Stop right now, thank you very much. If you haven’t finished The Last of Us yet, for the love of Ellie please click your browser’s friendly ‘back’ button right now. We’re about to blow the game wide open, so you’re going to regret it if you don’t sprint like a Runner late for the bus. Are we safe yet? Alright, you've been warned – we’re totally spoiling the game in three, two, one...
Following this week’s shocking teaser, Naughty Dog has detailed the original ending to its survival horror opus in an interview with Game Informer magazine. You may recall the artwork that creative director Neil Druckmann posted on Twitter recently, which showed love interest Tess terrorising protagonist Joel.
“Originally in the story, Tess took more of a villain role,” the developer explained. “Tess was betrayed by Joel and took on a mission to pursue him across the country. That storyline never worked out. The storyline shifted and Tess took on this role where she became more of a believer and she helped motivate Joel.”
But what was happening in that sketch? “Ellie's arc originally was that she didn't kill any non-infected people until the end, when she was going to kill Tess when Tess was torturing Joel,” revealed Druckmann. “What we realised is that we had to get Ellie engaged more in the combat because when she was disengaged from the action for that long you didn't care so much.”
Following the hospital shootout, the original conclusion saw Ellie buy into Joel’s lie, and the duo travel to San Francisco to start a new life. “It was a much more hopeful ending, where Joel and Ellie make it to San Francisco and that is a town run by people who are trying to restore society,” he continued. “Joel has killed all of these doctors and lied to Ellie, and Ellie just fully buys into the lie.”
Druckmann added: "The camera pulls back and maybe everything is going to be alright for these two. I was working on writing, and it didn't feel honest anymore. After everything that they've done and everything that they've been through, that was letting them off a little too easy – especially for Joel."
So, the conclusion was changed – but it was an unpopular move within Naughty Dog for a while. “A few designers didn't like the ending that I had in mind,” the creative director recalled. “But then, as time passed and they thought about it, they came around and really appreciated [it]. I think that happened with other people, too."
Are you happy that the developer changed the ending, or would you have preferred the original version of events? Let us know in the comments section below.
[source gameinformer.com, via videogamer.com, eurogamer.net]
Comments 11
I completed The Last of Us just in time to contribute to this discussion - hooray! Let's just not mention my pitiful trophy haul...
My two cents - the ending in the finished game is 100% perfect. I still can't stop thinking about it a week on. The ending and story arcs outlined here wouldn't have worked half as well. Other people may disagree... but pffft, they're barely even people.
@RawShark I felt really angry with the ending at first — but then I realised that was the point. I wanted to be given the choice at the end, but I can now appreciate that that would have broken the story. I get that you're not supposed to like Joel - even if you can empathise with him.
I personally think they nailed it, too.
Yes.....not really liking how ellie would have been pushed out of that story with Tess. To me I had more emotional attachment to Tess and Ellie because of the story arc they did. I like the ending now and glad it was chosen overall.
I'm glad they went with the ending they did. This original one sounds a bit awkward to work through.
@get2sammyb You disliked Joel? I didn't feel that. I more felt, given the FUBAR situation, he did the only thing he could live with himself doing, and that was save Ellie. I think if he hadn't have saved Ellie I would have hated him far more.
I think the end was perfect. It was realistic, people are not perfect. Joel selfishly wanted to keep Ellie safe. As a father with a little girl, I can say I would 100% have made the same decision. Especially in consideration of what a bunch of scum-bags the majority of the NPCs in the last of us were they didn't deserve to be saved.
By the way, I killed every Dr in the operating room with Ellie. This is the first game that made me stop thinking logically like a gamer, and react instead with emotion. I flew through the hospital level with a sense of urgency, out of concern for an AI partner. It was quite the experience.
i loved how they sticked with the ending although it got negative feed back
boy i would love to play as an evil Tess though
I wouldn't have liked the original ending, but I don't like the ending they ended up with either. I guess I just never truly connected with the characters.
For me, the ending was perfect. That stare when she asked if he was telling the truth, and then that pause. I couldn't stop thinking about it. Would I be able to sacrifice one of my children to save humanity? Probably not. I like the way you know that Ellie would have been willing to sacrifice herself if she had been asked.
Personally, I have faced the "near" loss of a child. We were lucky, and she is now a healthy 7 yr old. Emotions that you feel for your children are well beyond what you feel for yourself.
In the end, Joel to me looked like he had gone a little crazy (slightly unhinged), which I thought was perfect for his character. A parent fighting to make up for the loss of his own daughter, becoming obsessed. The rubbing of his watch etc throughout the whole game was just brilliant.
Also, this way, it is so open for a sequel. Thought perhaps a little later with Ellie a little older, when she finds out the truth.
I loved the ending the way it was.... I think they ended up with the perfect ending.
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