The Last of Us' Ending is Genius (Spoilers)
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- Опубликовано: 29 сен 2024
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With the release of The Last of Us 2 just days away now, I decided to revisit the original, The Last of Us. Certain elements of the game show its age for sure, but the one thing that has always stuck with me since the first time I played it through back in 2013 was its ending. Let's discuss how through the use of carefully inserted visual details rather than mere exposition, Naughty Dog is able to leave things up to the player; turning such a simple exchange into a hugely complicated web of meaning that floors me to this day.
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Text intro by Draz - / drazgames
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Few movies have writing this good.
Poor guy never let go.
Hey, have you done any projects on the Souls series? If not, maybe you could look into comparing aspects of Dark soul 2 with the others in the Souls line. It's just a thought, I've been thinking about it a fair bit lately.
Edit: nvm found it!!
@@ard1805 Man you sure choked on those words
Countless times I've played The Last Of Us, and I never once noticed Joel touches his watch when he talks about surviving.
Goddamn this game is incredible.
I don’t get it
@@Max-rm9rc because It's the gift that Sarah his daughter gave him on his birthday before the outbreak occur.
Its ok, not a reason to exaggerate
I just finished, probably for my 5th or 7th time. this time on Grounded mode. It was this last time that i caught that detail of him touching his watch. It also made me think of his denial or the way he hypocritically deals with his grief. When tommy tries to give him the picture of Sarah he acts like he is over it but he clearly isn't since he still carries the broken watch. And a line when Ellie gives him that same picture, that the past never really leaves you and it always catches up to you . But maybe only because he never really wamted to let go.
Yep, he also glances at the watch when he first kind of has to accept that he's stuck with the Ellie mission, during the first "Is this everything you hoped for?" scene. Always been one of my favorite details. It really emphasizes his fear of attachment at that stage, so to see it mirrored in the ending when he IS desperately, hopelessly, destructively attached... just adds a new layer of pain to everything.
My brother had just had a daughter when he went to play this, and he made it to the end of the intro sequence, put it down, and never went back. Which, like, yeah. Fucking amazing game.
Lol tell your brother to stop acting like a girl and finish the game
@@raine-time unnecessary sexism... it's 2020, man
@@Jamie-tx7pn its 2020 take a joke
Sad he missed out on a great game, but I can see why.
@@raine-time hiding behind a wall of irony much?
Finally the first time I have heard someone bring up that look in ellie's eyes when she says OK you know that she doesn't fully believe him but what can she do it's pure magic
@@HOTD108_ I interpreted it in the opposite way: she definitely had her suspicions. That's why she searched for answers in the hospital.
3:56 hahahahaaahhahha YOU'RE KIDDING ?
Well said
Okay imagine you're Joel. Losing your one and only daughter on your birthday, and then being in the same situation 20 years later with a girl you've grown to love as a daughter.
You could let history repeat itself, or you could save her this time. It's that simple.. It doesn't take a genius to figure out Joel's motives for his choice
Honestly the game was too subtle to me and I wasn't getting what Joel was thinking most of the time. So many people on RUclips prize subtlety and I just want some handholding lol
Unpopular opinion:
I think what Joel did was justified because throughout the whole game the fireflies have again and again shown to be tremendously incompetent, so them getting the first immune person and immediately deciding to cut her open like a frog always seems strange to me.
Don't get me wrong, Joel in his state(especially after the ending) won't give Ellie to the government or anyone, but in the context of the story I think if Joel just gave Ellie to the fireflies humanity would not have been saved
She wasn't even the first, they already tried with others and failed.
Actually the more common opinion, in my experience.
The chances of the cure being successful in reality is irrelevant. Joel made the decision believing that the cure 100% works. That's why he lied to Ellie.
Bruh... I love your channel.
But GTAV holds up XD
Come on
Cant wait for dunkeys review tbh
One of the best endings in gaming history. I hope they don't cash in on its success and ruin it with an unnecessary sequel.
You mean by doing something stupid like killing Joel off right at the start and have you play half the game as the unlikable character that murders him? Yeah I hope they don't do something like that either.
