Neil Druckmann SPOILER Chat about The Last of Us Part II - Vic's Basement - Electric Playground
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- Опубликовано: 15 июл 2024
- #NeilDruckmann
#TheLastofUsPartII #TLOU2
Neil Druckmann, Naughty Dog's VP and the co-writer and director of The Last of Us Part II, drops by the Basement for a SPOILER=-filled chat
with Victor Lucas about the creation, reception and the uproar surrounding one of the best games of the PS4 generation!
TIME STAMPS
00:00 - Introduction
01:41 - The Inspiration for The Last of US Part II
03:31 - Convincing Collaborators About the Death of XXXXXX
05:28 - The Controversies Surrounding the Game
10:26 - Would Neil Want to Create Something So Difficult Again?
15:43 - Negativity Around the Game Changing?
17:55 - Turn Off the Bleakness and Being a Parent?
21:00 - The Way Ellie Winds Up & the Guitar
24:17 - The Future of the Medium of Videogames?
28:21 - How Can the HBO Show Compare to the Games?
32:03 - Wrapping Up
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Игры
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Thanks for the kind words about the interview! Even those that didn’t enjoy the game. :)
I love the game and I put together a detailed video outlining why. If you haven’t checked it out please do. #PlayForever
ruclips.net/video/_L1B3-LVbD0/видео.html
Please, please, please let us know that there is a part 3 coming. I can no longer enjoy games as before after playing part 2, everything seems dull and meaningless. This game is just the BEST GAME EVER!!! Thank you Naughty Dog! Truly, THANK YOU!!!!
I can totally respect Neil for bringing Naughty Dog stepping out the comfort zone and trying to challenge themselves to another level.
This game might not work on everyone, but neither is every other games because no one and no video game is perfect. There is no good or bad and right or wrong for making a video game that links to real life matter and resonates with people around the world.
All I want to say is Thank you Naughty Dog for making this incredible and "important" game during this time in 2020. Congratulations for being the winner of Game of the Year Awards 2020!
It never ceases to amaze me at how thoughtful Neil Druckmann is, and all the consideration he puts into his answers. I for one *LOVED* Part 2 and even though it didn't land for some other people, I truly and genuinely loved that Naughty Dog didn't play it safe and give us a boring, "fan service" type of game. I appreciate the risks they took narratively, thematically, and emotionally.
@@resonate9815 .... Explain what you mean.
@@resonate9815 ... Just admit you hate the game not because it is bad, but because of your shitty, far-right, extremist, hateful politics.
Thank you Vic and Neil for the enjoyable conversation. Huge fans of both of you, and those you collaborate with.
This is hands down the best, deepest, most interesting interview to Neil Druckmann that I ever saw.
Vic the guests you have in the basement are always incredible. The in-depth time you spend gives us a perspective that a one or two question sound bite just can't give. Another fantastic guest and topic. Thank-you.
I can’t get enough of tlou2 interviews
Same
Same
IVE WATCHED SO MANY 😂😂
GIVE US MORE!
I been watching many interviews and Behind the scenes stuff on these games very interesting and I love how open they are of showing. Truly one of the greatest games I've ever played loved Last of Us 2. I wrote Two weekends ago I finished the video game Last of Us Part 2, One of the greatest games I've ever played. The story and emotions are some of the greatest I have ever seen in a video game same with the graphics they were some of the most detailed I have ever seen. Like towards the end there is a beach that looks amazing and just like a beach. The water is incredible as well. The best looking game I have ever played. Just mind blowing stuff. Everything is fantastic.
Also it was a blast to ride on a horse as a village is burning and people are fighting that moment is one of my favorite parts in any game I've played. The sky bridge is so cool you are high up and the character is afraid of heights. Also in puddles you see reflections of stuff like the skyscrapers. Another standout moment is you are exploring on your horse than all of sudden a landmine explosion happens that kills your horse and made me jump actually there are a few moments that made me jump whatever a person, creature or object appears out of nowhere. Another great moment is when you riding in a boat as a huge storm is happening and you see a train up in the air that you can explore and a boat. Than a very intense moment happens in a hospital that is a flashback and than a dark scene happens.
The story is very heavy and gloomy though. In short it is about Revenge and Death. Very interesting and impactful. There are a lot of very thoughtful messages in there that are timely and sad. It is about a virus that kills people or turns them into zombie like creatures but mostly it is really about humanity and how people react to misery and death. A lot of it is very sad and some of the most devastating and depressing things I've ever seen in a video game. The feels and emotions are strong in this game. Really intense as well. But so incredible. So many fantastic messages about life.
Without spoiling it the story in a nutshell is about how a girl goes on a revenge trip to find who kills a father figure to her. And also about the killer and why she did it. Some truly remarkable stuff happens that are some of the best moments I've ever played and seen in a video game.
The characters are unbelievable as well the main character is a lesbian and is in a relationship with another woman. There are a few Asians as well including one that is Transgender so there is a lot of different kinds of people.
There are a few jokes that are funny that make me laugh in what is otherwise a pretty heavy game. There is a joke have funny puns like a horse is not feeling well because it is horse just some clever word play.
One of the biggest parts is that there are two different kinds of people fighting and killing that belief and think they are right. One which is a made up religion to me it reminds me of the Middle East.
The opening of both are some of the greatest ever as well. Between what they show and how they make you feel it is so good. The first opens with the virus starting and how a family deals with it and the guy's daughter getting killed and than as the opening credits play along with one of the greatest pieces of music I have ever heard in a video game it explains what is going on. Than this one begins with why not as memorable as the first is still pretty great. With the guy explaining to his brother what he did at the end of the first one and him riding a horse as the sun sets that is awe inspiring as the opening credits play and another memorable piece of music plays that truly remarkable.
