With players stuck inside during the Coronavirus crisis, the hunger for new, long, immersive games is higher than ever, despite the difficulty many players will have in getting their hands on them. Easily one of the most anticipated of these is The Last of Us 2, which players have wanted basically from the moment they finished the original The Last of Us. They will have to continue waiting though, as not only is no The Last of Us 2 playable demo forthcoming, the actual game is currently delayed for who knows how long.
The delay of The Last of Us 2 is largely due to the Coronavirus slowing production of games across the board, and it is far from the only one players will have to wait for. What adds an extra layer of frustration for many players is the fact that the game has been in production for years, and each tease has been tantalizingly small, always leaving fans of the first game eager for more.
One possible solution to the delay that has been suggested, and that many players would be happy to see implemented, would be to release the game digitally before a physical copy is circulated. While this is a popular demand among fans, there has been no final decision regarding a Last of Us 2 early digital release yet from Sony or the developer of the game, Naughty Dog. The biggest reason behind this was revealed by Neil Druckmann in a recent edition of the official PlayStation Blogcast, and it turns out it has very little to do with the state of the game itself. The biggest problem, according to Druckmann, is actually ensuring the game is actually released worldwide, as several regions do not have great ease of access to online resources.
Druckmann explained that the reasoning behind the decision is the game would not get a true worldwide release if some parts of the world couldn't purchase or access the digital copy. Among problems arising is one of spoilers, as one of the biggest draws for The Last of Us was its gripping and emotional story in a fungus-zombie apocalypse. Considering The Last of Us 2 is supposed to make players "question everything" (Troy Baker) they know about the game's world and story, it would be unfair if that story was spoiled for people before they could experience it first hand.
This being the biggest hurdle, all parties involved are of course looking for options to release The Last of Us 2 world wide ASAP, but the unfortunate truth is that this may simply not be possible for a while. It's a shame too, considering The Last of Us was one of the biggest titles ever for the PlayStation and NaughtyDog, and the sequel will no doubt draw in a huge amount of revenue just through its mere existence.
For now though, it looks like an early digital release is not in the cards, and the mysteries of Joelle and Ellie's future adventures are out of reach. Players may have to get used to The Last of Us 2 being delayed indefinitely and look to games like Resident Evil 3 for their zombie-slaying fix for now.
The Last of Us 2 is in development for the PS4
Source: ComicBook