors Stevie Mack and Lisa Marie to provide the whistles in three styles.[47]

According to a report byKotaku'sJason Schreier,the development included acrunch scheduleof 12-hour work days. This continued after the game was delayed. Schreier suggested that development was slowed due to the enormous turnover of employees following thedevelopment ofUncharted 4,with few veterans left on the team. Some of the developers allegedly hoped thatPart IIwould fail and prove that the working conditions were not viable. Sony granted Naughty Dog an additional two weeks of development forbug fixes.[48]Druckmann felt that he had failed to find the correct balance for employees onPart II,and said the studio would receive external assistance for future projects.[49]

Release and promotion

edit
Marketing on a train inSanta Monica, California

The Last of Us Part IIwas announced at thePlayStation Experienceevent on December 3, 2016.[36]AtE3 2018,Druckmann said that Naughty Dog was refusing to announce a release date until the game was "very close to release", to avoid disappointing fans.[50]During Sony's State of Play presentation on September 24, 2019, Naughty Dog announced a release date of February 21, 2020.[51]On October 25, Druckmann announced a delay to May 29, 2020, to "bring the entire game up to a level of polish we would call Naughty Dog quality".[52]On April 2, 2020, Sony announced that the game was almost complete but had been indefinitely delayed due tologistical problems caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.[53]In late April, several videos leaked online, showing cutscenes, gameplay, and significant plot details. Druckmanntweetedthat he was "heartbroken" for fans and for the team, who had devoted years to development.[54]On April 27, Sony announced a release date of June 19, 2020.[55]

The first trailer was released alongside the announcement, showcasing the return of Ellie and Joel.[56]The second trailer, released in October 2017 as a part ofParis Games Week,revealed Abby, Yara, and Lev.[57][58]Dina and Jesse were first shown in a presentation at E3 2018.[59]A trailer was featured in Sony's State of Play presentation in September 2019,[60]which preceded additional marketing to celebrate Outbreak Week—the week in which the fictional outbreak occurred in the original game.[61]A story trailer was released on May 6,[62]followed by an animated commercial on June 3,[63]and the final pre-launch trailer on June 10.[64]Naughty Dog replaced and altered characters in the trailers to conceal story events; Druckmann cited the marketing ofMetal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty(2001), which concealed its protagonist in trailers, as an influence.[65]

Naughty Dog announced thespecial editionversions in September 2019.[66]The game was featured in its own standalone State of Play presentation on May 27.[67]From May 13 to June 3, Naughty Dog released a series of videos about the development.[68]The game was banned inSaudi Arabiaand theUnited Arab Emirates,attributed to the countries' conservative traditions regarding homosexuality.[69]An update on August 13 added apermadeathmode, a new difficulty level, and gameplay modifiers.[70]For The Last of Us Day[b]in September 2020, Naughty Dog announced new merchandise for the game, including avinyl soundtrack,board game, statues, and posters.[72]A performance update was released on May 19, 2021, allowing gameplay at 60frames per secondon thePlayStation 5.[73]A 120-minute documentary about the game's development,Grounded II: Making The Last of Us Part II,was released on February 2, 2024.[74]

Remaster

edit

In November 2023, following aPlayStation Storelisting leak, Naughty Dog announced aremasteredversion of the game, titledThe Last of Us Part II Remastered.It was released for the PlayStation 5 on January 19, 2024; existing owners can purchase the game digitally forUS$10.A special edition version, including aSteelBookcase, trading cards,patch,andpins,was made available in some regions.[75]Remasteredfeatures visual improvements, faster loading times,DualSenseintegration,audio description,aspeedrun-focused mode, and anaudio commentaryfor cutscenes featuring Druckmann, Gross, Johnson, Baker, Bailey, and Woodward.[75][76]Some journalists and players questioned whether the game needed a remaster within four years of its initial release, though others felt it was justified by the additions and price point.[77][78][79]

New gameplay modes include Guitar Free Play, featuring playable characters Ellie, Joel, and Gustavo (modeled after Santaolalla) in several locations with unlockable guitars like Gustavo'sbanjo;[80]Lost Levels, featuring three scrapped and incomplete gameplay sequences with an introduction by Druckmann and commentary by designers Pete Ellis and Banun Idris;[81]and No Return, aroguelikesurvival mode featuring randomized combat encounters.[75]No Return features ten playable characters[c]with unique traits and tracked challenges, which can be completed to unlock skins and gameplay modifications.[82]Each run in No Return features five encounters and aboss fight.[83]Encounters consist of four gameplay types, including fighting waves of enemies, capturing a guarded safe, and defending a friend. Upgrades, items, and weapons collected during runs are lost upon completion or failure.[82]Remasteredwas updated in October 2024 to target higher resolutions and frame rates on thePlayStation 5 Pro.[84]Atthe Game Awardsin December, Naughty Dog announced the game is scheduled for release onWindowson April 3, 2025, developed in collaboration withNixxes SoftwareandIron Galaxy.[1]

Reception

edit

Critical response

edit

The Last of Us Part IIreceived "universal acclaim" from critics, according to review aggregatorMetacritic.[85]OpenCritic's consensus called it "another masterpiece from Naughty Dog" and "a brutal, poignant, beautiful, and thrilling experience", with 95% of critics recommending the game.[86]IGN's Jonathon Dornbush called it "a masterpiece worthy of its predecessor", noting, atop its improved gameplay, it "still makes time for a stunning, nuanced exploration of the strength and fragility of the human spirit".[6]Game Informer's Andy McNamara called it "the best narrative game I have played" and "a sequel unlike any other, taking video game storytelling to new heights".[88]Kaity Kline ofNPRwrote that it "made me very aware of the little things in my life that I take for granted, the kinds of things you don't appreciate until they're ripped away forever".[91]GameSpot's Kallie Plagge called it "beautiful and devastating", and wrote "the more I reflect on it, the more I appreciate the story and characters at its core".[2]

Game Informer's McNamara felt that the writers conveyed the themes of emotions "with careful nuance and unflinching emotion".[88]Destructoid's Chris Carter andVG247's Kirk McKeand applauded the use of minor dialogue to echo the themes.[8][87]Sammy Barker ofPush Squareparticularly praised the use of flashback and overlapping stories;[90]The Guardian's Keza MacDonald concurred, describing the narrative as "emotionally effective".[92]Conversely,GameRevolution's Michael Leri thought that the flashbacks were evidence of pacing problems.[89]Alex Avard ofGamesRadar+felt that the narrative lost its momentum during its need to finalize every story thread.[3]USgamer's Kat Bailey found the latter half slow, and that the game was five hours "too long".[9]Bailey also criticized thedissonancebetween the statement against violence and its necessity during gameplay.[9]Polygon's Maddy Myers andKotaku's Riley MacLeod wrote that the game repeatedly delivered its themes without allowing the player any agency in their decisions.[4][14]Rob Zacny ofVicewrote that, despite the amount of narrative moments, "it doesn't have much to say".[93]Also writing forVice,Emanuel Maiberg drew parallels between theIsraeli–Palestinian conflictand the WLF and Seraphites, and argued this was poorly considered for its allegorical representation of two equal sides.[94]

McKeand ofVG247described every character as "complex and human".[8]Destructoid's Carter felt empathetic to the main characters,[87]a sentiment echoed byIGN's Dornbush, who found Ellie's development particularly "riveting".[6]Andrew Webster ofThe Vergepraised the relationship between Ellie and Dina, though noted some dissonance in Ellie's behavior between gameplay and cutscenes.[95]GameSpot's Plagge wrote that Abby's characterization led to a deeper connection to her than to Ellie, but found her character development incongruous with her "onslaught of combat against human enemies".[2]Kotaku's MacLeod andVentureBeat'sDean Takahashiappreciated the diversity of characters;[14][96]Oli Welsh ofEurogamerpraised the representation of female andLGBTcharacters, calling it "a game about women".[97]NPR's Kline lauded the game's ability to "connect with every character, not just the main characters".[91]Push Square's Barker wrote that the supporting characters "establish themselves extremely swiftly",[90]andGame Informer's McNamara found their occasional absence alarming, having grown close to them.[88]Conversely, some critics felt that the new supporting characters lacked the higher quality of the main characters and of Naughty Dog's previous work;[9][89]Yannick Le Fur ofJeuxvideo.comwrote that characters such as Jesse and Manny were simply used to advance the narrative.[98]Polygon's Myers andVice's Zacny criticized the characters' inability to learn from their mistakes.[4][93]

The performances of (L to R)Ashley Johnson,Troy Baker,andLaura Baileywere widely praised by critics.