Finally the game makes some shocking decisions that left people baffled and angry. I think what they did makes completely sense and I understand what they told but at the same time I can see why people hate it and find it polarizing. The ending to 2 is fantastic and is another worthy moment of the series the first one ended what is considered one of the greatest endings ever. It really is mind blowing and is memorable.
Incredible game truly of the best I have ever played love the studio who made the game they made my other favorite series of all time Uncharted that is a pure fun and lighthearted action game that is very much like Indiana Jones. They have some of the greatest moments I've ever played as well. There is a Train chase that is one of the best set pieces of all time in video game history. People are shooting at you and a helicopter comes and fires at you all while the train is moving and finally it crashes in the snow and you have to climb out of it. A lot of people think it is one of the greatest moments in video gaming history. Actually people think the game is one of the greatest ever made.
Actually I would call them the best games I've ever played. The music is stunning and unbelievable in both. In Uncharted it is a really cool adventure vibe that is incredible while in Last of Us series it is a slow guitar vibe that is truly is the best soundtracks I have ever heard in gaming. Actually in Last of Us's case the composer is a two time Oscar winner. The guitar has some meaning in the story as well which is very interesting how the two connects. Another remarkable thing is that there is a character sings some of Take on Me and Future Days.
Finally another cool thing they did in The Last of Us 2 is that the developers included 60 different settings for people with disabilities. I have never seen a game with that many settings. It is a very cool feature and I hope more studies do that. I read it has moved so gamers to tears what they included. It really is quite something. Everything from vision to hard of hearing is display here. Very impressive.
Very interesting interview! I’m so glad Neil will talk to “smaller” channels. Please don’t take that as an insult. Great job on the interview!
Yeah I am as well. They are so open!
I wouldn't call Vic small, this channel may be but the guy has been a pro at video game journalism for a very long time. He's got clout and love the dude.
I didn’t know about his tv past. I stand corrected. Glad I found his channel.
@PlanetCheat Like 20+ years. Vic was the first camera person who did E3 in a real way back when E3 started. The two shows "The Electric Playground" and "Reviews on the Run" were staples for a long time and so much of what they did was pretty cutting edge not just for the time, even for now.
agreed man! while Vic's EPN channel on RUclips is small...his actual real life presence in the Industry tho has been a very long time! hell i watched Electric Playground all the time on G4 tech TV! I think that has more to do with it than the size of Vic's channel, he's known in the bizz more than anything i think..
It’s really cool you got Neil on the show, never would’ve expected it. Congrats Vic on the video and great interview to both of you
Vic has been doing games coverage for at least around 20 years, before this YT channel he co-hosted a TV show with the same name on G4TV (or G4 Tech TV as it was called before that) on cable/satellite TV. He's right up there with folks like Geoff Keighley
@@apictureoffunction Vic is great and EPN/Reviews on the Run was awesome on G4 but Vic just doesn’t have the popularity or influence on his platform compared to someone like Geoff Keighley, even despite Geoff getting his start with Vic.
@@Jazzadrin he might not have the consistent popularity/financial support that EPN used to in it's heyday, but I think his influence is a different matter. Higher up devs like Neil (who was basically a mid level dev during the Jak and Daxter era) remember being interviewed by intelligently hosted programs like EPN in those days, and are happy to talk to someone who's a veteran of navigating the industry from "the old days"
#neildruckmann The Last of us (I and II)is one the best game I ever played
It's nothing but a Masterpiece. Many thanks to Neil Druckmann, Ashley, Troy and Naughty Dogs for this amazing experience.
Don't' let talentless and frustrated people destroy your Art, don't let them deprive us of TLOU 3...
agree while I was not super excited about the story when u sit back and look @ everything
they created an entire world that brings these characters to life more than anything i’ve ever seen’ u loose yourself in the games before u know if 5 hrs is gone’ the level of detail in the games is spot on’ really happy they finally released #2 even though not the best story everything else is honestly unbelievable
Dude, that was an AWESOME interview!!!
And Just FYI...what Neil said from 23:11 to 23:23 was *exactly* my interpretation on my 1st playthrough and up through right now. Ellie's leaving behind Joel's guitar is symbolic of her: 1) forgiving Joel (and Abby), 2) finally finding peace within herself, and 3) moving on. Part 2 is an epic masterpiece.
This seemed like a really different kind of chat than others Neil has done, and I think I really liked it.
Last of us 02 is the best game i've ever played. As a gamer and a movie lover, i think it is the best game and sequel ever made from a video game.
I have seen every interview neil has done for LOU2, this is by far the one with the most passion, sincerity and giving the reverence creating games deserves. Bravo!
The background music on this video is very relaxing to me and it really complements the interview
really good episode. keep up the good work.
I loved Part II so much, played 3 times now and got all my trophies and dlc trophies, still, I cant help but wanting to go back to it and play it again. I loved part I, but part II really got me, something happened to me when I played this game that just made me become a HUGE fan of Naughty Dog and Neil Druckmann. The nerve, the courage, the audacity... Thank you Neil and Naughty Dog. Please, keep giving us more of this kind of games.
The graphics and attention to detail in this game are insane. You can tell that time was spent on development, versus some rushed thing made in a few months
Fun fact : 50% of development time went into the sex scene and Joel death scene
@@100nb6 finally common sense
@1Yan00 gameplay wise maybe half of story? Meh but making an antagonist to protagonist? Bruh
@1Yan00 who hurt you
Man Vic this was such a good interview. I LOVE the guitar in the background. VERY smart choice. Keep it up dude !!
Great interview Vic.
I'm not a fan of Neil, but I can respect him for discussing all of this.
