'The Last Of Us 2': Neil Druckmann and Bruce Straley's original ideas vs the official reveal trailer

The existence of “The Last Of Us 2” was confirmed by creative director and writer Neil Druckmann a long time ago, but everything at that point was stuck in the brainstorming process. Nevertheless, the game finally received its reveal trailer last month, and it confirms and denies initial details that were shared with the public.

The reveal trailer, which can be watched below, confirms that the story will follow the game’s original protagonists, Joel and Ellie. But in an interview with PlayStation Magazine (via Cinema Blend), Druckmann confirmed that he and Bruce Straley had considered new characters for “The Last Of Us 2.”

He had also previously stated in a Reddit Q&A that if the original voice actors, Ashley Johnson and Troy Baker, would not be available, that new characters would be introduced to replace Ellie and Joel completely. “I’d probably reconsider the story at that point,” he said. “They are Joel and Ellie to me.” Evidently, both Johnson and Baker are back on the cast roster, with Baker even posting photos from the set itself.

Druckmann also revealed that before actual work on “The Last Of Us 2” began, that he and Straley had considered changing the landscape of the franchise. “We were brainstorming ideas… for a sci-fi game; for a fantasy game,” he confirmed. “And building prototypes for each of those ideas.”

As the reveal trailer indicates, however, Naughty Dog has decided to keep the feel of the game almost the same as the original game, albeit a little darker. Joel is still holding his standard revolver and nothing too futuristic is seen in the trailer. However, Druckmann also revealed during PlayStation Experience last month that Ellie will not be the main playable character.