This article has MAJOR SPOILERS for The Last of Us Series
With the recent release ofThe Last of Us Part 2 Remastered, fans have discovered that Naughty Dog had initially planned to kill Abby Anderson, the game’s second protagonist. The game wasPlayStation’s first exclusive of 2024and was released to overwhelmingly positive reviews, with it currently sitting at a 91 Metacritic score.
Some gamers thought it was too early to have a remaster of a game originally released in 2020, prompting DirectorMatthew Gallant to addressThe Last of Us Part 2 Remasteredcriticism. According to Gallant, the remaster is a perfect way for newcomers to experience the title as it has a host of new features that are only possible thanks to the PS5’s hardware. Other features that were included in the game are modes such as a roguelike survival and speedrun option, as well as Lost Levels, which are content that did not make it into the original. Additionally, the title also has a Director’s Commentary with Neil Druckmann, Halley Gross, Ashley Johnson, Troy Baker, and Laura Bailey.
In thisThe Last of Us Part 2 RemasteredDirector’s Commentary, Druckmann revealed that Naughty Dog originally planned for Ellie to kill Abby during their final showdown on the Santa Barbara beach. A video posted by Naughty Dog Central on Twitter showcases the ending scene of the game, where Druckmann comments that the studio had planned for Lev, one of the Seraphite siblings, to die in addition to his sister Yara, which meant that Ellie would face Abby alone on the beach. The revelation shocked Bailey, Abby’s voice actress, who, after hearing about the originally planned ending, said that it was “rough.”
According to Halley Gross, the game’s narrative lead, the official ending was imperative in ensuring that Ellie retained some of her humanity as the kid that “Joel helped shape.” Gross went on to say that by havingEllie forgive Abby, that gesture is meant to give players the hope that she hasn’t fully succumbed to her desire for revenge.
WhileThe Last of Us Part 2’s ending was divisive, it gives some insight into why Naughty Dog chose this route. It is one that fits with the overarching narrative that the game presented, showing that revenge only starts a never-ending violent cycle that will continue unless someone, in this case, Ellie, has the courage to stop. While Abby is not a fan-favorite character for mostThe Last of Us Part 2 Remasteredplayers, her role in the game shows just how easy it is to fall down that slippery slope of revenge.
The Last Of Us Part II Remastered
WHERE TO PLAY
EXPERIENCE ELLIE AND ABBY’S EMOTIONAL JOURNEYS, REMASTERED FOR PS5 Play the winner of over 300 Game of the Year awards, remastered for the PlayStation®5 console. Relive or play for the first time Ellie and Abby’s story, now with graphical enhancements, new gameplay modes like the roguelike survival experience No Return, full DualSense® wireless controller integration, and more. Five years after their dangerous journey across the post-pandemic United States, Ellie and Joel have settled down in Jackson, Wyoming. Living amongst a thriving community of survivors has allowed them peace and stability, despite the constant threat of the infected and other, more desperate survivors. When a violent event disrupts that peace, Ellie embarks on a relentless journey to carry out justice and find closure.
