Masterpiece; a work of art; a blot on the franchise. These are just a few words used to describe The Last of Us Part II. Now, we’ll finally understand the process behind its creation. Grounded II: The Making of The Last of Us Part II is an upcoming documentary detailing the making of Naughty Dog’s controversial hit sequel.
Slated to be released on February 2 on YouTube, the documentary will also be added to the upcoming downloadable patch for The Last of Us Part II Remastered. The cherry on top is the additional new skins that Ellie and Abby will receive in the update that goes live at 12 p.m. ET/9 a.m. PT.
Grounded II: Making The Last of Us Part II is coming on February 2!
You'll be able to watch this documentary on YouTube and as part of an upcoming downloadable patch for #TLOU2Remastered. The update also includes additional new skins for Ellie and Abby! pic.twitter.com/kcWG2YVI6l
— Naughty Dog (@Naughty_Dog) January 25, 2024
Of course, many will be curious to see if this will be a genuine look behind the curtain or simply another well-choreographed corporate PR stunt for the controversial title. Grounded: Making The Last of Us, the original documentary, was released in February 2014, giving us a glimpse into the game dev pool and showing us the blood, sweat, and tears behind the first game.
Now, with the sequel’s documentary, many will be expecting some juicy details about the development hurdles, the infamous crunch, and the spicy leaks that set the internet on fire. At the very least, the trailer has already given us a peek at what’s to come, including conversations on studio crunch and leaks, and developing The Last of Us Part II during the pandemic.
All the same, this is Hollywood – or at least, Hollywood’s flashy cousin. I’m skeptical of Naughty Dog being too motivated to air its dirty laundry in public. If anything, the narrative will mirror a tightly-scripted reality show. We might get a peek behind the scenes, but don’t expect any earth-shattering revelations.
Obviously, some think Grounded II will be Naughty Dog singing its own praises – a self-congratulatory pat on the back, if you will. However, for most of the fans, this documentary will shed some light on some of the decisions made across the story and game design of The Last of Us Part II that were not revealed in the post-game launch podcast.
Some games can only be appreciated after several playthroughs, which is why it might be a good idea to give the Sony title another chance now. For PlayStation 5 players, The Last of Us Part II Remastered is available to purchase for $49.99, and the best part is that existing owners can upgrade it for just $10.
