Joel Won’t Be Playable In The Last of Us Part II

There are a lot of questions coming from fans regarding Joel in The Last of Us Part II, since we haven’t seen too much of him just yet. A lot of focus is going into Ellie, especially the latest trailer.

But now some new details have confirmed an interesting little fact about the forthcoming sequel. While speaking with IGN in a behind-closed-doors interview, the question of whether Joel would be playable in the game came up.

At first, co-lead game designer Richard Cambier didn’t comment on the matter. But then Neil Druckmann, who serves as creative director, confirmed an interesting thing. “Ellie is the only playable character in the game.”

This is a change from what occurred in the original The Last of Us, as both Joel and Ellie are playable characters during certain points of the story. But with the sequel, it appears that Ellie will be taking point. And that leads to even more interesting questions with Joel. Is he alive? Is he incapacitated? Do him and Ellie journey at some point? We just don’t know yet.

A lot of the game’s marketing has been turned Ellie’s way and that seems to be paying off for The Last of Us Part II big time. Since the trailer’s premiere earlier this week, it’s been getting huge buzz on social media, and is sure to get even more gameplay featured in a few months when PlayStation Experience rolls around this December. Hopefully we’ll get even more information about the game at that point…and maybe a little something about what Joel’s role may be.

You can watch the trailer above, and we noted the following about it in the story:

“The trailer in question sure provided some wonderful questions concerning the upcoming sequel, further proving that the series is rich with story and ambitious in terms of a strong narrative. Regardless on the various opinions about the trailer, the game itself is one dripping with adult themes and the team has shown the gorgeous work done on the title so far.”

The Last of Us Part II doesn’t currently have a release date, but it’s set to release for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 4 Pro.