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[The Artisan]

I apologize if a thread like this has been made already. There's two points I want to raise up (single & multiplayer) first is - what should the campaign be like? Some would argue that ellie & joel's story in tlou ended somewhat conclusively, and others say there's definitely more to be told with the two. so for single player, the question is, should a sequel follow the main characters already established, or follow a new set of characters, or a mix of both?

I for one believe that joel's fibbing to ellie needs to be brought up. I mean it is, I guess, sort of implied that she knew he was lying but we don't know for sure.

as for a new set of characters, I think that could work too, BUT, I feel like that may upset a lot of people. depending on what the the game is titled, some may even look at as a spinoff instead of a direct sequel.

and mixing the two; I think games like yakuza 4 & 5 has done a similar thing, where the game is following the story of a different set of characters until eventually they all cross paths; however, kazuma kiryu always ends up as the main protagonist, as he should be. not saying a sequel should have like 4 different sets of characters to follow, but that is one way of doing it.

_____________


and now, as for multiplayer - this is something i've brought up in a few other tlou threads, and almost everyone i talked to about it seems to like the idea. I think the already existing mp has worked pretty well for the game - as far as I know everybody who's played it who's liked the game, has also appreciated the multiplayer, so what I'm proposing is that the future title also incorporates a hardcore mode - hardcore supply raid, hardcore survivors, hardcore interrogation, and hardcore whatever else. and the difference would be, that the maps would have clickers within them. that way, players would have to deal not only with their opponents, but with the zombies as well.

the walkin dead's mid-season 4 finale has always, since then, given me that idea. because in pretty much every zombie apocalypse story, there's much more for you to fight than just evil people trying to kill you.

what do you think?


&& just some neat fanart I found on gamespot
http://media1.gameinformer.com/images/hubs/lastofus/gameinformer_2012_03_cover_lastofus2.jpg

 

[ElTorro]

I apologize if a thread like this has been made already. There's two points I want to raise up (single & multiplayer) first is - what should the campaign be like? Some would argue that ellie & joel's story in tlou ended somewhat conclusively, and others say there's definitely more to be told with the two. so for single player, the question is, should a sequel follow the main characters already established, or follow a new set of characters, or a mix of both?

I strongly feel that the story about Ellie and Joel should be considered finished. TLoU2 should start a completely new story, maybe even in another part of the world. I'd like to see a female main protagonist this time. Another cool idea would be to have only kids as main protagonists, similar to the Left Behind DLC. Picture a colony of kids that survived the apocalypse and are now surviving on their own, in their own micro-society.

 

[MattyG]

For story, I think they need to move on from Joel and Ellie. Don't make it about them, don't make it about a cure, make it its own thing.

As for multiplayer, I'd like to see them move away from smaller map based multiplayer modes and try something more long form. What I imagined multiplayer for TLOU1 being before it was revealed was very large maps, with players starting with nothing, gathering supplies, building bases that they would then defend and attack. I don't think they'll ever do anything like this because people like the setup they have so much, but I'd love to see something more survival based.

 

[Tunavi]

For story, I think they need to move on from Joel and Ellie.

Uh no.

The question is, what age should Ellie be?

 

[Omega Kirby]

Joel and Ellie can make a cameo, but shouldn't be about them. Ellie should be at least in her twenties

Should be a whole different character.

 

[Hawkeye 131]

I would love to see a sequel, same universe but with different characters would be ideal IMO. Wasn't too fond of the multiplayer so I could really careless, (just wasn't my cup of tea).

 

[Alienous]

That's actually Naughty Dog concept art for The Last of Us.

On-topic, though, I'd go with a narrative that's half-flashback and half-present day. Like 'Left Behind'.

I'd like to see some of the things that caused a rift between Joel and his brother before the events of The Last of Us. I like to think that Joel would have tried to hunt his way up the military chain of command, so that might be an interesting story to tell (Joel vs. the military as order begins to dissolve). And maybe contrast that with a current day storyline, which I think ought to feature an adult Ellie.

You could tell another story in that universe with different characters, but I can't think of how not to make it a retread.

As for the multiplayer modes with some infected would be nice.

 

[Vire]

Rather see Naughty Dog do something completely different as said many times before. The Last of Us is already close to perfect, why does it need a sequel?

The ending for me is personally one of the most satisfying endings I've ever seen in a game, I don't need more from Ellie and Joel.

Put those same brilliant minds to work on another new IP.

 

[Its Quite Toasty]

Uh no.

