The Art of the Last of Us Part II

by Naughty Dog

Follow Ellie's profound and harrowing journey of vengeance through an exhaustive collection of original art and intimate creator commentary in the full-color hardcover volume: The Art of The Last of Us Part II.

Created in collaboration between Dark Horse Books and the developers at Naughty Dog, The Art of The Last of Us Part II offers extensive insights into the making of the long-awaited sequel to the award-winning The Last of Us.

Genres: Art, Video Games, Nonfiction, Post Apocalyptic, Horror, Dystopia, Games

200 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 16, 2020

Reviews

[Sabrina Grafenberger · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Last of Us Part II is a masterpiece and the artbook is fantastic.

The landscapes are absolutely stunning, every time I look at the artwork I immediately want to play the game again.

It was interesting to find out that Ellie was supposed to have a dog as a companion, which ultimately was cut from the final version of the game.

I wish there would've been more background information like this and a few more notes on the story development and the thought process of the art team. I also miss some character/enemy design pages (Lev and "The Ratking" are missing).

If you admire the world and visuals of the game this artbook is a must have.

[Librukie · Rating 5 out of 5]

No sé como reseñar un libro de arte.

Simplemente decir que es un complemento perfecto a la historia de uno de mis videojuegos favoritos. Cuando me compro el libro de arte de alguno, es que ha sido especial para mi.

El primer The last of us ya entró en mi top, y su secuela se ha ganado un hueco muy grande en mi corazón. Una historia muy dura y cruda, que habla de pérdida, de venganza, y de las consecuencias que tienen nuestros actos, sobre todo en un mundo en el que la civilización es una sombra de lo que fue. Una trama que nos habla de lo gris de las personas, de que no siempre hay buenos y malos, héroes y villanos, sino gente con sus circunstancias personales y su pasado.
Este libro de arte me ha vuelto a transportar a cada uno de esos escenarios que tantas cosas me hicieron sentir, y recalca los mensajes que la historia quiso transmitir. También muestra algunos bocetos iniciales de aquellos años en los que el juego estaba en desarrollo y como se llegó a los diseños actuales.

Muy recomendado para los amantes del juego, como es mi caso.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The concept art was gorgeous and it was interesting to see what made it into the final game and what did not. A must read if you enjoy The Last of Us (and who doesn't?).
_________________________________
Pre-review: I am so excited for this game and this book!

And now a gif from one of my favorite moments of the first game:

[Lashaan Balasingam · Rating 5 out of 5]

You can find my review on my blog by clicking here.

Have you ever loved something so much that you'd do anything to get more of it? I have been a gamer all my life and it is upon getting my hands on the PlayStation 3 that I fell head over heels in love for the Uncharted video game franchise. It is upon playing their first game in that generation of consoles, Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, that the video game developer Naughty Dog became my all-time favourite team as every game they released going forward had a quintessential focus on story-telling with innovation at heart in terms of gameplay mechanics, score immersion, and visual realism that pushed the limits of the console to unimaginable milestones. In 2013, when they released their brand-new IP, The Last of Us, they have successfully proven to the world that they were at the top of their game and will always aim to deliver authentic, original, and compelling stories for fans around the world. On June 19th, 2020, they've come out with what was my most anticipated game of the year, The Last of Us Part II, and my excitement for it couldn't have been any higher as I went on to complete the game clocking in almost 25 hours of gameplay for this critically-acclaimed single-player game and its controversial story.

What is The Art of the Last of Us Part II about? It is a collector's item created in collaboration between Dark Horse Books and the developers at Naughty Dog that presents fans the behind-the-scenes of their artistic conception of the video game The Last of Us Part II, the sequel to The Last of Us, an action-adventure story set in a post-apocalyptic United States of America where a mutated strain of a fungus grows exponentially throughout the world and humanity's last ray of hope lies in the hands of Joel (a smuggler) and Ellie (a teenage girl with a gift or a burden). With a foreword by the art director Erick Pangilinan and a prologue by the game director Neil Druckmann, this deluxe edition hardcover offers an extensive look at various concept art for characters, creatures, and settings as it recounts the whole story of the video game from start to finish. It also sparingly chronicles the development of the game with some never-before-seen details on omitted ideas while also offering insight on the importance of detail to better capture the desired realism within the game.

