Initially, The Last of Us Part II was not going to end this way, the initial ending was much darker

Game news Initially, The Last of Us Part II was not going to end this way, the initial ending was much darker

Warning: The content of this article spoils the ending of The Last of Us Part II. If you are in the process of finding out or planning to do so, read no further.

In 2013, Naughty Dog released its brand new license, The Last of Us. Away from the grandiose side of Uncharted, the title invites us to explore A world almost completely destroyed by Cordyceps, a fungus capable of controlling the host’s motor abilities. Can actually only affect insects and arachnids, He mutated here and attacked humans. Apparently, the world collapsed and some cities became de facto strongholds controlled by militaries or unofficial/rebel groups.

In other words, living in the world of The Last of Us is not good. Where humans fighting for survival are just as dangerous, if not more, than the infected

. Joel Miller, a survivor who lost his daughter in the first hours of the chaos, became a smuggler. In 2033, we find him in Boston, conducting his affairs with a certain Tess. As the two hunt for their own weapons, He arrives with Marlene, the leader of the LuciolesA group of rebels decides to end military rule and epidemics.

One thing leads to another, Joel and Tess meet again A young girl, to escort Ellie, which alone carries the destiny of humanity. Then begins the journey through the ruins of the United States, in a title that alternates between exploration, infiltration and action. Very descriptive, The Last of Us was very believable. However, its construction means that Few players expected a sequel.

from there, We enter the part where major spoilers for The Last of Us Part II begin. You can still stop reading here.

Check out The Last of Us Part II (PS5) on Amazon

The ending of The Last of Us Part II was conceived very differently, and would have completely changed the meaning of the story.

Against all expectations, the license announced its big return in 2016. Ellie has grown up, and she wants to track down and eliminate every member of the unknown group. The Last of Us Part II has been released June 19, 2020, in the middle of a pandemic. An unfavorable reference to a game that also talks about the epidemic, but which in no way prevents the success of the game, on the contrary. A technical feat on PS4, the title takes its very narrative premise, extends the lifespan and introduces many new characters and issues. Voted Game of the Year at The Game AwardsIt completely revived interest in the franchise. A series has been produced on HBO, The Last of Us got a remake, and a remaster of another game was just released. A making-of documentary will also be available starting February 2, whether on YouTube or remastered via an update to The Last of Us Part II.

And since we’re talking about the remaster, let’s talk about the new information provided by Neil Druckman and Haley Gross in the commented version. This remaster certainly features the rogue-lite mode and commented cutscenes, but it also updates some of the audio commentary that can be activated during gameplay. Thus at the very end of the game, during the final confrontation between Ellie and Abby, we learn that originally, the mischievous dog planned to kill Abby, but also Lev and Yara.

I didn’t know that Abby would die here. (Laura Bailey)
Originally, I believe, both Yara and Lev would die, and Abby was alone when you found her. And Ellie was killing Abby. (Neil Druckman)

In a podcast, Haley Gross backed up these claims by saying:

When I signed, many things were the same as the end result. We tested several versions in the last act, but it was decided that in the end, Eli would kill Abby. Halfway through production we changed it, and Ellie finally gave it up, to show us that there was a part of the old Ellie in her, the Ellie with her humanity, the Ellie influenced by Joel, the character still existing despite this crazy desire for revenge.

This would have allowed Eli to complete his revenge, but would have given the scenario an entirely different reading. Ultimately, and as screenwriter Hayley Gross says in the version, the fact that Eli saves Abby brings out Eli’s “3% humanity” and what it was just a few years ago. This therefore provides more nuance, and breaks some of the classic codes of the game’s “final boss”.

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