My only gripe was the story, wasnt fond of it, but loved playing through the game.
So you were a fan of his, but not anymore?
@@TJ-fe7rr 1st game made me appreciate him, the 2nd one not so much.
@@Pewpewpew182 fair enough, me personally I can't turn on someone if they make something I don't like, which he didn't, just my opinion :).
For example we don't suddenly turn on an actor we like, if they make a horrible film do we?
Awesome interview!
Great interview. Thanks Vic.
These have gotten shorter, depending on who is on the show, and I just wanna say that I 100% approve! Sometimes, you’ll have somebody on that you can ramble on with for 1 1/2 hrs, while other times it is focused with (imo) interview questions that don’t make one roll their eyes. I appreciate that you avoid padding/pandering, to keep it long. 👍
Very insightful interview. Thank you!
What I loved about TLOU2 compared to part one was that the world that Noughty Dog developed is the grayest world I have ever experienced in any form of storrytelling mediums.
I loved when it has been mentioned that the future of storytelling is changing right before our eyes.
I believe interactive storytelling is inevitable future and best way of development of interactive storytelling is video games.
Neil is a real idiol in the industry on that regards and with his mindset around video games and storytelling there would be much more stories from him which we will enjoy them.
Well said. Druckmann is one of the best storytellers in videogames. Seems like some of the hate has been getting to him, which really sucks. He's pushing the medium forward, no doubt.
@@deathcube35 The good thing about him is that he is not falling in love with characters but instead falling in love with story, something which we can not say about his critics.
Another good thing is that he has used every elements in his games, especially tlou2, in the service of the story. The relationships, the chemistry between characters, the flow of the events and even the characters he has chosen. He used a lot of elements which could have easily fall into trap of not fitting into the story but they fit perfectly.
چیز جالبی که راجب این بازی دارم میبینم اینه که ایرانیا عاشق بازی شدن خارجیا مث یه مشت اسکل سطحی که از بازی هیچی درک نکردن فقط از بازی بد میگن فک میکنم دلیلشم این باشه که ما ایرانیا بیشتر با سختی ها دست پنجه نرم میکنیم و کمتر احساساتی هستیم برای همین بازیو درک کردیم... ولی خب همین که یه سریا از بازی بدشون میاد و یه سری دیگه خوششون میاد نشون میده که چقد این بازی درگیر کننده خوبه که تمام نظرات رو برانگیخته
@@deathcube35 😂😂😂 u can’t make this up! 😝one the best story telling of all time 🙄u got 2 b kinding me right?😳
@@rolandsmalls8886 mr fearless predicted you two years ago lol. ☝️ facts
I don't really like the direction he took with Joel, but such is life. We don't always get what we want and life moves on. The game was still an exceptional experience that I won't forget anytime soon. Great stuff Vic! The best interviewer in the industry, would love to see this channel basically become "The Victor Lucas Experience". God knows this medium could use more professionals asking the questions.
Why don't you like the direction he took with joel?
@Amos Fundi after 4 years you would assume if joel is trying to redeem himself for ellie he would be more trusting of others. If he say decided to let abby die then it would only have rumors get spread thst hes a heartless monster and all that so it's way less realistic for him to continue being cold especially since his willingness to trust henry and sam because of ellie is a testament that he doesnt have an issue with trust 3gen back in the first game. Aldo joel killing hundreds of fireflies isnt canon, if anything him doing stealth the entire time is the only realistic canon since you know, the gameplay is detached from reality.
It makes sense and it wasnt out of character.
If you're going to have joel die you're not going to give him a heroes death since this isnt an avengers movie and he isnt a hero, his death makes a lot of sense and letting her die just doesnt make sense
@@GrownManPat The bludgeoned to death with a golf club direction.
@@ibuydigital1574 What?????
Man I can’t get enough of these discussions. Neil should just make a career out of long form interviews discussing TLoU2 imo.
💯
@cHez33fuckerr - Lol. That's something a racist would say.
the game is beautiful and the gameplay is awesome. no matter if you liked the story or not
So glad my brother sent this to me. Miss seeing Vic on G4
Great chat. What's the song playing at the beginning of the video?
Great great job Vic! Keep up the good work
Really enjoyed this talk a lot. Keep up the great work Vic :)
Neil: "I don't want to make things I just easily consume, I want you to walk away and kinda ponder and think about it and have this thing stick around with you even after you've done playing it."
Thank you very much Neil and Naughty Dog team, I really enjoy playing it.
:)
Neil: I want you to buy my game. Sony wants to kill me:(
Wait until trades comeback
You could do anything stupid and people will talk about you and
Bloodmeat that doesn’t mean it’s a good game otherwise COD GAMES are the best?
Monte Raid COD games are on pc, Xbox and PS and make money thru multiplayer, TLOU2 didn’t have any of that
Neil is taking a very healthy attitude to the reception. I think the music in the background could be off or at least quieter.
Man feel bad for Neil the 7 years of hard work just to not celebrate the launch causd of covid and the leaks before launch and tbe hate even though i didnt like the game but still no one deserves that kind of hate
That's right. It must be absolutely awful. Especially when you're an artist trying to bring a little joy into people's lives. And when they don't like it. Your treated like a criminal
@@TJ-fe7rr Not everyone has to like what u make, everyone has an opinion that's why reviews exists, there opinions. If people love it awesome if they dont ok they dont and leave it at that. But death threats and hate speech no absolutely not acceptable and thats what was awful
Sorry for me English:
The death treats were over the top but for the rest.. he got what he deserved.
