Fans of The Last of Us 2 now have access to a ton of previously-unreleased concept art for the best selling PS4 game. Naughty Dog just put up an official Art Blast page on ArtStation, where people can view hundreds of concept art pieces and even download them as wallpapers. Some of the art may come as a surprise to fans who are used to how Ellie and Joel look in the games, as the art provides a glimpse into what could have been.
The art collection includes Character and Environment art, Animation, Illustrations, and more. The Last of Us 2 was a game that took seven years to make, so it makes sense that there'd be a ton of concept art. The art looks amazing, but people should view it at their own discretion as it may provide spoilers for those who haven't yet played the game.
Some of the art depicts Ellie with longer hair than her traditional shoulder-length cut, with one image showing her with a long braid reminiscent of Lara Croft's look in some of the Tomb Raider games. An alternative version of Joel has a blond ponytail, and both of the main characters are depicted in different races. Many of the designs don't have names attached to them, so Ellie and Joel may not have always even been "Ellie and Joel."
The art provides a look into the thought processes of the devs, who wanted to "try and live up to both our own expectations, and those of the fans" while creating the sequel to such a popular game. The Last of Us 2's design is filled with small details that fill out the world, and the art reflects that. For those who've played both games, it's interesting to see what environment and character design details did make it into the final games.
There were a lot of fan theories in the time leading up to The Last of Us 2's release, and not all of them were true. The game could've been very different if Ellie had died, as some people guessed, or if Abby was actually Ellie's mother. The art gives fans a look into what the devs might have been considering during game development, and what the game could've been.
The Last of Us games have an active, fun-loving community full of people with a wide array of opinions on the sequel and how it lived up to the original. Whatever fans have to say about the game's messages or whether there are some broken mechanics, there's no denying that the concept art is fascinating and has a little bit of something for every fan to enjoy.
The Last of Us 2Â is available now exclusively for PS4.
Source: Naughty Dog/ArtStation
