In an official PlayStation blog post, developers from Naughty Dog explained in detail how they'd come up with the playable guitar mechanics in The Last Of Us Part 2.
From the very beginning, the game's creators knew that guitar was a crucial element of the experience, but finding the right way to use it was challenging. A fun mini-game was not an option since it would not fit the gloomy post-apocalyptic mood of the story.
The developers also wanted to avoid complex mechanics that would enable high-skill riffs and showing off one's skills because, primarily, playing the guitar was about connecting with loved ones and your memories of them and expressing oneself through the calm rhythm of the guitar. Therefore, the creators had to look for alternatives.
To develop the in-game guitar playing mechanics, Naughty Dog resorted to music apps where users could create music on their own. One of such touch-based apps has contributed to the use of the DualShock touchpad in the game.
The developers chose A-ha's "Take On Me" as their first reference song, then followed "Future Days" by Pearl Jam. When it was decided to add more songs, it was crucial to determine when to transition to the cinematic and assess the level of freedom the players would have.
This was when the developers decided to allow players to play the guitar freely. This feature was not initially planned, but it let players use their skills and express themselves through music. Now, the game enables you to play the guitar as part of the mini-game during cut-scenes or use the guitar to play any song you can after the cut-scene ends.
There are now many videos on the Internet of many songs played in The Last Of Us Part 2:
