The Last of Us Part II, a 2020 action-adventure game developed by Naughty Dog and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment, focuses on two lead characters: Ellie, who sets out for revenge after suffering a great tragedy, and Abby Anderson, a soldier who becomes involved in a conflict between her militia and a cult. The switch between the playable characters was a major point of the game's development, based on a similar switch in the original game, 2013's The Last of Us. Part of the game deals with Ellie's relationship with Joel, the first game's protagonist, who lied to her. Ellie is joined by several companions in the game, including her girlfriend Dina, friend Jesse, and Joel's brother Tommy. Abby is a member of the Washington Liberation Front, which also includes her ex-boyfriend Owen and her friend Manny, and is led by Isaac. Throughout her journey, Abby meets and protects Yara and Lev, siblings from the opposing cult known as the Seraphites. Creative director Neil Druckmann co-wrote the story and developed the characters of Part II with Halley Gross. The performances were recorded using performance capture, which records motion and voice simultaneously. Actors were given considerable license to improvise or suggest ideas while performing. One of the writers' goals was to create multifaceted characters, especially in Ellie, and they wanted to explore the vulnerabilities of Abby to ensure that the player could empathize with her. The characters received a mixed reception, with acclaim for the performances. Creation and conception For The Last of Us Part II, the actors' performances were recorded at a studio in Playa Vista, Los Angeles using performance capture, recording motion and voice simultaneously. The actors wore motion capture suits and head-mounted cameras that track facial muscles and eye movements. Recording ran from 2017 to April 2019. The actors were allowed to improvise or suggest ideas while performing; he said that he would do "20 or 30 takes if need be". Co-writer Halley Gross noted that a goal of the writers was to "create the most multifaceted characters you've seen in games". She particularly wanted to explore the multifaceted behavior of Ellie, showing her power as well as her insecurities. She wanted the story to show that "there are no heroes or villains". Writer and director Neil Druckmann found that all three playable characters—Joel in the first game, and Ellie and Abby in Part II—mirror each other as