Critics praised the cast's performances, particularly those of Ashley Johnson, Troy Baker, and Laura Bailey.[8][87][90][92]Welsh ofEurogamerfound Johnson's performance as Ellie to be "standout" due to her depiction of "rawness, vulnerability, and rage".[97]GamesRadar+'s Avard considered Johnson's portrayal of suffering "nothing short of awards worthy", and found that Baker "steals some ofPart 2's best scenes as Joel "by adding complexities that enrich the character and relationships.[3]Dornbush ofIGNwrote that Johnson added nuance to every element of Ellie, and commended Woodward's performance as Dina, especially during quieter moments.[6]VG247's McKeand found that the performances made the narrative more powerful.[8]

Avard ofGamesRadar+felt that the new gameplay mechanics were added with a level of care to ensure an authenticity that Naughty Dog is known for.[3]GameRevolution's Leri lauded the cohesiveness between gameplay and narrative, and the former's ability to create empathy.[89]Plagge ofGameSpotappreciated the intensity of combat and wrote that "Ellie's movements are smooth enough that they almost look scripted".[2]VentureBeat's Takahashi found the combat more diverse than its predecessor's.[15]IGN's Dornbush similarly felt that the combat gameplay and puzzle elements had been improved, praising the intelligence and variation of enemies.[6]Avard ofGamesRadar+described the enemy AI as "some of the most advanced" of any game.[3]McKeand ofVG247considered the level design better than other Naughty Dog games,[8]and McNamara ofGame Informerfelt that it improved combat scenarios.[88]The Verge's Webster admired the action but noted some "awkward moments when [it] attempts to cover its video game-ness".[95]Polygon's Myers found the combat an unsubtle messenger for its statement on violence;[4]Kotaku's MacLeod wrote that the "pace of the combat sometimes felt like punishment".[14]

Many critics felt the graphics were among the best of any PlayStation 4 game.[3][6][88][89]Kotaku's MacLeod wrote that the nature in Seattle is "gorgeous and awe-inspiring",[14]andPush Square's Barker declared the art department "among the best in the industry".[90]The Guardian's MacDonald described the graphics as "meticulous and astounding".[92]Dornbush ofIGNappreciated the world's ability to tell additional stories.[6]GameRevolution's Leri considered the environments more realistic than the first game's, and praised the technical elements, such asframe rate,lack of load times, and realistic lighting.[89]Carter ofDestructoidfelt that the seamless animation of minor facial expressions humanized the characters to a new level.[87]McNamara ofGame Informersimilarly lauded the realistic-looking characters.[88]VentureBeat's Takahashi commended the improvements to Naughty Dog's already impressiveengine.[15]Zacny ofVicefound Seattle too similar to Boston and Pittsburgh from the first game,[93]and Christopher Byrd ofThe Washington Postwondered if the detail was worth the "human cost" of Naughty Dog's crunch culture.[99]

Barker ofPush Squaredescribed the sound design as "stunning", identifying the3D audioas a technical feat he would not have expected until PlayStation 5.[90]Vice's Zacny found that the audio design made settings feel more lifelike in a way that the visuals occasionally failed to do.[93]IGN's Dornbush similarly felt that the sounds added realism, and praised Santaolalla's "moving" score.[6]McNamara ofGame Informerfound that the music added tension.[88]Kevin Dunsmore ofHardcore Gamerwrote that the "haunting and subtle melodies blend into the world seamlessly".[100]Eurogamer's Welsh praised the score for its combination of banjo andelectronics.[97]

Remastered

edit

The Last of Us Part II Remasteredreceived "universal acclaim" according to Metacritic,[101]and 90% of critics recommended the game according to OpenCritic.[102]Video Games Chronicle's Jordan Middler called it "the best way to play one of the best games ever made",[107]andPush Square's Aaron Bayne felt it was perfectly partnered with the first game's remake,The Last of Us Part I(2022).[106]Siliconera's Cory Dinkel wrote it "does far more than simply justify its existence on the PS5, it elevates an already near-perfect experience".[108]Digital Trends's Giovanni Colantonio compared it to aCriterion Collectionre-release[109]andThe Guardian's Keith Stuart compared replaying the game to "rereading a favourite novel".[110]

Destructoid's Smangaliso Simelane wrote that few console games look as "beautifully detailed and borderline photorealistic" asRemastered ;[111]Siliconera's Dinkel compared the cinematography to the work ofRoger Deakinsand felt the improved character animations enhanced the story,[108]andVariety's Katcy Stephan praised the visual and performance improvements for enhancing the narrative immersion.[112]Some reviewers found the visual changes negligible but unnecessary due to the original's quality.[105][113][114]The use of the DualSense'shaptic technologywas considered byVideo Games Chronicle's Middler the best sinceAstro's Playroom(2020)[107]and bySiliconera's Dinkel the best of any game to date,[108]whileInverse's Kazuma Hashimoto found it strenuous after extended use.[113]

GamingBolt's Shubhankar Parijat considered No ReturnRemastered's standout feature.[115]Several reviewers found the mode addictive and felt it added value and replayability,[103][108][112]demonstrating the quality of the game's combat elements;[111][105][116]Push Square's Bayne lauded its pacing and length.[106]Some found the mode incongruous with the narrative's themes discouraging violence and felt it lacked the thematic and narrative justification ofGod of War Ragnarök's roguelike mode,[105][109][116]while others found its gameplay repetitive and upgrades inconsequential.[105][113][109]No Return's gameplay elements drew comparisons to the canceledmultiplayergameThe Last of Us Online.[109][117]The scrapped levels and audio commentary were praised for providing insight into the development process,[111][109][112]named by some asRemastered's standout feature;[107][108][116]Push Square's Bayne hoped other developers would imitate it.[106]Several reviewers lauded theUS$10price point for existing owners.[111][105][107]

Audience response

edit

The Last of Us Part IIwas the subject ofreview bombingon Metacritic, resulting in a user review score of 3.4/10 at its nadir.[118][119]Reporters noticed the review bombing occurred shortly after the game launched—too early for users to feasibly have finished it;[120]some suggested that the reviews were based on the incomplete plot leaks.[98][119]Many negative reviews criticized the characterization and plot;[118][120]some complained of "social justice warrior"politics, with vitriolic responses to LGBT characters.[98][118]CNET's Daniel Van Boom wrote that the review bombers did not represent the majority of players,[121]whileKotaku's MacLeod identified thousands of positive reviews and felt Metacritic's system, which emphasizes scores over critique, comprised only "a bunch of meaningless numbers and a lot of rage".[120]The incident led Metacritic to implement a 36-hour waiting period after release before allowing user reviews.[122]

Some players criticized Joel's death in the opening hours, perceiving a discrepancy between his cautious nature in the first game and his more trustful and protective attitude inPart II.[123][124]Den of Geek's Matthew Byrd wrote that Joel had protected young women in the past, so his trusting of Abby inPart IIwas not "entirely unreasonable".[123]Sam Clench ofNews.com.aualso argued that Joel's time in Jackson had realistically made him less cynical over the years.[124]A number of players considered Joel's brutal and undignified death "disrespectful";[124][125][126]Clench rebutted that it was realistic, as most real deaths occur at unfortunate times, and described the scene as "extremely strong, purposeful writing".[124]Josh Hawkins ofShacknewswrote that Joel's death was a fitting retribution for his brutal actions and murders in the previous game.[126]Some players felt the marketing, which had altered and replaced characters in trailers to conceal Joel's death and Abby's role, constitutedfalse advertising;[121][123][125]Druckmann responded that Naughty Dog had intended to preserve the game experience, "not to bamboozle anyone or get their $60".[65]

A subset of players criticized Abby and disapproved of her playable chapters as they had expected to control Ellie for the majority of the game.[123][127][128]Collider's Dave Trumbore felt Abby's killing of Joel led to her being unfairly maligned by audiences who had failed to understand the story's message.[129]Some players criticized Abby's muscular physique, and theories spread online that she was transgender;The Independent's Amy Coles andPolygon's Patricia Hernandez argued that this perception was a result of the lack of body diversity in games, and that the story showed Abby had the resources to achieve her physique.[128][130]Coles observed that these arguments were propagated by "a loud and determinedly misogynistic subset" of players.[128]Laura Bailey, who played Abby, became the target of onlinedeath threatsin response to the character;[131]Naughty Dog released a statement condemning the threats, and Bailey was supported byJames Gunn,Ashley Johnson, andCraig Mazin,among others.[132]

Some members of the transgender community objected to the representation of Lev, a transgender supporting character. Criticism focused on villains using Lev'sdeadname,that the character was created bycisgenderwriters, and the use of trans stories as tragedies.[133][134]Stacey Henley ofVG247responded that Lev's deadname is used sparingly and that Ian Alexander, a transgender actor, provides the character's voice and motion capture.[133]Writing forPaste,Waverly praised the choice to have Lev played by a transgender actor, but felt there was too much emphasis on his gender identity and the suffering he experienced for it. Waverly felt that "Lev's story isn't made for trans people, but to give cisgender players a space to connect with their guilt and pity for trans people".[135]Henley wrote that, while Lev's story is imperfect, it is "a major step for trans characters in gaming, [and] focuses on a highly charismatic and central character who is far more than this transness".[133]Kotaku's MacLeod saw Lev's character as simply a way of acknowledging that trans people exist in the game's universe and wrote that it was up to the player to create their own meaning from the character.[136]Alexander acknowledged the writers "might have missed the mark a little bit" regarding the use of Lev's deadname but felt Abby's response[d]reflected the importance of allowing trans individuals the agency to discuss their gender on their own terms.[137]

A year after the game's release,Collider's Trumbore identified a subset of players that continued to criticize the game and its legacy, comparing it tosome audience complaintsaboutStar Wars: The Last Jedi(2017), though recognized it was "quieter" than at launch.[138]InGames and Culture,Robert Letizi and Callan Norman described a community of users on thesubredditr/TheLastOfUs2 who continued posting hateful and discriminatory content denouncing the game several years after release as "alt-fans". Letizi and Norman linked the reception to the game toalt-rightpolitics and various hate movements and conspiracy theories; they argued the response toPart IIwas not an outlier but an exemplar of common politically motivated responses to inclusivity in games.[139]In July 2021, a user of the subreddit claimed they received death threats from fans of YouTube channel Girlfriend Reviews, who had posted positive videos about the game; following targeted harassment from the subreddit, Girlfriend Reviews discovered the threats were fabricated by the user.[140][141]

Developer response

edit

Polygon's Hernandez observed that the discourse surroundingThe Last of Us Part IIhad become adversarial, with "bigots" attacking the game for its diverse cast and Naughty Dog becoming defensive.[142]Vice's Zacny claimed that, in response to his critical review, Sony contacted him on behalf of Naughty Dog to discuss his criticisms, which they disagreed with; Zacny said the discussion, while cordial, was unusual from a large publisher.[142]OnTwitter,Druckmann expressed disapproval after journalist Jason Schreier mocked a reviewer's comparison ofPart IItoSchindler's List(1993); Schreier felt his reporting on Naughty Dog's crunch conditions prompted Druckmann's disapproval.[143]A different tweet from Schreier stated that "video games are too long", which he later clarified was criticizing longer games being made for marketing purposes; Baker responded to the original tweet with a quote from US presidentTheodore Rooseveltaboutcritics being less valuable than creators,which Schreier felt was an overreaction.[142]Hernandez concluded that critics fearing backlash from publishers and fans was "not an environment that is conducive to encouraging honest reviews or critical discussion, which is ultimately a disservice to the game itself".[142]USgamer's Bailey wrote that the strictreview embargoprevented meaningful discussion of the narrative.[144]Druckmann acknowledged the leaks prompted the embargo as he had felt reviews discussing plot details would have become more harmful and widespread than the leaks.[65]

Accolades

edit
For a more comprehensive list, seeList of accolades received byThe Last of Us Part II.

