The Last of Us: Part II was one of the most anticipated video games, but its pre-release and launch were overshadowed by the leakage of sensitive material and divided opinions among players regarding its story. Almost four years after that event, Naughty Dog released a documentary that chronicles the development process, and among all the revelations, the concept that was initially considered, heavily influenced by Bloodborne, came to light.
The Last of Us: Part II began its development with strong influences from Bloodborne
Bloodborne, a gem created by FromSoftware that remains exclusive to PS4, had a significant impact on various sectors of game development. Its influence extended to the creative process of The Last of Us: Part II, at least for a moment, as shown in the documentary Grounded II: Making The Last of Us Part II. According to Naughty Dog developers, the development of the sequel to TLOU started, in terms of gameplay, with the combination of two concepts that looked grandiose in 2015.
An open-world game with a close to mid-range melee combat system inspired by Bloodborne, that was The Last of Us: Part II during a part of its development (via Kami en X).
The Last of Us Part II was originally inspired by Bloodborne.
— KAMI (@Okami13_) February 2, 2024
Naughty Dog says it was initially going to be an open-world, melee focused game, as shown in early concept footage.#TLOU2Remastered #GroundedII pic.twitter.com/DFJ5x9M6Tl
Why did Naughty Dog discard ideas from Bloodborne for The Last of Us: Part II?
According to the creatives, for a period of five months, Naughty Dog entertained the idea of an open world, especially considering the possibility of thinking vertically about the scenarios, much like in the FromSoftware game, growing both upwards and sideways. Some developers were drawn to the essence of Bloodborne, a Souls game, where you could specialize until mastering a hostile world, which is why the combat system would prioritize that kind of progression.
However, the creatives mentioned that this possibility of incorporating elements of an open world and Bloodborne was discarded because it was not compatible with the story they wanted to tell. In the end, they opted for a design and mechanics that we now know as the final version of The Last of Us: Part II.
Speaking of The Last of Us, Neil Druckmann revealed in the same documentary that the third installment of the franchise is already in development but is currently in the conceptual phase. It will be a few years before we learn more about this chapter.
Stay informed, at LEVEL UP.
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