Ellie’s doing what she does best: smoochen and mass murderin.
The PlayStation E3 2018 Showcase kicked off with a bang as the first gameplay footage for The Last of Us Part II was revealed.
Framed within a dance at a church, Ellie is now 19 and living a normal life. After chatting with the new character Jesse, Ellie is brought to the dance floor by another new character, Dina.
We’re treated to what developer Naughty Dog does best: intimate character interaction. Dina asks Ellie how she smells, and the interaction between the two never feels artificial or alien; it feels real.
It doesn’t last long though. After Dina tells Ellie that everyone should “be terrified” of her, we transition into a gameplay sequence that shows just that: Ellie is terrifying.
Using stealth, arrows, and whatever blunt objects she can pick up and throw, Ellie has become the capable killing machine Joel has taught her to be, and yep, it’s scary.
The Last of Us Part II gameplay features a revamped stealth system and more “hands on” combat, seen through the more active melee scenarios in the store towards the end of the trailer. While this combat sequence could have been highly scripted, seeing Ellie winch in pain when pulling an arrow out of her shoulder is extra grim and engaging.
The game still does not have a release date, but this gameplay trailer expertly shows how this sequel will build on the emotional stakes and sharp brutality of the ravaged world Ellie has grown up in, and we can’t wait.
For more info, check out the PlayStation Blog post on The Last of Us Part II gameplay reveal.