The Last of Us Part II will be coming out… well, we don’t know when. Sony and Naughty Dog announced an indefinite delay of the game yesterday (along with Iron Man VR), alluding to logistical issues with distribution due to the coronavirus outbreak. With the botched and chaotic launch of Final Fantasy VII Remake—releasing early in some regions and being delayed for others—it’s clear Sony wanted to avoid any ill effects that could stem from manufacture and distribution problems. There are also some questioning if releasing a game about surviving in a post-pandemic apocalypse would be thematically appropriate as we are actively living in the worst pandemic in modern history. To tide over the eager fans, seven new screenshots were released, showing characters, environments, and moments in The Last of Us Part II.
You can check out all of the images below. Click to enlarge.
These first two images seem like opposite angles of the same scene as Joel and Ellie talk to each other. A few ruined buildings appear beyond Joel, and trees stand behind Ellie. Ellie looks concerned, Joel looks ashamed… perhaps remorseful? It’s not exactly clear what interaction is happening here, but given how The Last of Us ended, we’re certain there’s bound to be some drama between Joel and Ellie. Joel also looks a bit older and more grizzled. Compare that to the image below of a younger Joel (closer to what we played in the first game) strumming on a guitar.
The Last of Us really is as much about these quiet and introspective moments as it is the chaos of the post-apocalypse. It seems like The Last of Us Part II will jump back and forth in time a little bit. What’s Joel thinking about here as he plays?
Here’s Ellie with Joel’s brother, Tommy. It’s another somber-looking scene—perhaps they are discussing Joel’s disappearance?—and Ellie looks quite a bit younger here, once again supporting the idea that we’ll see scenes across the timeline from the end of The Last of Us to the five-years later that Part II takes place in.
Here’s Ellie and Dinah laying together. Ellie has the same mark on her chin that she has in the image with Joel above but she also looks younger, so it’s not exactly clear where in the timeline this takes place. Once again, don’t expect many smiles in The Last of Us Part II.
I’m not certain we know who this character is just yet (maybe we do? Throw it in the comments below if I’m wrong). He looks like he’s with the people shining the flashlights here, but who are they hunting, and why?
Finally an environment shot, Joel with the guitar on his back. Who is the person on the second horse? It looks like it could be Joel’s brother, Tommy, and they seem to be headed towards some sort of electrical facility? It might be a beautiful shot, but you can bet that bloodshed and terror isn’t far behind this moment.
For now, that’s about all we’re going to get. The Last of Us Part II was scheduled to release in just under two months on May 29, but this indefinite delay has pushed the game back. It’s currently unknown if we’ll get to play it in just a few months or if it’s going to be pushed out to the end of the year (or further). As the world deals with its own real-life pandemic situation, we’ll have to wait just a little while longer to return to Joel and Ellie’s world.
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