The Last of Us Part IIwon more than 320Game of the Year awards,[145]which several outlets claimed broke the record set byThe Witcher 3: Wild Hunt(2015);[146][147][148]it was later surpassed byElden Ring(2022).[145][149]The game was awarded from outlets and shows such asDen of Geek,[150]Digital Trends,[151]Electronic Gaming Monthly,[152]Empire,[153]Entertainment Weekly,[154]Game Informer,[155]PlayStation Blog,[156]Push Square,[157]and theTitanium Awards.[158]It was named runner-up by several other publications.[159][160][161][162]At the 38thGolden Joystick Awardsin November 2020, it won all six awards for which it was nominated:Ultimate Game of the Year,Best Audio, Best Storytelling, Best Visual Design, PlayStation Game of the Year, and Studio of the Year for Naughty Dog.[163]It led the nominees forthe Game Awards 2020with eleven nominations,[164]of which it won seven, the most in the show's history:Game of the Year,Best Game Direction, Best Narrative, Best Audio Design, Innovation in Accessibility, Best Action/Adventure, and Best Performance (for Bailey).[165]

The Last of Us Part IIwas nominated for twenty-four awards at the National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers Awards, the most in the show's history;[166]it won eight, including Outstanding Direction in a Game Cinema, Franchise Adventure Game, Lead Performance in a Drama (for Johnson and Bailey), and Supporting Performance in a Drama (for Baker).[167]It was nominated for thirteen awards at the17th British Academy Games Awards,the most in the show's history,[168]winning for Animation, the publicly votedEEGame of the Year, andPerformer in a Leading Role(for Bailey).[169]It led the nominees at the24th Annual D.I.C.E. Awardswith eleven nominations,[170]of which it won two:Outstanding Achievement in AnimationandOutstanding Achievement in Story.[171]It also led the 19th AnnualGame Audio Network Guild Awardswith fifteen nominations and eight wins,[172]and the21st Game Developers Choice Awardswith six nominations,[e]of which it won one.[174]It received the most nominations at the inaugural Global Industry Game Awards with thirteen,[175]of which it won three: 3D Animation, Cinematography, and Story.[176]

Sales

edit

In its release weekend,The Last of Us Part IIsold over four million copies worldwide, becoming the fastest-selling PlayStation 4 exclusive, beatingMarvel's Spider-Man's 3.3million andGod of War's 3.1million in the same period.[177][178]It had the biggest launch of 2020 for both physical and digital sales.[179]On the PlayStation Store, it was the most-downloaded PlayStation 4 game in North America and Europe in June;[180]in July, it was fifth in North America and tenth in Europe;[181]in November, it was the eighth in North America and seventh in Europe;[182]and overall for 2020, it ranked sixth in North America and eighth in Europe.[183]In the United States, it was the best-selling game of June 2020 and became the third-best-selling game of the year within two weeks, generating the highest first-month sales of the year.[184]By August 2020, it had become the third-highest-grossing PlayStation game in the United States, behindMarvel's Spider-ManandGod of War.[185]Overall, it was the sixth-best-selling game of the year in the United States;[186]it was the third-best-selling for PlayStation consoles, and the best-selling PlayStation 4-only game.[187]By June 2022, the game had sold over ten million copies worldwide.[188]

In the United Kingdom,The Last of Us Part IIbecame the fastest-selling physical PlayStation 4 game, outselling previous record holderUncharted 4by at least one percent andThe Last of Usby 76 percent;[189]it was the nation's eighth-best-selling game of the year with 543,218 copies sold,[190]and the seventh for physical sales.[191]A price discount in February 2021 saw it re-enter the UK physical charts in third place, representing a 3,992 percent increase.[192]In Japan,The Last of Us Part IIwas the best-selling game during its first week, selling an estimated 178,696 physical copies.[193]In Germany, it sold over 200,000 copies in June 2020[194]and 500,000 by December 2020.[195]In Australia, it was the eighth-best-selling of the year, and the third for physical sales.[196]

Legacy

edit

Critics concurred thatThe Last of Us Part IIwas among the best games of theeighth generation of video game consoles[197]and a great closing title before theninth.[100][117][198][199]An internal review by Sony's competitorMicrosoft—published as a court document in theEpic Games v. Applelawsuit in 2021—said the game "sets a new bar for what we should hope to be able to achieve going into a new generation of consoles".[200][201]Many outlets considered it among the greatest video games ever made,[202]and some called it one of the best-written.[203][204]

The Last of Us Part IIis expected to be adapted into multiple seasons ofthe television adaptationofThe Last of Us,starting withthe second season,[205]set to premiere in April 2025.[206]Druckmann and series co-showrunner Craig Mazin wanted to avoidfillerbetween the seasons, jumping into adapting the sequel immediately.[207]Mazin confirmed plans for a "significantly larger" third season if the second is successful, and suspectedPartII's story may require a fourth.[208]Kaitlyn Deveris cast as Abby in the series,[209]alongsideYoung Mazinoas Jesse[210]andIsabela Mercedas Dina.[211]Jeffrey Wrightis set to reprise his role as Isaac from the game.[212]

Druckmann and Gross wrote an outline for a story set afterPart IIby April 2021, but noted it was not in active development.[213]Druckmann later clarified the outline was for a "small story" focused on Tommy, rather than a full sequel toPart II ; he felt it would eventually be released, possibly as a game or television series.[214]In 2023, Druckmann confirmed he had a concept for a third main game in the series that is thematically consistent with the first two games, stating there is "probably one more chapter to this story".[214]

Notes

edit
  1. ^Ported toWindowsbyNixxes SoftwareandIron Galaxy[1]
  2. ^Formerly known as Outbreak Day, but changed in 2020 due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic[71]
  3. ^No Return's playable characters areEllie,Dina, Jesse,Joel,Tommy,Abby,Lev, Yara, Mel, and Manny.[82]
  4. ^After enemies use Lev'sdeadname,Lev asks Abby "Do you want to ask me about it?" to which Abby responds "Do you want me to ask you about it?"[137]
  5. ^Tied withGhost of TsushimaandHades[173]

