In just one playthrough of The Last of Us, it’s easy to see that Naughty Dog enjoyed toying with thematic and visual parallels in the post-apocalyptic world. Evidently, fans should expect parallels of a similar nature between the original title and the impending sequel, too. Some eagle-eyed fans online have already spotted a couple of interesting examples. And, according to Creative Director Neil Druckmann, they aren’t the only ones.
Recently a fan on Twitter shared four screenshots, two from The Last of Us and two from Part II. The parallels between the images are easily discernible. The two from the original release show Joel and Ellie standing next to each other, admiring the scenery before them. Ellie seems to represent a stand in for Joel in the two Part II screenshots, wherein her and Dina are side by side in similar scenes.
Druckmann came across the post, adding a brief caption that teases the parallels won’t stop with these photos. See the Creative Director’s tweet below:
Not the only parallel between the two games. https://t.co/Fc2orTJ5ja
— Neil Druckmann (@Neil_Druckmann) December 16, 2019
His tease could mean any number of things. More visual parallels like those in the post above seem the most probable. However, fans in the replies to Druckmann’s tweet are guessing Part II may feature a few narrative parallels to its predecessor, as well. The speculated death of a certain character appears the more common theory.
Thankfully, the wait to know for sure isn’t a long one, despite the recent delay. The Last of Us Part II will come to the PlayStation 4 early next year on May 29, 2020.
[Source: Neil Druckmann on Twitter]