Tag: Grounded II

The Last of Us 2 was inspired by the game you least imagine: Bloodborne

The Last of Us 2 was inspired by the least expected game: Bloodborne, even though that inspiration wouldn’t be notably visible in the game.

Few mainstream video games have generated a cult following like The Last of Us. With a legion of devoted followers and the idea that it is an author’s work, both installments are considered essential works in the world of video games. This has led to a very serious critical treatment of both games, leaving little room for analysis. Except for the fact that their own developers can always speak about it, shedding light on places we didn’t even know existed.

The Last of Us Part 2 DOWNLOAD

Grounded II is a documentary about the development of The Last of Us Part II that was released on February 3rd. Since then, it has already surpassed 750,000 views. Quite an achievement for a two-hour documentary that covers all aspects of the development and is not afraid to give voice to all the key players involved. Some of them provide details that we could have never imagined.

According to the game’s lead designer, Emilia Schatz, as mentioned in the documentary, during the first four months of development, the game took inspiration from the most unexpected game we could think of: Bloodborne. Their idea was to create a world similar to Bloodborne, where the city of Yharnam is practically a character in itself, and where the space becomes larger as you explore. According to Anthony Newman, the game’s co-director, this approach was also inspired by Bloodborne, with a special emphasis on melee combat. However, this idea was almost completely discarded as it was considered not to work for The Last of Us.

All of this has been somewhat overshadowed by one of the most striking details of the documentary: the possibility of a The Last of Us Part 3. Neil Druckmann, director and creator of the franchise, has confirmed in this documentary that while he doesn’t have a story, recent events have given him an idea of how he could continue what he has done so far. This doesn’t mean he will do it, but it’s on the table.

The future of The Last of Us is up in the air. The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered was released on January 19th for PlayStation 5, adding previously discarded content, as well as new game modes.

The Last of Us Part 2 DOWNLOAD

Naughty Dog announces a documentary about the making of The Last Of Us 2

Naughty Dog announces a documentary about the creation of The Last Of Us 2, following the style of the documentary they previously made for the franchise’s first installment.

More and more studies are encouraged to make documentaries about the development process of their games. This is good news because it allows us to have documented how it was to make the games, not just the final version. With its lights and shadows, game development has generally been idealized, and it is good to have a realistic perspective that shows things as they are. In addition to having a series of documents that help preserve a specific time and place, beyond the memories of the specific members who worked at that time in the studio.

The Last of Us Part II DOWNLOAD

That’s why it’s good news that Naughty Dogs has announced that they have made a documentary about The Last of Us Part 2. Called Grounded II, sequel to Grounded, a documentary about the development of the first The Last of Us, it was a documentary that began filming in 2016, but was abandoned when the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020. Now all the footage that was left behind has been recovered and, with new material, a documentary has been made to explain the game’s creation process, as experienced from within.

To know what to expect, we can take a look at Grounded. The documentary about the development of The Last of Us released in 2014 narrated over eighty-five minutes the development and the “unique philosophy”, in the words of those responsible for it, of the first installment of the saga. Therefore, we can expect something similar for this sequel.

Thanks to the trailer of just over two minutes that they have released, we already know some specific things about Grounded II. Focusing on all aspects of development, it seems that they will not leave any aspect or any development topic untouched. Including the crucial aspect of crunch. But if the trailer and the experience of Grounded serve for something, it is that we should not expect a fierce criticism of it either. Although it is always possible that, as they said in the past, Naughty Dogs have radically changed their company policy regarding crunch.

Grounded II will premiere on January 19th for free on Youtube. The date is not accidental, as it will be released on the same day as the launch of The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered, a new native version for PlayStation 5 that will include technical improvements and new content. A golden opportunity to try the game, if you are interested and haven’t played it yet.

The Last of Us Part II DOWNLOAD