He actively changed footage to trick people into buying a game that did not exist. Even worse! He never had the intention of making the game he marketed! Betesda failed us with FO76 but they tried. He didn’t even try. And than this hiding behind the LGBT shield in order to not own the fact that he cheated us into buying! That make me dislike him even more. Ellie was gay for years now. We knew that and didn’t care.
Heat is what you deserve for something like that. If this was a master piece and everything was done only to protect the story. If this was the case… Why not refunding? There is no down side in refunding if everyone is so happy with the game.
@@servothratedeneba6864 the marketing was probably the most disappointing thing making us tgibk we see more of joel and ellie, I bought it second hand not new just to give it a try and i regret getting it but at least we got the first game
@@paulwar2391 May I ask a question?
How is the game doing in our country? In EU we have no actual numbers, Only the second hand market price is very strange. Death stranding is with 40-50€ more expensive than TLOU part 2 with 27€-35€. Since TLOF part 2 is younger one would thing it was the other way around.
Thanks for the interview. It was chill and informative. It's nice just hearing reasonable discussion on this title
Loved this interview!
Great interview Vic I really enjoyed the game but I also completely understand why the majority didn't.
I've got a lot of respect for Neil Druckmann. The haters and trolls can diss him and say he's a bad writer as much as they want, but you cannot deny the impact he's had on the game industry. The quality of writing, storytelling, and production standards in video games have risen considerably as a result of him. This guy wrote and directed The Last of Us and Uncharted 4, both critically acclaimed games, the guy is not a bad story teller. He decided to adopt a more graphic, brutal, and unconventional approach for TLOU2, but this is one of the reasons why I like it so much. It didn't tell a simple story where the good guys fight the bad guys and everyone walks off happily ever after, but rather got us questioning and thinking about moral situations, and paints an unsettling, but probably rather accurate, picture of humanity.
I still remember the days when Naughty Dog were making Crash Bandicoot, it's a genuine pleasure seeing how far they've come as a company.
GREAT INTERVIEW!!! NAUGHTY DOG IS THE BEST!!! NEIL DRUCKMANN IS THE BEST!!!! TLOU2 IS THE FUCKING BEST!!!! ELLIE IS THE MOTHERFUCKING BEST (WITH DINA) and ASHLEY JOHNSON IS THE INCREDIBLE MOTHERFUCKING BEST THING EVER!!!!!!!!!!! 100/10
dude, calm down it's just a video a game
thanks, for having the interview.. odd he said he wanted to make something that didn't "tarnish" the original tho
And.. odd he'd compare his work to the Last Jedi
Joel's decision at the end to save Eli (who he "adopted" as his daughter after his loss years before) and have him treated how he was, was akin to how the Last Jedi's director treated Luke Skywalker and his character & legacy in a small way.
Saying that; I'm curious to see what Naughty Dog can do w/ an RPG/open-world game (a la Mass Effect) where they leave the choices up to the players
The thing is is that joel is supposed to be seen as extre.ely bad and in the wrong and terrible for what he did so it fits in with that pretty perfectly. People who think joel was right for what he did are misinterpreting the character.
Fantastic interview! You had some really interesting questions to be answered 😃
Such a great interviewer. It's funny seeing these young media groups getting much more attention. EPN is so... boutique and has character.
Young media groups? Victor is 52 and has been doing video game journalism since the mid 90s in Canadian tv and then G4 channel.
Shumayel you're right Victor is a great interviewer, and probably the most prolific reviewer on the planet. He invented video game tv and was the first to feature the creators/artists/developers on television. The masses just haven't found him on YT yet.
I did see the Vic's Basement podcast was the #1 video game podcast a few weeks ago. Congrats Victor!
Vic is OG amino. One of the few people who has been to every E3
Juan Hernandez yes, I grew up watching him. I meant young media groups. Not Vic lol.
Whoa. Nice one, Vic. Using those industry connects 😉
holy shit. wait no wonder you look familiar. used to watch electric playground back in the days. you and tommy tallarico! blast from the past
Good interview! You ask really good questions
Neil if you see this, your game was really profound to me. My non video gamer wife actually sat and watched me play the whole 35 hours she was so engrossed in the story. Cant wait to see how the HBO show plays out. Thank you for this amazing piece of art.
No
@Lightbringer that's your personal problem
Hey Victor, Sweden loves you. #5 of all Video game podcasts, #41 on the Leisure podcast list.
Respect to Neil for not creating the typical happy story so all people would like the game and instead creating a deep and dark which have triggered shallow people who refuse to understand the story because their favorite character died
Spot on comment mate!
One of the greatest things I've ever watched. Love this game
I didn't like it unlike the first game but I am willing to give Naughty Dog a chance with Part 3. Let's not forget this the same guy that gave us gems like Uncharted 4 and LoU1
@@crashpal oh I'm sorry you didn't like it :(
I say sorry because this game has the potential to make you feel more emotions than part 1. Then it is just about the player that this happens or not. :)
@@crashpal I'm glad you're willing to give part 3 a chance, and I'm sure Neil would be happy to know you've forgiven him hahahaha
Awesome interview, and I hope they make a Part 3! NAUGHTY DOG and Cast delivered something truly amazing.
Never make a part 3
@@cloakmas2258 unless the story and characters are more like Part 1 and not like Part 2 at all.
Part 3 will be the sympathetic back story to David’s cannibal group. If Part 3 doesn’t make me shoot a five year old infected child in the face and then eat him, and trigger my PTSD and make me feel suicidal all in the first two hours, I will feel VERY disappointed in ND. It will mean that Druckmann doesn’t really have the courage of his convictions to ride that “empathy” train to its logical last stop. Don’t let me down, Neil
Thank youuuu
I love Joel! Very upset that he died. But I get it, it's a rough world. It's realistic. You'll die. Great game. 10 out of 10. Playing second play through.
