PS4/PC The Last of Us: Part II (Remastered)

The early portion of the demo features heartfelt story moments between Ellie and her companion, Dina. Ellie was already a multifaceted protagonist in the previous game, but she’s now nineteen and her age shows in the depth of her character. She and Dina exchange playful teases, search each other’s eyes for signals, and dance around the topic of former lovers. My favorite moment between the two occurs when they enjoy a beautiful view of the Wyoming wilderness, and Ellie quietly curses to herself when she realizes she flubbed an opportunity to make a move. Moments like these showcase Ellie’s tenderness and vulnerability, and remind us of the little girl Joel fought to protect.

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The second half of the demo further showcases Ellie’s violent side, and the lengths she’ll go to exact justice on those who hurt her loved ones. She faces a group of xenophobic survivors in Seattle who have captured Joel’s brother, Tommy. Ellie ventures into enemy territory to rescue him. Naughty Dog has gone through great lengths to convey that these enemies are people with lives and loved ones, not one-dimensional threats. Normally, sniping an enemy with a bow and arrow from considerable distance would come with some pride and relief. In The Last of Us Part II, it might be met by the shrieks of your victim’s loved ones yelling the deceased’s name in grief. Violence is sometimes necessary to survive and endure in this world, but it constantly weighed on my conscience.

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Jump – Ellie is more limber than Joel ever was. Players can now jump to reach higher vantage points or cross small gaps. Don’t expect to pounce hapless victims like an assassin, but look forward to expanded freedom and new opportunities for traversal.

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Dodge – One of Ellie’s most potent new abilities allows her to dodge incoming close-quarters attacks. Step out of the way of survivors’ axe swings or slashing Runners with a quick button tap. Dodging was especially handy when evading surprise Stalker attacks. The new feature feels satisfyingly empowering, but also necessary considering how enemies seem smarter and harder to predict.

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Crawl – Hit the deck! Ellie can now drop to the ground by holding Circle. This is useful for quickly breaking line of sight with enemies, crawling through small passages, or keeping a low profile. The latter stealthy application is invaluable. Slinking through tall grass to get the drop on passing enemies and evading pursuers is critical with The Last of Us Part II’s new analog stealth system. Hiding yourself in plain sight among the tallgrass is simultaneously liberating and harrowing, as blowing your cover could mean being fully exposed.

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Guard Dogs – …but don’t get too comfortable crawling through the grass. Trained guard dogs are on patrol, which can follow your scent and chew up your well-laid plans. Activate Listen Mode to see your scent trail. Be careful when you take out a dog’s handler, though, because solo canines are difficult to spot in the tall grass without their master walking next to them. Getting jumped by a dog is not only nerve-racking and dangerous, it presents players with the moral choice of whether they flee or take it out. Naughty Dog confirms that you don’t have to kill these animals to progress, and personally… based on my heavy heart following the demo you’re better off evading them.

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New Infected Revealed – Shamblers are horrifying, walking pustule-clusters that spray gaseous acid when they get near you and take a ton of damage. Once defeated, these festering threats explode with violent force. They’re faster than they look and are awful to look at. Proceed with caution.

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Silencers – Canisters are a new crafting material that let Ellie attach handmade suppressors to her semi-automatic pistol. This makes her next three shots dead silent, expanding Ellie’s strategic options in the field. As a stealth-focused player, I found great relief upgrading my silencer’s durability.

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Bautinho schrieb:

Gibt's schon von deutschen Quellen ein Video?

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DoK schrieb:

Hab noch nix gesehen. Mal vorweg ne Frage: hat jedes Magazin das gleiche Gameplaymaterial oder gibt es überall was anderes?

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My little over two hours with The Last of Us Part 2 were engrossing, challenging, intriguing glimpses at what Naughty Dog is crafting. I’m one of many who, when a sequel was first announced, felt it was unnecessary. But given what I played, it’s clear Naughty Dog has evolved its systems in complex, fascinating ways that have already -- and I hope continue to -- allow for uniquely tense scenarios. The world feels larger, both on an exploration and narrative level, and I can’t wait to learn more, as this really did feel like a small glimpse. And it was a glimpse that indicated Ellie and Joel’s continued story is going to be one enthralling adventure.

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For those who loved the original TLOU, you’ll be pleased to know that the sequel feels and plays the same. Naughty Dog has crafted a rich, deeply believable world full of intricate environments and tiny, scrutable details. I marveled at the handwriting on the left-behind notes on desks and in drawers and the intricate motions Ellie makes at the crafting stations when putting together a makeshift silencer for her pistol.

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The AI is exceptional, the human enemies you're up against audibly coordinating with each other in a way that feels convincingly human.

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DoK schrieb:

Hab noch nix gesehen. Mal vorweg ne Frage: hat jedes Magazin das gleiche Gameplaymaterial oder gibt es überall was anderes?

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Para schrieb:

hab mir nur das easy allies video angesehen, aber huber's lobeshymne bezüglich der k.i. klingt sehr vielversprechend und alleine die hunde dürften einiges an alten taktiken auf den kopf stellen.

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RaRa schrieb:

wäre auch genau meine Frage gewesen?

Bin ja schon Hot drauf reinzugucken aber nur wenn die gameplay zeigen wie kämpfe usw. will nichts von der Story sehen.

Kann man dann getrost reingucken?

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Para schrieb:

das material bietet nur gameplay, keine cutscenes.

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Earlier this week, journalists from all over the globe had their first-ever hands-on with The Last of Us Part II. Alongside their in-depth coverage and impressions you can find online right now, later today at 1:00pm PT, we’ll be releasing The Last of Us Part II: Inside the Demo, a special behind-the-scenes video where we’ll showcase new footage and share more details into the story and gameplay featured in the two new demo levels. Check back here or keep your eyes peeled on the PlayStation YouTube channel and our social feeds later today to check it out.

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