Making The Last of Us Part II's Best Level
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 2 ส.ค. 2020
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// This video focuses on one of Ellie's levels in the chapter "Seattle: Day 1", and does not contain any major story spoilers //
In this episode of Game Maker's Toolkit, I chat to The Last of Us Part II designer Evan Hill about the creation of the game's best level.
Note: This video is not sponsored by Sony. Evan no longer works for Naughty Dog, so was not acting on behalf of the developer. I did receive a free copy of the game, but also purchased my own.
Sources
Florent Lebrun's concept art
www.artstation.com/artwork/8e...
Rado Markovic's concept art
www.artstation.com/artwork/D5...
David Baldwin's models
www.artstation.com/artwork/0n...
Huan Tran's unlit Ellie
www.artstation.com/artwork/v2...
As Naughty Dog Crunches On The Last Of Us II, Developers Wonder How Much Longer This Approach Can Last | Kotaku
kotaku.com/as-naughty-dog-cru...
Rockstar responds to blowback over Red Dead Redemption 2 team’s ‘100-hour’ workweeks | Polygon
www.polygon.com/2018/10/15/17...
Games shown in this episode (in order of appearance)
The Last of Us Part II (Naughty Dog, 2020)
Uncharted: The Lost Legacy (Naughty Dog, 2017)
Red Dead Redemption 2 (Rockstar Studios, 2018)
Music used in this episode
Music provided by Music Vine - musicvine.com/
Contribute translated subtitles - amara.org/en-gb/videos/TKgjQj... - เกม
Important! TH-cam is removing the "community captions" feature in September, which GMTK uses to provide you with translated subtitles in Korean, Spanish, Chinese, and many more languages. This is a crushing blow to accessibility and global access to educational content. Please sign this petition here: www.change.org/p/google-inc-don-t-remove-community-captions-from-youtube
Why are they doing this? I don't see any problem in it, but I definitely see one in removing it
Why is youtube doing this ? It's cruel.
Change.org is blocked in my country
Keep in mind this doesn't just affect those who can't understand the video's language, but the hearing impaired too.
@@ketsuekikumori9145 damn
This part was like if the giraffe scene was stretched out into an entire level. And you could put hats on all the giraffes. It's very heartwarming... at least until the end.
What? My favorite parts of the first game was the David scene. My favorite scene of The Last of Us 2 was the ending.
These parts could were like the most heartwarming, but I do love the grittier areas of The last of Us.
I like to feel impacted.
I agree with the guy above, I don’t particularly love these sections of The Last of Us II. The giraffe part was way better because it was spectacular!
Zesri we all have opinions. I really liked the giraffe scene but it wasn’t in my top 3 favorite scenes. Still great though.
Peter Lustig um ok well that’s not very respectful to the people at Naughty Dog who put so much time and effort into making the games they want to make. Naughty Dog is my favorite developer. TLOU 1 and 2 are my favorite games. Sorry but you need to calm down. Naughty Dog makes deep and emotional narratives like no other developer, and that it something I will always believe. Stop hating.
@@wakkjobbwizard the people at Naughty dog aren't the only people who work hard , cut him some slack.
I noticed the fake pickups and thought that was pure genius. It's like "there's probably a battle I guess.. oh a health pickup now I'm really sure there's gonna be something". Turns out "it was all a sham"
You're clearly in a combat zone. "But nobody came".
Feel like you could make a whole horror game built off that idea (albeit not a long one). You just constantly put the player in a state of paranoia that something is coming but then nothing ever does and the horror is purely psychological.
This one is good but the one that won't leave my head is inside the restaurant with the sniper. Everything makes you think that is where the confrontation is going to be plus you have flashbacks of the restaurant scene from the first game. Every corner of every booth just increased my anxiety.
@@juicybutterriblydrab Gone Home kinda does that
@@mediocre724 absoutly! When the restaurant started my first tought was - awww sh*t not this again. Tecnically speaking Abby went trought worse but the memories they brought back made the scene feel hard and scary and I dindnt want to make any noise cause I am still scared of winter
The fact that this designer is so excited and proud just shows why this level ended up being so lovely.
Insightful idea for a video, these talks just make me remember why we love making games :)
@Peter Lustig "Sir this is a Wendy's"
Peter Lustig “Sir? This is Walgreens.”
Peter Lustig the game has totally different concepts than Naughty Dog’s past games like Uncharted. Not as much action, not as much or interesting puzzles like Uncharted but one of the things that they both have that makes them the “coca cola” of games is the amazing artwork, world building, and environment.