I so love the spiderman that blinks in the background.
*I played TLoU2 last week and completed it today. Such an amazing experience and yes, while Joel was murdered, we still got him in flashbacks, it's not an anti-male agenda from Naughty Dog. It's a shame I was brought to the attention of crap channels such as G&G, Quartering (the worst) and HvBF who were vehemently against Abby, etc.*
@Marquis Ballard - I had no idea Laura disliked the character, probably from an acting point-of-view.
@Marquis Ballard That's not true. She specifically said she disliked Abby at first while playing through the game the first time despite knowing everything that was going to happen already, but she grew to care for her by the end.
Thanks bro. Respect you alot
I hope Part 3 will be just as great as this one, I feel bad for neil, he tried a different approach, to a game that is nothing like the uncharted series. Coz let's face it, tlou2 is real life and life is hard
yeah life is hard and game is the escape,the fantasy.then why put real life into video game?double depression?
and no...in real life,at least in my country,people still play golf with ball not someone head
a fucking masterpiece
Loved it
Sorry that Neil has to go through such hate
Neil and his team should be very proud of what they achieved.
This game really changed me, it changed my vision of the world. For me this game is a absolute MASTERPIECE ♥️ that I'm not about to forget. Best game or should I say experience (because it's more than just a game) of my entire life.
Thanks Naughty Dog 👏 for this. I hope we'll get a Part 3 some day🙏. Take all the time you need, we shall wait.
How did it change your view on the world? Not in an aggressive way I’m just curious
Ribsy Dibsy I guess with Abby we can see we are all a jerk to someone, even if we feel we are right.
Love naughty dog so much for taking the risks that they did with this story! Difficult to see a big budget sido gave the balls to do that!
Great interview Vic, you always do the best ones. I'm glad to hear the hate everyone involved in the last of us 2 is dying down a bit. So looking forward to the HBO show.
Great interview!
Great interview, fantastic game. Good stuff, Vic.
So glad a great interviewer *with a passion for the medium, ie YOU interviewed Neil. Fantastic work 👏 .. THANK YOU VIC
Fantastic interview!
Want to watch this all the way to the end but I haven't played the game yet.
Neil is a solid dude. I hope other gaming studios take note and push the envelope like ND has accomplished with TLoU2. This game was an incredible experience.
...this monstrosity never needs to be created. The writing was all over the place.
@@KwesiJamal1 well it wouldn't be the same game. best gaming experience of my life, so i want more stories like it.
I really hope the internet doesn't screw Neil up. I need more games that stay in my head. Thanks for the interview.
Maybe not the internet, but that sorry excuse for a woman Sarkeesian.
Great interview, thank you.
Loved the sequel 10/10
I find Neil has a good balance of humility and ego. He definitely has an ego, but at every chance he's always talking up the team, that this was strictly a team effort, and downplays his role. I recently saw Greyhound and yea Tom doesn't do much either if you think about it. Just telling people what to do and asking questions while the rest of the crew are the ones physically doing anything, but without that captain (spoiler) Greyhound would've been sunked. I appreciate the modesty, but Neil deserves credit too 👏👏
Also love hearing any new details regarding the show. He sounds pretty confident about it, so I'm really excited for that, as well as their take on Joel and Ellie 😬😬
Lol thats why 70% of studio has left. And yes, he is finished. People have made a choice.
@@idin1976 gaming mags push for false articles it's been proven time and time again ie Neil pushed Amy out of ND. I'm pretty sure some left but I doubt it was 77% of their team plus the game was close to being done by that point so it could've been some free lancers
I've never seen a game so divisive. Normally its universally hated and most people just think its good or the opposite. But here you have half the people hating it and half saying it's the best game they've ever played.
I understand why people like it, but at the same time I don't understand why people ignore it's many problems
@@Ghost_Toast5000 cuz they’re doubling down against the enemy on the other side of the proverbial wall even though if they sifted through the opinions of those they can’t stand they might uncover some gems of truth that they prob haven’t considered.
Great video Vic. I absolutely love this game.
Definitely a great interview loved the game 10/10 but I swear to God that freaking spider man plushy keeps blinking that was one of the things I was fixated on besides the actual interview
I thought I am the only one seeing it.....
I have found that nearly everyone who has played the game and didn't like it has misunderstood what he game is about and that's ok! I think its very easy for many to misconstrue their anger and sadness that the game has instilled, with it being a poor story. I am not talking about the haters mind you. I think its important to discuss why it's so brilliant, that the game isn't about "revenge is bad" but rather about Ellie forgiving Joel and herself and the impact of trauma and obsession on individuals.
Bingo, and it goes deeper. It's a lot to unpack.
i`d of tried my best to bring the crew from the original back to develop part 2
can’t wait for the HBO show its gonna be awesome
Neil druckmann has had a big influence on my work process and how I approach storytelling. I love his open minded approach to allowing anyone to improve the story
"Open minded approach." Druckmann notoriously fired anyone who didn't like Abby, from writers to game testers.
You might want to have a less surface-level approach to looking for inspiration, otherwise you might end up thinking Weinstein (Who Neil Druckmann seems to be trying to copy behind the scenes) is also someone to emulate.
@@crazyinsane500 Source?
@@ihaveasecret9539 It was a minor controversy among the myriad of others that Neil Druckmann personally had "sexist" testers fired. What made them sexist? Well, they didn't like "certain characters," IE Abby.
This was mainly covered by Gamespot but verified by other sources (Even Kotaku) that looked into the story, without the bias of looking to cover for access journalism, and interviewed the ex-employees.
