The Last of Us 2 seems to have finally revealed the central premise for its story: revenge. The revelation was long overdue, since the first one arguably had one of the best endings in all of video games - one that, uncommonly, did not scream for a sequel. Now a special letter to fans from director Neil Druckmann explains more about how developer Naughty Dog set out to explore that theme.
The letter is only included with some of the game's fancy special edition packages (check out our guide to The Last of Us 2 pre-orders to learn more) - but Sony also shared some nice, high-res photos of the products including the letter and accompanying art print... so here's what the letter says.
"What would you do if someone you loved was the victim of a cruel and violent act? How easily could one's mind tip toward violent retribution? How far would you go to bring the people responsible to justice? If you were successful, how would it change you? Would you ever be the same?
With The Last of Us Part 2, we set out to create an experience that explores these difficult questions, the darkest sides of human nature, and the vicious cycles of violence that we witness in the world around us on a daily basis. The result is a game crafted by hundreds of developers that pushed themselves to create something more than mere entertainment - a game that we're incredibly proud of and that we hope will enthrall you and challenge your own views of justice and empathy.
On behalf of everyone at Naughty Dog, we want to thank you for embarking on this journey with us.
Neil Druckmann | Director, The Last of Us Part 2"
Our own Alex Avard made a compelling case for that apparent execution in the new trailer not being what it appeared. But even if that wasn't the driving event in Ellie's new story, after reading that note, it's clear that she wants to exact vengeance for something.
See what else is on the way with our list of upcoming PS4 games.