Lou2 is garbage
Another thing to consider for why Joel did what he did, is why his daughter died in the first place. She was killed by the government for the greater good of humanity. Back then, that sacrifice was forced upon Joel, and now, when he's still got an opportunity to save his adopted daughter in Ellie, he's just supposed to take it lying down? Lose another that he's come to love more than anything in the world? In the end, this is the only way he could've reacted. Anything else would have been too out of character.
I completely agree, it’s brilliant
"okay."
Heyyy Raz !
Boomer
Oh, razbuten himself here!
"grrr."
Sup Razbuten, love your videos, keep it up, proud of you 👍
The best way to summarize the ending of TLOU, the world took something from Joel so Joel took something from the world.
But did he? Well I mean outside of ending a lot of people in the last ten minutes of the game, did he take something from the world? If they had found a vaccine for this, would it have been any real use in the quarantine zones that remained? Would the Army listen or work with the Fireflies to ensure people were vaccinated? What about groups like Tommy's and David's?
@@John_Stephens43 The chances of the cure being successful in reality is irrelevant. Joel made the decision believing that the cure 100% works. That's why he lied to Ellie.
@@kevl0rneswath Joel didn't believe the cure would work. Think back to when Joel Tess & Ellie exit the storm drain and they have a chat, he is scoffing at Ellie as she explains she needs to be taken to the hospital to extract a cure. He believed nothing about it and rightly so, plus he made the correct decision in the hospital as any caring parent or parent figure would have....and anyone who believes that allowing an innocent child to die was the right decision needs a psychiatrist, end of.
@@karensandbach4243 and look where it got him now ...
@@dylana.9057 I think i'll just wait and see what happens in the actual game..rather than believing stuff that has been said before it's even released..
The ending of this game is nuts, just incredible
Yes, that is the title
It truly is . Such a shame everything before that is rather mediocre, aside from the beginning
@@wowiwhwbw I feel like a lot of people like it but dont know why it's good
They just think the "feels"
@@Exel3nce Last of Us has always been mediocre, Reisdent Evil 6 kills the first and it looks better than this too.
And to this day i still get pc plebs saying shit like “why would u even play console crap they are nothing compared to pc games”
I wouldn’t say Joel doomed humanity. I remember the game spending alot of time showing how incompetent and desperate the fireflys had become. I think they probably would of ended up having nothing to show for killing a child.
This is a very important point, but there's also a decent amount of hinting the Ellie at least has the idea that the procedure might kill her (the scene after the giraffes definitely gives me that vibe), and Joel robbed her of that choice
@@Marb315 That's how I read the ending too.
Ka Chow Thats a good point. I think if they let her wake up in the hospital and presented her the choice, she probably would have said yes, even knowing she would die. But the fact that the second the fireflys got her, they threw her unconsius ass onto a surgical table robbing her of that choice, to me somewhat justifies Joel’s action.
@@Ava6581 definitely. The fireflies are absolutely not in the right here, but even beyond the obvious issues of Joel rampaging through the hospital and potentially dooming humanity there's still even more fucked up aspects that need to be unpacked
Whether or not Ellie has an idea that the procedure might kill her isn’t necessarily a justification for potentially incompetent or misinformed Fireflies operating on her for a cure. I’m understanding that Ellie’s mutation is super rare so if they mess it up that is much more a prevention of the possibility of finding a cure than Joel’s kidnapping. Not trying to justify Joel getting a bit manic but I’m very skeptical of the Fireflies cause considering how far they’ve fallen. Joseph Anderson has a really good video on this if you are curious
There is an audio recording you can find in the hospital at the end and it is one of the doctors explaining what joel said to ellie. There were around 12 people they found who were immune and willing to give up their life for a cure but even after 12 people they still couldn't find the cure. The doctor says they have given up hope but doing one more wouldn't hurt.
That completely changes the ending wtf
@@mohidsajid8769 Correct!
JOEL DID NOTHING WRONG!!!
Wow this seems like a hugely underrated detail. I didn’t notice personally almost sad I saw this now..
Someone pin this comment
There seems to be an endless stream of people I need to explain this to...Ellie DIDN'T know she would have to die. There are several times throughout the game in which this is without a shadow of doubt proven. In the university just before you enter the science buildings shiv door, she asks Joel what he thinks they are going to do with her at the hospital...in the car after Joel rescues her she asks "what am I wearing? " in a confused tone. It's all in your face and obvious, people just see what they want to see..
