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Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Naughty Dog described The Last of Us Part II as an effort to broaden the series’ world and cast—and paired that storytelling aim with extensive accessibility options intended to help more players take part. The clearest evidence is the studio’s own development material, a co-lead designer’s comments on LGBTQ+ representation, and the game’s documented vision, hearing, and motor-access features. Those sources show what the studio said it sought to do and what it built; they do not establish that every portrayal worked for every player or reveal the diversity of Naughty Dog’s workforce.
What Naughty Dog said it wanted to broaden
In its 2020 announcement of the “Inside The Last of Us Part II” video series, Naughty Dog said the episodes would explore the “design, technology, and ideas” shaping the game’s development. The first story-focused episode, the studio said, would examine the game’s themes and Ellie and Joel’s life in Jackson, as well as “how we’re broadening the world and cast of characters.” That is direct evidence of a stated creative aim, not a complete account of how individual characters were developed. Naughty Dog’s announcement and the official PlayStation game page provide the studio’s framing and game details.
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![The Last of Us Part II - Standard Edition [PlayStation 4] (Uncut)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51ytd+elO5L._SL160_.jpg)
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The Last of Us Part II - Standard Edition [PlayStation 4] (Uncut) | $39.70 | Buy on Amazon |
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The Last of Us Part II (PS4) | $34.47 | Buy on Amazon |
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The Art of the Last of Us Part II | $29.70 | Buy on Amazon |
How the studio connected representation with storytelling
Emilia Schatz, identified by Sony Interactive Entertainment as the game’s co-lead designer, described authentic representation as a way for players to spend time with a character’s perspective and recognize that character’s humanity. “For a time, you immerse yourself in their identity and see the world from their perspective. When the portrayal is authentic, you can feel the humanity in that character. And maybe, the next time you’re out in the diverse real world, you’ll see a little more humanity in the people around you.” Schatz made the remark in an SIE interview about LGBTQ+ storytelling.
The same interview quotes Blair Durkee, GLAAD’s Special Consultant for Gaming, arguing that games’ interactivity and agency give them particular potential for LGBTQ+ stories: “Like any other creative medium, games are a canvas for storytelling, and authentic LGBTQ+ stories deserve to be told. But games also go further by adding interactivity and agency.” That is Durkee’s perspective on the medium, not evidence of a universal player response. Together, the comments explain the studio’s stated rationale for representation without settling how audiences judge any particular character or portrayal.
#1 Best Overall
- Eine intensive, von starken Charakteren getragene Geschichte, durch das Erfolgsstudio Naughty Dog perfekt inszeniert
- Langerwartete Fortsetzung von "The Last of Us" kommt endlich auf PS4
- Dank modernster Motion-Capturing werden die Emotionen noch realistischer transportiert
- Unberechenbare Begegnungen mit Feinden durch das erstklassige KI-System
Accessibility features made inclusion a design concern
Naughty Dog documented accessibility presets for vision, hearing, and motor needs. The options provide different ways to perceive information and operate the game; they do not guarantee that the game will be accessible to every player. The studio’s feature breakdown lists options including text-to-speech, high contrast, audio cues, subtitle settings, control assistance, and navigation aids. Naughty Dog’s accessibility documentation describes the settings in detail.
Vision options
- Text-to-speech and high-contrast display options.
- Audio cues for traversal and combat, plus navigation assistance.
- The option to skip puzzles.
Hearing options
- Subtitles can include speaker names and directional information.
- Awareness indicators and combat vibration cues provide additional ways to follow events.
Motor and control options
- Auto weapon swap, camera assistance, and navigation aids.
- Options to replace repeated button presses with holds and holds with toggles.
The studio called its customization a first for Naughty Dog: “For the first time in a Naughty Dog game, we are offering full control customization.” It said players could remap every command, including touch-pad swipes and controller shake, and change individual input behaviors. These are in-game settings; the documentation does not say that players need a particular external controller.
Rank #2
- Five years later An intense, harrowing and emotional adventure awaits Ellie and Joel return for an epic journey in the sequel to the critically acclaimed game by Naughty Dog.
- Experience the escalating moral conflicts created by Ellies relentless pursuit of vengeance. The cycle of violence left in her wake will challenge your notions of right versus wrong, good versus evil, and hero versus villain.
- Set out on Ellies journey, taking her from the peaceful mountains and forests of Jackson to the lush, overgrown ruins of greater Seattle. Encounter new survivor groups, unfamiliar and treacherous environments, and terrifying evolutions of the infected.
- New and evolved gameplay systems deliver upon the life-or-death stakes of Ellies journey through the hostile world. Feel her desperate struggle for survival through improved features such as high-intensity melee combat, fluid movement, and dynamic stealth.
What accessibility consultants and usage figures show
PlayStation’s accessibility feature page describes Navigation Assistance for following the story path, Enhanced Listen Mode for finding enemies or pickups, simplified traversal input, ledge guard, and puzzle skipping. It acknowledges accessibility consultants Brandon Cole, James Rath, Paul Lane, Josh Straub, Steve Saylor, Morgan Baker, and Ian Hamilton. The page establishes their involvement in supporting the work, but does not assign specific features to individual consultants.
In a 2020 retrospective, Sony Interactive Entertainment quoted consultant Steve Saylor describing the features’ significance to him as a blind player: “From my perspective, accessibility features as a blind player mean the difference between just a game I can’t play to potentially my next favorite game,” and “The Last of Us Part II removed barriers I’ve always had in games and I can now enjoy the game as it was meant to be played.” This is his personal testimonial, not a claim about every blind player’s experience. The same SIE retrospective reports that seven of the ten most-used accessibility-related options were subtitle-related. The passage does not identify the year of the underlying usage data, so the figure should not be read as a current measure or as a finding about games generally.
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Rank #3
The retrospective also quotes game designer Matthew Gallant encouraging teams working on inclusive design to build on the work and go further. That statement presents the features as a contribution other teams could learn from, not as proof that the game solved accessibility for everyone.
What the available evidence can—and cannot—establish
The official sources support three distinct conclusions: Naughty Dog publicly said it wanted to broaden the game’s world and cast; a named co-lead designer explained why authentic LGBTQ+ portrayal matters to her as a storytelling choice; and the game shipped with a substantial set of documented access options developed with acknowledged consultants. These are evidence of stated aims, design features, and process involvement. They are not a complete history of character decisions, a demographic account of the studio’s staff, independent audience research, or proof of universal approval.
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