References

edit
  1. ^abPrescott, Shaun (December 13, 2024)."The Last Of Us Part Two Remasteredhits PC in April ".PC Gamer.Future plc.Archivedfrom the original on December 13, 2024.RetrievedDecember 13,2024.
  2. ^abcdefghiPlagge, Kallie (June 25, 2020)."The Last Of UsPart 2 Spoiler Review - Dog Eat Dog ".GameSpot.CBS Interactive.Archivedfrom the original on June 26, 2020.RetrievedJuly 8,2020.
  3. ^abcdefgAvard, Alex (June 12, 2020)."The Last of Us Part 2Review: "An Astonishing, Absurdly Ambitious Epic"".GamesRadar.Future plc.Archivedfrom the original on June 12, 2020.RetrievedJuly 8,2020.
  4. ^abcdefMyers, Maddy (June 12, 2020)."The Last of Us Part 2review: We're better than this ".Polygon.Vox Media.Archivedfrom the original on June 12, 2020.RetrievedJuly 8,2020.
  5. ^Gill, Patrick (June 19, 2020)."The Last of Us Part 2guide: Jackson collectibles ".Polygon.Vox Media.Archivedfrom the original on June 24, 2020.RetrievedJuly 8,2020.
  6. ^abcdefghijDornbush, Jonathon (June 12, 2020)."The Last of Us Part 2Review ".IGN.Ziff Davis.Archivedfrom the original on June 12, 2020.RetrievedJuly 8,2020.
  7. ^Barbosa, Alessandro (August 11, 2020)."The Complex System Behind One ofThe Last of Us 2's Most Satisfying Details ".GameSpot.CBS Interactive.Archivedfrom the original on August 17, 2020.RetrievedSeptember 4,2020.
  8. ^abcdefgMcKeand, Kirk (June 12, 2020)."The Last of Us Part 2review – a generation-defining masterpiece ".VG247.Gamer Network.Archivedfrom the original on June 12, 2020.RetrievedJuly 8,2020.
  9. ^abcdeBailey, Kat (June 16, 2020)."The Last of Us Part 2Review: An Emotional Reckoning And a Worthy Sequel ".USgamer.Gamer Network.Archivedfrom the original on June 12, 2020.RetrievedJuly 8,2020.
  10. ^Weber, Rachel (September 26, 2019)."The Last of Us 2makes you feel like the monster ".GamesRadar+.Future plc.Archivedfrom the original on September 26, 2019.RetrievedJuly 8,2020.
  11. ^abTakahashi, Dean(June 18, 2020)."The Last of Us Part II— Tips and tricks for surviving the apocalypse ".VentureBeat.Archivedfrom the original on July 8, 2020.RetrievedJuly 8,2020.
  12. ^Hornshaw, Phil (June 30, 2020)."The Last Of Us Part 2Workbench Locations - Where To Find All Workbenches ".GameSpot.CBS Interactive.Archivedfrom the original on July 2, 2020.RetrievedJuly 8,2020.
  13. ^Tran, Edmond (June 7, 2020)."The Last Of Us 2Preview: Brutal And Ruthless ".GameSpot.CBS Interactive.Archivedfrom the original on June 27, 2020.RetrievedJuly 8,2020.
  14. ^abcdeMacLeod, Riley (June 22, 2020)."The Last Of Us Part 2 : TheKotaku Review".Kotaku.G/O Media.Archivedfrom the original on June 12, 2020.RetrievedJuly 8,2020.
  15. ^abcdTakahashi, Dean(June 12, 2020)."The Last of Us Part IIreview: A brilliant game that is not what it seems ".VentureBeat.Archivedfrom the original on June 12, 2020.RetrievedJuly 8,2020.
  16. ^Plagge, Kallie (June 21, 2018)."WhatThe Last Of Us 2Adds To Combat--And To Ellie ".GameSpot.CBS Interactive.Archivedfrom the original on July 14, 2018.RetrievedAugust 9,2020.
  17. ^St Leger, Henry (October 1, 2019)."The Last of Us 2companions can take out enemies for you ".TechRadar.Future plc.Archivedfrom the original on October 3, 2019.RetrievedMarch 2,2021.
  18. ^Tucker, Ian, ed. (June 2020),The Art of The Last of Us Part II,United States of America:Dark Horse Comics,p. 161
  19. ^Hornshaw, Phil (July 8, 2020)."Last of Us 2's Ending Explained - Everything That Happens And Why ".GameSpot.CBS Interactive.Archivedfrom the original on July 9, 2020.RetrievedJuly 9,2020.
  20. ^Spicer, Christian;Druckmann, Neil;Gross, Halley;Margenau, Kurt; Newman, Anthony; Soria, Almudena; Neonakis, Alexandria (July 7, 2020).""Take on me" - BehindPart II".The Official The Last of Us Podcast(Podcast).Sony Interactive Entertainment.Archivedfrom the original on July 8, 2020.RetrievedJuly 9,2020.
  21. ^abTuri, Tim (October 9, 2019)."Neil Druckmann Discusses NewThe Last of Us Part IIDetails ".PlayStation Blog.Sony Interactive Entertainment.Archivedfrom the original on May 31, 2020.RetrievedJune 28,2020.
  22. ^Kim, Matt (April 17, 2019)."The Last of Us Part 2Has Finished Shooting Its Final Scene ".USGamer.Gamer Network.Archivedfrom the original on May 8, 2019.RetrievedMay 8,2019.
  23. ^Druckmann, Neil(October 30, 2017)."The Last of Us Part II Interview: A New Look at the World ofThe Last of Us".YouTube.Archivedfrom the original on April 9, 2019.RetrievedMarch 14,2020.... we put out a little game calledUncharted: The Lost Legacy.And with that finally out there and people playing it and enjoying it, the entire studio is now onThe Last of Us Part II.We're in full production.
  24. ^abcdefWhite, Sam (June 9, 2020)."The Last of Us Part II : how Naughty Dog made a classic amidst catastrophe ".GQ.Condé Nast.Archivedfrom the original on June 11, 2020.RetrievedJune 26,2020.
  25. ^Boatman, Brandon (April 15, 2017)."The Last of Us Part IIMoCap Has Begun Shooting ".Hardcore Gamer.DoubleJump Publishing.Archivedfrom the original on April 18, 2017.RetrievedOctober 24,2019.
  26. ^Dornbush, Jonathon (September 27, 2019)."The Last of Us Part 2Creative Director on Joel's Role, Ellie's New Relationship ".IGN.Ziff Davis.Archivedfrom the original on September 26, 2019.RetrievedOctober 24,2019.
  27. ^Wells, Evan(March 9, 2018)."An Update from Studio President Evan Wells".Naughty Dog.Sony Interactive Entertainment.Archivedfrom the original on March 10, 2018.RetrievedMarch 10,2018.
  28. ^Goldberg, Harold (September 26, 2019)."Breaking: Our NewLast Of Us Part IIPodcast Discusses All The New Gameplay With Naughty Dog's Co-Game Director! ".New York Videogame Critics Circle.Archivedfrom the original on July 5, 2020.RetrievedJuly 5,2020.
  29. ^Maher, Cian (July 27, 2020)."Over 2,000 people and 14 studios worked onThe Last of Us Part 2".VG247.Gamer Network.Archived fromthe originalon July 27, 2020.RetrievedJanuary 28,2021.
  30. ^Wood, Austin (June 28, 2023)."PlayStation accidentally reveals $200m+ development costs forHorizon Forbidden WestandThe Last of Us Part 2".GamesRadar+.Future plc.Archivedfrom the original on June 28, 2023.RetrievedJune 29,2023.
  31. ^abcJuba, Joe (June 1, 2020)."The Last of Us Part IIInterview – Adding Depth, Staying Grounded, And The Cost Of Revenge ".Game Informer.GameStop.Archived fromthe originalon June 3, 2020.RetrievedJune 29,2020.
  32. ^abWilson, Aoife (June 5, 2020)."There are games that are just comfort food. This is not one of those".Eurogamer.Gamer Network.Archivedfrom the original on June 5, 2020.RetrievedJune 29,2020.
  33. ^Dougherty, Conor (June 19, 2020)."The Last of Us Part IIIs a Dark Game for a Dark Time ".The New York Times.Archivedfrom the original on June 19, 2020.RetrievedJune 30,2020.
  34. ^Favis, Elise (July 1, 2020)."Naughty Dog details Ellie's dark and turbulent evolution".The Washington Post.Nash Holdings.Archivedfrom the original on July 1, 2020.RetrievedJuly 5,2020.
  35. ^abKing, Darryn (June 10, 2020)."The Last of Us Part IIand Its Crisis-Strewn Path to Release ".Wired.Condé Nast.Archivedfrom the original on June 10, 2020.RetrievedJune 28,2020.
  36. ^abDruckmann, Neil(December 3, 2016)."The Last of Us Part II".PlayStation Blog.Sony Interactive Entertainment.Archivedfrom the original on December 4, 2016.RetrievedDecember 4,2016.
  37. ^Miller, Greg;Bailey, Laura(June 29, 2020)."The Last of Us Part II : Laura Bailey on "The Scene"".We Have Cool Friends(Podcast).Kinda Funny.Archivedfrom the original on February 17, 2022.RetrievedJune 30,2020.
  38. ^White, Sam (June 23, 2020)."Behind the scenes: One week on the set ofThe Last of Us Part 2".VG247.Gamer Network.Archivedfrom the original on June 24, 2020.RetrievedJune 28,2020.
  39. ^Holmberg, Mathias (June 15, 2018)."The Last of Us: Part II- Halley Gross E3 Interview ".Gamereactor.Gamez Publishing A/S.Archivedfrom the original on July 8, 2019.RetrievedJune 29,2020.
  40. ^Ehrlich, David (June 22, 2020)."Neil Druckmann and Halley Gross Open Up About the Biggest Twists ofThe Last of Us Part II".IndieWire.Penske Media Corporation.Archivedfrom the original on June 23, 2020.RetrievedJune 25,2020.
  41. ^Wilson, Aoife (July 1, 2020)."A spoiler-heavy interview withThe Last of Us Part 2director Neil Druckmann ".Eurogamer.Gamer Network.Archivedfrom the original on July 1, 2020.RetrievedJuly 5,2020.
  42. ^Bishop, Sam (September 27, 2019)."Naughty Dog on the Changing World ofThe Last of Us".Gamereactor.Gamez Publishing A/S.Archivedfrom the original on September 30, 2019.RetrievedJune 29,2020.
  43. ^Dornbush, Jonathon; O'Brien, Lucy;Druckmann, Neil;Gross, Halley(June 25, 2020)."The Last of Us Part 2 : Neil Druckmann, Halley Gross Interview ".Beyond!(Podcast).Ziff Davis.Archivedfrom the original on July 3, 2020.RetrievedJune 26,2020.
