The Last of Us Part 2 was released nearly six months ago, but the various end-of-the-year awards shows are putting the controversial title back in the spotlight. Part of the controversy surrounds the presentation of the story and its impact on you as the player. Seemingly in a bid to either prevent another round of controversy, or to simply provide a different perspective, developer Naughty Dog has put together a trailer that explores Abby’s journey in The Last of Us Part 2.
The Last of Us Part 2 walked away from the Golden Joystick Awards show (which issues awards based on player votes) with a total of five awards—including ultimate game of the year and best storytelling. After the initial hatred toward the game’s LGBT characters and themes had subsided, the focus of fan rage turned to the order in which the story was told.
One thing is clear about The Last of Us Part 2; Naughty Dog’s goal was to play with your emotions. The story was designed to make you question your loyalties and force you to reckon with your black-and-white view of good and evil. The problem for many players though was that the story wasn’t told in the order that feels more natural—the order that Naughty Dog’s trailer now puts it in.
This time around, we get to see the story from Abby’s perspective, beginning to end, rather than seeing it as it’s presented in-game—as a series of flash-backs in the second act.
In a statement that coincided with the trailer’s release, Naughty Dog said in part,
Regardless of how you feel about the storytelling choices that Naughty Dog made, The Last of Us Part 2 has undeniably left its mark on gaming. Having sold 4 million copies in two days, and challenging our perspectives, the development team has a right to be proud of what they created.
With the year winding down and new players picking up the game for the first time over the holidays, we’ve put together a new trailer that provides an expanded look at the story, and, for the first time, focuses on Abby’s emotional journey as it intersects and collides with Ellie’s.