This art book is exquisite in itself. The glossy paper allows the pictures to be appreciated in all of its rendered greatness, the oversized hardcover format offers a perfect size to display multiple shots without overcrowding each page, and the spine treatment is meticulously produced to avoid issues over the long-term for collectors. The quality of each concept art is also stunning as the developers invited countless artists from around the world to help bring their ideas to life. From photorealistic to digital artwork, it is impressive to discover how the game was conceived. While playing the video game is an experience in itself, this art book sends chills down your spine as you relive certain unforgettable scenes, whether it's set in the snowy Wyoming regions or the destroyed Seattle territory. To be able to see and understand how art was turned into a 3D video game environment within this art book is simply magical.

The detail in the concept art is also beautifully terrifying. The colours add a tone to each shot and further captures the post-apocalyptic setting in which evolves the entire the story. Since the artbook is also presented in chronological story-wise order, you're immediately in a position to understand the direction that was desired for the story. The commentary that sometimes accompanies certain pictures also unveils the importance of every single detail. From the clothing choice to the spacial environment design, it's awe-inspiring to further understand Naughty Dogs' desire to make every little feature matter. It is also worth noting that this artbook will only satisfy those who have finished and loved the video game, especially with the number of spoilers it contains. But if there's something this art book will succeed in doing is to invite you to replay the video game just to appreciate the finer details in the environment that they've created for fans of The Last of Us.

The Art of the Last of Us Part II is a stunning and beautifully-conceived collector's artbook for fans of the video game.

[FrontalNerdaty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve got quite of these Dark Horse video game art books but this is by far and large the best one they’ve produced. Finally the book takes the reader level by level and offers just enough insight from the creators to be informative but not drab. As always the art presented is in clear images and it’s always great to see unused designs and ideas.

[Bahar meow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Outstanding art work!

[April / Octipuff · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm just gonna post two points, one good and one bad, everything else about this artbook was acceptable.

The Good:
An improvement over the first artbook for The Last of Us Part One: the artists have all been properly credited per page, per image! This is fantastic because oftentimes concept art gets dissolved into a company project (games, movies, etc) and I would dare even call them unsung heroes. They are the lens through which our eyes view these worlds, they deserve the credit!

The Bad (and The Ugly):
My only gripe (and it's a big one for me) is that the 'Ground Zero' hospital visit received no real focus in this artbook. It was by far the most terrified I was in the game when I had to go down into the basement of the hospital. And it had maybe 2 images for it and the tiniest of them, in the corner, was the Ratking. I had expected a few pages, at the very least, dedicated to it and the concept art for all of the biohazard setups, the infected in the walls, the wall-of-flesh room, and maybe some early iterations of the Ratking itself. Such a disservice to such a profound moment.

[May Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is of course just a supplementary read to the real game experience, but I still got a lot out of this. The sheer time, effort, and talent is mind boggling. I loved seeing all of the passion and dedication so clearly on display.

[Michelle Curie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Following the release of the massive video game sequel The Last of Us: Part II last summer, this book features concept art and graphical elements that went into creating the post-apocalyptic world that we get to know as players.



The Last of Us: Part II was probably one of the most awaited sequels of the recent years. The emotional power the first part had was not forgotten by those who played in seven years prior – we got to love the weathered protagonist Joel and his beloved, unwilling companion Ellie and the beautiful father-daughter-relationship they developed so organically. Upon release, the sequel also became one of the most controversial ones: not everyone was happy with the route the studio went for, exploring the dark themes like the cycle of violence, revenge and grief.

You may hate or love the game, but the world building is fantastic. This book features a chronological record of the game, revisiting locations, characters and scenes. It showcases atmospheric landscapes, rough storyboards and alternative ideas the studio had for how things come together. Those were the most fun bits – like, did you know there was a plan to let Abbie infiltrate the settlement and become a close companion to Joel first? It would have made for an entirely different game.



Everything that was in here was beautiful, but I wish there was more. While these pages immediately bring me back to the Seattle of the speculative future and its surroundings, certain elements were missing. I would have loved more content on Lev and his sister Yara for example, the former being almost completely absent from these pages. Also particular sequences were fully omitted, the harrowing Ground Zero location received pretty much no mention, while being one of the most terrifying bits in the game. It would have also been fun to see a bit more of the process and get a few more details on why certain choices were made.

