Making The Last of Us Part II's Best Level is a video by the Game Maker's Toolkit channel, which focuses on one of Ellie's levels in the chapter "Seattle: Day 1". The video does not contain any major story spoilers. The host of the video, Mark Brown, interviews The Last of Us Part II designer Evan Hill about the creation of the game's best level.
Evan Hill starts by explaining the importance of this level in the game's narrative and how it sets up the player's expectations for the rest of the game. The level's design is influenced by the game's themes of revenge and the consequences of violence. Hill talks about the challenges of creating a level that is both fun to play and emotionally impactful. He explains how the level's layout and enemy placement were designed to create tension and a sense of danger.
The video then delves into the technical aspects of the level's creation, including the use of lighting and sound design to create a sense of atmosphere. Hill talks about the use of environmental storytelling, where the player can learn about the world and its characters through the environment they are in. The video also showcases concept art and models used in the level's creation.
The video touches on the issue of crunch in the game development industry, where developers are expected to work long hours to meet deadlines. Hill talks about his experience with crunch during the development of The Last of Us Part II and how it affected the team. The video also mentions the controversy surrounding crunch in the industry, with reference to a Kotaku article about Naughty Dog's crunch and a response from Rockstar regarding crunch during the development of Red Dead Redemption 2.
The video ends with a discussion about the importance of game design and storytelling in video games. Hill talks about how the game's themes and narrative influenced the level's design and how the level's design, in turn, reinforces the game's themes and narrative. The video concludes with a comment on the quality of the content and the knowledge of the authors, praising their ability to create a level that is both fun to play and emotionally impactful.
