If you’re a believer in the parallel worlds theory then there’s a world out there that isn’t going to be playing The Last of Us Part 2, and it seems that was very nearly a reality for ourselves.
Just after the E3 2016 announcement of the sequel to the absolutely flawless The Last of Us, Naughty Dog big boss Neil Druckmann took to the PlayStation blog to talk about the game. Amongst his excitement for the reveal, he admitted that yeah, the game very nearly didn’t happen.

“Like many of you, we have a deep love for the world of The Last of Us and its characters, and while a sequel may have seemed like a foregone conclusion, that wasn’t the case,” wrote Druckmann at the time.
“We knew that it needed to be a story worth telling and, perhaps more importantly, a story worthy of Joel and Ellie. After spending years on different ideas (and almost giving up), we finally uncovered a story that felt special—a story that evolved into an epic journey.”

I don’t know who I need to thank for not giving up on the project, but thank you. Now if we can just get a release date for the game, that’d be great.
Last year, veteran video game actor and voice of Joel, Troy Baker, warned we’re absolutely not ready for the game’s release.

Speaking at Manchester Comic Con 2019, Troy said: “There is nothing about [The Last of Us 2], nor the revealing thereof, that has not been 100% carefully crafted and methodically curated.

“All I can tell you is that, as much as you’re clamouring for it, you’re not ready. You’re not ready.”
Oh, but I definitely am, Troy. I definitely am.
The Last of Us Part 2 launched exclusively on PlayStation 4, June 19 2020.
Featured Image Credit: Naughty Dog