Naughty Dog has released a new trailer for its upcoming making-of documentary for The Last of Us: Part II. The documentary chronicles the development of the PlayStation game, and filming originally started in 2016. However, the project was abandoned due to the pandemic. It’s now back on, and the first trailer looks great. It’s also filled with serious story spoilers, as is this story in general in case you haven’t played the game yet.
Grounded II: Making The Last of Us Part II, as it’s called, features insight from the people who worked on the game, including writer-director Neil Druckmann and writer Halley Gross. The trailer touches on Naughty Dog’s decision to kill one of the first game’s main characters, Joel, right at the start. “You’re gonna piss a lot of people off,” Joel’s actor Troy Baker said.
The developers also discuss the struggles to make the game, with one person saying the game’s prospects were “not looking great” at one stage. The developers also talk about feeling burnt out and the difficulty of working “crunch” hours on the game to get it done.
The trailer also alludes to the leaks surrounding The Last of Us: Part II, with Ellie’s actress, Ashley Johnson, saying, “It was awful. There were a lot of days when I’d just cry.” Then in 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic rocked the world and altered work and life. Some at Naughty Dog seemingly wondered if people would want to play a game about a pandemic in the middle of a real pandemic.
In April 2020, Naughty Dog delayed The Last of Us: Part II indefinitely due to the pandemic. The game eventually launched in June 2020 and quickly broke sales records.
Naughty Dog will announce more details on the documentary, including its release date, in the future.
The Last of Us: Part II Remastered for PS5 releases on January 19 with a $10 upgrade option for people who already own it on PS4.
In other news, HBO’s The Last of Us TV series is coming back for a second season in 2025. This week, HBO cast the roles of Abby, Jesse, and Dina.