  44. ^Webster, Andrew (June 1, 2020)."The Last of Us Part IIIsn't Just Naughty Dog's Most Ambitious Game — It's the Most Accessible, Too ".The Verge.Vox Media.Archivedfrom the original on June 1, 2020.RetrievedJuly 2,2020.
  45. ^Pereira, Chris (December 3, 2016)."InThe Last of Us: Part 2,You Play as Ellie ".GameSpot.CBS Interactive.Archivedfrom the original on March 12, 2017.RetrievedDecember 4,2016.
  46. ^Miller, Greg;Druckmann, Neil;Johnson, Ashley;Baker, Troy(June 25, 2020)."Last of Us 2Spoilercast ".Gamescast(Podcast).Kinda Funny.Archivedfrom the original on February 17, 2022.RetrievedJune 26,2020.
  47. ^Co, Alex (July 3, 2020)."Naughty Dog Devs Explain the Audio Work BehindThe Last of Us 2Shamblers and Whistles ".SP1st.Archivedfrom the original on July 4, 2020.RetrievedJuly 5,2020.
  48. ^Schreier, Jason(March 12, 2020)."As Naughty Dog Crunches OnThe Last Of Us II,Developers Wonder How Much Longer This Approach Can Last ".Kotaku.G/O Media.Archivedfrom the original on March 12, 2020.RetrievedMarch 13,2020.
  49. ^Baker, Troy;Druckmann, Neil(July 15, 2020)."Let's Get Into It with Neil Druckmann".LeGiT(Podcast). Relater. Event occurs at 1:22:28.Archivedfrom the original on November 3, 2021.RetrievedJuly 17,2020.
  50. ^O'Brien, Lucy;Druckmann, Neil;Newman, Anthony; Margenau, Kurt;Johnson, Ashley;Woodward, Shannon(June 12, 2018).E3 Coliseum:The Last of Us Part IIPanel.Archivedfrom the original on November 3, 2021.RetrievedJune 25,2020.
  51. ^Stedman, Alex (September 24, 2019)."The Last of Us Part IIReveals 2020 Release Date in New Trailer ".Variety.Penske Corporation.Archivedfrom the original on September 24, 2019.RetrievedJune 25,2020.
  52. ^Dornbush, Jonathon (October 25, 2019)."The Last of Us Part 2Release Date Delayed to May ".IGN.Ziff Davis.Archivedfrom the original on October 24, 2019.RetrievedJune 25,2020.
  53. ^Peters, Jay (April 2, 2020)."The Last of Us Part IIdelayed indefinitely due to novel coronavirus ".The Verge.Vox Media.Archivedfrom the original on April 2, 2020.RetrievedApril 2,2020.
  54. ^Hernandez, Patricia (April 27, 2020)."The Last of Us Part 2leak seems to show massive spoilers ".Polygon.Vox Media.Archivedfrom the original on April 28, 2020.RetrievedApril 28,2020.
  55. ^Hulst, Herman (April 27, 2020)."Release Date Updates ForThe Last of Us Part II,Ghost of Tsushima".PlayStation Blog.Sony Interactive Entertainment.Archivedfrom the original on April 27, 2020.RetrievedApril 27,2020.
  56. ^Robinson, Martin (December 3, 2016)."Ellie is the lead character inThe Last of Us Part 2".Eurogamer.Gamer Network.Archivedfrom the original on December 5, 2016.RetrievedDecember 4,2016.
  57. ^Osborn, Alex (October 30, 2017)."The Last of Us 2Voice Cast Revealed ".IGN.Ziff Davis.Archivedfrom the original on October 30, 2017.RetrievedOctober 31,2017.
  58. ^Saed, Sherif (October 30, 2017)."The Last of Us Part 2trailer is maybe the best thing shown today – watch it here ".VG247.Gamer Network.Archivedfrom the original on November 9, 2017.RetrievedNovember 9,2017.
  59. ^Plunkett, Luke (June 12, 2018)."A Kiss Has Been One Of The Stars Of 2018".Kotaku.G/O Media.Archivedfrom the original on June 12, 2018.RetrievedOctober 24,2019.
  60. ^Sheridan, Connor (September 24, 2019)."The Last of Us Part 2trailer brutally reveals why Ellie's killing everybody ".GamesRadar+.Future plc.Archivedfrom the original on September 25, 2019.RetrievedOctober 24,2019.
  61. ^Lowe, Scott (September 26, 2019)."The Last of Us Part II : Outbreak Day 2019 ".PlayStation Blog.Sony Interactive Entertainment.Archivedfrom the original on May 31, 2020.RetrievedJune 25,2020.
  62. ^McWhertor, Michael (May 6, 2020)."NewThe Last of Us Part 2trailer is a grim look at Ellie's revenge tale ".Polygon.Vox Media.Archivedfrom the original on May 9, 2020.RetrievedJune 25,2020.
  63. ^Winslow, Jeremy (June 2, 2020)."The Last Of Us Part 2's New Extended Commercial Features Ellie Singing A Lovely Tune ".GameSpot.CBS Interactive.Archivedfrom the original on June 22, 2020.RetrievedJune 25,2020.
  64. ^abcLeri, Michael (June 25, 2020)."The Last of Us 2director explains its strict review embargo and sneaky trailers ".GameRevolution.CraveOnline.Archivedfrom the original on July 3, 2020.RetrievedSeptember 15,2020.
  65. ^Druckmann, Neil(September 24, 2019)."The Last of Us Part IIArrives on February 21, 2020 ".PlayStation Blog.Sony Interactive Entertainment.Archivedfrom the original on September 24, 2019.RetrievedOctober 24,2019.
  66. ^Hussain, Tamoor (May 29, 2020)."The Last Of Us Part 2's State Of Play: Brutal Combat And Other Gameplay Details ".GameSpot.CBS Interactive.Archivedfrom the original on June 14, 2020.RetrievedJune 25,2020.
  67. ^Lowe, Scott (May 13, 2020)."Introducing" InsideThe Last of Us Part II"Video Series".PlayStation Blog.Sony Interactive Entertainment.Archivedfrom the original on May 13, 2020.RetrievedMay 13,2020.
  68. ^Maher, Cian (June 21, 2020)."The Last of Us Part 2is banned in the UAE because of Ellie and Dina's relationship ".VG247.Gamer Network.Archivedfrom the original on June 24, 2020.RetrievedJune 24,2020.
  69. ^Dornbush, Jonathon (August 12, 2020)."The Last of Us Part 2Permadeath Mode, Grounded Difficulty Available This Week ".IGN.Ziff Davis.Archivedfrom the original on August 11, 2020.RetrievedAugust 18,2020.
  70. ^Dornbush, Jonathon (September 23, 2020)."Naughty Dog ChangesThe Last of Us'Outbreak Day Name, Will Have Announcements This Weekend ".IGN.Ziff Davis.Archivedfrom the original on September 23, 2020.RetrievedSeptember 26,2020.
  71. ^Lowe, Scott (September 25, 2020)."The Last of UsDay 2020 Preview: Celebrate with New Posters, Collectibles, and More ".PlayStation Blog.Sony Interactive Entertainment.Archivedfrom the original on September 25, 2020.RetrievedSeptember 26,2020.
  72. ^Skrebels, Joe (May 19, 2021)."The Last of Us Part 2Is Getting a PS5 Exclusive Performance Update ".IGN.Ziff Davis.Archivedfrom the original on May 19, 2021.RetrievedMay 20,2021.
  73. ^Wales, Matt (January 26, 2024)."The Last of Us Part 2's making-of documentary arrives next week".Eurogamer.Gamer Network.Archivedfrom the original on January 26, 2024.RetrievedJanuary 27,2024.
  74. ^abcDornbush, Jonathon (November 17, 2023)."The Last of Us Part II Remasteredcoming to PS5 on January 19, 2024 ".PlayStation Blog.Sony Interactive Entertainment.Archivedfrom the original on November 18, 2023.RetrievedNovember 18,2023.
  75. ^Dornbush, Jonathon (January 16, 2024)."Dive deeper into newThe Last of Us Part II Remasteredfeatures, out Jan 19 ".PlayStation Blog.Sony Interactive Entertainment.Archivedfrom the original on January 16, 2024.RetrievedJanuary 27,2024.
  76. ^Yin-Poole, Wesley (November 19, 2023)."DoesThe Last of Us 2Need a PS5 Remaster? ".IGN.Ziff Davis.Archivedfrom the original on November 20, 2023.RetrievedNovember 21,2023.
  77. ^Zwiezen, Zack (November 20, 2023)."KotakuAsks: How Soon Is Too Soon For A Video Game Remaster Or Remake? ".Kotaku.G/O Media.Archivedfrom the original on November 20, 2023.RetrievedNovember 21,2023.
  78. ^Sinha, Ravi (November 21, 2023)."The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered– In Defense of Naughty Dog's Next PS5 Release ".GamingBolt.Archivedfrom the original on November 21, 2023.RetrievedNovember 21,2023.
  79. ^Lewis, Claire (January 16, 2024)."The Last Of Us Part 2 RemasteredFeatures Cut Levels, Roguelike Mode, And Accessibility Settings ".IGN.Ziff Davis.Archivedfrom the original on January 16, 2024.RetrievedJanuary 27,2024.
  80. ^Jones, Ali (January 17, 2024)."The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered's Lost Levels offer a fascinating peek behind the gamedev curtain ".GamesRadar+.Future plc.Archivedfrom the original on January 16, 2024.RetrievedJanuary 27,2024.
  81. ^abcDornbush, Jonathon (December 5, 2023)."The Last of Us Part II Remastered:Exploring the roguelike survival mode, No Return ".PlayStation Blog.Sony Interactive Entertainment.Archivedfrom the original on December 5, 2023.RetrievedJanuary 27,2024.
  82. ^Marks, Tom (December 5, 2023)."The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered's Roguelike Mode Is More Than Just a Novelty ".IGN.Ziff Davis.Archivedfrom the original on December 5, 2023.RetrievedJanuary 27,2024.
  83. ^Yin-Poole, Wesley (October 22, 2024)."The Last of Us Part 1andThe Last of Us Part 2 RemasteredBoth Get PS5 Pro Patches ".IGN.Ziff Davis.Archivedfrom the original on November 24, 2024.RetrievedNovember 25,2024.
