News | Trophies found for Grounded mode in The Last of Us: Part 2
Trophies for a Grounded mode have been added to The Last of Us: Part 2.
This was found out at PowerPyx. Two new Trophies have recently been added to the game, one for completing the game in Grounded, and one for using a permadeath option.
It seems likely that developer Naughty Dog will be adding Grounded mode to the game soon. In the first The Last of Us, Grounded mode was the game’s most challenging difficulty setting. Players quickly die and can find very few items.
The Last of Us 2 just got DLC Trophies. Patch 1.03 with Grounded Difficulty + Permadeath Mode incoming. pic.twitter.com/drUsvnHqIk
— PowerPyx (@PowerPyx) August 10, 2020
For now, Naughty Dog hasn’t officially announced Grounded mode for the sequel. The Last of Us: Part 2 is now available for PlayStation 4.
News | This is how certain sounds were recorded for The Last of Us: Part 2
A video has surfaced on SoundWorks Collection in which Beau Anthony Jimenez, sound designer at Naughty Dog, briefly shows how certain sound effects were recorded for The Last of Us: Part 2.
The short video shows recordings of all kinds of different sound effects. In the beginning of the video you can see how the unsavory sounds of different zombies were recorded. For example, we learn that Shambler attacks are recorded by squeezing fruit and blowing life jackets.
In addition to inventing sounds for fictional monsters, creative solutions have also been found for everyday sounds. Stringing a bow, for example, is recorded by slowly turning a tuning machine of a violin. The video also demonstrates how to incorporate different breathing patterns to make the game’s characters sound as realistic as possible under different conditions.
Review | The Last of Us: Part II
The Last of Us: Part 2 again did what it promised and is the most beautiful story ever told in a video game. This zombie game is not about zombies or Infected. This game is about people. The Last of Us 2 holds up a mirror to humanity. And the reflection is not a pleasant sight.
At the beginning of the game, the main characters from the first part, Ellie and Joel, live in Jackson. They are part of a group of people who act as a community against the dangers of the outside world. It’s quite a nice place to stay, with beautiful forests, a playground for the children and even electricity to charge your walkman. Ellie is having a good time here and even finds love in Dinah, but happiness in this world is always short-lived.
A drama unfolds, after which Ellie heads to Seattle for revenge. It is essentially a simple story, just like in the original. It is the human storytelling that takes The Last of Us 2 to an unprecedented level. Ellie, Dina, Joel and his brother Tommy, they are all credible people who may not make the perfect choices, but are pure in their intentions. They are all people. Real people. And they have to do really inhumane things. The fact that the voice acting and motion capture is on point as always really helps in bonding with your character.
All of this is acted extremely well. Ashley Johnson, in particular, can be awarded this year, because her Ellie is truly phenomenal, again. It’s a difficult task to combine such a tough character, which eliminates strong opponents as if it were nothing, with a sensitive woman who drags a lot of luggage. Fortunately, Johnson knows to strike exactly the right tone: fragile if necessary, bone breaking if possible.
The grim message of the game is extended to combat. Blood splatters around the place and screen, Infected are cleaved without mercy and the many finishers are shown relentlessly. After you injure the last enemy in an area, he begs on his knees for his life. That does not stop Ellie from still getting the job done with a baseball bat, or any other weapon for that matter. At least, if you make that choice. After all, you are and remain only human.
All that violence starts to gnaw at you as a player. It gets in your head. Naughty Dog clearly has that effect in mind. Human guards call each other’s names and become audibly nervous when they can no longer find each other. Dogs moan when hit by a Molotov cocktail. And just like you, Ellie has a hard time with that. Every gutted throat carves a scar on her soul.
Everything in this sequel serves the human aspect. No single game element escapes that eye for detail. Seattle is beautiful, but completely destroyed. Each abandoned house with its unique interior tells its own story about the residents. Ellie visits abandoned offices, banks, aquariums and hospitals, and they all have their own atmosphere. Sometimes you stand in wonder for five minutes in the dressing room of a theater, maybe at the dozens of unique costumes, maybe at the walls covered with posters of bands that have ever performed there. The music store filled with albums and posters of the latest releases, at least at that time.
There is hardly any UI to pull you out of that world. Screen info is rarely to be seen. The game inventively uses the environment to pinpoint the next target. Light, for example, shows you the way, or the sound of your next enemy. In a certain section you have to go west, and it is noted that you can follow the setting sun. It is a very natural way to play a game. Disturbing waypoints or mini-maps are a thing of the past.