But she knew there would be a cost. She says to Joel as they were approaching the hospital “after all we’ve been through, everything I’ve done. It can’t all be for nothing”.
@@tierk4328 My point still stands that she didn't know she would die, and that is that.
Agreed. Even if she may have put two and two together later (which I kind of doubt unless she had good knowledge of how the infection worked) she did not know from the outset that making the cure would involve her death. If she did, she would never bother trying to attach herself to Joel (and she did actively TRY) and like you said there are many comments she makes throughout the game that show her ignorance of how it's going to work. The most obvious one probably being the one you mentioned of her curiously asking Joel how they're going to get the cure from her while they look through medical documents in the abandoned lab. When Joel replies that they'll probably take blood or something she just responds with "aw man, getting blood drawn at the military school sucked." There's no heavy implication to it, it's all a lighthearted, casual conversation. In fact Ellie being very lighthearted through the entire University section in autumn is pretty telling that there was no feelings of imminent death on her mind when they thought the Fireflies were there.
@@tierk4328 That was in response to his suggestion that they just ignore the cure idea and leave. She's saying they came all that way and survived so they need to survive a little longer to get the short distance to see it through and not bail. It doesn't mean she thinks she's going to die when they get there.
@@littlekitsune1 Thank you! It's refreshing to see someone who actually agrees :)
This game made me realize that, as selfless as I thought I was, if I was in Joel's shoes, I would not hesitate to save Ellie. And that's horrifying. If it was just a movie, I probably wouldn't have made that connection. The ending is amazing.
Does the game have some Video Game Moments where there's a ridiculous, story interrupting shoot out? Absolutely! BUT it changed the perception of video games for so many people.
I didn't want a sequel, but I am SO ready to see where it goes. And if all else fails, the first game will always be there, and I will always love it.
My fiancee cried when they announced Part 2. She was just so unsure of whether they should really attempt a sequel to such a perfect story/ending, but happy at the prospect of revisiting those characters and that world. Naughty Dog seem to put out very satisfying sequels of late so I've no reason to doubt them beyond hearsay on the internet
@@dantess2693 when it was announced, I was equally excited and unsure. I mean, how could I not be excited for more of my favorite game characters? But also the idea of continuing past that ending made me extremely nervous. Now, we just have to wait and see how the sequel plays out
@@dantess2693 Did her boyfriend also cry?
@@dantess2693 well post release what are her thoughts?
@@stutterfly4722 she is disappointed. She doesn't like Abby and doesn't like the way Joel died (the timing etc). Personally I really love the game, which surprises me as I'm usually very critical and my fiancee is one of the biggest Naughty Dog fans. But this time I feel like I've been a lot more into the story than she is. I feel like a lot of people hate created a bandwagon and influenced a lot of people's opinions before they could form opinions of their own. Social media can do this unfortunately. I don't think the game is perfect but it's still a pretty damn good game
I’ve always loved the ending to The Last of Us. It reminds me of the ending to Inception, in that it’s kind of ambiguous, and after it cuts to black, I find myself wiping away tears and releasing a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding. The long silence that follows Joel’s “I swear.” all the way through Ellie studying his face, eventually nodding, and then finally, after one more beat, “Okay.” I had always held the opinion that she knew he was lying (even though there was actually a lot of truth to it), and just accepted it. It’s just such a beautiful final moment that holds a much deeper amount of emotion beyond the words that are said.
Off topic: you mentioned BioShock Infinite at the beginning of the video, and I realized you hadn’t done any videos on any of the three BioShock games, so far as I could find. I’m a big fan of all three games, and I especially always felt that BioShock 2 and Infinite deserved better praise that I typically hear, so I’m curious to hear what you have to say on the trilogy (including both parts of Burial at Sea)!
Great video man, but I don't think Ellie actually knew she had to die for the cure. If she did know, then why did she not seem to know that she was wearing a hospital gown when she woke up? If she had agreed to the surgery I think they would've had her put on the gown herself before being put under.
Yeh I just finished the game today for the first time, was surprised to hear this interpretation that she was surprised to have woken up. I thought the whole point was that Marlene had made the decision for her.
I love how Ellie asking Joel to swear isn't about her wanting to know the truth, she knows in her bones that he's lying. The intention of her question is for Ellie to face up to whether she herself could carry on with Joel knowing that he was capable of lying to her over something so important.
