I can't believe they found another way to make me replay The Last of Us Part II
Naturally, Naughty Dog notes that the non-linear structure is crucial to the way it envisioned the game's story and recommends anyone playing Part II for the first time do so in the original format. But there's a lot of potential for seeing how Ellie and Abby's experiences in Seattle in the main meat of the game impact each other, which should be fun to watch. I also like the idea of jumping back and forth more frequently through Ellie and Abby's different play styles. But this isn't the definitive way to play the game — when you load up a new Chronological play-through the first time, it notes that pacing may seem "off" and that tutorials for various actions may come after you've already had to use them.
Naughty Dog didn't specifically say how quickly the game would intercut between Ellie and Abby's stories. But a quick video Naughty Dog posted suggests it'll be pretty frequent as their respective journeys through Seattle unfold. This also means you'll be starting the game with a bunch of flashbacks and cutscenes, which will be a big change. I'm trying to think what the earliest thing that happens in the game is that'll open this new experience — I think it'll start the same way as the original version of the game, but I also might be forgetting something here. To view this content, you'll need to update your privacy settings. Please click here and view the "Content and social-media partners" setting to do so.
The timing of this update is also interesting, as it arrives a few months after season two of HBO's adaptation finished — and just a few days after Neil Druckmann announced he wouldn't be working on season three. Season two stuck close to the narrative structure of its source material but it didn't land nearly as well as season one, which could be why Druckmann is focusing on his main gig.
Naturally, there are new trophies to be had for completing Chronological Mode, and you can unlock a few skins of Joel and Tommy dressed as brothers Nathan and Sam Drake from Uncharted 4: A Thief's End — a fun nod to Naughty Dog's other major franchise. This comes as the studio celebrates its 40th year, and just over five years after The Last of Us Part II was originally released for the PS4.
The patch for The Last of Us Part II remastered on PS5 and PC is available now. Not surprisingly, Chronological Mode isn't available for the original PS4 version of the game — but if you own that, you can still upgrade to the remaster for a fairly reasonable $10. At least you don't have to pay for this latest update, right?
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 minutes ago
- Yahoo
'The Last of Us' fans will have a long wait for season 3, HBO exec reveals
Fans had to wait two years and a month to get more The Last of Us after season 1 wrapped in March 2023. Now, according to HBO content CEO Casey Bloys, they'll have to wait as long, if not longer, for season 3. "The series is definitely planned for 2027," Bloys told Variety recently when asked if the network is on track to program the series for the 2026-2027 content cycle. Co-creator and showrunner Craig Mazin "is still working it out whether it will be two more seasons or one more long season. It hasn't been decided yet, and I'm following Craig's lead on that," Bloys revealed. The Last of Us tells the story of Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey), survivors of a plague born from a fungal mutation that has ushered in the collapse of human civilization, who fight their way across the country to reconnect with old loved ones and stay alive. The first season garnered a mass audience and 24 Emmy nominations, resulting in eight wins. The second season capitalized on the success of its predecessor, despite the lengthy hiatus between seasons. But a lot has changed in the short time since season 2's April premiere. (Spoiler alert!) Pascal's character was killed on only the second episode of the season, and earlier this month, Neil Druckmann, who co-created and has helmed the series alongside Mazin, stepped away from future seasons. Down two key creative players and coming off the dramatic cliffhanger of the season 2 closer, things are looking uncertain at Last of Us HQ. "Obviously it was great to have Neil involved in the beginning," Bloys said, but pointed out that "a lot of people don't realize that Neil has a full-time job creating video games and running Naughty Dog. It's a really big job that he's got... But I believe he's given us a good blueprint with the show. And obviously Craig is a pro, so I think we'll be in excellent shape." When asked if the show would change were Ramsey to also become less involved since season 2's finale set up next season to be told from Abby's (Katilyn Dever) perspective, Bloys said, "Not from a marketing perspective, because I think the title is obviously helped by the video game, and now the first two seasons is pretty well established. I kind of appreciate shows that take things and do a show from a different point of view." Following the season 2 finale, Mazin said, "There is another side to this story that we have yet to really delve into," "There's no question that Abby is the hero of her story," he continued. "Kaitlyn Dever is the hero of a story, always. If you have a Kaitlyn Dever, you use a Kaitlyn Dever. So I think where we go next, all I can say is it will always be centering somebody, whether it's Ellie and Dina (Isabela Merced), or whether it's Abby and Abby's relationship with Owen (Spencer Lord) or new relationships. If you played the game, you probably know what I'm talking about. But if you want to boil it down, everything is under the cloud or sunlight of Joel, what Joel did to Abby, and what Joel did for Ellie. That will never change." Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly
USA Today
6 hours ago
- USA Today
When will 'The Last of Us' Season 3 come out? HBO boss talks future of series
When will fans see the last of "The Last of Us"? In a recent interview with Variety, HBO and HBO Max content chair Casey Bloys confirmed the acclaimed series is aiming to debut its third season about two years from now. But Bloys said it has not been determined whether that will be the final season. "The series is definitely planned for 2027," Bloys told Variety. "(Creator) Craig (Mazin) is still working it out whether it will be two more seasons or one more long season. It hasn't been decided yet, and I'm following Craig's lead on that." "The Last of Us" is an adaptation of the video game franchise of the same name, and its second season was based on the 2020 game "The Last of Us Part II." But because the second game is so lengthy and narratively complex, only about half of the story of "Part II" was included in Season 2, which centered on Ellie's (Bella Ramsey) quest for revenge against Abby (Kaitlyn Dever). Season 3 of "The Last of Us" will continue adapting "The Last of Us Part II." The plot is set to shift focus to Abby, who becomes the main protagonist in the second half of the game, with Ramsey likely to have a reduced role. 'The Last of Us' Season 3: Everything we know so far from the game Once the HBO series has finished telling the story of "The Last of Us Part II," the show is expected to end, as there is no third game in the franchise to use as source material. Mazin has also said that two more seasons may be required to adapt the remainder of the game. "There's no way to complete this narrative in a third season," Mazin said in an interview with Collider published in May. "Hopefully, we'll earn our keep enough to come back and finish it in a fourth. That's the most likely outcome." Ahead of Season 3, the series went through a significant shakeup behind the scenes. Neil Druckmann, the creative force behind the "Last of Us" video games, who also created the HBO adaptation with Mazin, announced on July 2 that he will not be creatively involved in the show moving forward. He said he is stepping away to focus on his work creating video games at Naughty Dog. The same day as Druckmann's surprise announcement, Halley Gross, who wrote "The Last of Us Part II" game with Druckmann, also said she is stepping away from the HBO series. She previously served as an executive producer and writer on the show. 'The Last of Us' game creator steps away from show in shakeup before Season 3 In his interview with Variety, Bloys said it was "fantastic to have Neil involved" in the HBO series but that he understands "why he needs to focus on" his video game work. "I believe he's given us a good blueprint with the show," Bloys added. "And obviously Craig is a pro, so I think we'll be in excellent shape. I'm not worried at all."
