Topic: Should there be a 'The Last of Us 2'? (Spoilers)

This thread will no doubt contain spoilers for the ending of The Last Of Us.

With E3 on its way and rumours constantly swirling, I'd be interested in peoples thoughts on whether they want a sequel to The Last Of Us. I loved the original, primarily for the relationship between to the two characters, though I also loved the world and atmosphere throughout the game.

As a big fan, I am in two minds about a sequel. I thought the ending of the game was satisfying to me. I am not sure continuing Ellie and Joels story would work in a sequel without risking invalidating that ending. Then again, I am not sure I would like just another game set in that world.

I am sure ND will do a good job but it is different from Uncharted, that improved in its iterations (opinion regarding UC3 vs 2 notwithstanding) whereas TLOU hit the spot right out of the gate. What are peoples thoughts?

I have made it clear in other threads that I believe the Last of Us should stay as a 'single' game. The story, regardless of how I feel about the characters or quality of it, is a self contained entity and reaches a natural conclusion. Any further game, I think, would be purely cashing in on its 'success'.

As proven with Uncharted 4, Naughty Dog can use 'elements' and their experience of developing both the Last of Us and the Uncharted franchise to create a new IP.

Personally, I found the whole game very predictable. I had no affinity to the main character which made it difficult to care about him or his Journey. Ellie herself was frustrating - one minute naive and vulnerable, next a capable killer, then back to vulnerable - her jokes were awful too. Any side characters were barely memorable and again, I couldn't care less what happened to them. Because I didn't really care about the characters, found the story predictable etc, I literally had to force myself to get to the end. Elements of the game-play were overused (palettes and water) and out of place (Batman style vision). Crafting was pretty pointless too and didn't really add a lot in my opinion.

Visually it was impressive but I did find Uncharted 3 to have more of that 'WOW' factor. After a while most areas tended to look the same - it was in keeping with the theme of the story, but the lack of variety in the world meant that by the end, very few chapters stood out from a visual sense. A lot of the time, the environments felt very empty - again keeping with the setting, but it began to drag - big empty areas that look very similar to the last empty area with very little to interact with - just sprint across to the next waypoint and then the next etc.

I felt the atmosphere was flat, the character interactions weren't great - mainly because I couldn't care less about Joel and his delivery was flat too. I can't deny that technically it was a good game - one of the best the PS3 had but as a story, as far as the characters were concerned, as a 'game' I felt these were lacking - could and maybe would be better as a 'film'.

Maybe these are purely my issues and influencing my thoughts about a LoU2. If it does transpire that this is ND's next project, I would be very wary of buying at full price/launch and would be thinking its a 'commercial' decision rather than to fulfil a 'need'

I know its supposed to be comedic but this is a lot of the issues I had with the story https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=El0G9ULtgjQ

The Last of Us was a really good game. But I think I'd be more interested in seeing ND create a new IP instead. Wish they would consider doing a scifi type game.

@Rudy_Manchego: I'm not totally sold on the idea of a sequel. The first game was such a neat little package and told a great story. I don't think I'd like a sequel focusing on Joel and Ellie again. A new game with a new cast of characters might be interesting, and the world that Naughty Dog created certainly has plenty of potential for more stories.

I don't know. More than anything, I'd like ND to bring us a new IP. They've reached a status within gaming now that they could put out whatever they wanted and people would lap it up, so now could be the time for them to get imaginative and throw a real curve ball.

The game was a risk for the company and it paid off becoming a cult game. The last of US only tells one story there could be so many more to tell with the world it created. They do not have to use the same charcters as before. I did not think the walking dead tv series would work as a spin off but now I prefer it to the original show. I am 90% sure they will make a sequel to the game. And I have to say not only was the gameplay great but the multiplayer was the best i have played. Much prefer it to other titles such as COD.

I'd agree with the sentiment that a sequel would be a commercial decision and not necessarily a creative one. I would love a new ND IP. The gameplay mechanics on TLOU were great but have been seen a lot in many other games so without a massive overhaul, I am sure there would be even more critics of them.

