The Last of Us Part II hit PlayStation 4 solely in 2020. Developer Naughty Dog introduced us again into the world of cordyceps, Fireflies, Ellie, and Joel alongside new threats and characters just like the WLF, Abby, Yara, Lev, and extra. Game Informer gave the sport a ten out of 10 – learn the overview right here – and I’d have agreed with that rating in 2020. I nonetheless agree with that rating right now, too.
If I wrote what I wish to say about The Last of Us Part II’s story, I’m positive you’d discover it very acquainted as a result of it is largely how I felt across the recreation’s unique launch. Instead, my spouse, Gabriella LeBlanc, performed by way of The Last of Us Part II Remastered’s story for the primary time ever, principally unspoiled of the journey, and it was superior listening to her ideas in real-time in regards to the recreation. I wished to share these ideas, so I interviewed her. Below are 20 questions on The Last of Us Part II’s story with solutions from somebody who beat it for the primary time in 2024, unaware of the leaks that occurred earlier than the sport’s 2020 launch, the fates of sure characters, the ending, and extra. Enjoy (and be good to her within the feedback)!
Playing The Last of Us Part II For The First Time In 2024
Game Informer’s Wesley LeBlanc: What did you suppose The Last of Us Part II could be about going into it, unspoiled by the web?
Gabriella LeBlanc: I actually didn’t have a lot of an thought. I keep in mind watching the trailer approach again when the sport was being launched the primary time, simply passively since you had been watching, and pondering, “Weird, what does this have to do with anything?” and that was with an already very fundamental thought of what the primary recreation was even about. It appeared like some type of culty witch-hunt vibe, which positively sounds cool, however had no thought what it needed to do with The Last of Us, so I did not actually know what to suppose.
What was the most important shock?
LeBlanc: The greatest shock was not Joel’s loss of life general, however the timing. Unfortunately, I did know that Joel was going to die as a result of I’d seen it on Twitter or one thing sooner or later, in all probability a meme or one thing. So I knew it was going to occur. But I didn’t suppose it was going to occur so quick. When it did, I used to be pondering, “Okay, for real now, what is this game going to be about?”
How did Joel’s loss of life have an effect on you? How do you’re feeling about its place within the recreation’s narrative?
LeBlanc: Mostly simply disbelief due to the timing, as I discussed. Since I’ve completed the sport, I like that it occurs so quick. It simply offers such a shock issue that they might kill the principle character, and so rapidly, that it made me wish to maintain enjoying to see how this could play out for Ellie.
After Joel’s loss of life, what did you suppose the sport’s plot was going to be?
LeBlanc: At this level, I had a sense that Ellie was going to go after his killer. She’s approach too ruthless to let it slide, and I knew that it will eat away at her realizing the one that did this might get away.
How do you’re feeling about Ellie and Dina and their relationship within the first half of the sport?
LeBlanc: When they had been first interacting within the recreation, I believed it was possibly a bit of shallow, that Dina was type of utilizing Ellie as a rebound from her breakup with Jesse. However, as time went on, it was clear that issues had been extra severe they usually each offered one thing that the opposite particular person wanted. I feel Dina (and later the infant) gave Ellie somebody to handle, a function, very like Joel wanted Ellie as his function. For Dina, Ellie served as a succesful, protecting particular person to like and share her life with. It’s unlucky that, in the long run, they each misplaced these issues.
Shamblers are new. What’d you consider these enemies?
LeBlanc: I just about noticed them as the identical factor as Bloaters, however they had been capable of assault you from afar by throwing acid (I feel?) spores at you, which positively added to the panic for me. I’m, sadly, a really panic-driven participant. By that, I imply one thing begins to assault me, and I begin to panic, then out of the blue neglect what each single button on the controller does. This in all probability simply reveals how beginner I’m at these kind of video games, however these enemies positively added to the depth of these moments as a result of I used to be horrible at predicting how and the place they had been going to assault me. Were they going to run at me, or throw acid bombs at me? I could not predict it. Mind you, that is extra of a criticism of my very own ability, not the sport.
Overall, I noticed them as an thrilling problem. They had been by no means so tough to get previous that it ruined the enjoyable, however nonetheless scary and worry-inducing once I noticed one!
