WithThe Last of Us 2releasing in just over a week, it seems fans are more excited than ever to finally experience the next chapter ofNaughty Dog’s exceptional apocalyptic adventure. The last game left off on something of an emotionally charged cliff hanger, with fans waiting a whopping seven years to find out where Ellie and Joel’s story would lead to next.
However, it appears this might not the final chapter of the story, with Neil Druckmann - director of bothTheLast of Us 2and its critically acclaimed predecessor - hinting that the team could be back to work on the franchise much quicker than last time. Speaking to GQ, the acclaimed director was asked what was next for Naughty Dog, with Druckmann admitting that he definitely has some ideas in mind for the future.
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“As you start wrapping things up, creatively there are fewer and fewer responsibilities and my mind can’t help but think about the next thing,” Druckmann claims, discussing how when the stress of shipping a game is over, his mind immediately turns to his next project. “So, yeah, the next thing could be aPart III, the next thing could be some new IP,” he casually reveals, leading many to speculate that a sequel toThe Last of Us 2is already on the table. Naturally, many already assumed the series would stretch into a trilogy, especially as the story ofThe Last of Usfeels so rife with interesting narrative potential and explorable characters.
Whether or not Druckmann and the team do decide to return to that world or not remains to be seen, however, there would definitely be merit in Naughty Dog continuing the story just a little bit further.Ellie and Joel’s storyis obviously one that players have really got behind and a final act for the pair would feel fitting considering the franchise has quickly become one of the biggest in gaming. Alternatively, it would also be nice to see Naughty Dog spread out its creative wings and try its hand a brand new franchise, especially as it was the team’s willingness to try something new that led to the release of theLast of Uspreviously.
Until then, Druckmann will likely be hard at work onThe Last of UsHBO TV series.Working with Craig Mazen, the show will be a major undertaking that will draw millions of eyes, easily standing as one of the biggest live-action adaptations of a video game to date, with many waiting anxiously to see how it pans out.
The Last of Us 2will be available on June 19 for PlayStation 4.
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