Revisiting “The Last of Us Part I” video game before the second season of “The Last of Us” comes out on Max
By BELLA PETERSON —- arts@theaggie.org
With the release of the second season of the television series “The Last of Us” soon to be released, it might be fitting to revisit the game, specifically the sequel that during its release caused a major controversy. Heads up for strict show watchers: If you have not played the game, then this article will contain possible spoilers for the show.
“The Last of Us Part I” was regarded as a masterpiece: a perfect mix of drama and action for a video game. It was a fresh take on the post-apocalypse genre that changed the trajectory of many gamers’ lives. Eventually coming to win the “Game of the Year” title from the Annual Game Developers Choice Awards, “The Last of Us Part I” was a staple in gaming for a long time. When “The Last of Us Part II” was announced at the Playstation Experience on Dec. 3, 2016, fans were ecstatic.
It’s important to acknowledge that right before the game’s release, there was a leak within the game developers’ studio, Naughty Dog. This leak revealed the death of a beloved character within the series that incites the journey of revenge for the protagonist of the sequel, Ellie. These leaks were nearly impossible to avoid and were spread everywhere, and only a lucky few fans were able to play the game without any spoilers.
These spoilers really turned the tables for the release, and the pre-existing excitement was now abruptly lost to an unfortunate turn of events. The few that found themselves able to go into the game without these spoilers still felt upset at the choice the game developers had made. Now, it has been nearly five years since its release, and it’s safe to say that the attitude toward the game has changed drastically.
Naughty Dog made brave choices with the material of “The Last of Us Part II,” but now that people have had time to grieve and fully digest the content of the game, it seems that there is a fresher perspective with what the story had to offer. “The Last of Us Part II” wasn’t done in the way that it was simply just to “shock” players. It was meant to be quick and hard, because that is what loss is. Something we have to go through unexpectedly just like the protagonist, Ellie, does.
Where “The Last of Us Part I” is a story of finding light in the darkness, “The Last of Us Part II” is a story of what that light can transform us to be. We see this beloved character go to drastic lengths to get revenge for the death of the person closest to her. In doing so, we see that she starts to lose parts of herself and eventually comes to sacrifice the life she has built. The story of “The Last of Us Part II” is meant to be a forewarning that revenge is a path that only causes further destruction. By not knowing when to give up, you may end up losing whatever else you have left.
What really makes this story special is the parallel shared between the protagonists in the game: two girls who lost someone brutally taken by them seek revenge to lessen the pain that was bestowed unto them. Like two sides of the same coin, we see that Ellie is at the beginning of her journey through revenge while the other protagonist, Abby, is at the end.
We see the point of view of someone who has earned her revenge through great effort and trials only to find that she isn’t fulfilled or better for it. Through the progression of her gameplay, we find her struggling to come to peace with her choice, not only from the taking of someone’s life but also its effect on the people who joined her on this mission.
It isn’t until Abby comes across two kids and saves their lives that she finds something to fight for — something to help her move past the pain. Despite these kids coming from the group that her community is actively at war against, Abby finds herself caring more for them than the life she previously built through her journey of revenge. It is because of this that Abby is finally able to find peace, the peace she thought she would find through revenge.
Abby is a direct foil of Ellie. The latter also seeks revenge but fails in the many ways that Abby succeeds in and, in turn, sees the life taken of another person she cared for. Ellie had to face this loss without actually getting the revenge she sought. After this loss, she struggles with the post-traumatic stress disorder she acquired through her experience and isn’t able to move on. She has all she needs for her future right in front of her: a family that loves and cares for her. And yet it isn’t enough. We see that Abby was able to walk away from revenge and choose the second chance she was given, but Ellie just doesn’t have the same strength to do so.
“The Last of Us Part II” is a beautiful story of how love and loss can transform us: How much would we have to offer up of ourselves in order to give that love and what lengths would we go to for it? It’s rare to see stories that are able to show how two similar journeys can also differ from each other. “The Last of Us Part II” is a perfect sequel to “The Last of Us Part I” and, to this day, still goes far too under-appreciated. After seeing the choices Max took with the first season adaptation of “The Last of Us,” we can only hope for the second season to accomplish the same things the second game did.
Written by: Bella Peterson — arts@theaggie.org