There’s a reason TLOUS series became popular and I don’t think interacting with a couple of leaves would change how people feel about it (good or bad) any time soon
@Peter Lustig Imagine working on this painting for four years. Other people create entire frescoes and murals in that time! It's all fluff and no substance. The canvas doesn't even react when you touch it. It's a painting and for four years not a good one! The only thing they have is good advertising. It's the coca cola of paintings... why would anyone ever look at this 'Mona Lisa' painting?
I hope that someday such beautiful works of art are not the result of crunching and basically abusing the people responsible.
The confidence to let players miss things is big for me in a game like this because it made all those little moments feel like things I discovered myself. The scene in the music shop in the open-world section of Seattle being a key example of that.
It's incredibly what ND did here because ironically I always felt uncharted games fit that style of too afraid to let you miss anything at all- so they constantly have characters tell you things or straight up wrestle Camera control away to show something pretty.
Until my second playthrough I had forgotten that the music shop was just a small building hidden away in the world. I honestly thought in my mind it was part of the required story because it was such an impactful moment. I feel sorry for people who missed it their first run. It just sets such a tone.
Yeah. Great games have that confidence to let player miss things. One great example is Dark Souls. With places like ash lake.
Shen don’t get me wrong I love Dark Souls but you definitely had to look up how to find the Ash Lake. You wouldn’t find it on your own. Finding the music shop was much more natural and realistic for players as it wasn’t too far out of the way. Different games but you get what I mean.
@@wakkjobbwizard it was meant to be discovered with the messages you put in the world I guess. But you have to really respect FS for hiding such large areas that most players will miss
Spooky fake combat room was probably the best 10 minutes of the whole game. Totally thought some stalkers or something were gonna show up. I c r a w l e d through that area. Lol
I felt that. I would just stop and hear for a whole minute to make sure
Totally agreed, the simple act of showing your hud and putting pickups instantly signals combat and tension even though there isn’t anything to really make them so
I hated it , I was so tense I just wanted to relax ,
@@dkaloger5720 That's the point, for art to make you feel things.
@@martinabafoil2720 I have to say I find it amazing to see that mature women also play and experience this kind of a game, you rock!
This behind the scenes look at game development was so cool, I'd love to see more from GMTK in the future seeing as pretty much any developer would be lucky to have their brain picked by you.
Shame most the devs got treated like trash and under payed.
It's really fun to see the developers enthusiasm for the detail in the questions posed by GMTK. The guys from IO Interactive (Hitman 1 and 2) were also geeking out that somebody had as much genuine interest in these things as they do.
@@thelightsilent where you there?
@@thelightsilent lol, its hilarious how you guys got the energy to keep trying
Bruh, I didn't even know the dinosaur was climbable. That level is still one of my favorites in the game, it was so beautiful and I was tearing up at the end :,(
What ?!?! You missed the best part because Abby has a similar jump from the giant wheel later in the game.
My favorite chapter in the game.. might be my favorite in out of all part 1 and 2. I was just man look at joel doing his best trying to give Ellie a normal childhood...
How did u not know that I literally walked straight up the dinosaur as soon as the Cut scene ended
I only climbed it on my 2nd playthrough.
I missed it too. Now I’m going to have to give it a second playthrough.
When I tried to climb the dinosaur and realized they actually let you do it, I was so happy the designers read our and Ellie’s minds
The space launch was probably my second favourite cutscene in the game.
What was your first?
I knew where this was gonna go the momment I read it.
Yeah I also closed my eyes as Ellie did
Really? That shit gets really old fast once you play the game over again
@@commanderleo I do ... captain obvious are you flying that imaginary spacecraft
I actually would love to see a video related to this topic but when Abby has to cross the sky bridge and then decend the hotel with Lev. Probably my favorite parts of the game simply due to the little feature of Abby's fear creeping in as you stand near a ledge. And the gaping maw in the hotel... actually blew me away how massive and eerie the place was.
Totally agree, I'm on my 4th playthrough and it still blows me away
That was such a good section. Definitely my favorite Abby level
@FrancisOf TheFilth She did fall off!
Yeah, it was an awesome sequence. Still wasn't totally sold on Abby at this point yet though, soooooo she may have fallen a few more times then needed lolol
P
9:49 when Mark asks that question you can really hear the joy in the developer's voice seeing that his work doesn't go unnoticed
Yes!
Last winter I traveled back to Houston to visit friends for the first time in years. During our trip, my son got to go to the Museum of Natural Science there for the first time. It was his first time seeing skeletons of mammoths, giant sloths and dinosaurs.
