The Last Of Us 2: Everything We Know So Far

11. The Story Is Set Five Years After The First Game

the last of us 2 ellie
Naughty Dog

The reveal trailer for The Last of Us Part II offered a stunning glimpse into the future of this post-apocalyptic world, but by far the biggest takeaway was Ellie's new, older look. More accurately modelled around actress Ashley Johnson, the older Ellie was the only tangible story thread players could pull at, and it didn't take long for Naughty Dog themselves to clarify just how much time had passed between the original game and this sequel.

Allegedly, Part II is set to take place five years after Ellie accepted Joel's lie on the hill overlooking Tommy's community. That's quite a big deal, not simply because Joel was already getting on a bit at the end of the last game, but because it completely reshapes the relationship between the two main characters.

The parental angle will no doubt still be there, but this is going to be a far more capable Ellie, who no longer needs someone to look after her. That alone gives Naughty Dog a whole host of possibilities to play with, and should no doubt invert the dynamic so brilliantly captured in the original release.

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Josh has over 11 years of experience as a published writer, having worked nine of those years as a full-time content producer at WhatCulture. In that period he has created hundreds of articles, videos and podcast episodes for multiple WhatCulture channels, specialising in gaming, horror and film & TV. He now primarily works as a senior content producer and presenter on WhatCulture Gaming where he co-hosts the WhatCulture Gaming Podcast, a top 3 UK most listened to gaming podcast that he co-created in 2018. Over the years he has reviewed several high-profile gaming releases, covered industry events with on-site reporting, opined on breaking news, and even kicked off his interviewing career by chatting to childhood hero, Tommy Wiseau.