Did you just like the extra open-ended space in Seattle?
LeBlanc: Yes, I really did actually take pleasure in this space of the sport, and I say it this manner as a result of usually I’m not a fan of open-world video games basically. This is as a result of I’m simply overwhelmed, and my ADHD mind has a tough time determining what I ought to do subsequent, what mission is extra necessary, and many others. But as a result of this was a minimum of a bit of bit contained and had a map to observe for steerage if you happen to wished it, my points with open-world areas did not actually apply right here. I additionally love crossing something off of a listing, so with the ability to go to a sure constructing after which watch Ellie cross that place off on the map was very satisfying.
I additionally actually favored this space as a result of I’m a super-searcher in the case of gathering gadgets, ammo, and many others. I wish to scour each final nook for something that may assist me. Again, I’m a really beginner participant, so I would like all the assistance I can get! So having the open world space was enjoyable and thrilling as a result of I knew that I used to be going to be tremendous stocked up on what I wanted, which makes me really feel much more assured transferring ahead. It was additionally actually fascinating to enter all these little retailers and peer into the pre-Cordyceps world of the sport and discover collectibles, notes, posters, and extra detailing what this place was like earlier than the fungus took over.
How do you’re feeling about Ellie’s lean into violence and torture to get what she wants?
LeBlanc: I hated it…and I cherished it. At first, I’d be like, “Oh no, Ellie, what are you doing? Don’t do this, this isn’t you!” And then I’d flip to, “Oh my gosh, she’s doing exactly what Joel would do if he were in her position. She learned all of this from Joel,” and it solely made me love watching it play out. Seeing a lot of Joel’s traits and actions mirror again onto Ellie solely made me really feel for Ellie extra and the way massive this loss actually was for her. So yeah, positively onerous to observe but in addition endearing in a bizarre approach.
How did you’re feeling about Ellie making it to the aquarium – particularly, killing Alice the canine, Mel, and Owen?
LeBlanc: I imply, watching it play out from Ellie’s finish, it was clear to me that she was doing what she felt like she needed to do to get solutions and discover Abby. It was positively tough watching it as a result of it isn’t like she is doing this to avoid wasting somebody she loves – she’s doing this to get revenge. I feel it is simple to observe somebody do these items realizing they’ve somebody’s life on the road that they love and are attempting to avoid wasting, however at this level, she’s doing this to additional her mission of vengeance, so it is onerous to empathize along with her actions. But, it is clear she is beginning to really feel a bit of little bit of that when she realizes after the truth that Mel was pregnant. It was robust to observe.
What did you consider the mid-game cliffhanger?
LeBlanc: Oh my gosh, I used to be like, “How are people expected to not just play through this game in one sitting?” I used to be dying to know what occurred. Not solely that, however I knew I used to be nowhere close to the tip of the sport, so I believed, “Where in the world are we going to go from here?”
What did you consider the swap to Abby’s perspective instantly after?
LeBlanc: I used to be at first like, “Oh my god, you have got to be kidding me, it’s going to take me forever to get to that cliffhanger moment and find out what happens.” But as soon as I settled in, I loved enjoying as Abby and studying her background, in addition to what the WLF actually was and the way their operation labored.
Whose half did you want extra – Ellie or Abby?
LeBlanc: I’m scared to reply this query as a result of it could be an unpopular opinion to go in opposition to our beloved protagonist, however I feel I loved enjoying as Abby extra. Her components of the sport had been extra enjoyable to play out, and he or she confronted extra challenges than Ellie did, between the Seraphites, journeying by way of the lodge, and the hospital scene.
Tell me your ideas about Abby’s journey with Lev?
LeBlanc: Well, apart from having a badass little bow-and-arrow-wielding pal to sneak round and kill enemies with me so I wasn’t alone, which in itself was superior and really useful, their journey confirmed a really compassionate aspect of Abby. It confirmed that she’s a human and, for my part, general, an excellent particular person. Right off the bat, it is simple to color these characters nearly as good or unhealthy at face worth, however that is a part of what makes these video games so good, is exhibiting that you would be able to be an excellent particular person and make unhealthy choices, and vice-versa. Abby made a bad-guy determination killing Joel, however a good-guy determination serving to Yara and Lev when she actually did not have to, particularly going again to examine on them.