That moment when you pan around the corner to see the dinosaur exhibit, it was exactly like that. It really took his breath away and I will always cherish the memory.
Really appreciate how you highlight just how much work goes into something like this, it’s mind boggling just how much blood, sweat, and tears are required to produce something to this level of quality.
blood O_O ?
@@TheKrigeron they sacrificed kids for that, didn't you know?
@@MCoconut97 Shhhhh they aren't supposed to know about the mass graves...
This ‘level’ of quality. I geddit!
@@galactichasyoutube775 Atleast we didn't tell them about the death animals made for the sounds of the game
16:38 glad you included me Mark
Love your channel!! You’re a true motivation for me, keep up the good work!
Omg- it matches your profile perfectly!
I dont get it ? Anyone explain lol
@@shootingblankzz3777 he's talking about the Snowman in that scene lol. Now look at Snoman Gaming's name and profile pic.
My favorite thing about this level was that you could find a wooden pallet somewhere in the level that looks exactly like the ones you needed in tlou 1
Doesn't Joel make a comment about it too? Like you don't need that anymore. I seem to remember that object having a prompt
@@Shizzmonger Yes it does
@@Shizzmonger yup - Ellie asks for a ride, Joel replies "Those days are long gone"
Whaaat? No way!
the space launch scene is one of the best and most moving scenes in a video game ever, the decision to only focus on the quality of the facial animation during that scene is pure genius. What a game.
ive never felt so moved by a scene so still. the music in the background. the countdown. the way she was smiling and imagining she was moving like she were in a real shuttle. Jesus
Did a lot of people not play the dlc? I played the remastered version right before this for the first time and tbh it almost felt recycled because they pretty much did the same exact thing with an arcade game in the dlc. Don't get me wrong, it's a great scene, but I unfortunately came away feeling like it was a bit rehashed unfortunately...
peckc16 it’s a similar concept i guess? Imagining something but the whole meaning of it is completely different. Ellie imagining a different world entirely to hers and a life she will never get to live (being an astronaut) also it better contrasts with her current dire situation so it means more to the player to see her at her absolute happiest. All the while knowing Joel did all that for her and the love they had for each other at the time.
@@peckc16 didn't feel like a rehash to me. To me it felt like a continuation. Her love for the old world comes from her ability to imagine
@@kingbobombfan I totally agree with you on the emotional hits for that moment being a huge part of the game and much needed. I more meant that the delivery (shut your eyes and vividly imagine) just didn't have the same 'oh wow' moment that it did in the dlc for me because I literally just did that ( and I argue liked the arcade fight more). I think a part of my problem is that I just played it for the first time right before part 2 came out- so maybe it felt redundant for me when others had several years in between these scenes. Idk
Honestly I really loved this episode, it was very chill and it really makes me appreciate all the thought that goes into this game, even the more "walking simulator"/exploration in those moments.
From an outsider point of view it can look like they are just shooting a film (wich already isn't an easy task), but their art of guiding the player and trying to create the best pacing possible is really incredible
I think the more walking simulator feel of the level was a good break from the heavy story beats that build up to it and follow directly after it
I really appreciate the asterisk explaining the technical terms for us simpleton.
As a professional 3D modeler, I was amazed by the amount of assets and the texture quality each of them had!
I couldn't believe they modeled a whole space capsule, inside and out, just to have that 3min interaction scene between Joel and Elie!!
2 years just for the museum level?
Yeah... that actually makes sense!
I would love to know more details about the game's models.
Did they use any real life scanned objects or was everything modeled from scratch?
Great interview!
@John Wayne you realise environment artists don't write the story or program the multiplayer? Yeah you're that guy. Their job is literally to create detailed 3d meshes
@John Wayne What would be the point of them doing assets for multiplayer if it won't be used? also, there is a last of us multiplayer stand-alone game that will be out in the future
John Wayne you don’t understand there is no point in making assets for a mode that does not exist
John Wayne yeah you are beyond lost my man you somehow believe all that was needed for multiplayer to launch was a few artists to make 3D assets LMAO go troll somewhere else
@@ca20mn I actually wonder if this game is even playable as multiplayer... its whole gameplay is based on AI that cannot see you even though you re literally under its nose!
You cannot hide from real players in grass or behind counters while your equipment is sticking 20cms over the counter. It feels like it was designed to be a single player story driven experience first and foremost.
the ending of this video is soul crushing.
everyone's favorite recent games are borderline unethical to be made.
