To say the least, The Last of Us Part 2 ended up being one of the most polarizing games in recent memory, as the highly anticipated sequel to Naughty Dog‘s 2013 release, in some people’s opinion, wasn’t a worthwhile follow-up.
During a recent interview with GQ, Sony‘s chief executive officer Jim Ryan talked about the fan backlash after The Last of Us Part 2’s release, saying that he’s not bothered by stuff like that while adding that he just took it in stride and moved on.
Sony’s CEO also said that he congratulated Neil Druckmann for his amazing storytelling, and in his opinion, he doesn’t think Naughty Dog’s vice president is bothered by the criticism.
“I met Neil last year and congratulated him on his art and his storytelling,” said Jim Ryan while speaking with GQ. “Neil’s a big boy, as am I, and I don’t think either of us would allow ourselves to be unduly bothered by that stuff.
“Neil knows he makes great art. He knows that he’s successfully broached topics that have never been addressed in a mature manner in any video game ever before. I think that is an outstanding thing and I’m very proud that the PlayStation is the platform in which that happened. The rest of the toxicity you just take in your stride and just move on.”
Despite the controversy surrounding The Last of Us Part 2, the game managed to end up being the fastest-selling PlayStation exclusive of all time, as it sold 2.8 million units in its first month.
At some point, The Last of Us Part 2 will get new content, as Naughty Dog is working on a multiplayer expansion. As of this writing, the developers haven’t given much information regarding the game’s online-based mode, but according to Neil Druckmann, it’ll be worth the wait. Of course, prior to launch, Naughty Dog made it clear that The Last of Us Part 2 would launch without a multiplayer mode.
“Thank you to all the wonderful fans for an incredible The Last of Us Day! Your positivity and love is incredibly inspiring. Oh, and about that other thing, be patient. It’ll be worth it,” said Druckmann regarding the game’s multiplayer expansion.
Even though there’s been no official news, it’s likely that The Last of Us Part 2’s multiplayer will launch sometime next year, but it’s unclear whether or not it’ll be added to the base-game or if it’ll be a standalone application.
