2013’s The Last of Us is rightly lauded as one of the greatest video games of all time, and it’s not hard to see why. Reinventing the tired trope of zombies as clicking mushroom monsters, it was a heartbreaking tale about love and loss, boasting two believable protagonists at its core and some genuinely terrifying moments.
If only 2020’s The Last of Us Part II was held in such high regard by gamers. While Naughty Dog definitely went bigger with the sequel, leaks, divisive deaths, and accusations of shoving a ‘woke’ game down your throats saw some pretty ugly review-bombing.
Even four years later, The Last of Us Part II remains one of the most polarising games of all time.
The Last of Us Season 2 isn’t here to ‘fix’ the game
In particular, there was a lot of hate thrown at the character of Abby Anderson. The concluding chapters of Part II flip to playing as Abby, and given her role as the antagonist of the first half, some feel they were forced into playing as the ‘villain.’ Others praised this different point of view and reminded us how Joel Miller wasn’t the hero he’s portrayed as.
When The Last of Us Season 1 debuted in 2023, it was praised for its faithful handling of the source material while also switching things up. Notably, there was a decision to set the bulk of the story in 2023 instead of 2033, explaining Ellie’s immunity, the big Bill and Frank episode, and creating Melanie Lynskey’s Kathleen.
Over on Reddit, u/HolderofFuture reminded us that showrunner Craig Mazin and Game Director Neil Druckmann aren’t here to ‘fix’ your problems with Part II. They wrote, “It needs to take the same story, ideas, and themes and apply it to a TV series, that’s what an adaptation is for.”
They add that Season 2 is a “chance to bring the experience we all had with Part II to people who don’t play games.” Others agreed, with someone else adding, “They don’t need to fix or improve a perfect game,” and a third concluding, “They don’t need to fix anything. It is what it is, take it or leave it. I’d have thought by now the haters would just be quiet 😂😂.”
While some had a problem with the pacing of Part II, it was a deliberate choice. Still, we’re expecting things to be expanded on further, with Part II possibly being told over three seasons – taking The Last of Us’ run to four seasons. We’ve already seen this with the mysterious casting of Home Alone’s Catherine O’Hara as a potentially brand-new character.
Haters gonna hate
Others seemed to take issue with Part II’s inclusion of LGBTQ+ themes with characters like Lev and even Ellie herself. Ellie actor Bella Ramsey has basically told haters to get used to it, and with the casting of Isabela Merced as love interest Dina, Season 2 will be staying true to Ellie’s
It’s ironic that we’ve seen the TV series hit with its own complaints, with the appearance of Ramsey being particularly critiqued. Even when Season 2 set photos have leaked, we’ve seen the same vocal minority calling out the way she looks and even some saying she should’ve been recast for the next run of episodes.
The gaming community is one of the most volatile out there, and while we understand why you’re protective of these games’ stories that mean so much to you, others probably need to go and touch grass. As many in the thread have pointed out, Part II was hit with commercial and critical success, winning over 320 Game of the Year awards and overtaking The Witcher 3.
Given how The Last of Us Season 1 faithfully added some meat to the bones of the game, we’re confident that Mazin and co. can deliver something just as groundbreaking, if not more, than The Last of Us Part II. If that’s not good enough, remember that no one is forcing you to watch.