Leaves me feeling conflicted..
Wait until you hear about your clothes, your phone, your car, your food, ...
@@Hahaha12342 I do, but still, our society is built on that stuff. I didn't mean to be judgemental, I just wanted to point out games are just the last item in a long list of exploitative practices
And sadly its not only in games. Sonic The Movie had a really bad crunch episode and lots of the workers were fired after it.
I guess the thing is that we can enjoy movies, games and products but we need to open our eyes for the workers and fight with and for them. Request companies to change may not be easy but can be done
@@Stayfocused99 Same. But we as buyers are part of the issue too. We put so much pressure for perfect, realistic and GIANT games and at the same time beg for it to release as soon as possible, crying about every delay. The big guys care about money and will make anything to give us that - even if it means the suffering of their employees
@@anavitoriafarion2621 You failed to add buyers wanting everything at the lowest price possible. How do you get the lowest price possible? Make it somewhere with the cheapest labor and lowest regulations.
14:46 I think my biggest takeaway from this is that one of the main ways ND achieves their level of polish is be not succumbing to the sunk cost fallacy when they need to cut or redo something. Starting over on more solid ground is better than continuing to build on rotten foundation.
Don't worry, they cut cost by underpaying their overworked staff
@@giorgiannicartamancini3917 yes, thats the other main way they achieve that polish. But that lesson is better off not emulated, instead left with the rotton foundation
@@richarddakazo2878 Agree, it's actually a great advice to just let go of things that aren't working in your project
"2 solid years"??? Holy!!! However, it was worth every second of work, because that in fact was one of the best levels in the game.
I actually loved that short line of Ellie repeating what Joel taught her (about swimming). A few words that deliver so many layers of personality and relationship, while in the same time referencing the first game. Brilliantly done.
This entire level is my favorite level. Seeing Ellie not depressed or upset is so nice. Having her be so depressed and upset everywhere else gets rough and hard to bear.
I want to play the game again, but I'm afraid it's just gonna shred me emotionally again.
Yeah really wish the rest of the game could actually make me happy instead of depressed.
@@jasonalv7436 well, it WAS the objective of this scene to contrast happy pre-joel death ellie with current ellies, so i guess mission acomplished.
That level had me smiling until it ended. So so good and sweet. Thanks for doing this Mark.
IMO the best level was either the latter section of Ellie Day 2 with the Seraphites' introduction or the end of the *other* Day 2 in the hospital- this section definitely had me tearing up though
that hospital level scared the shit out of me
Abby’s Day 3 is insane, the island is one of my favourite levels I can remember playing in hears
The seraphite intro is absolutely amazing! The music, light and the whistles..that first arrow.. Man, still getting goosebumps. Also the office level with the stalkers, man oh man it got me spooked on both playthroughs.
@@kingbobombfan that scene is so tense and the way it slowly ramps up from quiet stealth of looking for Lev to a straight up warzone is just amazing
Ad K Dude the escape on horseback with the score and honestly the best visuals I’ve ever seen in a game before was just jaw dropping. It’s such a shame people can’t look past whatever gripes they have with the writing to enjoy moments like that. It’s gonna stay with me for a long time.
To every developer, software engineer, designer and content creator whom had worked hard on this game.
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for giving us this masterpiece piece of technical gameplay. Some might like it, others may not but ALL agree that the game stands out from a technical and artistic standpoint.
G1d00
Read my comment again, carefully this time.
@@meyr1992 put into words, why do you dislike Abby?
G1d00
Is english not your primary language or are you losing me? Let me explain it to you slowly this time.
There are many aspects which make a video game. In fact, any game out there.
1.Level design
2.art design
3.sound design
4.software engineering ( coding embedded within the game )
5.gfx design
6.creative direction ( story and narrative )
7.game developing ( game’s physics and motion )
8.software/project testers ( hardest job for a software developer )
9.voice acting
10.motion capturing
Those are the 10 pillars that make up any kind of game you can ever think of. The creative direction ( story ) is only one aspect amongst those 10.
So when they don’t do good with that specific one aspect and still ace through the other 9 then it’s called a “technical masterpiece” like i addressed it. Story is important, yes. But credit has to be given where it’s due. The technical aspects of this game are top notch.
Also, i never said this game ( entirely ) was a masterpiece. I said it’s a technical masterpiece, meaning that it’s a masterpiece only within it’s technical side.
That’s why paying attention to comments and reading them carefully is important. I know your fingers are itching you so hard to type something negative about a specific aspect ( story ) of a game ( which wasn’t brought up by the way ) but you have to control yourself and be a little bit cautious next time when putting words into peoples’ mouths.
