The Last Of Us 2's Story Will Be Divisive, Troy Baker Says

The Last of Us: Part II actor Troy Baker, who plays Joel in the series, has shared some tantalizing details about what to expect in terms of Joel's story arch and the game overall. Unlike the original game, you play as Ellie in the sequel, but Joel will still have time and space to grow. Baker teased that we will learn more about who Joel is as a person throughout the story of Part II.

"What we've done such a good job of doing [in The Last of Us 2], is to continue to peel back layers and learn more about him," Baker told Fandom. "I even learned more about Joel and I’m the guy that walked into [the Last of Us audition] and said, 'I know the truth about Joel!' I knew his truth back then, but [after The Last of Us 2], I know even more of [Joel's] truth."

For the overall story of Part II, Baker said he hopes the narrative challenges players' expectations of "what the game is, what the world is, who the characters are--everything."

Baker also said he hopes people can go into Part II with an open mind. The story in the sequel might not be what you expect, and this is best experienced with an open mind, he said.

"I think they will have a completely different experience than if they go in close-minded," he said.

Also in the interview, Baker recalled the first time he heard about what game director Neil Druckmann had in mind for Part II, which was years ago. Druckmann invited Baker to his home, and by the end of the hour that it took Druckmann to explain the story, Baker was in awe.

"By the end of it, I was silent--like I was sat at the feet of the greatest storyteller. It was an amazing story," Baker said. The actor also said he expects the story to be polarizing.

"I don't know whether people are going to like it or they're going to hate it, but they definitely will NOT be ambivalent about it," he said.

The Last of Us: Part II was scheduled to release in May, but Sony delayed the game indefinitely due to disruptions related to COVID-19. It currently has no release date. This is just the latest pushback for the game, as it was initially slated to release in February.

Following the news of the delay, developer Naughty Dog shared new screenshots of Part II.