The Last of Us Part II

Genre:	Action-adventure
Release Year:	2020
Studio:	Naugthy Dog
Analysis by	Jan Hobi & Joachim Merchie

1. About the Game

The Last of Us Part II is an action-adventure game developed by Naughty Dog and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. It's set five years after The Last of Us (2013) and, as its predecessor, focuses on storytelling and immersion into the post-apocalyptic United States. The outbreak was nearly 25 years ago and was caused by a mutated strain of the Cordyceps fungus, that can infect humans. It grows in the brain and slowly starts to take control over the host, turning it into a zombie-esk creature, called the infected.

Trailer

2. Sound

It's noticeable that sound design was a key part in the development of The Last of Us Part II. It is strongly focused on immersion and realism. Every little detail has its distinct sound, but still the audio is always focused on the player and plays in an almost theatrical way around the player's actions, in a responsive manner.

2.1 Environment

2.2 Enemies

Infected

Runner
The earlier stage of the Cordyceps brain infection (abbreviated as CBI) infection. The sounds they make are still human and the difference of male and female specimen is quite audible.

Female Runner: tloup2_female_runner.mp3 Male:

Stalker
A more advanced stage, still quite human sounding. The difference between female and male stalkers is less audible.

Clicker
Advanced stage, there isn't much human left in their sounds. Female and male specimen sound basically the same. Clickers have lost their eyesight and orientate themselves using clicking sounds.

3. Comparison