G1d00
Listen, I know you wouldn’t agree with me nonetheless. No matter how much details i go into, you’ll still come back the “shitty game with shitty story, idc what you say” simpleton replay.
But at least have the common sense of knowing when and when not to actually engage in a proper conversation rather than saying “my comment doesn’t have to revolve around yours so idc if ur talking about it doing well etc...”
If your reply wasn’t revolving around my comment ( when it clearly did ) and you didn’t care about what i say then why bother engaging in the first place? You sound confused and caught up in the wind about something you know nothing about.
I also addressed your point but clearly haven’t paid attention to my last comment either.
G1d00
First, Technical aspects aren’t meaningless without the story. They’re completely separate within their own judgment. Obviously, this is widely known but i had to explain it to you since you lack contextual criticism. A little tip for you today.
Second, i never defended the story or the entire game as you ignorantly assumed. I admit that the game has many flaws, story wise and not technical wise. If you want to talk about it’s flaws, then I’m more than welcomed to address them for you.
3rd, i never ignored the criticisms of this game. Your twisted way of turning me into someone blindly defending it is really showing your incompetent skills of properly handling a conversation. You simply can’t stick me on the “other” side of the isle because I’ve been on both sides of it.
4th and final point, getting an F indicates that you’ve failed in every single problem/question during a project or an exam. Which in this case, this game didn’t. I mean, at least know how to coherently base your scale on a high school rating system before you sound like a complete egotistical brat. But even in that, you completely fail to deliver.
That part with the capsule was beautiful - gave me goosebumps ^^
The most wonderful moment in all my years of gaming, no doubt, I definitely teared up
I think the scene gains a lot by being calm ,in one of the most intense areas
Thank you all for providing so much entertainment to me during my high school years. All of the music, how to, life videos, just talking about problems, etc. It has all been a great help to keep my mind off the horrible things that are happening on the outside. Can’t imagine what I would have done without you all there distracting. I wish I could repay you all but I am just a sad jobless teenager. But now, I’m going to college to hopefully train, get a real job, and then hopefully pay it all back; somehow. For now the best that I can do is just say thank you for now and know that I hope you never stop making awesome content. I hope that youtube doesn’t screw you over too much this day and age. Look forward to bringing your content along with me to college as well. And thank you once again for keeping my mind off all the horrible things that are happening these days. Really has kept me sane all these years.
Thanks for talking about the crunch culture stuff yourself when the dev probably isn't legally allowed to. It's so, so very important to compare and contrast the good work they do with the awful conditions they do it under.
He's definitely legally allowed to talk about it. Perhaps not contractually although that would be extremely surprising. When devs talk to Schreier about crunch, they aren't doing so illegally. Whether he actually wants to or not is another thing. It might be frowned upon, but the dev doesn't work at ND anymore and even Neil Druckman talks about it rather openly in a video with Troy Baker.
@@Ayoul 70% of the design team quit
@@Ayoul Interesting, I figured with a studio the size of ND, there'd be a tidal wave of NDAs and Non-Disparagement clauses...
Human Being do you have a source on that?
@@humanbeing9079 that is incorrect. It was 70% of the lead designers on uncharted 4. Not 70% of the entire ND staff
Fun fact: You can put the hat on the dinosaur you can climb and jump off of.
Really? Can we retrieve it back by climbing over again?
I loved this level, and the whole game, really... but I’m also really glad that you pointed out in the end that this level of quality is reserved for the studios with the money, man-power, and prestige that Naughty Dog has, and even then it can take a massive toll on the people that work there.
I'd like to see someone dissect the skyscraper mission with Abby and Lev
This was joy to watch. I always wanted more people from those development teams to have time to talk about their work. We need more of these talks with people behind the scenes. Thanks a lot.
Glad to see a spotlight on the technical and design excellency of this game. Almost all the discussion I've seen is focused on the story interviewing the writers and voice actors as if that's all there was to it. Sometimes if feels like the technical side of things gets forgotten about.
This was wonderful. Would love another interview like this on level design.
Developers are so underappreciated. They are fucking amazing.
This channel is changing the world of game design for good. Thank you Mark!
Love this sort of content, much more in-depth than the usual behind the scenes videos! I think this strategy of showing a shorter version of the interview is very effective, given that I'm so curious to see the rest of it that I might have to become a patron now! :)
Really liked this format, basically a developers commentary. Would love to see more in the future! Keep up the good work!
