And the rumour mill is at it again... After repeatedly confirming the forthcoming development of The Last of Us Part. III, Neil Druckmann is now putting the brakes on the saga's fans. And with good reason: while promoting season 2 of the HBO series, he announced to our colleagues at Variety that the third opus in the videogame saga wasn't so sure of being released..."I guess the only thing I would say to you is don't bet on there being more Last of Us. It may be over," he said.
The Last of Us, with its captivating story and deeply human characters, has established itself as a major PlayStation franchise, accumulating over 37 million sales worldwide since its launch. Following the triumph of the HBO TV series and recent updates of previous episodes, the announcement of a third opus seemed inevitable.
However,Neil Druckmann made the development of a third opus official in a documentary dedicated to the creation of The Last of Us Part II, revealing that the project was in the development phase, or at least in an advanced conceptual stage. This new iteration promised to deal with themes dear to its predecessors, while continuing the saga's tradition of exploring notions such as unconditional love and the quest for justice.
"I asked myself, is there a concept here for a sequel? And for years I couldn't find it, but recently things have changed. I don't have the story yet, but I do have a concept that, for me, is as exciting as the others and is a thing in its own right, while having a common guideline for all three games. So there will probably be one more chapter to this story", confides Neil Druckmann, fuelling the enthusiasm and speculation surrounding this future chapter.
Will do... Won't happen... The possibility of a sequel raises many questions and expectations. The franchise, which began as a story of survival in a post-apocalyptic world, has become a cultural phenomenon, transcending the video game medium to reach a wider audience thanks to the HBO series. Naughty Dog, renowned for its narrative and technical excellence, is back in the spotlight, with the promise of pushing the boundaries of interactive storytelling even further. The confirmation of this third opus not only illustrates the studio's ongoing commitment to its fans, but also opens the door to new thematic and narrative explorations.
Naughty Dog, under the leadership of Neil Druckmann, is embarking on an ambitious project, seeking to enrich a saga already rich in emotion and reflections on the human condition. "The great thing about working at Naughty Dog is that we're under no obligation to do anything," says Neil Druckmann, underlining the creative freedom and ambition that drive the studio. He continues:"We'd love to work on another Last of Us, but if you're passionate about something else, we'll support that something else. It's a very privileged position. I never take that for granted.
All we can do now is wait for further information... in the meantime, we're going back to the remaster of The Last of Us Part. II REMASTER. Grab your controllers!
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