SPOILERS NOTICE: This news contains important spoilers on the history of the game.
The Last of Us Parte II It has a duration that is around 25 and 30 hours, making it about twice the length of the original 2013 title. Naughty Dog has sought with this second part to offer a frmula ms cinematogragrfica, and this has resulted in the study having to make cuts: dispense with cinematics, playable areas or characters to provide a strong story, without being too long. This cutting process has required a difficult decision-making process by the creators, and today we can learn what have been the ingredients that have been left out of this second part. Halley Gross, co-writer of the game, is in charge of addressing the creative decisions of the title. Those: be careful with the spoilers that you will find under these lines.
The Last of Us 2: What was left in the pipeline
The co-writer and game director, Neil DruckmannI had certain things clear from the beginning: there were sequences and fragments that were going to form part of The Last of Us 2 so too. One of those issues was Joel’s death. In statements collected by The Washington PostDruckmann has pointed out that Joel’s death is a primary element in the game since is the explanation behind Ellie’s revenge story.
The first trailer that we could enjoy the game, last 2016, served to make fans believe that Joel was once again part of the adventure. And, although its essence is present in the game, the truth is that the character does not accompany us in this adventure: on the contrary, it becomes part of the centerpiece of the narrative. “There was such a positive reaction to that trailer, that someone on the team said, ‘Everyone wants this other story, Should we have done that other story?‘”But the truth is that the dice were already thrown, and Joel had to die. Although this element was clear from the origins of the game, there were many other things that were left out.
Esther, a death we did not see
In The Last of Us 2 We are left with the feeling that while Ellie has moved on in her personal life, Joel is only in a sentimental sense. What happened to the protagonist of the first game? Haven’t you been able to rebuild your life despite all these years? The truth is that this part of his story was left out of the final version of the game. Halley Gross, co-writer of the game, has been in charge of addressing this unknown: “We wrote many scenes that did not reach the game. Joel had a girlfriend in the original concept of this game. Her name was Esther“.
In the first moment, the players were going to meet Esther through flashbacks that were going to be playable once the first 6-7 hours of the game have elapsed. This character will live two hours from Jackson, the settlement run by Mara and Tommy. “Joel and Ellie will head there, and they will see that the building had been taken over by the infected,” Gross explains. Players They would find Esther bitten and trying to wrap the injury with a tourniquet.. “She knew she was going to die,” said Gross. “Joel is aware of the urgency of the situation, and asks Ellie to bring Esther a drink of water from the nearest river. Playing as Ellie, when you get to the river, you hear a shot“.
“Joel had a girlfriend in the original concept of this game. Her name was Esther”
“You don’t know if Esther killed herself or if Joel shot her in the head, but you know something like this has happened,” Gross continues. “Two adults trying to make a decision and trying to protect Ellie as much as possible.” However, in any case, Esther’s character was left out of the game: players won’t have enough time to bond with Esther before her death, and Gross also realized that the character was too focused on Joel’s arc, instead of Ellie’s.
The dance scene: a part we are going to play
The mythical dance scene that starred in the game’s promotional material at E3 2018 was going to be playable, allowing players to enjoy Jackson’s life. “Our designers created amazing mini-games, where you could mix drinks and pretend to be a Snapper to chase the little kids in Listen Mode“Gross continues.” It was fucking precious. “However, in the final version, this moment is reduced to a couple of scenes and with the children we can only play snowball battle at the beginning of the game.
The team considered that this part could not be played due to the fact that it was essential to show here the confrontation between Ellie and Joel, which gave strength afterwards to the fact that Ellie felt that remorse of guilt throughout the story. “It stopped making sense,” says Gross, having added all these playable moments.
The Scars: a different point of view
The SeraphitesNicknamed Scars, they are a faction Ellie has to face once she approaches Seattle. Towards the end of the game, we have the opportunity to visit her home: a town that accommodates thousands of people on an island. We played this section as Abby but, at a certain point in production, Ellie was also considered to pass by. In fact, at first, Ellie’s trip to Seattle was five days instead of three days: on the fourth day “it would have crossed the entire island of Scar before it burned”Gross comments. The goal was to humanize the Seraphites beyond Yara and Lev, the characters who end up accompanying Abby. Ultimately, this first trip to Scar Island was ruled out because it was useless to progress in Ellie’s arc.
The relationship with Dina
Dina is the character that serves Ellie as a fulcrum throughout her personal struggle, and is the girlfriend of our protagonist. Introducing this character also allows players to delve into Ellie’s sentimental side. Although the players do not live with Ellie the years of friendship that tie her to Dina, We do have an opportunity to witness how both characters forge their relationship.
At first, the scene where they both smoke marijuana and go to bed together contained a one-page monologue in the game script, where Ellie explained that she didn’t consider Dinah an option. “Ellie explained to Dina why she had never tried to get close to her. Just as he was scared of spoiling their friendship, he was scared of having misinterpreted Dina’s signs or the mere fact that she was straight, “explains Druckmann.
“Ellie was explaining to Dina why she had never tried to get close to her”
Although they were about to record this scene, the team realized that the conflict that existed between the two characters was no longer such if they had had that approach in the marijuana plantation. “Ellie was too hurt from the dance kiss, and was worried about what Dina was thinking. It became melodramatic the first time we filmed the sceneIn the end, Naughty Dog simply rewrote the scene to get straight to the point.
“The most ambitious and impressive Naughty Dog game with which he surpasses himself again. An amazing action adventure with a story as heartbreaking as it is unforgettable, “we wrote in our analysis. To help you in your adventure, we also invite you to consult our complete guide.
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