Loved this new kind of video you made, well done and I'd love to see more of it, kind of remembers me of the video where you talked with Matt and Noel about Celeste.
Keep up the good work!
I’m glad to have seen this! This has definitely become one of my favorite games and understanding the work, ideas, and people behind it is quite the treat.
I love this behind the scene, I really hope you'll do more of them, they are very very very interesting! You can clearly see all the love and effort that were put in the videogame, it makes you empathize with the devs, feel how they felt in making it, what they tried to express. That's wonderful.
The space launch cut scene is one of the most beautiful scenes ever made for video games.
Im kicking myself for not knowing you could climb the Trex on my play through ;~;
Play it again and do it!
And put a hat on it
One of my favorite bits of design work in The Last of Us II which really speaks to what you touched on about players missing stuff, are the safe combinations. After the first couple of safe-cracking sequences, you realize that when you get the right numbers, you get a unique and distinct clicking sound that acts as confirmation.
This gives the player the freedom to try his hand at safe-cracking himself, and trying to break into the safes without finding the corresponding notes - which might seem a little game-y at first, but gives us huge freedom in how to approach these key looting moments (especially on harder difficulties), and never stops being satisfying. I was very pleasantly surprised by how consistently you can get these right, as I never ended up making a mistake in the safes I cracked.
Naughty Dog are awesome, and I am so grateful for their products, both as a player and a creator. Cheers for highlighting work like this Mark.
I rarely give out likes on videos, but this... This deserves more than 1 from me. Great work.
Also, 2 years designing a level! Just shows how much work is put into these AAA games.
This level felt straight out of Part 1. From Ellie's personality, to her and Joel's interactions and the general vibe
If only we had the same feel to the rest of the game.
@@JR-vr6ri man, play Part 1 for that, you just wanted the exactly same thing again didn't you
@@MCoconut97 nope but I certainly didn't want this absolute mess of a game. Anything else would of been better than what we got.
@@JR-vr6ri I totally don't see it like that, but hey, you're free to have your opinion on it
@@JR-vr6ri my initial feel also wasn't perfect narrative wise, but after playing it 3 more times, I can say that it is actually very well constructed
More interviews and breakdowns of popular properties like this would be incredible alongside your usual analyses.
This was great! Would love to see more designer interview/walkthrough videos like this one. 👍
It is just insane to see how much effort and work goes into all of this!
This level is peak Joel and Ellie. Amazing work from the devs.
(Edit: It's what inspired me to make the video on my page.)
I absolutely loved the space launch. I love space with a full on passion since I was a kid and when I closed my eyes when Ellie did, and the controller began rumbling as Apollo 13 launch took up, I legitimately felt like I was there.
Great insight, i would love to see more interviews like this!
Absolutely loved this video! Would love to see more like it, thank you very much for the insight!
this is SUCH a good video. gmtk is one of the best youtube channels honestly. i hope you make more content about tlou 2!
For me the best designed level is the Abby-Ellie fight on the theatre. Since the beginning where you remember that you left the window open when you were fixing the electricity, to the switch of perspective when Jesse gets shot, to chasing Ellie, to the fight itself, and the difference of gameplay between the Brawler Abby and the Strategic Ellie, to when Ellie uses all of her weapons and you feel like you are the NPC to the point that you can’t confront her directly, to her even planting bombs and Abby is like “what is she doing back there”, to the climax of the battle when Ellie tells Abby Dina is pregnant mirroring what Ellie did, to Lev being the voice of kindness breaking the cycle of violence. No other scene has made me feel this way, I was exploding with anxiety, I didn’t want neither of them to die. Everything was so carefully crafted.
I wanted Abby to die. As soon as that fight started, I just walked toward Ellie slowly until she killed me. Would have been nice if the credits rolled there.
Dakota Krafick i let her die a lot..... trust me every single way
It's so funny you mentioned this because this scene made me stop caring about that game completely... I wanted to shut the window way back when you first find it open and felt it was contrived to leave it open after making such a fuss about the front door chair. It's like watching a horror film and yelling not to go in the basement except it's a video game and I'm controlling the character which makes it way worse when I can't solve a problem that I see coming.
I also encountered a glitch when fighting ellie that made me think i needed to puzzle kill her- not sneak and punch her. I died a few times and it took me so out of the moment emotionally I literally did not care who killed who by time I figured out it was way easier than I thought. I reeeeaally felt that scene should have just been a qte or cutscene. Total low point for me.
To each their own though.