  84. ^ab"The Last of Us Part II".Metacritic.Fandom, Inc.Archivedfrom the original on September 21, 2023.RetrievedSeptember 21,2020.
  85. ^ab"The Last of Us Part IIReviews ".OpenCritic.June 12, 2020.Archivedfrom the original on January 13, 2025.RetrievedJanuary 13,2025.
  86. ^abcdeCarter, Chris (June 18, 2020)."Review:The Last of Us Part II".Destructoid.Enthusiast Gaming.Archivedfrom the original on July 7, 2020.RetrievedJuly 8,2020.
  87. ^abcdefghMcNamara, Andy (June 12, 2020)."The Last of Us Part IIReview – A Perfect Circle ".Game Informer.GameStop.Archived fromthe originalon June 12, 2020.RetrievedJuly 8,2020.
  88. ^abcdefLeri, Michael (June 12, 2020)."The Last of Us 2Review | A Bloater stuffed to the brim ".GameRevolution.CraveOnline.Archivedfrom the original on June 13, 2020.RetrievedJuly 8,2020.
  89. ^abcdefBarker, Sammy (June 19, 2020)."The Last of Us: Part IIReview ".Push Square.Hookshot Media.Archivedfrom the original on June 12, 2020.RetrievedJuly 8,2020.
  90. ^abKline, Kaity (June 18, 2020)."The Last of Us Part IIIs A Gut Punch That Just Keeps Punching ".NPR.National Public Radio, Inc.Archivedfrom the original on June 18, 2020.RetrievedJuly 6,2020.
  91. ^abcMacDonald, Keza (June 12, 2020)."The Last of Us Part 2review – post-apocalyptic game is groundbreaking and powerful ".The Guardian.Archivedfrom the original on June 12, 2020.RetrievedJuly 8,2020.
  92. ^abcdZacny, Rob (June 12, 2020)."The Last of Us Part IIIs a Grim and Bloody Spectacle, but a Poor Sequel ".Vice.Vice Media.Archivedfrom the original on June 12, 2020.RetrievedJuly 8,2020.
  93. ^Maiberg, Emanuel (July 16, 2020)."The Not So Hidden Israeli Politics ofThe Last of Us Part II".Vice.Vice Media.Archivedfrom the original on July 15, 2020.RetrievedJuly 16,2020.
  94. ^abWebster, Andrew (June 12, 2020)."The Last of Us Part IIis Uncomfortable and Exhausting, But That's What Makes it Great ".The Verge.Vox Media.Archivedfrom the original on June 15, 2020.RetrievedJuly 8,2020.
  95. ^Takahashi, Dean(July 13, 2020)."Why the story ofThe Last of Us Part IIis maddening and fulfilling (spoilers) ".VentureBeat.Archivedfrom the original on July 14, 2020.RetrievedSeptember 19,2021.
  96. ^abcWelsh, Oli (June 16, 2020)."The Last of Us Part 2review - a gut-wrenching sequel ".Eurogamer.Gamer Network.Archivedfrom the original on June 12, 2020.RetrievedJuly 8,2020.
  97. ^abcLe Fur, Yannick (June 22, 2020)."The Last of Us Part II:Entre histoire viscérale et review bombing "[The Last of Us Part II : Between visceral history and review bombing].Jeuxvideo.com(in French). Webedia.Archivedfrom the original on June 24, 2020.RetrievedJune 25,2020.
  98. ^Byrd, Christopher (June 12, 2020)."The Last of Us Part II : One of the best video games ever made ".The Washington Post.Nash Holdings.Archivedfrom the original on June 12, 2020.RetrievedJuly 8,2020.
  99. ^abDunsmore, Kevin (June 12, 2020)."Review:The Last of Us Part II".Hardcore Gamer.Archivedfrom the original on June 14, 2020.RetrievedJuly 8,2020.
  100. ^ab"The Last of Us Part II Remastered".Metacritic.Fandom, Inc.Archivedfrom the original on February 23, 2024.RetrievedFebruary 23,2024.
  101. ^ab"The Last of Us Part II RemasteredReviews ".OpenCritic.Archivedfrom the original on January 13, 2025.RetrievedJanuary 13,2025.
  102. ^abDunsmore, Kevin (January 16, 2024)."Review:The Last of Us Part II Remastered".Hardcore Gamer.Archivedfrom the original on January 16, 2024.RetrievedJanuary 17,2024.
  103. ^Brown, Andy (January 16, 2024)."The Last Of Us Part 2 Remasteredreview: depressing, but worth it ".NME.Archivedfrom the original on January 16, 2024.RetrievedJanuary 17,2024.
  104. ^abcdefCuevas, Zackery (January 17, 2024)."The Last of Us Part II Remastered– Review 2024 ".PCMag.Ziff Davis.Archivedfrom the original on January 16, 2024.RetrievedJanuary 17,2024.
  105. ^abcdBayne, Aaron (January 16, 2024)."The Last of Us Part II RemasteredReview ".Push Square.Hookshot Media.Archivedfrom the original on January 16, 2024.RetrievedJanuary 17,2024.
  106. ^abcdeMiddler, Jordan (January 16, 2024)."Review:The Last of Us Part 2 Remasteredis much more than a $10 graphics patch ".Video Games Chronicle.1981 Media.Archivedfrom the original on January 16, 2024.RetrievedJanuary 17,2024.
  107. ^abcdeDinkel, Cory (January 16, 2024)."Review:The Last of Us Part IIRemastered Elevates a Work of Art ".Siliconera.Gamurs.Archivedfrom the original on January 16, 2024.RetrievedJanuary 17,2024.
  108. ^Stuart, Keith (January 25, 2024)."Pushing Buttons: I hated going back to games – untilThe Last of Us Part II Remasteredcame along ".The Guardian.Archivedfrom the original on January 24, 2024.RetrievedJanuary 27,2024.
  109. ^abcdSimelane, Smangaliso (January 16, 2024)."Review:The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered".Destructoid.Gamurs.Archivedfrom the original on January 16, 2024.RetrievedJanuary 17,2024.
  110. ^abcStephan, Katcy (January 16, 2024)."The Last of Us Part II RemasteredReview: Naughty Dog Improves on Perfection ".Variety.Penske Media Corporation.Archivedfrom the original on January 16, 2024.RetrievedJanuary 17,2024.
  111. ^abcHashimoto, Kazuma (January 16, 2024)."The Last of Us Part IIDidn't Need a Remaster — But It Got One Anyway ".Inverse.Bustle Digital Group.Archivedfrom the original on January 16, 2024.RetrievedJanuary 17,2024.
  112. ^Glennon, Jen (January 16, 2024)."The Last of Us Part II Remastered:TheKotakuReview ".Kotaku.G/O Media.Archivedfrom the original on January 16, 2024.RetrievedJanuary 17,2024.
  113. ^Parijat, Shubhankar (January 16, 2024)."The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered Review– I'd Do it All Over Again ".GamingBolt.Archivedfrom the original on January 16, 2024.RetrievedJanuary 17,2024.
  114. ^abcWebster, Andrew (January 16, 2024)."There are two great reasons to upgrade toThe Last of Us Part II Remastered".The Verge.Vox Media.Archivedfrom the original on January 16, 2024.RetrievedJanuary 17,2024.
  115. ^abPark, Gene (January 16, 2024)."The Last of Us Part II,remastered and dehumanized ".The Washington Post.Nash Holdings.Archivedfrom the original on January 16, 2024.RetrievedJanuary 17,2024.
  116. ^abcNunneley, Stephany (June 19, 2020)."The Last of Us: Part 2has been review bombed on Metacritic ".VG247.Gamer Network.Archivedfrom the original on June 21, 2020.RetrievedJune 25,2020.
  117. ^abCroft, Liam (June 20, 2020)."The Last of Us 2Review Bombing Continues, Online Discourse Increasingly Ugly ".Push Square.Hookshot Media.Archivedfrom the original on June 23, 2020.RetrievedJune 25,2020.
  118. ^abcMacLeod, Riley (June 20, 2020)."The Last of Us Part 2's Metacritic Page Shows How Broken Numerical Scores Are ".Kotaku.G/O Media.Archivedfrom the original on June 24, 2020.RetrievedJune 23,2020.
  119. ^abVan Boom, Daniel (June 23, 2020)."The Last of Us Part 2is getting internet hate. You can ignore it ".CNET.CBS Interactive.Archivedfrom the original on June 23, 2020.RetrievedJune 25,2020.
  120. ^Fisher, Christine (July 18, 2020)."Metacritic changes its user review policy to combat score bombing".Engadget.Verizon Media.Archivedfrom the original on July 18, 2020.RetrievedFebruary 10,2024.
  121. ^abcdByrd, Matthew (June 22, 2020)."The Last of Us Part 2 : Why Some Players Hate This Sequel ".Den of Geek.Dennis Publishing.Archivedfrom the original on June 28, 2020.RetrievedJune 8,2021.
  122. ^abcdClench, Sam (July 10, 2020)."The Last of Us Part 2 : Why the hate for its story and ending is so wrong ".News.com.au.News Corp Australia.Archivedfrom the original on July 10, 2020.RetrievedJune 8,2021.
  123. ^abAlhadad, Zahra (November 6, 2020)."An Infected Start: A Look Into theLast of Us Part 2Hate and Backlash ".IGN Southeast Asia.Ziff Davis.Archivedfrom the original on November 6, 2020.RetrievedJune 9,2021.
  124. ^abHawkins, Josh (June 24, 2020)."The Last of Usdidn't need a sequel, but I'm glad we got one ".Shacknews.Gamerhub.Archivedfrom the original on June 26, 2020.RetrievedJune 9,2021.
  125. ^MacLeod, Riley; Notis, Ari (June 19, 2020)."Here's The Deal WithThe Last Of Us Part 2".Kotaku.G/O Media.Archivedfrom the original on June 19, 2020.RetrievedJuly 8,2020.
  126. ^abcColes, Amy (July 9, 2020)."The rampant body-shaming of Abby inThe Last of Us Part IIshows gamers still can't accept a realistic female lead ".The Independent.Archivedfrom the original on July 11, 2020.RetrievedJuly 11,2020.
  127. ^Trumbore, Dave (July 3, 2020)."WhyThe Last of Us: Part IIDeserves to Be in the 'Game of the Year' Conversation ".Collider.Valnet.Archivedfrom the original on July 3, 2020.RetrievedJuly 8,2020.