@BAMozzy I think the thing with story or character led games (as in most media) is that sometimes stories/characters click with an individual and some don't. I agree that if you take away the connection with the story you have a pretty game with just solid gameplay. I actually only played it on Remaster and I had deliberately kept away from it so as not to ruin storylines or anything. I engaged a lot with Ellie and it probably helped that I had a small daughter at the time and it just hit me right there (note to anyone without kids, having kids can make you a big emotional wuss). SPOILERS - at the very end, in the operating room on my first playthrough, I shot the doctors as soon as I entered to get to Ellie. I didnt realise until a second playthrough that the game forced you to shoot them to get past them and get to Ellie. It is rare that a games story emotionally affects how I play the game (other than anger or frustration). However, I respect completely that stories engage different people and there is nothing worse than being told a story is great and being disappointed.

No more Joel and Ellie. The story was perfect, hard to envisage anything that wouldn't detract from the ending, which was deliciously poised.

Another game/strong story in the world (Silent Hill 2 > Silent Hill) would be fine though.

@Rudy_Manchego: I am a big fan of Naughty Dog and bought all 3 Uncharted games on release so was really looking forward to the Last of Us. I got it very close to release but struggled to get into it. I really had no connection to the Characters and having kids myself, I felt that killing his daughter - especially as she was your first contact in the game - was a very poor decision. You are saved a bit from not actually getting to know her that well I guess but it was still a cheap ploy to play on the emotional heartstrings of parents.

Joel himself was an A*****E as well so playing a character I didn't like, with totally forgettable supporting cast that also became predictably dead, didn't help. I knew from very early on pretty much how it would end - not because I read somewhere, but it was obvious. When you pretty much know how it will end, not really bothered by the story etc, then you start to focus on the game play and its 'faults' - It is go from point A to point B, to point C etc, throw in some 'stealth', some combat (with dumb AI) add in a few 'defend this point' sections and 'find a Palette' sections and that's basically it. Some sections you can't progress until you have killed all the 'bad' guys even though you are at the door so have to go back and hunt out the remaining enemies which happens to spawn more enemies before you can progress. The 'Batman' style, wall hack vision doesn't fit the narrative or the setting (although helpful to locate dumb AI you missed) so I really didn't think it was that special from a game-play point of view.

Yes its technically impressive and I can't fault the mechanics themselves. I didn't really have any technical issues (a few glitches with the enemies) and the game performed consistently but the AI really wasn't great.

I wasn't told this game would be great - because I was looking forward to it before it released. I followed the game in the build up to it but I really expected 'more'. The information leading up to the release made the game seem much better than it eventually. The E3 demo and Extended demo just made me want it more but unlike Uncharted 4's (for example), the game didn't live up to my hype. When you see an E3 demo, you expect that is a 'small' sample of what the game ends up being but this was pretty much characteristic of the whole game. The reveal when we first saw the infected was a lot more tense and made them seem far more threatening but its not like they were that numerous and you could easily 'stealth' past them or find them with Batman vision...

I just hope it remains a one-off and Naughty Dog use some elements to create a new IP. I would rather it stays an iconic piece of gaming for many than push it and it loses that - Kind of like BioShock, Dead Space etc Leave it as one of the defining games of the PS3 generation and come up with something new for this gen!

@RPE83: I think I agree with no more Joel or Ellie. I think it would ruin the legacy of the original.

I think ND can do a new IP and it would be massively anticipated. UC3, TLOU and UC4 means they get a free pass for their next release. Of course, I'll probably be drawing a pension by then.

I predict 2018 for TLOU 2.

Whilst I did enjoy TLOU, I wouldn't be especially fussed about a second game.

However, if they did make another one, focus on different characters. If anything, I'd be intrigued to see game that focused on the Fireflies and the fall of that organisation. Who were the people involved? How did it crumble and why? That I think could be an interesting story to tell. But apart from that I don't I'd be too bothered.

Like others have said, I'd rather see a new IP.