As a bonus source, the Weinstein claim I levied wasn't an empty ad-hom, it has it's basis in that Neil Druckmann fired someone for reporting his best friends, Robert Cogburn, to HR for sexual harassment. This was not as widely covered, which was covered by Business Insider and Destructoid.
i have not seen rundown in months. where is rundown!!?
9:42 he wanted to say joel getting golfed
I totally respect Neil and the risks they took with the story, even if it didn't resonante with me. I feel that this entire game depended on whether people could empathize with Abby or not, and I couldn't relate to her. I found her unlikeable, not just because she tortured Joel, but because of how she treated her friends, especially Owen and Mel.
I absolutely loved all of Neil's previous games, so I have high hopes for the next one. TLOU2 was the first time that a Naughty Dog game dissapointed me, but I support them for trying to say something new, even if it didn't land with me.
Agreed, I respect developers who take the chance to tackle some very challenging themes. Personally, I did sympathize with Abby. I understood both her and Ellie, and ended up liking them both. I hope to see both of them in Part 3, if there will be one.
Thing is he utilized those risks wrongly. There are plenty of games with lesbians, transvestites, muscular females but at most they have been minor side roles and either helped the main good guys or main bad guys and did very little in the main plot
He’s a terrible writer that wanted to project his own fantasies on the game not caring for the outcome and lost 70% of ND employees because of it
@@JesusChrist-bq6lu I hated the story in TLOU2, but it was HIS story to tell, not ours. He wrote the first one which we all love, and he can do whatever he wants with it. Having said that, time will tell if the divisive storytelling this game had ends up hurting Naughty Dog or not. For starters, I won't be preordering their next game blindly like I have been doing since Uncharted 2.
@@crashpal Are you saying that the problem with this game was that it had gay/trans characters in main roles?
TLOU2 I got my platinum, I keep playing it, I keep crying haha... I keep fantasizing about how good Factions could be with this sharper TLOU2 gameplay. Imagine how in-depth they could take Factions MP, dealing with an open world, what the division could have been. I still play Factions, it’s the perfect multiplayer to me. I hope they don’t forget about us, every single friend I have on PlayStation I met playing TLOU Factions MP.
Thought I was logged on this account. The multiplayer could explore what happens with your clan instead of a Petri dish. Your friends have an objective and there is infected npcs on the way and other players trying to kill you. TLOU2’s gameplay is too good, people complain about the story.. everything about this game is so powerful they could strip the story and it would be a 10, strip the gameplay and be a 10. I wonder if I’m just indirectly begging for a multiplayer.
Multiplayer in story driven games is superfluous in my opinion, the playerbase would eventually take a nosedive and inevitably retreat to the already established and exclusively multiplayer games such as destiny, fortnite, call of duty etc.. I think multiplayer games should continue to be standalone in their experiences. No point saping resources away from main game with a multiplayer mode 19 people will play.
I Buy Digital “superfluous” - unnecessary, especially through being more than enough. I don’t know you, but from your comment you speak as if you’ve never played TLOU Factions MP, it’s single-handedly what brought me from xbox to PlayStation, I’ve met over 400 of my friends playing Factions over the last 7 years, I’ve been 999 for over 3 years, no matter what new multiplayer game comes out, we always end up going back to playing Factions MP. It’s more then some COD Destiny garbage. It involves stealth or aggression, ammo scarcity, crafting on the fly, a game of angles, a game of team work on a level other multiplayer games simply do not offer. To simply write-off it’s value as a extra feature is absolutely appalling and a true atrocity to the gaming community. Factions MP is absolutely the BEST multiplayer on the fucking planet, do you get me? What’s your favorite game off all time so I can shit on it and say it doesn’t matter?
Great job on the game of the year!!!!!!!!
Excellent interview. I’m currently playing through new game + right now. This game is such a monumental achievement.
Me too! Which part you are on?
Me too.
What the hell is monumental or an achievement about it? Never crouched in tall grass to hide in a game before? Never stayed behind cover and shot at enemies before?
What's the big achievement? What's so monumental?
@@natk8541 Have you ever done that in an immersive story. One where you give a crap about the characters, where you can come to understand their perspectives and actions, where you get a glimpse into a reality where one lives mostly in hell? That is monumental. Combine that with things many many games simply have not done, allowing you to be stealthy or guns blazing or anything in between, relationships between characters that are valid not just surface or fluff. Don't you consider that monumental? Other than The Last of Us part 1 which games have truly done this to nearly the same degree with a sense of urgency and threat where resource conservation can mean the difference between life and death where you have to think and react. Nat, if you can't see the difference, if you don't perceive it, I have to ask have you even played the game?
@@epiphany519 I did all that in TLoU Part 1. Part 2 isn't a monument nor is repeating the formula of the 1st an achievement.
Spare me your flowery prose amigo, you're coming off as pretentious as Troy Baker has been coming off with his posts about "The Man in the Arena" and shit.
Great interview.
Great video Vic, props to Neil for putting it all on the table and great work on an amazing looking and fun game, but simply didn’t like the story that they told. I actually compare the last of us 2 more to Prometheus than the last Jedi. The fact Neil says that this game is messier than the first tells you everything.
@@LeMaqnifique So for you a complicated story is a good story. For me, a simple but well-executed story is better. And there's nothing wrong with that. I understood the poetic message they went for regarding redemption and the cycle of revenge. It is actually a good story, I simply didn't like it. I can go into further details why but I don't see the point since you automatically dismiss those that didn't like the story as simpletons.
I am playing the last of us part 2. The gameplay looks great
Great talk, loved the part about the future of the video games medium. This game set a new bar for games on many levels, it will be hard not to hold all future triple A games up to it in comparison. I already notice lot of the big open world games being released right now especially in the characters just don't quite look so good anymore after playing tlou 2 and they would have looked great just a year ago.
