While there is currently little discussion of another addition to the franchise, it is not completely out of the equation, especially since many players are expecting it. Despite this, it is hard to see where the story will pick up from and whether players will be following an entirely new character’s journey, or if they’ll revisit Ellie or Abby.
Warning: The following list contains spoilers for The Last of Us parts 1 and 2
7 Faster Pacing
Many players who are familiar with the series will know that the games feature plenty of moments to cherish, such as the flashbacks with Joel and Ellie after witnessing the former’s brutal death. While this added a breath of fresh air and happiness to the game, some other flashbacks and sequences are seen as interruptions rather than necessary additions.
This is particularly problematic once players begin controlling Abby during the second portion of the game, and must replay all the events leading up to her showdown in the ’theater’ from her perspective. Regardless of whether players favored this character or not, it pulled away the tension and left many unwilling to continue. Similar to the first game, a third installment should have a fluid, fast-paced, and engaging story to keep players wanting more.
6 No Long Flashbacks
In the same discussion of pacing issues, the flashbacks in The Last of Us Part 2 are often long and appear at frequent points in the game. Whilst they are beneficial for players and the context of specific scenarios, they can once again pull players away from their engagement of gameplay depending on what each of the scenes features.
A sequel can still maintain flashbacks that further support and give reasoning to particular events, but fans will be hoping that these flashbacks won’t take up a large proportion of each segment of a potential title. Sometimes, less really is more when it comes to fleshing out backstories.
5 New Weapons
The innovation of a workbench in The Last of Us Part 2 and the recent remake of Part 1 was one of the key factors in both games’ praises. It has added a new level of realism to the titles, giving players more of a reason to revel in the efforts of Naughty Dog developers.
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Other than the semi-automatic rifle available for players to use with Ellie and at the Rattlers section in new-game plus, there are not many new additions in the aspect of new weapons besides the use of Abby. In light of a potential sequel, the best way to engage players and give them a fresh feel is through the implementation of new tools to take down enemies.
4 Appearance Customization
Naughty Dog is famous for giving players the option to change outfits, particularly after completing a game for the first time. This is also present in the recent The Last of Us Part 1 remake, as fans are able to use Joel’s character model from Part 2.
Given the context and circumstances of the apocalyptic world in The Last of Us, it is unlikely that Naughty Dog will allow players to adjust outfits to a full extent. Depending on the context of a potential sequel, it would be beneficial for Naughty Dog to give fans some freedom to adjust character models’ hairstyles and outfits, but this, along with the game’s existence, is yet to be seen.
3 Choices
After Neil Druckmann revealed Part 2’s original ending resulted in Ellie killing Abby rather than letting her live, some fans were left further frustrated. Many felt that Ellie’s character and her happiness was wasted for no reason, after leaving Dina behind to only go against what she had set out to do.
What may have satisfied both sets of fans would have been to give them a decision as to how they wanted certain events to play out. Which one of these two would then turn out to be canon would be down to the writers, but this is also dependent on the design and storytelling choices.
2 Companion Commands
One of the long-lasting issues that were addressed in Part 1’s remake was the immersion-breaking movement from some companions. While in stealth, enemies may cross paths with them and, despite spotting them, won’t do anything until the player themselves are spotted.
Though this has now been fixed, a way to further improve this is to give players access to commanding allies, which would ultimately introduce another gameplay approach. This is also dependent on what a future title may revolve around, whether it is a new character or a focus on existing characters.
1 Choice Of Playable Character
In the midst of the frustration of Joel’s death, was the controversial decision by Naughty Dog to make the player control his killer with the intention to give a better understanding of why she did what she did. Capcom’s Resident Evil 2 remake featured the option for players to choose a playthrough with either Leon S. Kennedy or Claire Redfield.
Seeing a similar strategy for The Last Of Us 2 would have more than likely been well received, but Naughty Dog may have another chance to introduce this if the studio plans on adding to the franchise. Whether or not the developers opt to take it, though, remains to be seen.