What do you consider Lev and his story?
LeBlanc: Lev’s story is a vital one, exhibiting that these problems with judgment in the direction of trans folks do not go away, even within the face of a serious epidemic. There are literal fungus zombies strolling round, and these loopy individuals are nonetheless extra nervous about whether or not an individual is a boy or a lady. I cherished that Lev ended up trusting Abby sufficient to essentially disclose what occurred to him, why he shaved his head, why he and Yara ran away, and later the sophisticated emotions driving him to run again to his mom and the Seraphites. His journey added an fascinating component to the story and confirmed that trans folks exist and can live on even within the face of main adversity, and he is a really robust character for that.
You thought the sport was over when controlling Ellie on the farmhouse. How did the epilogue of the sport hit you?
LeBlanc: I actually did suppose the sport was over! I used to be like, “Oh my gosh, I did it, this is so beautiful, wow!” And then, when Ellie makes it clear she’s going again on the market to seek out Abby, it was so onerous to maintain enjoying as a result of I wished her to simply accept her new lovely life so badly. She acquired the sheep farm that Joel had wished. She had an attractive household. I hated that I needed to maintain transferring her by way of the story and make her go away one thing that was so good.
With all the recreation behind you, how do you’re feeling in regards to the pacing of the sport, particularly in comparison with the primary one?
LeBlanc: As far as pacing goes, I feel general, it was fairly properly finished. Both halves of Ellie and Abby’s days in Seattle had been fairly even. The solely factor that was a bit of rushed was the Rattlers storyline. That group simply wasn’t actually developed in comparison with the Fireflies, WLF, or the Seraphites. But on the similar time, had it been as developed as the opposite teams, the ending of the sport might need been a bit of too lengthy, so I perceive their determination to put in writing it this manner.
Tell me your ideas about that ending!
LeBlanc: I used to be in absolute anguish combating Abby. She was already barely alive when Ellie reduce her down from that stake. It felt so low to maintain attacking her. I like Ellie as a personality, flaws and all, however I wished her to cease so badly, to not be this one that wants revenge so desperately that she will’t see that she’s already gotten it.
Overall, what do you consider The Last of Us Part II?
LeBlanc: I completely cherished it. I cherished enjoying as Abby, and I cherished enjoying as Ellie. I cherished watching Ellie and Joel’s reconciliation on the finish, realizing that on the time of his loss of life, they had been engaged on being mates once more, thus ripping my coronary heart out additional. In reality, I cherished having my coronary heart ripped out. I want I may do it once more. That’s how you understand it is a good story!
Do you desire a third recreation? What do you envision it being?
LeBlanc: Selfishly, sure, I’d love a 3rd recreation just because I genuinely loved enjoying this recreation a lot. But realistically, I do not know if a 3rd recreation may complement the story to make it higher. The ending is so good the best way it’s, I’d be scared to spoil such an excellent factor.
How do you suppose HBO will adapt Part II as a TV collection?
LeBlanc: I hope HBO splits it up the very same approach the sport does. I hope we’ve got Ellie’s three days in Seattle, then Abby’s three days in Seattle, after which the aftermath. If that makes it in order that Part II needs to be break up up into a number of seasons to inform the story successfully, then so be it – I settle for that. In case anybody at HBO is on the market studying this one particular person’s very beginner opinion, and also you’re nervous there is not an viewers right here for that, you are incorrect! I’m right here! I’m right here for it!
Anything else you wish to point out that I did not ask about?
LeBlanc: As somebody who’s pretty new to those sorts of video games, enjoying The Last of Us has made me much more excited to begin enjoying different video games prefer it. I was simply an Animal Crossing and Super Mario participant, and that’s just about the place it ended. But I like studying, films, and TV collection as a result of I like an excellent story, and I’m so glad that you just satisfied me to offer these two video games a shot for the sake of the story. It’s opened up an entire new world for me in the best way of video games, and I can not wait to get began on enjoying extra video games like this. But I gotta say, after enjoying and loving TLOU Parts I and II, these different video games have some very severe competitors.
For extra, learn Game Informer’s unique overview of The Last of Us Part II after which take a look at this NGT of The Last of Us Part II Remastered’s No Return roguelite.
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