I like Abbey but I don’t love her like Elie and Joel
I honestly dont get how people dislike this game. I mean to each there own. But the hate us out of control. You cant doubt that the gameplay, level design and everything is not bad at all!
@@RandoCDN87 I honestly hate to break it to you, but games are mostly about well...the gameplay lol. But, I get it, it's your opinion.
@@RandoCDN87 you can tell straight away the people who have played the game and the people who have just watched their favourite youtubers whinging online. The story is not "trash", there maybe things in it which you don't like but to say there is nothing good at all about it in 30 hours is just immature.
SuperVegeta25Returns indeed. Games are generally mostly about gameplay. The Last of Us, on the other hand, is about the story.
@@RandoCDN87 that's an opinion. Because I enjoyed the story.
@@Jazzadrin Another way you can see that someone has not played the game. The last of us 2 has a chunk of gameplay in it's 30 hours or so. It's a lot more hands on than the first game and it's also improved. Some of the story is actually ingrained into the gameplay also through exploration to actually attacking certain enemies in certain ways. It's very clever and certainly it's a game about the gameplay as well as the story.
I just wanted to say kudos for having Neil on as a guest on your show.. The man is a God in the video gane industry and Naughty Dog is my favorite gaming company.. Keep up the good work Neil and Vic you are awesome
Damn right! this game was great. And I'll defend it to the end
@T J I will fall with you defending this game ✊🏽
@@deez6102 thank you brother ✊
@@deez6102 Im in with you bro✊
I dont get all of this outrage over this game. It kinda feels childish to me in all honesty. At the end of the day, it's just a video game, nobody's forcing you to play it. If you like it buy it, if you dont play something else, it's that simple. Enough with all this worthless negativity and go out and find a game that suits you. (I'm playing Wrestlemania XIX on the Gamecube and its badass:)
If u don't understand the emotional connection that the fans had for the first one then I don't know what to tell u. I get what ur saying, it's not that serious but at the same time I get it. They fucked up alot of the game, I still played it and beat it. It was an ok game overall
I could easily quietly ignore this if it weren't receiving such adulation. Do you know what this praise means? It means that other devs and other teams will try to make games more like TLoU2.
If you don't want loud outrage, don't WILDLY overvalue a standard AAA game. I genuinely expect that we'll see another classic Sony or 3rd Party franchise get TLoU-ified much in the same way God of War was changed [not to say that GoW is a bad game but the influence from TLoU is clear]. Variety is valuable. Innovation is valuable. Progress is valuable. TLoU2 doesn't have any of these properties but is being elevated to the peak of praises and reputation. I'm genuinely worried about the next 5-10 years of gaming if we're still gonna be putting a design from 2013 up on the big pedestal.
@@natk8541 I pray that more studios make games that are as good as TLOU2
@@TheThirdPew More 8/10 games with high production values and top presentation would be great!
Unfortunately with everybody calling TLoU2 8/10 product an 11/10 "landmark" and "masterpiece" we're just gonna get more games copying elements of TLoU directly instead of doing new things at a similar level of quality. Expect another generation of forced walk'n'chats. Expect another generation of film/tv storytelling instead of interactive, player driven emergent or implied storytelling. Expect more linear third person shooters. Expect us t continue to wallow in the shadow of other mediums instead of pursuing and honing the truly unique and innate strengths of gaming as a medium because people massively overvalue "cinematic" games.
@@natk8541 no biggie, if that's the case I'll just sit back and play SSX 3 and Splinter Cell Chaos Theory on my PS2. I'm not stressing
Should’ve asked about Factions 2):
Factions 2 isn't going to come any time soon because Naughty Dog made only one guy responsible for *all* the multiplayer for their games. This guy, Robert Cogburn, turned out to be a sexual harasser and, while Neil tried to protect him, higher-ups at Sony had Robert Cogburn fired after he finished up work on Uncharted 4.
@@crazyinsane500 bruh they’ve been working on it for 2 years there’s leaked footage and everything they’re probably about to announce it. They hired a shitload of new people too stfu
@@oheldenring6937 "They hired a shitload of new people"
Was this before or after 70%+ of the company quit due to Neil Druckmann?
@@crazyinsane500 after they won the most game awards of all time (:
@@oheldenring6937 Just because money was thrown around to get those, doesn't mean the people paid were employees, or working on the game itself.
I absolutely loved the game and the characters. I totally resonated with both Abby and Ellie and their journeys. Also as a LGBT person of colour gamer - I just want to say a massive thank you to Neil and Naughty Dog for presenting such a variety of characters from different backgrounds. Just a beautiful and haunting game ! ❤️❤️
I agree, but I think there should be a Last of Us part 3. I think they're doing it for the PS5, they just can't say anything yet because, it's too early.
@@Johntheninja100 exactly i really hope so too. They didnt say anything after the first game for obvious reasons so i can assume they working on it on the low
I’m very much looking forward to listening to this but I’m still very upset about the stories of crunch culture at naughty dog not really being addressed by Neil.
@@lilpp4791 I thought Neil's last name started with a C, not Dr?
Just to clarify; My comment was in relation to disappointment about Neil being so open to promotion of the game while at the same time not publicly addressing the circumstances surrounding its development in an honest way. It was not a criticism of Vic’s interview which after watching was, as usual, very well done.
He actually addressed that in an interview with troy Baker.
@@JohnTramonto Thank you people act like ND is soo bad all gaming developers do it. ND has a problem they love gaming, so they would go all out to make it the best, like an essay you want to get a good grade in or a hobby that you're super passionate about. The rest of the developers dont e.g. activision just out here to reap money from their call of duties lootboxes etc.