@@peckc16 I understand you would feel that way if you don´t like Abby, making you play someone you hate for 10 hours must be exhausting. For me, the moment I realized Joel killed her dad it was like "shit... we are doing EXACTLY what she did", all the feelings I have towards Joel she felt exactly the same; then when she takes care of Lev and basically becomes Joel himself I was sold on her. So when the theatre scene happens, it also felt like a horror movie for me but for the exact oposite reason. I knew that 2 people I love were going to fight, I knew the had their respective justifications, they both suffered the exact same thing, I loved them both and hated that I had to be on either side.
@@israelch100 while I was upset to play as Abby initially, by the end of her section I had come around to liking her. Ellie isn't exactly the most likable character to start with- so by time the fight came around I was on the edge for either to die about equal. My problem really was with the level design and the boss fight. While this is maybe more of a me problem, even one death takes me out of a moment and reminds me its just a game- the tensions are fake. It totally sucked any emotional investment I had in to what is arguably, one of if not THE climax for the narrative.
Really a great interview.
I enjoyed the talk. Thank you
One of the greatest videos so far! More of this please 👌 Thanks!!
Absolutely one of the best games made ever, thank you for your hard work.
Was waiting for audio to be mentioned in that rundown of development roles at 15:50 and... well, nothing. That's the life of us audio folks I suppose!
...huh? Speak up, I can't hear you.
"A good audio is something the audience never notice." My sound teacher told me that.
But we certainly appreciate it.
i really appreciate the work of you audio folks
I’m honestly kinda jealous of audio and soundtrack guys, your ability to singlehandedly effect the emotions portrayed by a scene is so insane
Fantastic video Mark! I've been wanting to go back and replay this particular level. It was a part of the game that really stood out to me, so it's great to hear about it from one of its creators.
Thanks for this content, i'd love to see this type of format more. Love ur work, have fun on your next video, cuz I won't miss them :p
This is incredible. Would love to see this format with more stuff. Maybe a section of Jon Blow's The Witness? If you can get ahold of him.
Thanks for acknowledging the crunch news stories. I've played and finished both RDR2 and TLOU PII, and while I enjoyed them both they're definitely tainted experiences for me knowing what the companies involved seemingly put their staff through at times.
Great questions and great answers
Thank you for another captivating upload
love all your videos! Really enjoyed this interview type of content.
I'd love an episode about collection quests, and how designers help the players collect everything. Showing them on the map, showing how many are left in different zones, etc. Could possibly be expanded into an episode on completion as a whole, what games take into account and how players are expected to find everything (stuff like hinted secret areas so people don't need to push against every wall)
There's an achievement for collecting everything in Hyper Light Drifter, but there's no way of knowing where what you're missing is, so you have to blindly search the whole world or look it up, neither is particularly fun.
4:40 I've never played TLOU, but I _do_ watch Critical Role (still catching up though), and so when Ellie went "Oh my god! It _is_ a dinosaur", I was like: "wait, is that Ashley Johnson?", and it IS! :D
Literally the entire CR cast has roles in TLOU2
There voice actors that what they do
@@amandamitchell5571 Really?
@@blandedgear9704 yes, travis voiced the big rattler dude in the final part. Matthew can be heard in the hospital as Ellie is about to fall down into the lower levels. I haven't found the other cast members (except for Ashley and Laura for obvious reasons)
Amazing video. It's really astonishing the amount of work, dedication and love that ND's Team put in every section.
I simply cannot understand why people would dislike a video like this.... it was a phenomenal interview, and the editing of the video is really great, with inserts and comments all over in a quite thorough manner! Thank you Mark for such an amazing piece!
As an indie Level Designer the design work of the devs from ND blow my mind. They create realistic levels, filled with places with a purpose on the world of TLOS and at the same time guiding the player and creating interesting challenges. And that's really hard to get right.
That level of quality comes with crushing crunch and burnout, hence a massive amount of the staff left over the course of development.
I'd rather a shit game than one that almost killed people.
@@deetsitmeisterjd I'm telling you crunch is not the secret recipe to create good levels. Good levels are created by good designers.
@@RazorOfArtorias and a lot of dedication
@@RazorOfArtorias I'm talking specifically about the development of the Last of Us 2. I know you don't need to crunch to create good games.
@@deetsitmeisterjd I'm the first one that hates crunch but "I'd rather [play] a shit game than one that almost killed people." is not the answer to the problem because noone buys bad games. I think the problem is the length of the AAA games, +30h of ultrahigh quality linear gameplay is too much content even for hundreds of senior developers. Honestly I'm sure TLOU2 with less hours would be as awesome as it is.
