Naughty Dog's The Last of Us 2 is simultaneously one of the most highly praised yet thematically divisive video games in recent years. On one hand, its technical achievements and sheer scale is wondrous to behold. On the other, aspects of the plot such as Joel being murdered by Abby didn't sit right with some players. It is a challenging game both to play and make sense of. One thing for sure is that The Last of Us 2 pushes its characters to emotional extremes, with Ellie and Abby in particular squaring off in a lethal battle of wits and violence on more than one occasion.
In order to make one of these moments hit that much harder, Naughty Dog had the twisted idea of putting players in control of Abby in parts of The Last of Us 2, with the goal of a climactic sequence being to hunt down Ellie and brutally beat her to a pulp. The fight pulls no punches, and considering the attachment players have with Ellie because of the first game, it can be difficult to inflict so much pain on such a beloved character. The sequence packs a great emotional punch, and for this reason, Santa Monica Studio should look at this moment as inspiration for a future God of War game.
The Last of Us 2's Thematically Challenging Boss Fight
The boss fight against Ellie is so impactful directly because control has been handed to the player as opposed to the scene playing out in a cutscene. While playing as Abby in The Last of Us 2, players have no choice but to stalk Ellie in the dark, throw each vicious punch, and push the on-screen prompts to pull off nasty counter moves. The sequence ends with Ellie left in a bloody mess, as Abby walks away from the confrontation the ultimate victor.
It's a great example of flipping expectations, and playing with perspectives. The Last of Us 2 plays with duality, and concepts of a gray area when determined who is good and evil. Based on the first game, Ellie would be considered a strong, level-headed protagonist. However, after the events of the second game, this view becomes skewed, and as players attack her while controlling Abby, it results in a mixed feeling for how to take in the sequence in the best kind of way. Rarely is such emotional weight and conflicted motivations placed on a video game, something which would be interesting to see other franchises attempt.
Kratos vs Atreus
If there is any other top tier story driven franchise that could replicate this idea, it would be the fellow exclusive PlayStation franchise God of War. Building upon the foundation laid down in the 2018 original, God of War Ragnarok really dove into the relationship between father and son duo Kratos and Atreus. Although there is love at the center, they're different people and the game examines their different perspectives as they butt heads on more than one occasion.
Although Ragnarok ends with the two on amicable terms, there is an established tension and the two don't always see eye to eye. For this reason, it wouldn't be a stretch to see the two clash in the future, with their different personalities already very well established. Borrowing from The Last of Us 2, it would be incredibly effective and heartbreak if the next God of War game had players control Kratos or Atreus as the two duke it out in a fight to the death. Perhaps Kratos has given into the rage within him and Atreus must stop him, or Atreus has given into his godly roots and become power hungry, forcing Kratos to defeat his own son. There's many other creative possibilities for where Santa Monica can go next.
The Last of Us Part 2 is available now on PS4.