All in all, this is a fantastic addition to the game, allowing one to revisit beloved places and dwell in the memories for just a little bit longer. If you're a fan of the game, this will be a joy!

[jurizprudent · Rating 4 out of 5]

just an incredibly and beautifully done artbook that added more depth to well-loved characters. the second video game in and on itself was a masterclass in storytelling and portraying grief, and i've been wanting to get a lobotomy ever since i finished it so i could experience it for the first time again or remove it from my memory for how painful it was

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

My bestie/roommate @kerumie gifted me this book (deluxe version!!) for my birthday 🥺🥺

This game is really perfect. What a beautiful collector’s item.

Thank you Naughty Dog for all you do, and all the amazing artists for bringing this vision into life. Can’t wait for TLOU3 😭

[cordelia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Concept design is beautiful and it's nice to know more about how these characters were developed. Naughty Dog gets 5 stars for pissing off every male gamer who hates women.

[Loie☆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, I finally finished my first book of the year! It's been a really slow reading month so far which, to be honest, has stressed me out a bit. Usually I'm such a big reader, but I've felt quite sluggish this year. And so I thought I would start reading The Art Of The Last Of Us Part II which I got as a Christmas present.
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If you know me, you know that I love The Last Of Us. I even got Ellie's tattoo because I love the game so much. And so I knew that I would enjoy reading through the art book, just as much as I enjoyed reading through the first one.
Art books are so important when it comes to things like games. While not all the artwork that's featured inside the book made it into the actual game, you can still tell that every single piece helped Naugty Dog to develop The Last Of Us Part II. Seeing all of the art really made me appreciate just how hard they worked to create the second game. You can see the dedication and hours of work that went into everything.
Every single art piece is a work of art and I was mesmerised by everything.
I also really loved how the art was put in chronological order to the game so that you can follow along with where each art piece relates to in the game.
There's also a little more insight into the characters and the decisions that Naughty Dog made in regards to certain things in the game, and I really liked that. I always love learning more about the behind the scenes of things, so this book was a real treat!

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

Better Than The Game

The whole Abby storyline and flashbacks really ruined the game, but the biggest ruination came from playing the killer minutes after a major character was killed.

This was just not good.

This book, however, was excellent.

I absolutely loved the deteriating concepts and the plants reclaiming the earth.
Amazing lighting too.

4.2/5

[~Madison · Rating 5 out of 5]

the one thing i love more than reading and collecting books is this game. It's a long ass game but i've played it 8 times over and can never stop thinking about it. It's my favourite thing in the entire world and i'm so happy i got the deluxe edition of this art book!!

also this book about art concepts made me cry LMAO
it just made me think of the game and story and it has me bawling

[Dimitris Papastergiou · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I ever were to lose you
I'd surely lose myself.

Haunted by your stare
Haunted by your smiles
The mask keeps getting heavier
It's sliding off my face
One step forward, two steps back.

There's a noose around my neck
And the further I get
The tighter It's harder and harder to breathe
Can I find a way to cut the cord rope cord?

I've been waiting for dawn
But the light is all gone
I've lost the light
Don't know if I'm already
Blind...
Can I leave it all behind?

All the promises at sundown, I meant them like the rest.

[Abby Filsinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a lover of the video game it was so amazing to get to not only see the different iterations of different characters, locations and storylines, but also get to read about the thought processes of the animators and the creator Neil Druckman. Seeing how different some of the characters almost looked or how the storyline was very different at the beginning was so fascinating! There are certain aspects of the story and most of the main characters that are so incredibly different that it made my head spin!

Needless to say, the entire team behind this amazing story deserves all the acclaim that they got becuase of this game! Beautifully done and something I’ll definitely be reading through again and again.

If you’re a fan this is a must!

[Alyssa Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a cool expansion of the universe of The Last of Us and I enjoyed reading about the graphics that go into the creation of each game. I would totally recommend this book for fans of the show (to satiate the absence of the show until season 2 comes out).

[Tyler Metcalfe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful look at an epic game’s art.

[Jenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Both the video game and this art book surpassed its predecessor by an unbelievable mile. The artwork was astounding and it even featured a description of the plot for each sequence. The Last of Us franchise is one of my favorites and it was wonderful to explore all the behind the scenes for this series. I couldn't believe my eyeballs and I'm on the hunt for more art books to borrow in the future. I can't even tell you how hyped I am for the HBO show too!

