No One Is Left Innocent
With a fresh take on the post-apocalyptic survival genre, The Last of Us excelled when it came to crafting a world devoid of hope and guided by a narrative that never hesitated to show off the worst of humanity. Given it’s incredible performances and unrelenting tone, it’s unsurprising that it went on to become one of the most critically acclaimed games in recent memory. With a sequel now on its way, what better time to look back and reminisce how Naughty Dog’s magnum opus brought us to tears on several occasions.
Fair warning, there are SPOILERS AHEAD!
#5: Reunited
It’s fair to say that Ellie had a rough time of it while stuck as David’s prisoner, in no small way due to engaging in a harrowing boss fight that ended with her stabbing at the cannibal creep long after he had died. Right on cue, Joel comes in to break her out of her murderous trance, consoling her as a father would. It’s a small moment, but one filled will palpable intensity as the duo finally manage to make their escape. Now that’s one winter they won’t soon be forgetting.
#4: Sam and Henry
On first glance, these two brothers appeared to make for great companions, aiding Joel and Ellie as they escaped Clickers, the military and every other horror of the new world. Of course, it’s not all smooth sailing as Henry’s over-protectiveness was shown to come in the form of threats to outsiders. With that said, none of us were prepared for Sam to suddenly to become infected, leading to Henry to shoot his own brother, before giving into his grief and committing suicide right in front of Joel.
#3: I Swear
Joel’s actions at the game’s conclusions are eternally debatable, after all he was willing to doom the future of the species to save Ellie without consulting her. Following on from her rescue, he fabricates a story about the Fireflies not needing her immunity anymore, only for Ellie to make him swear to her that he is telling the truth. Their final interaction is layered with such a medley of emotions and nuances that we can’t help but feel internally conflicted, all the while everything fades to black.
#2: Tess
A fellow survivor, smuggler and all around badass, Tess was Joel’s equal when it came to hardening her heart against an unforgiving world. That being said, there was still a maternal nature to her that we couldn’t help but get invested in, which made her eventual death all the more upsetting. Surrounded by soldiers and suffering under the bite of an Infected, Tess willing sacrifices herself so Joel and Ellie have a greater chance of escape. At least she got some good shots in before she was taken out.
#1: Sarah
What a way to start a game. After the Cordyceps Brain Infection starts to cause chaos, Joel and his daughter Sarah try to seek shelter outside of the city, only to be met with a lone soldier. Under orders from the powers that be, he showers the pair with bullets. While Tommy’s last minute entrance saves Joel’s life, the same can’t be said from Sarah, who has already started die from a shot to the stomach. All Joel can do cradle his little girl in his arms as she slowly loses consciousness. It’s brutal and upsetting, but a pitch perfect set up for the misery to come.
Be sure to check out he video below to see our picks for the Top 10 Things We Wanna See In The Last of Us II
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