To be crystal clear, this video covers major spoilers for The Last of Us Part 2. If you’d prefer to go into this game totally cold, turn back now.
Seriously. We mean it.
All right, then. Don’t say we didn’t warn you!
Spoilers follow for The Last of Us Part 2.
Last September, you may have caught an action-packed trailer for The Last of Us Part 2. It’s full of typical Last of Us-y stuff: horseback riding, fungus zombies, and hectic gunfights, all with an older Ellie at the centre of the action. At one point, there’s a scene where a hand grabs her from behind.
[referenced url=”https://www.kotaku.com.au/2020/06/heres-the-deal-with-the-last-of-us-part-2/” thumb=”https://www.gizmodo.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/06/19/uxsbyvhf4erehwihvgdi-300×169.jpg” title=”Here’s The Deal With The Last Of Us Part 2″ excerpt=”The road to launch for The Last of Us: Part 2, out tomorrow for PlayStation 4, has been lined with questions. The leaks in April were one thing. The review conditions provided by Sony were another. We adhered to those guidelines, and signalled that to readers in our review. Of…”]
“What the hell are you doing here?” she asks.
It’s Joel.
“You think I’d let you do this on your own?” he says.
But that’s not how the scene plays out in the actual game.
The trailer depicts part of a chapter that sees Ellie head to the Hillcrest neighbourhood of Seattle. There, she guns down soldiers from the Washington Liberation Front, runs away from Iinfected, and kills a few dogs. After a few scrapes, she jumps into an abandoned basement, at which point the scene in question occurs.
By this point, Joel is long since dead. In the real game, Ellie’s friend Jesse pops up.
“What the hell are you doing here?” she asks.
“You think I’d let you do this on your own?” he says.
I know. It’s some MCU-tier trickery, and all to subvert expectations about an event that happens in the game’s opening moments.
Naughty Dog and Sony went out of their way to hide Joel’s death in the game, a plan that was foiled when key scenes leaked back in April. It’s understandable why they’d alter the scene here, to preserve one of the game’s biggest and most shocking twists, but it’s also somewhat of a misdirection. Even if you avoided the leaks, the trailer would still have you believe Joel is alive for more of the game than he is.
Is that misleading? Or will the surprise be appreciated by fans? Surely, we’ll hear about it in the coming days and weeks.
Related Stories
[referenced url=”https://www.kotaku.com.au/2020/06/tips-for-playing-the-last-of-us-part-2/” thumb=”https://www.gizmodo.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/06/20/omcjiosz86phciaiiqaw-300×169.jpg” title=”Tips For Playing The Last Of Us Part 2″ excerpt=”It’s been seven years and an entire console generation, but we finally have another Last of Us game. Out today for PlayStation 4, The Last of Us Part 2 plays much like the first game: tight, third-person action set in open-ended levels with a heavy focus on stealth. Much like…”]
[referenced url=”https://www.kotaku.com.au/2020/06/the-last-of-us-part-2-the-kotaku-review/” thumb=”https://www.gizmodo.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/06/19/lfeckrigcfmwaizfhrum-300×169.jpg” title=”The Last Of Us Part 2: The Kotaku Review” excerpt=”Everything in The Last of Us 2 takes work. Every weapon reload, killing blow, and crafted item takes time and button presses. At times the game is painfully slow; even in the most action-packed sections you put in effort to move things forward. You’re paid for this work in a…”]
Leave a Reply