  128. ^Hernandez, Patricia (July 1, 2020)."The Last of Us Part 2proves gaming doesn't know how to deal with muscular women ".Polygon.Vox Media.Archivedfrom the original on July 1, 2020.RetrievedJuly 8,2020.
  129. ^Khan, Asif (July 3, 2020)."Last of Us 2voice actor Laura Bailey shares death threats on Twitter ".Shacknews.Gamerhub.Archivedfrom the original on July 4, 2020.RetrievedJuly 8,2020.
  130. ^Hernandez, Patricia (July 6, 2020)."The Last of Us 2devs Naughty Dog condemns harassment, death threats ".Polygon.Vox Media.Archivedfrom the original on July 6, 2020.RetrievedFebruary 8,2021.
  131. ^abcHenley, Stacey (June 23, 2020)."Lev,The Last of Us Part 2,and imperfectly important representation (spoilers) ".VG247.Gamer Network.Archivedfrom the original on June 25, 2020.RetrievedJune 23,2020.
  132. ^Rosenblatt, Kalhan (July 8, 2020)."The Last of Us Part IIbrings queer stories to a pandemic-ravaged dystopia ".NBC News.NBCUniversal.Archivedfrom the original on July 8, 2020.RetrievedJuly 10,2020.
  133. ^Waverly (June 29, 2020)."The Cisgender Voyeurism ofThe Last of Us Part II".Paste.Archivedfrom the original on July 4, 2020.RetrievedJuly 8,2020.
  134. ^MacLeod, Riley (July 3, 2020)."I Have Mixed Feelings AboutThe Last Of Us Part 2's Trans Character ".Kotaku.G/O Media.Archivedfrom the original on July 3, 2020.RetrievedJuly 8,2020.
  135. ^abBigley, James II (June 24, 2021)."The Untold Story Behind Lev's Voice inThe Last of Us Part II".Wired.Condé Nast.Archivedfrom the original on June 24, 2021.RetrievedJanuary 29,2023.
  136. ^Trumbore, Dave (June 19, 2021)."The Last of Us: Part II : One Year Later and the Worst Takes Still Remain ".Collider.Valnet.Archivedfrom the original on June 19, 2021.RetrievedJanuary 29,2023.
  137. ^Letizi, Robert; Norman, Callan (April 11, 2023).""You Took That From Me": Conspiracism and Online Harassment in the Alt-Fandom ofThe Last of Us Part II".Games and Culture.19(4):513–534.doi:10.1177/15554120231168745.
  138. ^Walker, Ian (July 27, 2021)."Nasty YouTube Death Threat Hoax Has A Happy Ending".Kotaku.G/O Media.Archivedfrom the original on July 27, 2021.RetrievedJanuary 28,2023.
  139. ^Cassidy, Ruth (July 26, 2021)."A gaming subreddit's harassment campaign peaked when a member faked death threats to themselves".PC Gamer.Future plc.Archivedfrom the original on July 26, 2021.RetrievedJanuary 28,2023.
  140. ^abcdHernandez, Patricia (June 30, 2020)."The Last of Us Part 2has become a minefield ".Polygon.Vox Media.Archivedfrom the original on June 30, 2020.RetrievedJuly 8,2020.
  141. ^Plante, Corey (May 7, 2021)."Jason Schreier: We need adversarial reporting on video games, ASAP".Inverse.Bustle Digital Group.Archivedfrom the original on May 7, 2021.RetrievedFebruary 10,2024.
  142. ^Bailey, Kat (June 22, 2020)."The Last of Us Part 2's Overly Limiting Embargo Only Hurts Critical Discourse ".USgamer.Gamer Network.Archivedfrom the original on June 17, 2020.RetrievedJuly 8,2020.
  143. ^abCryer, Hirun (January 3, 2023)."Elden RingsurpassesThe Last of Us 2as the most-awarded Game of the Year recipient ".GamesRadar+.Future plc.Archivedfrom the original on January 3, 2023.RetrievedJanuary 6,2023.
  144. ^Calvin, Alex (January 26, 2021)."The Last of Us Part 2has more game of the year awards thanThe Witcher 3,the previous record holder ".VG247.Gamer Network.Archivedfrom the original on January 27, 2021.RetrievedJanuary 27,2021.
  145. ^Wald, Heather (January 26, 2021)."The Last of Us 2overtakesThe Witcher 3: Wild Huntto become the most awarded game ever ".GamesRadar+.Future plc.Archivedfrom the original on January 26, 2021.RetrievedDecember 28,2022.
  146. ^Ramsey, Robert (January 27, 2021)."The Last of Us 2SurpassesThe Witcher 3as the Most Awarded Game in History ".Push Square.Hookshot Media.Archivedfrom the original on January 26, 2021.RetrievedDecember 28,2022.
  147. ^Ramsey, Robert (January 3, 2023)."Elden RingDominatesGod of War Ragnarokin GOTY Awards, BreaksThe Last of Us 2's Record ".Push Square.Hookshot Media.Archivedfrom the original on January 3, 2023.RetrievedJanuary 6,2023.
  148. ^Byrd, Matthew; Boo, Bernard; Freiberg, Chris; Potter, Aaron (December 21, 2020)."The Best Games of 2020".Den of Geek.Dennis Publishing.Archivedfrom the original on December 22, 2020.RetrievedDecember 28,2020.
  149. ^Harmon, Josh (January 1, 2021)."EGM's Best of 2020: #1The Last of Us Part II".Electronic Gaming Monthly.EGM Media, LLC.Archivedfrom the original on January 3, 2021.RetrievedJanuary 2,2021.
  150. ^Dyer, James; Kamen, Matt (December 10, 2020)."The Best Video Games Of 2020".Empire.Bauer Media Group.Archivedfrom the original on December 22, 2020.RetrievedDecember 28,2020.
  151. ^Romano, Nick; Lewis, Evan (December 18, 2020)."The best videogames of 2020".Entertainment Weekly.Meredith Corporation.Archivedfrom the original on December 18, 2020.RetrievedDecember 28,2020.
  152. ^Juba, Joe (December 22, 2020)."The Top 10 Games Of 2020 – #1The Last of Us Part II".Game Informer.GameStop.Archived fromthe originalon December 23, 2020.RetrievedDecember 28,2020.
  153. ^Massongill, Justin (December 18, 2020)."PlayStation.Blog2020 Game of the Year: The winners ".PlayStation Blog.Sony Interactive Entertainment.Archivedfrom the original on December 18, 2020.RetrievedDecember 28,2020.
  154. ^Croft, Liam (January 1, 2021)."Game of the Year: #1 -The Last of Us: Part II".Push Square.Hookshot Media.Archivedfrom the original on January 3, 2021.RetrievedJanuary 3,2021.
  155. ^Soriano, David (December 12, 2020)."Todos los ganadores de los Premios Titanium de Fun & Serious Game Festival"[All winners of the Fun & Serious Game Festival Titanium Awards].IGN España(in Spanish).Ziff Davis.Archivedfrom the original on December 12, 2020.RetrievedDecember 28,2020.
  156. ^"The 25 best games of 2020".GamesRadar.Future plc.December 21, 2020.Archivedfrom the original on December 21, 2020.RetrievedDecember 28,2020.
  157. ^"IGN's Game of the Year 2020 ".IGN.Ziff Davis.December 22, 2020.Archivedfrom the original on December 27, 2020.RetrievedDecember 28,2020.
  158. ^Austin, Patrick Lucas; Dockterman, Eliana; Clark, Peter Allen; Fitzpatrick, Alex (November 20, 2020)."The 10 Best Video Games of 2020".Time.Archivedfrom the original on November 20, 2020.RetrievedDecember 28,2020.
  159. ^"The best games of 2020".The Washington Post.Nash Holdings.December 7, 2020.Archivedfrom the original on December 7, 2020.RetrievedDecember 28,2020.
  160. ^Tyrer, Ben (November 24, 2020)."Every winner at the Golden Joystick Awards 2020".GamesRadar.Future plc.Archivedfrom the original on November 24, 2020.RetrievedNovember 25,2020.
  161. ^Park, Gene (November 18, 2020)."Here are the nominees for The Game Awards 2020".The Washington Post.Nash Holdings.Archivedfrom the original on November 18, 2020.RetrievedNovember 18,2020.
  162. ^Stedman, Alex (December 10, 2020)."The Game Awards 2020: Complete Winners List".Variety.Penske Media Corporation.Archivedfrom the original on December 11, 2020.RetrievedDecember 11,2020.
  163. ^Błażewicz, Jakub (January 20, 2021)."The Last of Us 2z rekordową liczbą nominacji NAVGTR "[The Last of Us 2with a record number of NAVGTR nominations].Gry Online(in Polish).Webedia.Archivedfrom the original on January 20, 2021.RetrievedFebruary 24,2021.
  164. ^Kirakosyan, Georgy (February 23, 2021)."Ghost of Tsushimaстала игрой года по версии NAVGTR Awards "[Ghost of Tsushimanamed NAVGTR Awards Game of the Year].Igromania(in Russian). Igromedia.Archivedfrom the original on February 23, 2021.RetrievedFebruary 24,2021.
  165. ^Ankers, Adele (March 2, 2021)."BAFTA Games Awards 2021 Nominations Announced".IGN.Ziff Davis.Archivedfrom the original on March 3, 2021.RetrievedMarch 3,2021.
  166. ^Del Rosario, Alexandra (March 25, 2021)."BAFTA Games Awards: Supergiant Games'HadesTakes Home Top Prize — Complete Winners List ".Deadline Hollywood.Penske Media Corporation.Archivedfrom the original on March 26, 2021.RetrievedMarch 26,2021.
  167. ^Nunneley, Stephany (January 26, 2021)."2021 DICE Awards:Ghost of TsushimaandThe Last of Us: Part 2lead with the most nominations ".VG247.Gamer Network.Archivedfrom the original on January 27, 2021.RetrievedJanuary 27,2021.
  168. ^Denzer, TJ (April 22, 2021)."The D.I.C.E. Awards 2021 winners & finalists".Shacknews.Gamerhub.Archivedfrom the original on April 22, 2021.RetrievedApril 23,2021.
  169. ^Ferme, Antonio (April 28, 2021)."G.A.N.G. Awards Winners:The Last of Us Part IILeads With Eight Wins ".Variety.Penske Media Corporation.Archivedfrom the original on April 29, 2021.RetrievedApril 29,2021.
