Naughty Dog’s 2020 universally acclaimed third-person action-adventure game,The Last of Us Part II, is not only impressive from a technical perspective but also excels in stellar voice-acting performances and butter-smooth gameplay and combat. Despite thepolarizing themes and long-winded ending, The Last Of Us Part II is a masterpiece of video game design.
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The game follows up on the story of Ellie and Abby’sbrutally tragic journeyfive years after the events of the original game,The Last Of Us. At the end of The Last of Us, Joel had finished laying waste to the Firefly compound wheredoctors were going to operate on Ellieto create a cure for theCordyceps Virus. In doing so, Ellie would perish in the process,unknowingly giving her lifeto possiblysave humanityfrom the deadly viral outbreak.
Each character in The Last of Us is driven by something that, in their rationale, justifies their actions. Abby’s father, the doctor who would have performed the life-ending surgery on Ellie at the Firefly compound in the first game, waskilled at the hands of Joel. Abby’sdeep-seated hatredfor Joel fuels her motives and ends with her slaying Joel, effectively avenging her father’s murder.
But just as Joel’s actions in killing Abby’s father had tragic consequences, so didAbby’s actions when she ended Joel’s life.
The Last Of Us Part II’s ending can be a little overwhelming, as the game leaves some closure up to interpretation. There are, however, critical bits of the story that can make some of what happens at the end a bit easier to comprehend.
Abby’s New Reason To Live
During the final hours of The Last Of Us Part 2,Abby has lost almost everyone she cares about. Joel killed her father just five years prior, and nowOwen, Nora, and Mel(plus Owen and Mel’s unborn child) haveall been killed at the hands of Ellie. Abby has been exiled by the WLF for aiding Owen after he was charged with desertion, and she’s witnessed Yara give her life for her and Lev to escape.
Lev, the young Seraphite Abby saved in Seattle, is all Abby has left at the end of the game. During, the final fight scene between Ellie and Abby,Ellie threatens to kill Levif Abby won’t consent to fight to the death after she has a flashback of Joel’s murder. Ellies last fit of rage forces Abby to save her friend, even after Ellie had just rescued them from the Rattlers.
Abby agrees to put her life before Lev’s and fights Ellie. The dynamic Abby and Lev share is so similar to the bond Ellie and Joel shared. Both characters have lost a great deal, and despite the weight of the world and the mountain of loss shared between the two, they continue to be there for each other.
The final physical confrontation between Abby and Ellie isuncomfortably gruesome, one where the pain, grief, and rage are all wonderfully portrayed. Ellie maintains the upper hand during the fight over theemaciated and weakened Abby. In what would have been Abby’s final moments being drowned by Ellie, she is given mercy after Ellie has a vision ofJoel peacefully sitting on his porch playing his guitar.
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When All Is Lost
After Ellie leaves behind Lev and Abby on the shores of the Rattler camp, she returns home –only to find it completely empty. At the beginning of the final act Ellie, Dina, and JJ are seen living on a farm, far away from any other settlement. Ellie is portrayed as still struggling with PTSD and seeing visions of Joel’s murder and being torn apart mentally by thetragedies that have befallen her.
One day, Joel’s brother, Tommy, visits Ellie and Dina on their farm to inform them that he has information on the whereabouts of Joel’s killer and his intent to eliminate her. It is at this moment that Ellie is faced with a choice toeither end the tale of revenge and enjoy the lifeshe has built with Dina and JJ – or pursue Abby.
Even after Dina tells Ellie she and JJ will not be there if and when Ellie returns, Elliestill decides to leave behind her familyto continue on her journey of vengeance. Dina kept her promise and packed up her things, taking JJ far away from any more death and tragedy.
Ellie’s Closure
Ellie’s decision to continue to hunt down Abby even after she, Dina, and JJ had settled down peacefully, is the unfortunate conclusion Ellie felt she needed in order to obtain closure and hopefully end the nightmares and hallucinations. During the final battle with Abby,Ellie loses two fingers on her left hand –her pinky and ring finger. On its own, the combat wound could just be added to the list of Ellie’s ongoing injuries, but the final scene really hammers home what this loss means.
Because she lost her fingers,she can no longer play Joel’s guitarthe way he taught her, meaning the last emotional connection she had with her deceased father figure was gone. This is depicted in the final scene where she attempts to play the guitar but can’t.
Ellie places the guitar by the window, leaving it in the room with the rest of her belongings that remind her of Joel. The final shot pans past the room with the guitar to the outside world, showing Ellie finally leaving behind her past with Joel to seek a tranquil path forward.
