With the game dropping last weekend, fans have finally got their hands on The Last of Us 2 after years of waiting. However, while critics gave the game absolutely glowing reviews, the fanbase has been split down the middle, with some thinking its a challenging and emotional epic while others are adamant that it takes the original's narrative down the wrong path.
Perhaps the most controversial aspect of the game has been a particularly bold creative decision regarding the previous game's main protagonist, Joel Miller. Many have directed criticism towards Naughty Dog for allegedly disrespecting the character, however, the game's director, Neil Druckmann, has a lot to say about one particular critique he's seen spreading like wildfire online. Be warned, there will be spoilers for The Last of Us 2 ahead.
The scene many are pointing to is Joel's grisly death at the hands of Abby and the former fireflies during the prologue of the game, with fans claiming that the former hardened smuggler would never fall for the ambush. It appears Druckmann had thought a lot about this particular beat of the story, telling fans on Kinda Funny Games' Spoilercast exactly why Abby was able to get the drop on Joel. The director claims "that's what's hard about making a sequel. With the first game, there's no expectations. People don't know Joel and Ellie, and now some people think they know them better than we know them."
Talking about the Joel criticism in particular, Druckmann reminds fans that "people change, people evolve. The Joel that you see in the beginning of The Last of Us: Part 2... that's four years of having lived in this community that's safe. Four years of like, they meet people on the outside and bring them in... they trust them." Talking about his death scene, Druckmann continues "I've seen a lot of, why did Joel and Tommy trust these people? It's not an ambush, they're not walking into an ambush... what Joel is doing there is he's sizing everybody up except Abby, because he believes this girl who he's just saved who's the same age as Ellie is safe. That wouldn't be the threat... so that's what catches him off guard."
On top of that, Druckmann also reminds players that "Joel is looking for hunters. These are not hunters. They're regular people, just like the people who live in Jackson and Joel has become a regular person who lives in Jackson as well." Evidently, a lot of thought went into the reason why Abby's plan to kill Joel succeeded, with the emphasis being on the former protagonist having settled into a more comfortable lifestyle and trying to turn a new leaf.
The Last of Us 2Â is out now on PlayStation 4.
