The Last Of Us Part II Replaces The Yule Log With A Burning Car

Some people like to relax during the holiday season by putting on imagery, or sounds, or indulging in sights that really helps bring Christmas to life, such as watching 10 hours of a yule log burning, or Jeff Kaplan from Blizzard eating cookies by the fireplace. In the case of Naughty Dog, they decided to treat fans with a couple of hours worth of a wrecked car burning.

The two hour video -- yes, a two hour video -- was uploaded on the official PlayStation YouTube channel. It's appropriately titled "Burning Car Winter Fireplace". It's a little good will gesture for those who wanted something snazzy to experience over the holidays while opening presents and enjoying the presence of their close family and relatives. Of course, the whole aesthetic of a burning car probably dampens the mood given that most people prefer the warmth of a fireplace or imagery that tingles the senses in a positive way, but at least burning cars keep you warm, right?

The description is just as joyous as the video of the burning car, noting that it's two hours of a car burning from the Last of Us Part II trailer that aired during the Paris Games Week back in 2017, one entire year ago. It fits in well with what's described as the post-pandemic apocalypse that characters like Ellie and Joel suffer through.

The crazy part about it is that while the image is of a burning SUV -- complete with three of the four doors missing and the wheels no longer being intact -- just listening to the metal churning under the heat of the flames and the smoke rising out from the broken windows can be somewhat soothing. The combination of the droplets of rain on the crumpled roof of the SUV and the low roar of thunder passing by overhead does feel kind of comforting... in a strange, despondent, scary sort of way. At around the 4:45 mark early into the video you might even catch the sound of a clicker in the distance.

Anyway, it's a nice hold-me-over gesture from Sony and Naughty Dog while we wait for more news on The Last of Us Part II to surface.

The last big news we received about the game was that Neil Druckmann and the rest of the performance capture crew managed to get in a few more sessions before taking a break for the holiday. Before that, the studio demonstrated some of the actual gameplay at this past year's E3 in Los Angeles, California. The game has definitely ratcheted up the violence since the last outing, taking the mantle as Sony's most violent first-party outing away from the God of War series.

Gamers are still trying to fish for information regarding the whereabouts and fate of Joel. He's been hinted at and briefly teased in some of the trailers but some fans fear he may have died at some point.

Fan theories aside, if you still need to find some semblance of comfort and balance in your life, don't hesitate to check out the burning vehicle replacement for the yule log, courtesy of Naughty Dog.