The question is, what age should Ellie be?

Uh no.


But seriously, this is a world made to be more serious. having multiple adventures for a one person is kind of ridiculous and would just break immersion.

 

[Slammin_Hammon]

I want new characters, not Joel and Ellie. Maybe some fireflies? Even the group that went with Marlene and the stuff they went through during the course of TLOU could be interesting.

On the multi-player front just make the microtransactions only be cosmetic but keep offering free Dlc support. Maybe have a mode with increased player count. Add an infection gametype. Finally, add a horde mode. It would be perfect.

 

[Eggbok]

The Last of Us 2.

You start the game as an older Ellie and shes fighting a group of infected and clickers with some people, and she hasn't seen Joel in about a year or so.

Then after the intro chapters it switches over to new people and you play as them the whole game and everything they do leads u to the point where you played as Ellie. Then you re[lay that section but as the new people. Then you find out they were sent by Joel and he sends a message saying he found a cure.

Then Ellie goes back with the new people to meet Joel but then she finds out they are really Fireflies and want to kill her for her blood and they have Joel captive. Then you fuck everyone up as Ellie, save Joel and then boom Joel is bitten.

 

[Gator86]

Rather see Naughty Dog do something completely different as said many times before. The Last of Us is already close to perfect, why does it need a sequel?

The ending for me is personally one of the most satisfying endings I've ever seen in a game, I don't need more from Ellie and Joel.

Put those same brilliant minds to work on another new IP.

Absolutely this. Can't one thing just be what it is without being milked to fucking death? If we ever see Joel and Ellie again, Naughty Dog has fucking dropped the ball. If it's a sequel, they ruin the perfect end to the first game. If it's a prequel, they likely ruin the characters with some "oh, turns out these characters have know each other for years"/crossed paths long ago/other insanely poorly written shit.

 

[Bowl0l]

The Last of Us sequel
Single Player Campaign
Play as David, see his POV.
Able to co-op with another player online.

Multiplayer
Infected A.I. will stalk the battle ground.
Introduce environment hazard.

 

[Alienous]

The Last of Us 2.

You start the game as an older Ellie and shes fighting a group of infected and clickers with some people, and she hasn't seen Joel in about a year or so.

Then after the intro chapters it switches over to new people and you play as them the whole game and everything they do leads u to the point where you played as Ellie. Then you re[lay that section but as the new people. Then you find out they were sent by Joel and he sends a message saying he found a cure.

Then Ellie goes back with the new people to meet Joel but then she finds out they are really Fireflies and want to kill her for her blood and they have Joel captive. Then you fuck everyone up as Ellie, save Joel and then boom Joel is bitten.

I like it.

 

[Floody]

I think something like a bunch of short stories would be cool, all taking place in different parts of the world, with different characters.
I also wouldn't be too bothered if it's just an older Ellie story though.

For MP, I just want the same modes, but with A.I controlled infected also being on the map.


Edit: The only thing I don't want is a Joel story just after the outbreak.

 

[quickwhips]

Dedicated servers no more weapons you have to pay for unless weapons become like lol with rotations and custom setups. Who cares about single player it was over hyped so less boring?

 

[KorrZ]

Rather see Naughty Dog do something completely different as said many times before. The Last of Us is already close to perfect, why does it need a sequel?

The ending for me is personally one of the most satisfying endings I've ever seen in a game, I don't need more from Ellie and Joel.

Put those same brilliant minds to work on another new IP.

I agree in the sense of Joel and Ellie's story. Any attempt to continue it would ruin the purposefully ambiguous ending and make it pointless. An attempt at a prequel would also ruin some of the great moments in the story that we only get little hints of (like Joel's past) that they manage to convey so much of with so little.

I do think that a sequel is warranted though. The gameplay and survival concepts of TLOU were great and so unique, I need to play more of it, and see it expanded on like the infected vs human fights of Left Behind. The story of TLOU should be closed off, but it would be a shame for such great gameplay to die off after one game.

 

[sappyday]

I hope the location is somewhere in Europe. Tired of the American setting in zombie games and ND does a good job with foreign places with Uncharted.

 

[Arttemis]

I still would prefer it to be stand alone, or are least not involve any of the existing characters. The story ended on a perfect note, and anything further regarding that duo diminishes its open ended nature.

The Last of Us 2.

You start the game as an older Ellie and shes fighting a group of infected and clickers with some people, and she hasn't seen Joel in about a year or so.

