Spoilers forThe Last of Us Part 2ahead.
TheLast of Us Part 2tells an unforgettable and occasionally gut-wrenching story of revenge, trauma, and the cycle of violence. Ellie finds herself on the hunt forWashington Liberation Frontmembers after they cause great harm to someone she loves. Her journey is a bloody one that sees Ellie making many sacrifices as she stubbornly hunts down each person she believes has wronged her.
There were a lot of ideas that Naughty Dog played with during the development ofThe Last of Us Part 2. This includes a plan to design an open world with hub areas, though this idea was abandoned. This doesn’t mean it was a bad idea, as it is something the nextThe Last of Usgame could absolutely pursue.
The Hubs of the Original The Last of Us Part 2
In an interview withIGN, Halley Gross and Neil Druckmann discussed the intricacies ofThe Last of Us Part 2and how it came to be. Naughty Dog had a lot of ideas for the sequel, as they wanted it to be bigger and better than the last in every way. They revealed that it was originally imagined as an open-world game, though it was Gross who began questioning whether it was a wise choice for the story they were trying to tell. Consequently, the team opted for a more “open linear” style which features a linear structure with some semi-open-world areas, not unlikeUncharted 4.
The game would feature hub areas, including one where Abby is invited into Jackson, where she blends in and completes missions until she eventually reveals who she really is. There would also be a hub area for Ellie and Dina where they would decide whichWashington Liberation Frontmember they would go after next. Ultimately, these ideas were scrapped, though players do still spend a good bit of time in Jackson and even more in the Pinnacle Theater, where they can take a break from the action and violence that colors the rest of the game.
The open world wasn’t the only idea that didn’t make it into the final game. As is explained in the aforementioned interview, the order of Ellie’s flashbacks was swapped around. Perhaps most notably, there were going to be moreWLF memberspresent at Joel’s murder until the team decided to slim things down to the bare elements necessary to tell the story.
How The Last of Us Part 3 Could Incorporate Hub Areas
Though hub areas weren’t implemented inTLOU 2, there’s no telling whatNaughty Dogwill do with the third entry in the series. If the trend continues, the third game will be bigger and have a wider scope than its predecessor. This may make it harder than ever to have a linear structure, necessitating hub areas for players to regain their bearings before jumping back into the series' violent world.
Jackson would serve as a perfect hub area for Ellie should she decide to return to the safe town that was her home for so long. From here, she could plot her next moves. Alternatively, if the next game decides to focus onAbby and her Seraphite companioninstead, they could find a hub area in Santa Barbara as they continue their search for the Fireflies.
The Open Linear Ares in The Last of Us Part 2 May Have Given a Taste of What’s to Come
DuringEllie and Dina’s first day in Seattle, players get an idea of what an open-worldThe Last of Uswould feel like thanks to a particularly large “open linear” area. Ellie is equipped with a map, and she and Dina get to explore different buildings, including a bank, a synagogue, a courthouse, and a music shop. Players can explore the buildings in whatever order they please, giving them a lot of freedom regarding their exploration paths.
The Last of Us Part 2tells one of the darkest yetmost captivating stories in gaming, and its impact will be felt for years to come. Its sequel has a high bar to surpass if it hopes to step out of the shadow of its predecessor, though perhaps this could be done through the inclusion of an open world with hub areas.
The Last of Us Part 2
WHERE TO PLAY
Play the winner of over 300 Game of the Year awards, remastered for the PlayStation®5 console. Relive or play for the first time Ellie and Abby’s story, now with graphical enhancements, new gameplay modes like the roguelike survival experience No Return, full DualSense® wireless controller integration, and more. Five years after their dangerous journey across the post-pandemic United States, Ellie and Joel have settled down in Jackson, Wyoming. Living amongst a thriving community of survivors has allowed them peace and stability, despite the constant threat of the infected and other, more desperate survivors. When a violent event disrupts that peace, Ellie embarks on a relentless journey to carry out justice and find closur