"okay" always meant to me, that Ellie accepts Joel as who he is today, you can see that over the course of the game especially towards the end he talks about sarah more and more, meaning he is opening up, he is healing slowly. She knows deep down that he is lying only to protect her, because he cares for her, and loves her as a daughter but of course won't say that. Ellie is that shining light of innocence, playfulness, and pure heart. Absolutely nothing would stop joel from saving her, she completes him. Joel desperately needs healing and to deal with his pain, but instead of dealing with it he delays it by running further away from it and building up layers and layers of pain. Ellie is the antidote for his pain not the worlds cure. This is the cause of so much moral conundrum, because to ease the pain for himself, he causes pain/death for others. The end. Now let's play TLOU 2!
I always watch these videos when I'm in a bit of a bad spot. They're just really calming, and amazingly well told. Well done, Hamish.
This just proves you don’t need a massive spectacle ending to make it special, this is one of my favourite endings ever, so simple yet so effective
What is going on with that accent, it's like 2/3 Scottish, 1/3 American
It's just Scottish. There are regional variations.
In terms of voice acting roles, Ellie may well be Ashley Johnson's best.
If it wasn't for Terra from Teen Titans.
Seriously, the ending of Teen Titans 2003 is as devastating as the ending to The Last of Us.
Nah it’s her best and I’ve watched Teen Titans.
Ashley Johnson did a great job in Infinity Train with Tulip. She has a knack for expressiveness in her roles and really brings her characters to life.
It seriously spooks me how absolutely PERFECT you describe how chilling the ending really is in the middle of the video here. Just. Perfect.
Like a shiv to a Clicker, you did it once again! This was a game I didn’t ever get to until 2018 over PSNow’s streaming on PC.... with an Xbox 360 controller. So, despite me not being able to six-axis my flashlight back on in the dark areas, the game still completely enraptured me. The ending was the exact reason I became worried when I began looking into Part 2 more. There’s just no way the sequel could ever capitalize on the brevity and punctuality of the ending. Could it? I guess we’ll see in the coming weeks, but thanks for bringing this conundrum back to light in such a timely manner right now. It’s the game that made me change my mind on cutscenes. A game that I initially wrote off as an “interactive movie.” After that ending, I was stunned. I hope we can get another ripper of an ending in Part 2, but to me, it was the sequel to a game I thought was never needed. Crossing my fingers!
A sequel really wasn’t necessary. I’ll always love the first game regardless of how the sequel turned out.
That's the spirit.
I've already read dozens of comments about how Part II will ruin Part I. That's absolute nonsense
For some reason people want sequels to games that are finished or dont need it .
Portal, bloodborne, tlou etc
Yeah I wish they just moved on to something different, it didn't need a followup.
It's been a while since I played through TLOU. Is it 100% confirmed that they can create a vaccine from Ellie and distribute it? I don't remember the game being clear on that. RUclips is full of analysis videos that claim "Joel doomed the world" but I don't recall that being a forgone conclusion. Regardless, even if that was a given, the morality of murdering a child to save others is highly dubious. It's the classic trolley problem. Joel is a flawed person for sure (who isn't?), but claims that he's ultimately the villain miss the nuances of the story. That's sad, as those elements are what make TLOU great.
It's 100% confirmed the fireflies butchered plenty of people that were like Ellie. Joel did the right thing, they would have killed her for nothing.
None of these things are '100% confirmed' because that would defy the very point of the game, and the only way a narrative can '100% confirm' something is by author fiat outside the context of the story. The moral uncertainty is the entire core and foundation of the story and narrative arc, and absolute certainty would make it a vapid and bad story.
The entire final chapter is about pragmatic uncertainty stacked against ideological certainty. Marlene is uncertain if they can successfully create a cure from Ellie, but that doesn't matter when she knows with certainty that she is the only chance they currently have to, and that refusing that chance damns the world. This is why she projects the morality that this is what Ellie would have wanted, but rejects the chance to actually ask her if she wants this. Joel is uncertain whether Ellie can pragmatically become a cure, but it doesn't matter when he knows with certainty that he would rather let the entire world die than let Ellie die. This is unthinkable to him, so instead he tells himself was about preserving Ellie's agency while denying her that very agency by blatantly lying about the entire encounter. Ellie is uncertain what actually took place in the hospital, whether she could have been the cure, what Joel did to get her out, but it doesn't matter what happened because she knows with certainty that Joel lied to her face, and that the only reason he would have to lie is if what he did was too horrible to tell her.