Then after the intro chapters it switches over to new people and you play as them the whole game and everything they do leads u to the point where you played as Ellie. Then you re[lay that section but as the new people. Then you find out they were sent by Joel and he sends a message saying he found a cure.

Then Ellie goes back with the new people to meet Joel but then she finds out they are really Fireflies and want to kill her for her blood and they have Joel captive. Then you fuck everyone up as Ellie, save Joel and then boom Joel is bitten.

Most games have far worse plots.

 

[NightShift]

I want a really old badass Ellie. There's not enough badass older women in video games.

 

[Carl]

Uh no.

The question is, what age should Ellie be?

Not be in it at all

 

[Garrett Hawke]

I don't want Joel or Ellie to be in it. As far as I'm concerned their story is over. I wouldn't mind maybe a side character appearing briefly just to ground the player but Joel and Ellie's story ended perfectly. Part of why Left Behind worked for me so much was because it took place before the ending - I feel like anything involving either of them after the ending would completely take away the impact of their final words. Their story is a closed book.

 

[infiniteheteroskdasticity]

I strongly feel that the story about Ellie and Joel should be considered finished. TLoU2 should start a completely new story, maybe even in another part of the world. I'd like to see a female main protagonist this time. Another cool idea would be to have only kids as main protagonists, similar to the Left Behind DLC. Picture a colony of kids that survived the apocalypse and are now surviving on their own, in their own micro-society.

First post nails it. It would be really interesting to see what happened in the rest of the world. Set it in China/India/Africa for something totally out there. I really like the idea of having kids as the main protagonists as well. I think gameplay would definitely evolve as your player character grew from a fairly helpless kid to a zombie murdering, human killing badass over the course of a game. Unfortunately as much as I respect Naughty Dog's creative genius, this just wont happen because Joel and (particularly) Ellie are now pretty major characters for SCE and making a game without either of them completely would not be financially prudent thing to do.

Couldn't care less about MP.

 

[wowlace]

I don't care. I just want it, yesterday.

 

[Spring-Loaded]

I believe multiplayer should be expanded in some way, but making a separate version of every mode would only further split the player base which has killed off a lot of games with potential. ND might be able to handle it though.

 

[Creaking]

Anything in multiplayer that effects gameplay needs to be free. Have microtransactions from hats and the stuff pay for it if necessary. Maps, boosters, guns, all need to be available to every player.

I wouldn't mind if they stopped offering purchasable armor too. That stuff is obnoxious. I feel like I have to buy it myself on the off chance that I encounter someone else who bought it, because otherwise--unless the player is supremely incompetent--I'm dead.

 

[Tawney Bomb]

Honestly, I'd like new characters, story and setting. Ellie and Joel had their story. Humanity is kind of screwed, but it was one hell of a ride, personally, I'd like something new.

 

[NZNova]

I want a really old badass Ellie. There's not enough badass older women in video games.

I could get behind this. Give me Ellie at around the same age Joel was in the first one. Show more of civilization trying to move on from the outbreak 20-30 years later.

Another completely desolate world full of fungus zombies would be boring. Show me more of humanity adapting, that's where the most interesting parts of the first game were.

 

[Coffee Dog]

If this was a film discussion board, would we be clamoring for a sequel to Lost in Translation that clarifies what Bob said to Charlotte?

 

[BoxManLocke]

I strongly feel that the story about Ellie and Joel should be considered finished.

This and this only

 

[GribbleGrunger]

About 20 minutes to half an hour in short:

It opens with a completely new character sat talking to a few friends (gentle banter to show the bond). You then set of back to the encampment because the night is drawing in. On the way through a village you encounter some runners and clickers. Your two friends die in the skirmish but you manage to escape, finding a small shack to hide in. Once you secure the door you make yourself comfortable and fall asleep.

You wake the following morning with a terrible headache. Once you've checked for signs of the infected you head off towards the encampment which is about three miles. You just can't shake that headache, your eyes begin to sting and your vision blurs slightly. Eventually you see smoke on the horizon coming from the encampment. You pick up pace, stumbling a couple of times.

As the player, you feel the dualshock vibrate from time to time and on occasion you lose control of the character who veers suddenly left or right. Your vision is now very blurry with a red corona. Suddenly you make a pitiful sound and lurch forward, the player losing all control except a certain amount of left and right. The character is fighting against you, taking away your control and is now running towards the sound of a guitar being played.

As the character you've been controlling (now a runner) sprints towards a campfire and the woman playing the guitar, the camera swings up to look down on the runner and then over and behind Ellie, who has spotted the runner and has pulled her bow. You are now in control of Ellie, aim and fire.