For a linear game, The Last of Us: Part 2 offers a lot of freedom. Not only in the way you fight, but also in exploring Seattle. You do not have to enter many buildings, but if you don’t want to run out of ammunition, it is worth going on a looting trip. It’s not very exciting to open drawers and cupboards all the time in search of stuff and bullets, but that just goes to show that Ellie needs all the tools she can get. In addition, background information or exciting battles can often be experienced in these optional areas.
The game has negatives. It has happened a few times that a companion got in the way. These AI-driven companions sometimes even tap you out of cover, making you noticed by an enemy. The hint system can also be painful. With a loud sound, the game makes it clear that you can get a hint if you don’t know where to go, while you are still looting the rooms. Fortunately, you can completely disable that system.
It is hardly noticeable. All systems, environments and story elements merge seamlessly. The fluid combat with which you can improvise unhindered plays wonderfully. The eye for details drags you all along in the game world. But in the end it is mainly the story that makes the most impression. The Last of Us: Part 2 is a game about people even more than other games. This game tears you up with emotional scenes, impactful moments and a grim look at what it means to be human, regardless of the background.
Score:
9,5
+ Smooth combat.
+ Beautiful environments.
+ Excellent story and acting.
+ Allot of attention to the smallest details.
– Annoying hint system
– Artificial intelligence sometimes gets in the way
Trophy Guide | The Last of Us: Part II
Achievement / Trophy guide
Overview:
– Estimated achievement difficulty: 2/10
– Offline Trophies: 26 (1, 7, 8, 10)
– Online: 0
– Approximate amount of time to Platinum: 25-30 Hours
– Minimum number of playthroughs needed: 1
– Missable achievements : No
– Does difficulty affect achievements: No
– Unobtainable/glitched achievements : Yes 1 – Sightseer
– Extra equipment needed: No
Collectible Acheivement/Trophy
Missable Achievement/Trophy
Story related Achievement/Trophy
Glitched Achievement/Trophy
Every Last One of Them
Collect all trophies
News | The Last of Us Part 2 postponed indefinitely
The Last of Us Part 2 has been postponed and will not be released on the original release date. This was announced on PlayStation's Twitter channel.
The Last of Us Part 2 was scheduled for release on May 29, but has now been delayed to an unknown date. Naughty Dog says via a message on Twitter that the game is almost ready and the latest bugs are being removed.
Among other things, the developer’s message states: “We want to make sure everyone can play The Last of Us Part 2 around the same time and we can make sure we do everything we can to keep the best experience for everyone. This means that we postpone the game until a moment where we can solve these logistical problems. “
The Last of Us Part 2 was also postponed in October last year.
A message from us about the delay of The Last of Us Part II: pic.twitter.com/aGsSRfmJ8a
— Naughty Dog (@Naughty_Dog) April 2, 2020
Update: SIE has made the difficult decision to delay the launch of The Last of Us Part II and Marvel's Iron Man VR until further notice. Logistically, the global crisis is preventing us from providing the launch experience our players deserve.
— PlayStation (@PlayStation) April 2, 2020
To relief the pain somewhat, a number of new screenshots of the game have been released. Check them all out on the official website.
The PlayStation tweet says the following about the whole situation: “Logistically, the global crisis is preventing us from delivering the experience our players deserve.”
News | Free dynamic PlayStation theme for The Last of Us: Part 2 released
Naughty Dog has launched a dynamic theme for The Last of Us: Part 2. This theme can be installed for free on PlayStation 4.
The theme changes with the time of day. Ellie plays her guitar during the day and is ready to defend herself at night. The theme can be installed by entering the following code in the PlayStation Store.
North and South America: 4FMP-BBNM-J5L3
Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Russia, Middle East, Africa, India: 9DEK-PKNG-N445
The Last of Us: Part 2 launches for PlayStation 4 on May 29.
News | Every enemy and character has a heartbeat in The Last of Us: Part 2
In The Last of Us: Part 2, every character and every enemy has a heartbeat.
Says Naughty Dog’s Anthony Newman in an interview with Polygon. The technique is not shown with a meter, but it does influence the gameplay.
Newman: “We have updated every facet of the game (compared to the original). One of the new elements is the audio. When Ellie sprints and then stops, you hear that she is breathing harder.”
He continues: “Behind the scenes this means that Ellie’s heartbeat goes up and down. He goes up when she sprints, when she attacks, when she sustains damage and in the presence of enemies. And that has an effect on the sound she makes during breathing. “
Next, Newman announces that every character and enemy in the game uses the same technique. Even the Clickers. “It’s incredible, because this way I could play a cat and mouse game even better with the Clickers and I understand them better through the sounds they make. And people do the same in terms of breathing and sprinting and so on.”
The Last of Us: Part 2 will be available on PlayStation 4 from February 21, 2020.