@@JohnTramonto Because those devs don't make games that trigger right wing snowflakes.
Neil Druckmann gives interview everyday. No day without interview! Well done Neil. Lol:)
I just finished the game and overall I thought it was a great game. The story could’ve been a bit better but the gameplay is outstanding 🔥🔥8.5/10 🤷🏿♂️
AKSHAR PATEL arguable
@AKSHAR PATEL keep telling yourself that, doesn't make it the truth.
Druckmann's has a lot of interviews, but this one just land it to me. There all kinds of BS over the others interviews, but on this one he finally admited that Part ll it's a mess. And that's a lot.
It would be cool if u made a last of 2.5 abbys alt choice. N abby decided to capture joel instead of kill him because he did just save her life right before she kills him . Maybe in this alternate reality she hesitates. So just knocks him out n while hes knocked out has a flashback of seeing her dad dead bleeding. N so she then chooses no I have felt this loss so now I'm gonna make sure he feels loss . So then when joel wakes up they kill tommy right in front of him cuz she know's that will make him feel some loss but not enough because she know he killed her dad to save ellie. So then she realizes she has to kill ellie in front of him to fully make him feel how she feels. So after Tommy's death they hit n knock out Joel again n take him to the aquarium in Seattle to draw ellie out cuz she knows this girl must care for him as much as he cares about her. So she leaves metaphorical bread crumbs for ellie. But ellie being the badass she is kills every1 who trys to ambush her n capture her. Along with many encounters with the zombies too. N before her half of the game ends make there be a big boss fight where she has to use most of her ammo n most of her supplies not just have it all add up to then just switch to abby. N in a way start over. But ellie finally gets to the aquarium then sees joel tied up n sees abby telling joel how shes gonna kill ellie in front of him especially now that a lot of her men have died trying to capture her to bring ellie to them so she can kill her in front of him. But then lil did any1 know scars have been casing the place for a couple days n plan their own attack. So right as ellie is about to attack with her half ass plan to save joel a fight brakes out a big fight where u have to fight wlf n scars n zombies. As all this is happening abby runs n tells 1 of her soldiers to just kill joel n get it over with n right as that person is about to ellie kills him n saves joel .
Joel has been beat up pretty bad but not to bad to where he cant fight n cant help n after ellie untied him shes gives him his back pack with his revolver and basic weapons u would start a game with. But then the guy that was dead on the ground leaves an assault rifle similar to the 1 abby starts with. Joel picks it up cocks it says something witty or kinda cool then u play as him for the whole 2nd half of the game. N ur mission is just to mainly get ellie back to Jackson safe . All the mean while hes struggling with having to watch tommy die. Anyway they r on there way back n have multiple run ins with wlf trying to still hunt them down n at this point it's just shoot on sight . They have run ins with scars and have to get thru a pretty main scar camp to get back on the right path for them to get back to Jackson. N the women who was like the holy woman is there n they have to take her out with a group of scars that she has as body guards. Then ur done with that n now on ur way but u have to go thru this giant abandoned building n in it will be a bunch of infected u have to get thru. And towards the end have a similar rat king fight that abby had. But u do it as joel. They get thru that n back out to the rd. They have more run ins with wlf n infected. All the mean while they r getting some shit off each others chest but eventually realize no matter what they r still gonna love each other n still always have each others backs. So now ur close to Jackson but can c smoke in the distance.... Jackson has been attacked. Ellie n joel rush to see this n what's happening n as they get closer realize its wlf but its isaac who lead the whole army there under abbys influence because of all the supplies n weapons n what not she made it seem to him like a full on assault would be worth it . N its until joel n ellie show up . But abby had her own reasons obviously. So here she is knowing they got away have killed bunch of her men n she still isn't gonna let it go. So she finds maria (Tommy's wife) and basically holds her hostage til ellie n joel arrive . Then Joel n ellie decide to split up he tells her to go make sure ppl r ok while he goes after isaac to stop this madness. Ellie ends up running into abby u have a boss fight with her but only after she kills maria because she thot joel was gonna c her die not ellie . So those 2 fight. Ellie wins. But barely . But will live with all her fingers. Then it goes back to joel n ur having to kill a bunch of wlf to finally then reach isaac. Then that becomes a boss fight. Joel wins n lives barely. but better off then ellie joel heads to where he told ellie to go only to find her messed up. so that it makes joel freak out that he might lose her after everything. N he saves her life while they r both crying telling each other how much they love each other n how hes not gonna let her go . No way in hell . So they r both really hurt but hes patching her up. She lives.
It then goes to about a month later it shows ppl rebuilding and the town is now finally doing ok ellie has a cast on her arm or something n joel has some stitches in his head. After it shows u the town then that's when u see ellie n joel hunting for more supplies n food for the camp n they come across signs of the rattlers cuz they have been moving in on every1s territory. To make the rattler empire ever strong. But 1 of the signs or notes they come across is of a small story of how a small group of rattlers got wiped out by what seemed like intelligent infected. They use tactics perfectly normal humans would use . So in the note or whatever sign the person that wrote it says he thinks the infected r evolving to be some bigger some smarter some faster n some more poisonous. Just goes on a lil rant about all these different types like more about stalkers n how they r ambushing ppl n just basically saying he thinks they can now communicate. then it goes to a cut scene where joel n ellie r talking about the rattlers n wondering how many camps n out posts have got hit. N wonder about now the safety again of there own home. But they also talk about infected evolving n how scary that sounds n how they should start to be extra careful with ever step they take. But they head back to town n the last thing any1 says is joel n he say we better get ready cuz were gonna get thru this . Even if it's just the last of us.
No offense but stick to fan fiction
Awesome interview. And I love the game. My favorite game of this generation - by far.