The Last of Us 2 is a brutal but beautiful game, showcasing incredibly realistic violence through groundbreaking animation that is some of the best in the industry. The Last of Us 2 is notable not only for how impressive its combat looks, but for how the combat seems to react naturally to the environment and the circumstances in which players are attacking enemies. The level of detail in the game is extraordinary, which is why it's no surprise that fans are still discovering melee executions they may have never seen before.
Reddit user The84th posted a clip of The Last of Us 2 to the franchise's subreddit, showing a rare melee execution in action. In the clip, Last of Us 2 protagonist Ellie runs up to an armed enemy, first throwing a brick to stun them. With the enemy staggered, Ellie brings her machete down on their head with incredible force, yanking the blade out while simultaneously dragging her opponent face-first into the ground.
The84th said that they didn't think they'd ever seen this particular animation in the game before, and many of the comments on the video echoed this. While this melee animation has been in The Last of Us 2 since launch and has likely been seen by many players, there's enough depth to the game's melee combat that it seems a great deal of players have never seen it happen for themselves.
One reason why some Last of Us 2 players may not have seen this particular melee execution is because of the way they play the game. It's possible that instead of attacking human enemies with melee attacks, most Last of Us 2 players stick with ranged weapons instead. The Last of Us 2 equips Ellie with a bow, plus she also has a variety of firearms that she can use throughout the course of the game. If someone were to play through the bulk of The Last of Us 2 focused on ranged weaponry, it makes sense that they may have missed seeing this melee execution in their playthrough.
The expanded melee executions and their associated animations are just one way that The Last of Us 2 is a big upgrade over its predecessor gameplay-wise. There are rumors that Naughty Dog is actively working on a Last of Us 1 remake, and if so, it will be interesting to see if these kinds of executions appear in the game.
The Last of Us 2 is out now for PS4.