Chicago Tribune
7 hours ago
- Chicago Tribune
John Oliver's Erie Moon Mammoths debut in front of a record crowd
ERIE, Pa. — Besides being a fan, John Oliver has had a certain affinity for minor league baseball. On Saturday night, the comedian and host of HBO's 'Last Week Tonight' saw his latest crazy creation set out into the world as the Erie Moon Mammoths made their debut in front of a record crowd of 7,070 at UPMC Park. 'We're sending our furry child out into the world and you are the custodian of it. Now, please be careful with our child,' Oliver said a couple of hours before the Moon Mammoths took the field against the Chesapeake Oyster Catchers. Oliver spotlighted Minor League Baseball promotions and alternate nicknames during 'Last Week Tonight' on May 4. At the end of the segment, Oliver invited teams to send in proposals on why they should get rebranded by the show's staff. Forty-seven teams sent in pitches, including the Erie SeaWolves, the Double-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. Erie president Greg Coleman sent a list of 11 reasons why they were the perfect candidate, including: 'The SeaWolves play baseball nowhere near the sea.' 'To have so many teams expressing interest was really edifying. I think it kind of validates the fact that we thought there was something special about minor league baseball. We thought this would be a group of people that would respond to the ludicrous idea that we had,' Oliver said. Erie was announced as the winner on May 18. After six weeks of research by Oliver and his staff, the Moon Mammoths were unveiled on June 29. That included the mascot named Fuzz, a purple woolly mammoth wearing a space helmet. 'Erie did stand out to us as being, you know, uniquely eccentric. And I say that as both a compliment and an insult, which is the biggest compliment there is,' Oliver said. 'There was something about the Moon Mammoth that spoke to us for being particularly odd. It felt like it could make a baseball team's theme. You could almost see the logo in your head and it felt like something to be extra surprising.' That this came together in less than three months is a minor miracle. It usually takes 16 months for a team to have an alternate identity approved and then take the field. 'I thought we had a good chance when I sent it in. And then when we were selected it was a little surreal,' Coleman said. 'And since then working with the 'Last Week Tonight' team, they've been wonderful and detail oriented.' The Moon Mammoths name was inspired by George Moon, who found the bone of a prehistoric mammoth while scuba diving in 1991. The remains are housed at the State Museum of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg. Moon has become a regional celebrity since the rebranding was announced. He was at the game and caught the ceremonial first pitch from Oliver. 'It's fun. I'm enjoying it,' Moon said. 'From all those years ago to today, I would never have thought anything like this would've been possible. The newspaper did something on its 30th anniversary (in 2021). Other than that, I haven't heard much.' Coleman said that since the Moon Mammoths were unveiled, the team has done the equivalent of four years' of online sales in three weeks. The line of people waiting to get into the team store, which was located in left field, stretched out to near home plate in the concourse area. Karyn Drombosky and Sean Mizerski drove from Pittsburgh and were wearing homemade tusks as they waited to get into the team store. 'It's just great. We're big baseball fans. We see the Pirates all the time, and minor league games are fun. There's so much silliness,' Drombosky said. 'We watch John Oliver pretty regularly. We were like surprised but excited when we saw he picked the Erie team to take over.' In addition to throwing out the first pitch, Oliver was a batboy during one inning and led the crowd in 'Take Me Out to the Ball Game' during the seventh inning stretch. The cap and jersey that Oliver wore for the first pitch are going to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Erie trailed 6-3 going into the bottom of the ninth but got within one run on Kevin McGonigle's two-run double. Chesapeake's Yaqui Rivera struck out Josue Briceño with the bases loaded to end the game. 'The atmosphere was great. Everything worked smoothly. It doesn't happen very often in minor league baseball to be able to have an event like that. It was a fun night for everyone,' Erie manager Andrew Graham said. The Moon Mammoths will be back on Aug. 19 as well as Sept. 12 and 13. Coleman said there will be at least four Moon Mammoths games next season. 'I love minor league baseball. There is a special eccentricity to it,' Oliver said. 'It felt like a nice fit with our show because minor league baseball, as you know, is willing to try anything. That was proven by the fact that over half the league was willing to sight unseen, rebrand and put their trust in the hands of a group of people who are objectively untrustworthy. That's a bad decision, and it's that kind of bad decision making that I love about minor league baseball.'
