Summary
- Neil Druckmann has ideas for a follow-up to The Last of Us Part 2, but has not revealed specifics about a potential third game.
- Intriguingly, the Grounded 2 documentary reveals that Naughty Dog initially drew inspiration from Bloodborne for Part 2, considering a melee-focused, semi-open-world design.
- Implementing more ideas from Bloodborne, such as level design and combat, could bring a fresh and exciting experience to The Last of Us 3, especially if the game moves on from Ellie and Abby or explores a post-apocalyptic world with limited ammunition.
While the future of the series is unclear, Neil Druckmann recently stated that he has some ideas for a follow-up to The Last of Us Part 2. Though Druckmann hasn't revealed any specifics about his concept for a third The Last of Us, information about Part 2's early development, as discussed in Naughty Dog's recent Ground 2: Making The Last of Us Part 2 documentary, may shed some light on a bold direction the series could take.
In the Grounded 2 documentary, Naughty Dog developers Anthony Newman and Emilia Schatz describe the initial concept for The Last of Us 2, stating that Naughty Dog laned on an unlikely inspiration: FromSoftware's Bloodborne. According to the documentary, Naughty Dog was taking notes from Bloodborne's semi-open-world design and combat, as Part 2 was at one point envisioned as a solely melee-focused game. This news may come as a shock to some players, but the idea is brimming with potential.
Why a Bloodborne-Inspired The Last of Us Game Makes Sense
The Last of Us 2 didn't follow Bloodborne's footsteps in the end, as Naughty Dog instead decided to build off the gameplay foundations of its predecessor. This was probably the right call, as Ellie's cross-country tale of revenge likely wouldn't have meshed well with Bloodborne's interconnected, open-world game design. On top of this, pivoting to a melee-only combat system may have been too jarring, as guns are seemingly commonplace in the world of The Last of Us. When speaking about his "concept" for The Last of Us 3, Druckmann describes it as "its own thing" that is thematically connected to the broader series. This sort of game would be the perfect chance to implement some ideas from Bloodborne.
Bloodborne's Level Design Would Be Perfect for The Last of Us
Though it's a more linear, level-based game overall, one of the earliest Seattle levels in The Last of Us 2 experiments with an open-world formula, giving players a wide-open space, a map to follow, and optional secrets and supplies to uncover. Expanding this premise while mixing in a few of Bloodborne's core level design fundamentals has a lot of promise.
The post-apocalyptic, overgrown urban environments of The Last of Us would provide a unique backdrop for the sort of focused, ever-expanding open-world design of so many FromSoftware games, including Bloodborne. To boil down Bloodborne's open-world design would be to create a sizable game map that starts small and radiates outward, with shortcuts and paths that overlap and interconnect. This approach would let The Last of Us 3 jam more secrets into its environments, focusing on density and detail rather than scope or scale, allowing the game to double-down on the series' strong environmental storytelling.
Bloodborne's Combat in The Last of Us 3
It may be too great a leap for The Last of Us to go full Soulslike with its third entry, but that doesn't mean that certain aspects of Bloodborne's gameplay can't be carried over. If Naughty Dog were to pursue the pure-melee route in The Last of Us 3, it would obviously need to significantly expand upon the close-quarters combat of its predecessors to a significant degree. To that end, translating the frenetic and brutal combat of Bloodborne to the visceral and realistic world of The Last of Us could work wonders. The Last of Us 2's combat sandbox is deep and engaging, and mixing it with FromSoftware's industry-leading melee gameplay could offer a refreshing and exciting experience.
If The Last of Us 3 moves on from Ellie and Abby, or utilizes a time jump to let it take place after the world has continued to decay and ammunition has been depleted, then maybe Bloodborne could resurface as a major influencing force for the franchise. It would be a big departure from The Last of Us Part 2, but such significant changes could be well worth it.
The Last of Us Part 2
- Released
- June 19, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
Play the winner of over 300 Game of the Year awards, remastered for the PlayStation®5 console. Relive or play for the first time Ellie and Abby’s story, now with graphical enhancements, new gameplay modes like the roguelike survival experience No Return, full DualSense® wireless controller integration, and more. Five years after their dangerous journey across the post-pandemic United States, Ellie and Joel have settled down in Jackson, Wyoming. Living amongst a thriving community of survivors has allowed them peace and stability, despite the constant threat of the infected and other, more desperate survivors. When a violent event disrupts that peace, Ellie embarks on a relentless journey to carry out justice and find closur
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Drugs
- Developer(s)
- Naughty Dog
- Publisher(s)
- Sony
- Engine
- Proprietary
- Franchise
- The Last of Us
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5
- How Long To Beat
- 24 Hours
- Metascore
- 93