The entire conclusion is about the consequences that come from letting moral/ideological certainties take priority over ambiguous and uncertain reality.
@@1216_oneaftermagnacarta I highly doubt that the Fireflies want to convince the military since they're the one who attacked the military on the Safe Zone in the beginning of the game. Fireflies just want to be the center of attention so that people would worship them. They don't really care about humanity, they care about reputation.
With no doubt, it is an horrible act, Joel is doing by "saving" Ellie. But I completely comprehend his decision in every way.
No loving parent would ever decide to let his daughter die, for no matter what. Especially someone like Joel, a survivor in an cruel and unthankful world; one who walks his path with the most agressive form of decisiveness and still lost everyone he ever cared about. He never could not have saved Ellie.
And this shows the masterful writing of his character. He did the most cruel thing one could do in his situation and yet we can understand him. We can feel the pain of his decision and we know why he had to do what he did.
The last scene still gives me goosebumps
I have never understood why the end of _The Last of Us_ is so highly praised. Ellie says "okay" and the game ends. Cool. Okay. Whatever. I mean, it's a fucking amazing game but the ending is... well it's always seemed like _just_ ending to me.
Even after watching your video, I still don't get it. Maybe it's because I've met very few people who haven't lied to my face with every breath and I always believe them. Maybe it's my inability to trust.
Actually, I think it might've been the fact that I forgot about the zombies in the game. The entire end of the game is all Spring or whatever season it was with almost no zombies and I got so focused on the human elements and the backstabbing and the lies. I saw familiarity in that. I saw comfort in that.
_The Last of Us_ ended and I didn't react at all. It wasn't bad, mind you, but it wasn't good either. It was just... an ending.
Indeed! This game gets some guff from certain corners of the internet these days, but that ending has definitely not lost any of its heartrending, subtle potency. It’ll be a tough act to follow with the sequel
I feel like one of the reasons this game is so special is because it's realistic. What I mean is that what joel did was bad yes but how many of us wouldn't do the same? Its more than just making Joel a hero or a villain. It means he is human. It means he suffers with the same problems we do. This game is one of the best of the generation and it hurts me that part 2 did not live up to it or do it justice
For me I loved part 2
The ending of this game is phenomenal. I remember sitting mouth agape when the credits just rolled after the "Okay", but at the same time, after I thought about it, it felt perfect for this specific game.
Brilliant stuff, dude! I feel EXACTLY the same way. The ending is ambiguous and it achieves SO MUCH with so, so little. I hope I can do the same with my writing some day. Neil Druckmann is a genius and it blows my mind to think he wrote the entire story practically by himself.
It hurts so much. To have agreed. To have felt this exact same thing in my bones. To KNOW this was what the ending meant in my heart.... And have it not be true at all.
Completely debunked.
This video is completely debunked. Fucking hurts.
Still enjoying the game but man..
I never played the game but still really enjoyed the video. Nice one.
I'm so glad you made this video, this is one of my favorite endings ever, maybe my favorite. Also playing The Last of Us on grounded difficulty was one of the best gaming experiences ever even if it made me want to pull my hair out a few times (except that sniper part, that was just bullshit).
Glad someone else has experienced that! Grounded is a totally different experience, a true survival version of the game. I love how it feels so sparse! Also a quick tip - the sniper part isn't very difficult if you stick to the left side of the road, the alley at the side of the house. Then hole up inside the house where the enemies arrive. Afterward sticking to the left alleys allows you to move onward towards the multistory house with the sniper
It was the perfect ending, and I don't think a sequel adds anything to it, we'll see
Bugside almighty: Given the leaks, I still am impressed with Part 2‘s plot and controversial direction it takes. I expect an awesome game and story, but like you, I highly doubt it will ever top the first part‘s story and ending, since it just happened before, so the full fascination is left to it. However, I still expect an awesomely complex story, just like the amazing philiosophical complexity the first one had. Unlike many, I very much like what I saw from the leaks, because I think it‘s clever and brave to take a direction like that.
