Given what we've seen from The Last of Us: Part II in its various trailers and gameplay, and given that it's The Last of Us, any ESRB rating other than an M would've raised some eyebrows. As expected, Naughty Dog's latest will be labelled Mature 17+, but what's perhaps less obvious are the reasons why.
Of course, The Last of Us 2 will feature pretty realistic depictions of violence. We wouldn't expect anything less from Ellie's quest for vengeance. However, as you can see over on the game's official website (thanks, DualShockers) the rating tells of nudity and sexual content as well. This isn't anything that unusual in high profile games, but it is a first for Naughty Dog.
Indeed, this will be the developer's first title to explore these more adult themes. Many games have attempted to depict romantic scenes in the past, and while not all have succeeded, we would expect Naughty Dog to get any sexual content right. The studio is one of the industry's best storytellers, after all, and has a peerless reputation for creating great characters with relationships we care about. This seems like a natural step forward for the studio and the series.
The Last of Us: Part II finally arrives on PlayStation 4 on 29th May 2020. What do you think about this? Keep things clean in the comments below.
[source dualshockers.com]
Comments 56
Hands down and eagerly waiting
Rated b for boobitry.a naughty you bad dog 🐕and human game.coming to ps4 on may 2020 .word up son.
Woweywoo
"But, but, but... Soyny is full of SJWs and Feminists now. They'll censor it."
Ah, those PlayStation-hater-tears never tasted sweeter.
Pretty sure they had all of that in Crash Bandicoot
Finally!! The studio Living up to its name Naughty Dog 😉
Wow, that is mature. I'm sure a stray boob will work up their teenage fans.
Makes sense. I wish they did it earlier in Uncharted for instance though.
UC4 would have been even more meaningful with realistic mature themes.
this just proves how behind gaming is compared to entertainment media, will get the usual suspects say its being forced down our throats but i say its not as it makes a freshing change to how gay/lesbian charcters are usual portrayed in games( usual comic relief or creepy)
I have always said, if there was one thing TLOU was missing, it was boobies and donglers. Thank goodness they have rectified.
Deffo buying the PS5 Deluxe edition with hardcase and free tissues.
@suikoden
Nothing is forced down our throats. They ve been clear enough about the themes. People know what to expect.
At last a mature game from naughty dog! I can’t wait. I hope that the game will be excellent and why not a masterpiece. The first one was great but not a masterpiece in my opinion.
@JJ2
never said it was, what i said is we will see the usual people saying it is! which of course its not been forced.
Move out the mass effect and witcher 3, there's new player in town
I bet the "Not you, too, Naughty Dog" guy has some complicated and confused feelings about this.
The most depressing thing about this is the amount of hate posts and articles it's going to generate. I suspect this game will be targeted from all sides.
We'll have the "Ellie shouldn't be gay" lot. We'll have the "this game is too violent" lot. We'll have the "using sex to sell" lot. And of course, we'll have morons at the likes of Vox, Vice, RPS, REEEEEsetEra & co. lecturing us on why "it's just disgusting, misogynistic, abhorrent, and reprehensible on every conceivable level."
Meanwhile, us normal folks will be over here enjoying the hell out of it.
Hold on there, guys! May as well be Joel's johnson on display 🤣
This is tlou so I imagine if there's a sexual scene it isn't going to be pleasant...
The Last of Us 2 Girls 1 Cup
Dude hangs dong.
doubt there will be any nudity, maybe some side boob and the odd butt cheek 🙄
Naughty Dog did say this is one of their darkest games yet.
Better turn the brightness up.
The last gameplay vid was gorgeously violent and caused quite a stir with a single kiss. I reckon it's going to go off big time when we see Joel's wang.
Joel's moobs it is then.
super hard eye roll
This confirms for me that there will probably be an Ellie Rape scene....
This game may just give me PTSD after completing it.
@Neolit I don't want to see anything involving clickers thank you very much. 😉
I'll wait for the inevitable cuscene-bonanza on youtube!
Well the U.S./UK might be getting all this. In Australia a sudden puff of spores or mystery sunrays or a rampaging infected Drop Bear will disrupt any such naughtiness!! Please think of the children!!
Ugh. Naughty Dog cashing in. Take me back to the days when ND made games that were 'games', and we played them for fun.
I always welcome various equality, diversity elements as just a natural part of the game's (books, films, TV music) world, the story, characters, relationships, narrative, etc. but I've a very strong feeling that ND are being so nauseatingly desperate to jump on a bandwagon and try to be uber contemporary, 'right on' and 'out there' that its embarrassing.