Close up on Ellie's face. Intro credits.

Now you know the answer to Sam's question.

 

[SixMachine]

Hopefully they make better enemy types and variety, they were really lacking in that department, even the bloater was only used like 5 (less if you sneaked past them in some instances) times in the whole game. I didn't even know there was a difference between stalkers and runners until I read about them and I beat the game on Grounded. One type just ran straight at you, the other type just wanted to waste your time and run around like an asshole then runs straight at you.

Humans more or less fought the same throughout the game and threw no surprises at you. I played on Grounded but basically anyone with a gun was the same threat level since you die in 1-2 shots (on lower level difficulties I assume you just take more shots from one gun compared to some weaker ones), while you know that enemies with melee weapons would obviously try to melee you. There is also the issue that there are points where you needed to kill everyone and that they all generally knew your location (even if they didn't they would gravitate to your area in caution mode even if you raised no awareness to your presence at all

Spoiler

Like after clearing the first wave of enemies at the part where Joel gives Ellie the rifle to snipe for him.

).

Generally, they could tighten up the enemies and make them more interesting to fight. Even though you asked for story and all, I think how you fight the enemies really effect how some players like me are drawn into the campaign. It makes me wonder how humanity can have so much trouble when the old kite, punch, repeat works on most infected types lol.

 

[Strangelove77]

No co-op or open world/sandbox bullshit in singleplayer. Keep that shit far away.

Other than that, new characters in a new setting at least 2 or 3 decades after what happened in TLOU.
More enemy types, more weapons and tools to craft, maybe traps.
Multiplayer should have more players, maybe 3 factions at a time on a larger map.

 

[MattyG]

Uh no.

The question is, what age should Ellie be?

Uh yeah.

I don't need to see what happened to them afterward. Their story's been told, and I don't want to see it turn into an Uncharted-esqu "wonder what those crazy kids will be up to next!" Besides, I could be wrong but I'm pretty sure Neil said at TLOU Live that the extra scene they showed to only those in attendance would be "the last we see of Joel and Ellie".

Now, that's not to say that I wouldn't play a TLOU2 with them, but I'd rather they not just have shit happening to the same characters over and over again.

 

[ShadowOfTheIco]

Since people love tying in developers games into a unified universe, let me present to you 'The Last Bandicoot'.

In a world that's fallen to pieces you play as Crash Bandicoot. Years of scrounging a bleak existence have taken a toll on him. Battle scarred and hardened. He exists in a world where he is hunted as food. Humans see him as nothing but prey. There are a few who have come to his aid, see him as a friend, but Crash knows he is the last bandicoot. The existential angst of waking everyday in a world where you're the last of your kind. He knows there is no future. On his travels one day he meets a young boy called Jak and his pet ferret Dexter.

*cue emotional journey which teaches us we must live. No matter what. Against the odds*

"You know Crash, you really are the last bandicoot..."

 

[GribbleGrunger]

Uh yeah.

I don't need to see what happened to them afterward. Their story's been told, and I don't want to see it turn into an Uncharted-esqu "wonder what those crazy kids will be up to next!" Besides, I could be wrong but I'm pretty sure Neil said at TLOU Live that the extra scene they showed to only those in attendance would be "the last we see of Joel and Ellie".

Joel has reached his end but Ellie has only just begun. How would keeping the secret effect Ellie? Having to avoid getting too involved would force Ellie back to where she feels most at ease: with nature. Her isolation would make her unpopular and people would suspect. Ellie knows it will eventually come to a head and realises her time with Joel is coming to an end. She must seek her own future and Joel has no business trying to stop her because of his lie. Although unspoken, Joel understands and Ellie sets off to find her own sanctuary.

Now she must suffer in order to learn to forgive and understand Joel.

 

[Industrialist]

when/if the Last of Us sequel emerges, how should the story be & multiplayer evolve?

As the developer decides that it should.

In short, I want to get the shocks and surprises that I got from ignoring most of the press coverage of the first game. I don't want to know 80% of the story two years before I play the damned game.

 

[KOHIPEET]

The story should continue from a couple years after the end of TLOU. Both of them are hunted because of

Spoiler

you know, Ellie being immune to the fungus

but she doesn't know about it. At a point, the truth is revealed to Ellie and she comes to hate Joel for what he did.

I know this is all unlikely, but it relates to the question I want answered the most. What would Ellie do, if she'd know that she's the only one?

