Game news Initially, The Last of Us Part II was not supposed to end like this, the initial ending was much darker

Game news Initially, The Last of Us Part II was not supposed to end like this, the initial ending was much darker

Warning: The content of this article spoils the ending of The Last of Us Part II. If you are in the process of finding out or planning to do so, don’t read on.

In 2013, Naughty Dog released its brand new license, The Last of Us. Far from the grandiloquent side of Uncharted, the title invites us to discover a world almost entirely annihilated by Cordyceps, a fungus capable of taking control of the host’s motor abilities. Can only affect insects and arachnids in reality, he mutated here and attacked humans. Obviously, the world collapsed and some cities became real strongholds controlled by the army or unofficial/rebel groups.

In other words, it’s not good to live in the world of The Last of Us, where humans fighting for survival are as dangerous if not more than the infected. Joel Miller, a survivor who lost his daughter in the first hours of the chaos, became a smuggler. In 2033, we find him in Boston, managing his affairs with a certain Tess. As the duo hunts down weapons that belong to them, he comes across Marlène, the leader of the Luciolesa group of rebels determined to end military rule and the epidemic.

One thing leads to another, Joel and Tess meet again to escort a young girl, Ellie, which seems to alone carry the future of humanity. Then begins a journey through what remains of the United States, in a title that alternates between exploration, infiltration, and action. Very narrative, The Last of Us was very convincing. However, its construction means that few players expected a sequel.

From there, we enter the part where the major spoiler of The Last of Us Part II begins. You can still stop reading here.

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The ending of The Last of Us Part II was imagined very differently, and it would have completely changed the meaning of the story

Against all expectations, the license announces its big return in 2016. Ellie has grown up, and she seems to want to track down and eliminate each member of an unknown group. The Last of Us Part II is released June 19, 2020, in the middle of a pandemic. A rather unfavorable context for a game which also talks about a pandemic, but which in no way prevents the success of the game, quite the contrary. A technical feat on PS4, the title takes its very narrative base, extends the lifespan and introduces a host of new characters and issues. Voted Game of the Year at The Game Awardsit completely revived interest in the franchise. A series has been put into production at HBO, The Last of Us received a remake, and the remaster of the second game has just been released. A making-off documentary will also be available from February 2, whether on YouTube or in The Last of Us Part II Remastered via an update.

And since we’re talking about the remaster, let’s talk about the new information given by Neil Druckmann and Halley Gross in the commented version. This remaster certainly contains a rogue-lite mode and commented cut scenes, but it also updates some of the audio comments that can be activated during the game. This is how at the very end of the game, during the final confrontation between Ellie and Abby, we learn that originally, Naughty Dog had planned to kill Abby, but also Lev and Yara.

I didn’t know Abby would die here originally. (Laura Bailey)
Originally, I believe, Yara and Lev would both die, and Abby was alone when you found her. And Ellie was killing Abby. (Neil Druckman)

In a podcast, Halley Gross confirmed these claims, stating:

When I signed, a lot of things were similar to the final result. We tested a lot of versions on the last act, but it was decided that in the end, Ellie would kill Abby. It was halfway through the production that we changed that, and Ellie finally let it go, in order to show us that there remains in her a part of the old Ellie, the Ellie with her humanity, the Ellie who been influenced by Joel, this character still exists despite this crazy desire for revenge.

This would have allowed Ellie to accomplish her revenge, but would have given a completely different reading of the scenario. Ultimately, and as screenwriter Halley Gross says in the version, the fact that Ellie spares Abby brings out Ellie’s “3% humanity” and what she was a few years earlier. This therefore offers more nuances, and breaks a little from the classic codes of the “final boss” of a game.