Having played all the Uncharted and Last of Us games I see a clear 'weighing down' of the games themes/look and feel over time. Uncharted 4 narrative wasn't as easy to swallow as 1, 2 and 3 but it was still fun. And TLOU put other factors before entertainment (and just managed to get away with it) so in some ways the current news is not surprising . I don't welcome it. I'm just biased and have this notion that games should be "games", fun entertaining escapism - which covers a broad enough range of experiences to be had Puzzles, shooters, racers, horror, adventure etc. I guess it's a subjective thing.
I kind of wish this doesn't just become more and more common. There's a point where we don't gain anything by being "mature". Now, this being said, is possible to be nothing. It's possible a creature is considered "nude" ala Resi 6 had the one boss that was naked with no genital and could hardly be considered human or what we really think of when we think of nudity, but the ESRB still gave it nudity. I don't think Resi 6 deserves the same nudity rating GTA has. It could be the same with this, or it could just go on with being "mature" for the sake of it.
Granted, I'm doubting that's the case, and it's probably the escalation of "mature content."
Strap-on scene confirmed.
@1_W1NG3D_4NG3L pre-emptive outrage as usual.
I wish Naughty Dog would make good games again. Youtube will be our best friend here.
Isnt it funny people going mad about censorship and then go even more mental about 2 kissing girls.😆
Imagine there was this much outrage for every single movie that ever had nudity, or a gay character, or any number of mundane completely normal every day things in it lol.
People are so weird lol.
I say lets make EVERY video game character gay!! DEATH TO STRAIGHTIES!!
Oh man i just cant wait to play this game, id say im probably more hyped about this than the ps5. Day 1 purchase for me and will probably end up geting the ps5 version 2.
Why is it if you may have a problem with the current "feature" in our entertainment to push LGBT to infinity. People think the worst of you? Being gay isn't that damn common as much as we are getting pushed in our faces. My child doesn't NEED to learn about it from Sesame Street or Disney they are children. With TLoU2 one would think Ellie being the cure may have wanted to kids. Yes spoilers she was kissed in the first one but it was snuck in. I also thought they were making her a Mary Sue but honestly all our heroes are op. Lastly I am no homophobe my aunt is gay my issue lays with not just shows but games seeming to be pushing either scenes or characters into our entertainment just to say hey look we have a gay. If the LGBT community is happy with that what ever but isn't it the same as giving black folk a "color changed" comic hero or movie characters cough Disney cough. No malice in my writing just my views on how screwed up our entertainment has become Star Wars, Dr. Who, The Little Mermaid live action. Naughty Dogs posted on gay pride Kratos was bi then flip flopped when people called him out. It's shameful and disrespectful to all but someone with my views is called names. I have 2 girls I want them growing up strong and doing what they want. What they want not what people with money think they should be.
I just want to make sure I have this right... An M rated Western game from a first party studio featuring teenage lesbians has nudity and it's ok. A Japanese third party game shows 3 seconds of a grown woman's butt and we have to censor it to 'protect the childrens.' I have no problem with this or any game having nudity but the hypocrisy is beyond belief.
@Lando_
As long as the censoring of Japanese games like DMC V, Senran Kagura and Dead or Alive continues, the statements about PlayStation's Western HQ remains true.
@Gamer83 Sony's been pretty lax on the censorship lately as I haven't heard any new News about them censoring Anything The only Censorship I've heard recently was from Nintendo Guys who were upset about Tokyo Mirage Sessions being censored
@Areus
Well, there was also Terminator recently with the devs blaming Sony and MS, though to be fair that wasn't a big release and nobody really looked too deep into that story to see if the devs were lying or not. But yes, Nintendo censors stuff too. Still doesn't change my feelings on Sony and its own ridiculous censorship policies.
@Gamer83
As far as I know, DMC5's censorship was a bug that was fixed with a patch later on. As for Senran Kagura's censorship: I support it, honestly. Personally, I don't like to grope and sexually harass characters in a mini-game, that look like lingerie wearing children.
I agree with @Areus: There has been little news about Sony's censorship lately. And honestly speaking: If they recently are releasing something like Onechanbara Origins, it is totally enough for me in terms of Japanese sex appeal.
@Darthrau I think you have a fair point about the shows and Disney, Netflix and etc. But I have to disagree with what you say about Naughty Dog.
And let me say this before I go any further, I like Disney and Netflix and enjoy their contents. With that said, they are big companies that are trying to profit from what they do. Perhaps the quality or the 'artistic' aspect concerns them a little bit lesser than Naughty Dog and other devs.