 

[Auctopus]

Do not touch Joel and Ellie at all. I don't care that it wasn't completely resolved, it works better that way and fits the world.

If they really need to do a TLOU2 then focus on another person/people somewhere completely else.

Edit: good god, some of the replies in this thread show why Joel and Ellie's story should be left alone.

I strongly feel that the story about Ellie and Joel should be considered finished. TLoU2 should start a completely new story, maybe even in another part of the world. I'd like to see a female main protagonist this time. Another cool idea would be to have only kids as main protagonists, similar to the Left Behind DLC. Picture a colony of kids that survived the apocalypse and are now surviving on their own, in their own micro-society.

Shit, bro. Your ideas are as good as your gifs. Lord of the flies x TLOU

 

[Fret]

TLOU2 will absolutely feature Joel or Ellie, they're huge characters in terms of IP

I think to avoid "ruining" the ending of the first game, it'll be set 20 years after that event, and you'll play as a 35 year old Ellie

 

[doofy102]

Dudes... Last of Us was, like, Season 1 of the Joel and Ellie series.

Things are just getting started.

 

[Rogan]

Just bring new characters and never mention Joel or Ellie in the sequel.

 

[Roussow]

I don't want another Joel and Ellie story, there's nothing left that needs to be told. Their story ended perfectly, the ambiguity of Joel and Ellie's relationship isn't a sequel hook.

 

[Kajlaurent]

TLOU2 will absolutely feature Joel or Ellie, they're huge characters in terms of IP

I think to avoid "ruining" the ending of the first game, it'll be set 20 years after that event, and you'll play as a 35 year old Ellie

Then ellen page can do the voice acting

 

[doofy102]

I just hope whatever gets Joel and Ellie into the wild again isn't the village getting destroyed or some contrived video-gamey shit like that.

 

[Sakura]

I'd like a game that takes place immediately following the outbreak. Or a game that takes place maybe like 20 years after TLoU and society is starting to rebuild but there are factions which have their own thoughts on how humanity should go forward.

I would not be interested in playing as Joel or Ellie again.

 

[IAmRandom31]

They found another person with an immunity like Ellie and were able to reverse engineer the cure and start getting it out. The side effect to the cure was eternal life. Now it is the year 2267 and Joel and Ellie are on a trip to Mars. Along the way there is a distortion in the space time field and a wormhole opens that they get sucked into. They end up on a distant planet, not unlike Earth. They land and meet some of the locals and altogether like the place.

Suddenly, one night, Ellie wakes up from a deep sleep alone in their rental house. Joel is gone. Then the phone rings.

Ellie: Hello?
Mystery Caller: " Ellie where is your dad? "
Ellie: " I've told you before, he's not really my dad. But Joel isn't here Tom "
Mystery Caller: " Ellie listen to me, something .... * click *
Ellie: Tom? TOM! "

...............

 

[doofy102]

I'd like to see some of the things that caused a rift between Joel and his brother before the events of The Last of Us. I like to think that Joel would have tried to hunt his way up the military chain of command, so that might be an interesting story to tell (Joel vs. the military as order begins to dissolve)..

This stuff can happen post-TLOU and work.

Joel would totally try to insert himself into the power structure of the village and run it his way after he starts living there with Ellie, especially considering the position of his brother. And he'd probably have different ideas compared to most people there. More paranoid, violent ones.

 

[The Artisan]

As for the multiplayer modes with some infected would be nice.

that's actually what I want this thread to mostly be about. tlou multiplayer with a hardcore mode that has clickers on the maps.

Rather see Naughty Dog do something completely different as said many times before. The Last of Us is already close to perfect, why does it need a sequel?

The ending for me is personally one of the most satisfying endings I've ever seen in a game, I don't need more from Ellie and Joel.

Put those same brilliant minds to work on another new IP.

Absolutely this. Can't one thing just be what it is without being milked to fucking death? If we ever see Joel and Ellie again, Naughty Dog has fucking dropped the ball. If it's a sequel, they ruin the perfect end to the first game. If it's a prequel, they likely ruin the characters with some "oh, turns out these characters have know each other for years"/crossed paths long ago/other insanely poorly written shit.

hence, when/if

No co-op or open world/sandbox bullshit in

co-op is not fucking bullshit. tlou would've been great with a splitscreen coop mode.

 

[May16]

Then you fuck everyone up as Ellie, save Joel and then boom Joel is bitten.

You know Joel, that really was the Last of You.