[78] Grace felt that, as the youngest of five siblings, her close bond with her family was carried across to the role: "I would take a hammer to the arm for any of my siblings". 5 years after the original title, she has become more mature, grizzled in after the incident and surviving the post-pandemic world. Troy Baker and Ashley Johnson were also confirmed to reprise their roles as Joel and Ellie respectively while Neil Druckmann will write the script. He plans to sail to Santa Barbara, where the Fireflies were supposedly regrouping. He finds Ellie in a suburban neighborhood in Seattle, regrouping with her and Dina. [78], Alexander was attracted to the role as he underwent similar emotions when transitioning, having come from a Mormon background and also receiving backlash after cutting his hair. [44] Kat Bailey of USgamer appreciated the ambition of the player switch, but felt that it "just barely" pulled it off. Directed by Neil Druckmann, Kurt Margenau, Anthony Newman. [79] Kotaku's Riley MacLeod saw Lev's character as simply a way of the game acknowledging trans people exist and wrote that it was up to players to create their own meaning from the character.[81]. Ellie has been confirmed to be the main playable character who will \"play differently\" than Joel from the original. The characters received a generally positive reception, with acclaim for the performances. [78][77] However, he noted that a significant difference was that, while Lev used his faith as a Seraphite as comfort, Alexander abandoned his religion to cope with the discrimination. Kirk McKeand of VG247 described every character as "complex and human". [65] Dina's face is based on Cascina Caradonna. [62] Dina underwent extensive design changes in development; early iterations featured patterns that were deemed impractical for stealth, though the team wanted her style to embody pre-pandemic life. The switch between the playable characters was a major point of the game's development, based on a similar switch in the original game, 2013's The Last of Us. Jesse deciphers Dina's pregnancy, but does not discuss it with her. It’s no surprise that Ellie will be back in this sequel. While the gameplay seems to … The Last of Us 2: Which Characters Are In The Sequel? Yara's arm requires amputation, so Abby and Lev retrieve medical supplies from the hospital, which is overrun by Infected. [16] Woodward found Dina to be an extension of herself. [69] Gross had originally written an extended monologue for Ellie to perform to Dina about her fear of ruining their friendship. [2] The writers wanted to deconstruct the perception of violence in Joel and Ellie: while Joel is indifferent and practical, Ellie kills to maintain a "culture of honor" by attaching violence to her ego. [11] The writers experimented with interspersing Ellie and Abby's gameplay sections, but ultimately settled on longer segments. Abby helps the siblings find safety for the night. Pierce felt that Tommy convincing Ellie to chase Abby at the farm is him attempting to erase his shame, comparing it to "bombing the shit out of Iraq after 9/11", which is "not quite the right target there, but ... made some people feel righteous". The main plot of Part II takes place two years later, where Ellie and Joel have built a life in Jackson, though it is evident their relationship is still strained. [42], John Saavedra of Den of Geek praised Bailey's performance for bringing Abby to life and making the player empathize with her by the game's end. Dina eventually finds a beaten Ellie mourning over the death of Joel. One of the writers' goals was to create multifaceted characters, especially in Ellie, and they wanted to explore the vulnerabilities of Abby to ensure that the player could empathize with her. Recording ran from 2017 to April 2019. The Last of Us Part 2 is slated to hit PlayStation 4 on June 19. By all accounts, The Last of Us Part 2 is a smashing success: The survival horror game has a 94 on review score-collating site Metacritic and has already sold millions of copies. [10] Druckmann was also inspired by the character switch of Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (2001), which had been suppressed in that game's marketing. Ellie overpowers her, losing two fingers in the process, but lets her live. [62] A fan of Westworld, Druckmann spoke with Woodward for several months before offering her an audition to play Dina. If you're not finished yet, we recommend you turn back now. Yara (Victoria Grace) is Lev's sister, and a member of the Seraphites. Returning to the theater, Ellie, Dina, Jesse and Tommy are ambushed by Abby, who kills Jesse and shoots Tommy. [20] Evan Lewis of Entertainment Weekly wrote that Baker "deserves every accolade possible for his heart-wrenching performance". [27], Originally in development, Lev was not transgender. The next day, with Dina sick, Ellie pursues Tommy alone and encounters Dina's ex-boyfriend Jesse, who has followed them to Seattle. As the story and its theme of violence developed, the writers found it more interesting for Abby's father to have been killed by the player in the first game and directly tie into Joel's actions. [26] Her design underwent several iterations, with the goal to portray her as "capable, utilitarian, and strong". After Lev, born as Lily, transitioned to male, the siblings were ostracized from the group and forced to flee. Theater, she has become more mature, grizzled in after the first game, Ellie leaves Santa... 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