Fans have discovered a real-world landmark that inspired a location in The Last of Us Part II. Set in an apocalyptic world, the sequel to 2013’s popular action-adventure survival horror game takes players on a blood-soaked journey for revenge. After completing the dramatic story, players can still immerse themselves in its world through postgame activities, such as attempting Grounded Mode, Permadeath Mode, New Game Plus, and even playing with cheats.
The Last of Us Part II is one of the PlayStation 4’s top-selling games, shattering sales records since its release in June 2020. Despite massive leaks that spoiled much of the game’s content prior to its release, Naughty Dog and Sony soldiered on and launched the game after addressing fans’ concerns. With complex characters and difficult decisions, The Last of Us Part II explores morality in an in-depth manner.
As fans continue to immerse themselves in Naughty Dog’s latest game, Reddit user WithinTheHour posted their discovery of the real-world landmark used as reference in a piece of The Last of Us Part II concept art. The setting is a shopping mall, with escalators, various outlet stores, an electronic sign, plants, and more encompassing two floors. However, the iteration of the mall in The Last of Us Part II takes on a decidedly less cheery character, with overgrown foliage overtaking the interior and a shattered skylight.
Seeking out the actual places that the settings of some of their favorite games are based on isn't a totally unheard of practice for some players. Red Dead Redemption 2 players have found themselves visiting the real-world locations that inspired the game’s locales on more than one occasion. For these fans, enjoying the gameplay in a digital sandbox just isn't enough; they want to see what led the developers to create it in the first place.
Gaming has become more than a means to waste a few hours or seek simple entertainment. Especially for games that inspire as much passion in their players as The Last of Us Part II, there's something in them that just makes players want to dive deeper and see what inspired them. Of course, it's also a testament to the artists that illustrate their worlds in such an intriguing way that even with dangers monsters lurking around every corner, players still want to see them in person.
The Last of Us Part II is available on PlayStation 4.
Source: WithinTheHour/Reddit