It's not pushing LGBTQ+ into people's minds and 'forcing' them to be someone else. I'm not sure if anyone would suddenly become a lesbian by playing The Last of Us Part II, it might have an influence on how they see lesbian relationships... but hardly changing their sexuality. And while I agree that children should be left children and enjoy their childhood before being plunged into adulthood and take a hundred different decisions about themselves and the world around them... being aware of what the world looks like is essential in their education. LGBTQ+ is real and a lot of people have biased views against them.
I agree that it shouldn't be forced into the story and narrative, but I don't see how Ellie's case is forced. I have no idea what led Niel Druckmann to take such a decision... what inspired him but I'm sure he has good reasons.
@JoeBlogs who's forcing you to buy it?
Count me out then.
For me, I'm a little skeptical
I just hope neil and the rest of the crew(or any other game development company) are able to tell a story without people going "hey you can't do that little thing right there because it offends me and makes me uncomfortable"
Personally I don't mind the LBGT stuff,as long as its handeled well and not super forced(like the batwoman tv series XD).
That being said from what I've seen of gameplay and interviews from halley herself I have a bit of hope.
keep in mind I preordered the deluxe edition so fingers crossed that its a really fantastic game.
@Sam-Bridges
Not sure if that is how you do that. He's been on record saying he's read a book on giving birth and how it's changed him. IDK so things he says is out there but the dude makes good games. I believe everyone deserves to be heard.At the same time if the media decides we NEED to hear just one side all the time it can become ........to use a word a loath toxic.
@Darthrau Yes, I think that's where I couldn't agree with you more. Everyone needs to be heard but not in the obvious way that some creators are making them heard.
What is that saying? there's a time and place for everything? I guess most of those who force such things into their narrative isn't familiar with that...
Yyeahh... Mature, or sociopolitical?
@Darthrau Didnt know anybody forced your daughters too be gay? They made a game Ellie is lesbian big whoop. If you look at the USA they are getting more regressive then the middle east at this point. Abortion, sexuality, trying too stop gay people too adopt its kinda scary. Which gay lead did we have in the last 15 years? The only game i can think of is Fear Effect on the PS1.
@Lando_ Totally agree when we feeling up little girls it was a issue. Talking about a bad example for young minds. It doesnt show a lot of respect towards women or young girls.
But two girls kissing no no no we cant have that?
I really dont understand why its such a big issue.
For all the people around with these issues you dont become gay you are gay. You cant be cured its not a disease.
@flaming_kaiser
I think you misunderstood, it shouldn't be put in kids programming in my opinion. Heck I changed my mind several times through high school yet it's being chucked on there. Now I've had conversations with my daughter she's 6 and seeing a boy who is dressed like a girl was.....shocking so I had to explain to her people are different and have different tastes. This is coming from a Christian American so please don't believe everything you read or hear on tv. As for gay leads I haven't played it but that episodic game Strange times or something like that weren't the girls in a relationship? I have the prequel and first one on my harddrive and been meaning to try them. I didn't comment to make an offense as I said my aunt is gay and I love everyone as the bible says. It's just right now our politics is a little heavy handed on LGBT stuff which in turn is causing what you said a backlash. It's the same with this racial stuff. I live in a fairly large city when I ask my black friends about all the hate. They say they see more from older folk looking at them sideways like they are gonna pounce at them. That's all brought on from the media and politics yelling racial bias. Now is it out there yes I not naive or dumb enough to say it isn't but is it as holy terror bad as we are lead to be believed? Not where I live atleast. Again I'm sorry this all got crazy I just hated the whole phobic statements being thrown out there. Again we who played the game already knew it wasn't like they had to show case the kiss for the big trailer again it felt like look at us we have lbgts here. Sorry for the grammar I'm an old man
@Darthrau For me its so weird people seem to be going back in time. The more sophisticated we get the less we can let people be who they are. You know the most funny thing is. That in the past girls where less pushed too act like a girl. And the gay people should not be able too adopt was on the news from a gay couple who said Trump is going for the new laws. Trump going too the prolife against abortion telling women what they can or cant do. I see a bad trend coming up and its all over the world. People push people too do and act like they want. I dont care if you are Christian im a Catholic and im still surprised that there is so much issues with something as trivial as two girls kissing. You know what my parents told me be who you want too be as long as you are good too others.
@JoeBlogs on i see
Tap here to load 56 comments
Leave A Comment
Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...