Elements from The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered's Lost Levels set to appear in show's second season
Be sure to shroom in.
Some of the material which will feature in The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered's Lost Levels is also planned to appear in the second season of HBO's show, Naughty Dog's Neil Druckmann has teased.
Earlier this month, Naughty Dog announced a remastered and native PlayStation 5 version of The Last of Us Part 2. Along with souped up visuals for the base game, this upcoming release will also have a few other bells and whistles including cut content in the form of 'Lost Levels' for players to experience. These Lost Levels will be Sewers, Jackson Party and Boar Hunt.
Meanwhile, almost in tandem with The Last of Us Part 2's remastered release, production on the second season of HBO's adaptation is set to kick off early next year. While we know the second season of the show will not encompass the entirety of The Last of Us Part 2's narrative, the series' creator has said "at least one element" of the previously mentioned cut content is "planned for the show".
"I say that with the caveat that we haven't started filming the show yet and all things are subject to change based on what we ultimately feel will be best for the show," Druckmann told EW.
"The Lost Levels are very much focused on offering a sneak peek into The Last of Us Part 2's original development and deepen fans' appreciation for the studio's creative work. While the TV show has diverged from the original works to suit the medium and likely will again, these levels are not meant to be indicative of work on the HBO show, which is separate from Part 2 Remastered's development."
The Naughty Dog exec did not go into further detail about which element is currently earmarked for the show, but my money - at least for series two, and for now - is on Boar Hunt.
In addition, when discussing the timing of Part 2's remastered release and the show's second season, Druckmann called this "very serendipitous", and not intentional.
"Game and TV development are often very different in nature, and Part 2 Remastered's development was about offering the best version of this game possible rather than teeing up any work for the show," he said.
"I remember going into the studio to record commentary tracks for a handful of cinematics, then in the afternoon meeting with Craig [Mazin, HBO series co-creator] to break season two's story — which was often based on the same sequences/moments," Druckmann continued. "So, the process of working on the remaster happened to double as [a] research refresher for me on the intricacies of the story, along with why we made certain decisions."
Meanwhile, don't expect to see faces such as Perry and Kathleen from the first season of HBO's The Last of Us adaptation to show up in Part 2's roguelike survival mode No Return.
Druckmann told EW there is "no intention" to add them to the upcoming mode, stating it is "built around a roster of characters from Part 2" solely. He indicated we will hear more about No Return's full roster soon, so stay tuned.
There is still no update on The Last of Us Part 2's standalone multiplayer release, which has seemingly hit a number of stumbling blocks since it was first announced. When asked about its current status, Druckamm said he had "no comment on the series' future" beyond The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered. He did, however, reiterate that Naughty Dog has "other projects in the works".
The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered is set to release on 19th January for PlayStation 5. If you are yet to play the game, but are thinking about scooping it up next year, be sure to check out our PlayStation 4 Part 2 review.
"The thing that really struck me - and pleasantly surprised me, coming as it does from a developer so transparently in love with the language of cinema - is that The Last of Us Part 2's power is wholly unique to it being a video game," Oli Welsh wrote.
"There is a special kind of empathy that develops between a player and a game protagonist that no other medium can reproduce. It's this bond that Druckmann and his team have exploited to such devastating effect. It is a sad and timely reminder of the simultaneous importance and impossibility of living someone else's experience.
"Play it, and listen."