Those guys at Naughty Dogs are just magicians. The Last of Us II is a masterpiece.
This is a great format. This must take ages to edit, but the forth and back between interview and commentary combines the best of both options.
This young man is my cousin. It’s so surreal watching him on stuff on YT and other times he’s been guest speaker at events. He really has done some impressive stuff.
Yeah, this was the story highlight of the game. The Capital Hill section was the gameplay highlight.
Ellie's Seattle Day 2. Best part of Ellie's side of game.
@@devilsadvocate4081 for sure, I have to say though that I think Abby has the better levels overall
@@MCoconut97 Seattle Day 3 is my fav from Abby's side of the game. And Santa Barbara too.
My favorite part was this but my favorite chapter was abby's day 3
I'm really glad you brought up Naughty Dog's toxic work environment, I was afraid that was going to be completely ignored. Art takes passion and dedication to make great, no doubt about that, but no piece of art is worth the livelihood of other people....especially when it's involuntary and with no real compensation.
Amazing video again! You are hands down my favorite channel and I really love the content! Just wanted to say my favorite cutscene was when that group realizes that Joel is in front of them (even if it ended horribly, emotionally speaking) The way the mood and tone of the whole room immediately shifts was crazy. Favorite level is leading Ellie on day 3 to the Ferris wheel/Pier, this scene you show is an easy second
I love this format! Really shows how much of an art it is to create a video game.
I enjoyed this game very much. I'm on my second playthrough. I appreciate the hard work put into making this masterpiece.
Sad
You have to be so dumb irl
@@averagesionenjoyer8948 You have to be a dumbass irl to think someone liking an amazing game is a bad thing.
@@colinboxall9782 the game is objectively bad
@@averagesionenjoyer8948 You are objectively stupid.
Cool. I liked this level in LOU2 so it’s nice seeing a break down of it (:
Just like in Shrek 2 that swamp level
NightTimer I love that level I was in it
I'm impressed. I have issue with the story but has a game, I find it so masterfully crafted. now earing the process of creation I understand why it endup like this. This is so inspiring
Great video ! Love learning about ideas, meaning and the process to make them real.
Kudos to this guy! Such a brilliant and touching game level, and a really nice change of pace/reprieve from the heaviness of the game (which I absolutely love).
This game is beautiful on several levels
Amazing. This was my favorite game of all time. So much work put in. Would love more videos with dev's if its possible.
this was so so brilliant, hats off to this designer
"I'm on the MF DINOSAUR!!!"
This is definitely the best "level" in the game, and as far as I see the vast majority of the people agree with that. That being said, that fact probably shows what people actually expected and wanted the whole game to be. Instead we got something very different, so that almost certainly is one of the reasons the game wasn't received so well by many fans. I personally liked the game for the most part, but I definitely see why people where put off and disliked this sequel. Great job to the team, who made this level though, it's an awesome one and at least the fans can agree on that.
But if the whole game was like this 1 level, I doubt it would be as memorable. This level is so special because it's a drastically different feel from the rest of the game, and feels somewhat like the first game. All good things in moderation. I for one am glad the second game was made with a different vison than the first game in mind.
Great video, and fantastic game too. Getting insight from developers themselves is just so valuable ❤️
I love this kind of videos, especially for games like these from the top studios.
Masters of their craft. I wasn’t happy about a certain event, but their dedication to storytelling and attention to detail really made me want to finish. SO worth it.
Changed my score from 9/10 to 10/10 halfway through.
You can climb the dinosaur?!
Hi Adam I like your videos
@@jimjones775 Cheers!
Awesome the presentation of your logo using the birthday flashback _TLOU2_ flashback, there's something pretty special in this game sequence
Hey Mark, just wanted to say how much I enjoyed this video! I loved my time with the game, and when I saw you were doing a level walkthrough with a designer from Naughty Dog, I immediately began thinking about which combat encounter would be the best to focus on for a video. When I saw it was the museum level, my interest piqued even more! I love that you chose to dissect one of the levels that is almost entirely narrative focused, and the museum was definitely a standout moment from an amazing game. Great work as always!
That one level took 2 years that is just insane
imagine speed runners doing this part in 2 min
@@ASSASSIN19923 Speed runners play those parts more than a average player.
as long as Naughty Dog keeps making them, i will keep supporting and buying their game Day 1. Their games are on a different level
Beautiful. This is my favourite level of any video game ever. Loved this video and the work you put into your channel.
I love this channel and thank you so much for making these videos.