[Sander · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading The Art of the Last of us Part 2. It deepens the story and explains the choices the development team made to create the game. The book also discusses the possibilities of characters having other roles, or the story leading into different paths.

The book is especially nice if you have played the game first, because it takes you back into the story and the beautiful art gives memories to the scenes in the game.

[Floreen Keech · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love seeing the process of the artists developing the game. The different sketches and styles is so fun to see. It’s amazing how these artists bring this game to life, the sceneries and ambiance are just so perfect. I just wish they also show the development of the weapons in the game and the crafting. I miss Ellie and Joel so much.

[Dylan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Last of Us Part II is basically my favorite thing to ever exist and this beautiful art book does it so much justice! The art here is diverse and usually falls into a few distinct categories:

1. Early designs that show how many iterations many of these characters and props went through

2. More cartoony or sketchy art that looks like fan art more than anything used in the actual game (my personal favorite)

3. Renders that look very similar to the finished product, often landscapes

4. Photography using actors (separate from the actual character actors) and sets to capture, I assume, an idea of the framing and gist for the designers. I didn't know they did this!

The art is accompanied by text to narrate major story beats which helps the flow of the book and focus each page. There's also occasional tidbits about the thought process behind design choices and commentary on how things evolved over time. A lot of this behind the scenes information was stuff that I was already aware of except for a couple details like the fact that Maria was originally the one to speak to Ellie at the farmhouse. Cool details like this help tie everything together in a really satisfying way and allow you to peak behind the curtain a bit.
I also love that they credit the artists so well; Alex Neonakis, Hyoung Taek Nam, and Ashley Swidowski--y'all are awesome.
I still wish there was a more thorough documentary about the creation of this game like there is for Part I, but this is the next best thing.

Some of my favorite pieces (if Goodreads actually works and uploads images):

[Oleg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Порівняно із артбуком першої частини можна помітити як зріс рівень відвертості, якості та насилля (загалом як і у грі). Так як основні герої нам вже більш-менш знайомі, артбук більше концентрується на сценах та локаціях.

Шкода, що практично нічого не розповіли за нових заражаних - Shamblers і також за славнозвісного Rat King. Про останнього дуже хотілось би дізнатись більше, побачити як розробники створювали його модель, які ідеї їх надихали.

P.S Міні-спойлер - логотип FEDRA перемальовували близько двохсот разів. Такі невеличкі деталі допомагають зрозуміти всю глибину занурення команди Naughty Dog у цю гру.

[Ignacio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Espectacular compendio de los estudios de escenario y personajes que se vieron posteriormente en el juego. El nivel, como se ha visto en algunas webs, es altísimo. Además de maravillarse con la fiel correspondencia entre ilustración y su representación posterior, permite descubrir alguna idea descartada... para bien. Su exhaustividad apenas deja espacio para otros aspectos como el diseño de los infectados, y todos esos objetos, materiales, pintadas... que llenan de vida cada localización y que hubieran necesitado, lo menos, 100 páginas más.

[Emma Valieu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Les " The art of... " ont souvent un goût de trop peu mais ils permettent de replonger dans un univers qu'on connaît déjà bien, en principe. Cet artbook fait très bien son office : de nombreuses et inédites illustrations (beaucoup sont vraiment chouettes), quelques anecdotes et surtout une envie de reprendre la manette pour retourner dans cet éprouvant mais ô combien excellent jeu ! <3

[Adriii · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Insightful artists' commentary", decían. "Chronicling the development of the long awaited sequel", decían. Pues meh las dos cosas. El arte es precioso, el universo tiene tanta chicha que merece la pena y tiene cosas interesantes, pero precisamente por eso da rabia que un juego tan currado, tan pensado y con tanto fondo tenga uno de los artbooks más planitos de videojuegos que tengo. Viendo lo insulsos que son los de ambos juegos, espero que con el tiempo si salga algo con un poco más de cuerpo.

[Elpezdebob ☆ · Rating 5 out of 5]

joel 😿😿

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Artbook is stunning. Still have mixed emotions on the sequel game

[Israel Salinas · Rating 4 out of 5]

para ser un libro de arte la verdad esta muy bueno, no he jugado el videojuego pero el libro te lleva a la historia y hasta vas entendiendo que va pasando


mis respetos a los artistas