  170. ^Rousseau (April 20, 2021)."Hades,Ghost of Tsushima,andLast of Us Part 2lead GDC Award nominees ".Gamesindustry.biz.Gamer Network.Archivedfrom the original on April 20, 2021.RetrievedApril 23,2021.
  171. ^Beresford, Trilby (July 21, 2021)."HadesTakes Top Honor at Game Developers Choice Awards ".The Hollywood Reporter.MRC.Archivedfrom the original on July 22, 2021.RetrievedJuly 22,2021.
  172. ^Valentine, Rebekah (July 8, 2021)."Global Industry Game Awards Spotlights Unsung Dev Heroes OfThe Last of Us Part 2And Other 2020 Games ".IGN.Ziff Davis.Archivedfrom the original on July 7, 2021.RetrievedSeptember 2,2021.
  173. ^Scullion, Chris (August 31, 2021)."Hadeswins 9 times at the IGDA Global Industry Game Awards ".Video Games Chronicle.1981 Media.Archivedfrom the original on August 31, 2021.RetrievedSeptember 2,2021.
  174. ^Lempel, Eric (June 26, 2020)."The Last of Us Part IIsells more than 4 million copies ".PlayStation Blog.Sony Interactive Entertainment.Archivedfrom the original on June 26, 2020.RetrievedJune 26,2020.
  175. ^Tailby, Stephen (June 26, 2020)."The Last of Us 2Is the Fastest Selling PS4 Exclusive Ever, Over 4 Million Sold in Three Days ".Push Square.Hookshot Media.Archivedfrom the original on June 26, 2020.RetrievedJune 26,2020.
  176. ^Blake, Vikki (July 18, 2020)."The Last of Us Part 2is not only 2020's biggest launch to date, it's also Sony's second-biggest launch ever ".Eurogamer.Gamer Network.Archivedfrom the original on August 17, 2020.RetrievedAugust 18,2020.
  177. ^Massongill, Justin (July 8, 2020)."PlayStation Store: June's top downloads".PlayStation Blog.Sony Interactive Entertainment.Archivedfrom the original on July 8, 2020.RetrievedSeptember 12,2020.
  178. ^McAllister, Gillen (August 6, 2020)."PlayStation Store: July's top downloads".PlayStation Blog.Sony Interactive Entertainment.Archivedfrom the original on August 12, 2020.RetrievedSeptember 12,2020.
  179. ^Massongill, Justin (December 9, 2020)."PlayStation Store: November 2020's top downloads".PlayStation Blog.Sony Interactive Entertainment.Archivedfrom the original on December 9, 2020.RetrievedJanuary 16,2021.
  180. ^Elston, Brett (January 13, 2021)."PlayStation Store: Top downloads of 2020".PlayStation Blog.Sony Interactive Entertainment.Archivedfrom the original on January 16, 2021.RetrievedJanuary 16,2021.
  181. ^Bankhurst, Adam (July 18, 2020)."The Last of Us Part 2Had the Biggest First Month of Any 2020 Game in the US ".IGN.Ziff Davis.Archivedfrom the original on July 18, 2020.RetrievedJuly 18,2020.
  182. ^Blake, Vikki (August 16, 2020)."The Last of Us Part 2is the third highest-grossing game in the US in PlayStation history ".Eurogamer.Gamer Network.Archivedfrom the original on August 17, 2020.RetrievedAugust 18,2020.
  183. ^Grubb, Jeff (January 15, 2021)."NPD reveals the best-selling games of 2020 in the U.S."VentureBeat.Archivedfrom the original on January 16, 2021.RetrievedJanuary 16,2021.
  184. ^Croft, Liam (January 16, 2021)."The Last of Us 2Was the Best-Selling PS4 Exclusive of 2020 in the US ".Push Square.Hookshot Media.Archivedfrom the original on January 15, 2021.RetrievedApril 21,2021.
  185. ^Snyder, Rochelle (June 9, 2022)."The Growing Future ofThe Last of Us".PlayStation Blog.Sony Interactive Entertainment.Archivedfrom the original on June 9, 2022.RetrievedJune 9,2022.
  186. ^Dring, Christopher (June 21, 2020)."The Last of Us Part 2smashes sales records - UK Charts ".Gamesindustry.biz.Gamer Network.Archivedfrom the original on June 22, 2020.RetrievedJune 23,2020.
  187. ^Dring, Christopher (March 4, 2021)."PS5 and Xbox Series sold 800,000 consoles in the UK last year".Gamesindustry.biz.Gamer Network.Archivedfrom the original on March 4, 2021.RetrievedMarch 5,2021.
  188. ^Dring, Christopher (January 11, 2021)."43 million games sold in the UK in 2020 | UK Annual Report".Gamesindustry.biz.Gamer Network.Archivedfrom the original on January 16, 2021.RetrievedJanuary 16,2021.
  189. ^Dring, Christopher (February 28, 2021)."PS5 stock boost sendsSpider-Man: Miles Moralesto No. 2 | UK Boxed Charts ".Gamesindustry.biz.Gamer Network.Archivedfrom the original on February 28, 2021.RetrievedMarch 26,2021.
  190. ^Romano, Sal (June 25, 2020)."Famitsu Sales: 6/15/20 – 6/21/20".Gematsu.Archivedfrom the original on June 25, 2020.RetrievedJune 25,2020.
  191. ^"Von schnellen Rhythmen bis zu leisen Tönen: Die game Sales Awards im Juni"[From fast rhythms to soft tones: the game sales awards in June].Game.de(in German). German Games Industry Association. July 9, 2020.Archivedfrom the original on July 9, 2020.RetrievedJuly 9,2020.
  192. ^"Game Sales Awards Dezember 2020"[Game Sales Awards December 2020].Game.de(in German). German Games Industry Association. January 18, 2021.Archivedfrom the original on January 18, 2021.RetrievedJanuary 18,2021.
  193. ^Dring, Christopher (January 15, 2021)."Nintendo andGTA 5come top in big year for Australia game sales | Australia Annual Report ".Gamesindustry.biz.Gamer Network.Archivedfrom the original on January 16, 2021.RetrievedJanuary 16,2021.
  194. ^
  195. ^Mackenzie, Oliver (January 16, 2024)."The Last of Us Part 2 Remastereddelivers an accomplished upgrade for PlayStation 5 ".Eurogamer.Gamer Network.Archivedfrom the original on January 16, 2024.RetrievedFebruary 18,2024.
  196. ^Onder, Cade (June 24, 2020)."Review:The Last of Us Part IIis a bold yet flawed swan song for PS4 ".GameZone.Archivedfrom the original on June 27, 2020.RetrievedFebruary 18,2024.
  197. ^Robinson, Andy (May 3, 2021)."Court docs reveal Xbox's internalLast of Us 2review: 'Sets a new bar for what we hope to achieve'".Video Games Chronicle.1981 Media.Archivedfrom the original on May 3, 2021.RetrievedJune 10,2024.
  198. ^Singh, Surej (May 4, 2021)."Microsoft saysThe Last of Us Part IIset 'a new bar' in leaked internal review ".NME.Archivedfrom the original on May 23, 2024.RetrievedJune 10,2024.
  199. ^
  200. ^Carpou, Madeline; Doyle, Jack (June 2, 2022)."These Are 10 of the Best Written Video Game Stories of All Time".The Mary Sue.Gamurs Group.Archivedfrom the original on June 2, 2022.RetrievedOctober 16,2022.
  201. ^McKeand, Kirk (May 30, 2022)."The best story-driven video games to play in 2022".USA Today.Gannett.Archivedfrom the original on May 30, 2022.RetrievedOctober 16,2022.
  202. ^White, Sam (March 13, 2023)."The Last of Usfinale writers on that cliffhanger ending and Joel's John Wick moment ".British GQ.Condé Nast.Archivedfrom the original on March 13, 2023.RetrievedMarch 14,2023.
  203. ^Kastrenakes, Jacob (January 6, 2025)."The Last of Us season 2 will premiere in April".The Verge.Vox Media.Archivedfrom the original on January 7, 2025.RetrievedJanuary 7,2025.
  204. ^Hibberd, James (January 4, 2023)."HowThe Last of UsPlans to Bring the Zombie Genre Back to Life ".The Hollywood Reporter.Eldridge Industries.Archivedfrom the original on January 4, 2023.RetrievedJanuary 5,2023.
  205. ^Andreeva, Nellie (June 5, 2024)."The Last Of UsSeason 2 Episode Count Revealed As Craig Mazin & Neil Druckmann Explain Decision & Tease Additional Seasons ".Deadline Hollywood.Penske Media Corporation.Archivedfrom the original on June 5, 2024.RetrievedJune 5,2024.
  206. ^Hibberd, James (January 9, 2024)."Kaitlyn Dever Officially Cast inThe Last of UsSeason 2 as Abby ".The Hollywood Reporter.Eldridge Industries.Archivedfrom the original on January 9, 2024.RetrievedJanuary 9,2024.
  207. ^Otterson, Joe (January 10, 2024)."Last of UsSeason 2 CastsBeefStar Young Mazino as Jesse ".Variety.Penske Media Corporation.Archivedfrom the original on January 10, 2024.RetrievedJanuary 10,2024.
  208. ^Andreeva, Nellie (January 11, 2024)."The Last Of Us:Isabela Merced Cast As Dina In Season 2 Of HBO Series ".Deadline Hollywood.Penske Media Corporation.Archivedfrom the original on January 11, 2024.RetrievedJanuary 12,2024.
  209. ^Campione, Katie (May 24, 2024)."Jeffrey Wright Cast As Isaac InThe Last Of UsSeason 2 ".Deadline Hollywood.Penske Media Corporation.Archivedfrom the original on May 24, 2024.RetrievedMay 25,2024.
  210. ^Skrebels, Joe (April 28, 2021)."The Last of Us: Part 3Has a Plot, But It's Not Being Made... Yet ".IGN.Ziff Davis.Archivedfrom the original on April 28, 2021.RetrievedDecember 3,2022.
  211. ^abLyes, Taylor; Stedman, Alex (February 2, 2024)."Neil Druckmann Teases 'Concept' forThe Last of Us Part 3:'There's Probably One More Chapter to This Story'".IGN.Ziff Davis.Archivedfrom the original on February 2, 2024.RetrievedJune 10,2024.
edit
Wikiquote has quotations related toThe Last of Us Part II.
Wikimedia Commons has media related toThe Last of Us Part II.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Last_of_Us_Part_II&oldid=1275919245"