At the end of Naughty Dog’s recent Grounded II: Making The Last of Us Part II documentary, series co-creator Neil Druckmann states that there is “probably one more chapter to this story” while discussing the possibility of a third title in the series.
In the documentary, Druckmann says that while he’s struggled to create a compelling story for Part III, that’s recently changed, and he has a “concept” that is “[as] exciting as 1, as exciting as 2.” However, he also says The Last of Us Part II is a “fine ending point.”
Beyond what is essentially a confirmation that The Last of Us Part III is either in development or, at the very least, in the pre-production stage, Grounded II: Making The Last of Us Part II offers a fascinating look at The Last of Us Part II‘s troubled development, including the final months of development that required ample crunch from the team behind the game.
In the documentary, which is produced by Naughty Dog, Druckmann clarifies comments he made in 2021 regarding a story focused on Joel’s brother Tommy. He states this story outline isn’t Part III, and the game wasn’t made because the studio had “higher priorities” at the time, including addressing work/life balance issues for its staff. Druckmann says that he hopes this story gets to “see the light of day” in the form of a game, TV show or something else. While it isn’t outright confirmed in Grounded II, this Tommy-focused story sounds like it could have been DLC for The Last of Us Part II.
Check out the full Grounded II documentary above. Despite being produced by Naughty Dog, it offers a surprisingly honest look at modern game development and the sacrifices required to develop a video game as polished as The Last of Us Part II.
While not directly related to Part III, Naught Dog recently cancelled The Last of Us Online because the developer said it would need to become a live service studio, hindering its ability to develop the critically-acclaimed single-player narrative experience it’s known for.
The PS5 upgraded The Last of Us Part II Remastered released last month. Along with updated visuals and improved performance, the game also includes a roguelike mode called ‘No Return’ that tasks players with fighting off successive waves of enemies. For more on Part II Remastered, check out my review of the game.
Image credit: Naughty Dog
Source: Naughty Dog (YouTube)
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