'The Last Of Us 2': Neil Druckmann reveals how the title will be developed and processed

TLOU — "The Last Of Us Part II" was announced via a reveal trailer during PlayStation Experience on December 2016. YouTube/PlayStation

As the sequel to what is arguably one of the best games from Naughty Dog, “The Last Of Us 2” has a lot of hype to live up to. However, writer and creative director Neil Druckmann has some experience in the field and has promised anticipating players to believe that his team will do justice to the franchise.

Druckmann has won numerous writing awards in the field of video game writing, including three from the Writers Guild Of America. He and his respective teams won the Outstanding Achievement in Videogame Writing award in 2014, 2015 and 2017 for “The Last Of Us,” “The Last Of Us: Left Behind” and “Uncharted 4: A Thief’s Legacy.” And in a recent broadcast from Dice Summit (via DualShockers), Druckmann revealed exactly how his award-winning process goes.

He mentioned that from the beginning, he needs to be able to confidently speak about the story. After which, he fills in the blank by writing out the story arcs on index cards. In doing this, he knows exactly how the story will unfold. He did admit, however, the the ending is in place even before he knows the details of the story itself. The ending, according to Druckmann, tells him what the entire plot is and how it should play out.

Once that is completed, Druckmann works with the design and art teams in order to develop the look and feel of the game. It is in this time that a prototype is created, as well as preview animations and concept art environments. This process allows him to visualise the entire game better. He likened it to playing the game in his head.

It is also during this time where the plot and writing gets more fleshed out. The entire team then begins the more tangible aspects of the work, including hiring the actors and shooting on set, and the first scene is officially written out. “The Last Of Us 2” was not specifically mentioned in the broadcast, but Druckmann’s statements do indicate that the ending already exists.

Naughty Dog has not revealed when “The Last Of Us 2” will be launched, but it is safe to say that the game developer is already shooting the scenes with the actors. Some weeks ago, Ashley Johnson posted a video on her Twitter account of her on set, which is likely to mean that the team is far along in the development process. The upcoming game will also be Druckmann’s first attempt at being a solo director.