It has a 96 on metacritic 😳 i guess we'll see how it is when it comes out
C T: There are some reviewers who hate the story, yet the majority is very positive about it. I still wait, but I can tell that some of the critical ones do not make that many valid points, but then again, those points include spoilers I guess... I‘m thrilled, and very excited to see who actually is right...
Coffee Fresh: No and no... but maybe you can give some convincing arguments why you obviously hate the story so much, presumably based on the leaks...
@@teriyaki_chicken those are only the "journalist" reviews which are obviously paid, you should watch the most recent Skill Up video for a real review
There is nothing wrong with what Joel did. He is not a monster, the fireflies are. Joel protected who truly needed protection, while everyone else just wanted a reason to justify their bloodlust.
The problem with the ending seems to be complex, no doubt the writers intended it so. But in my opinion it can also be very simple. It comes down to a question, really. Joel lost his humanity trying to survive. He rediscovered it by protecting Ellie. If loosing your humanity again, in order to survive, is the only solution, then is it really worth it? Is humankind worth surviving if it must sacrifice its own humanity to do so? In my opinion. no. Joel made a selfish decision, yes. But he made the most humane decision, considering the circumstances. The greater good is a nice idea, but it doesn't exist in real life. One can express love for ideas, but I doubt there is someone out there who would sacrifice a loved one for some vague ideal or someone they don't know. As harsh as that sounds, since the beginning of history, this has been a pivotal part of what makes us human. Belonging to a group and caring for loved ones. And this is where, I believe, the, maybe unintentional, genius of the ending lies. (And before any counterarguments, no, Ellie does not have agency in the matter, she wasn't given a choice we could see in the game, and even if it were the case, she is still at an age where she isn't fully developed to understand such matters)
I swear to god, it’s like you took the exact thoughts from my head and made a video out of it for everybody!!! I am so happy to hear someone else thinks this way. I haven’t been able to talk to a single soul about how devastating this ending was and how much I thought about it all the time!!! Thank you so so much Hamish!!!
These videos are of such high quality! I only just found this channel the other day and have gone through some of that back catalogue already. How cool to get a new one right away!
Holy crap, I *still* get a choked throat whenever I think of what happened to Harry. Damn, this game was so good.
I should say that the sequel was a hole-in-one for me. Very hard hitting stuff. Brains on the floor kind of stuff.
Oh man I havent heard that before
Also the guitar that sounds on that interchange of words, it feels like something is about come out. But it doesn't.
Hard to believe this was headed by the same person to make part 2
Loved the video! I could really hear the love and passion in your voice. I feel the exact same way about the ending! It's GENIUS! Now that I think about it, and in the three years since I was introduced to the game, it's probably one of my favorite endings ever.
it's funny how you mentioned crunching but reference gta 5 hahaha, rockstar are the absolute worst for crunching but people seem to be attacking naughty dog way more.
I just finished the game as I write this, I had never heard of this game until part 2 came out and I decided to play this first a couple of weeks ago to understand part 2 when I start it. Boy, I am glad that I did, this game is still amazing and I was blown away by the ending. I couldnt believe that it was that simple yet complicated with those last few lines.
I was really amazed that Joel looked her in the eye and declared all that he said was true, knowing deep down it was a BIG LIE!
I really enjoyed this game and will cherish it as part of my gaming experience. I am not sure what to expect from part 2, as Ive not even watched trailers for it, as most of the time I like to go in not knowing anything about a game before playing it, to discover it all for myself - which is the true beauty of games like this.
This is one of my favorite games now, up there in my top 10 with Days Gone still my number 1, followed by Far Cry 5, GOW 4 and Death Stranding...
Not sure if i'm late but don't play part 2
Play the Part 2 it's an experience that goes in depth about human behaviour, tribalism, hate and forgiveness. Without spoiling part 2 explores the consequences of Joel's actions in part 1 it's a dark game but hopeful as well. I can't say you will love or hate that will truly be up to your own experiences with it, it's not a game for everyone.
The ending to Last of Us made my stomach hurt in a way that I haven't felt in any other game. We often think we know the main character of a game because we are controlling them but the ending made me realize I didn't know Joel like I thought I did. I also agree that it was so perfect it didn't need a sequel but I trust Naughty Dog more than most other game companies. Druckmann really elevated the writing for Naughty Dog in TLoU and Uncharted 4
How do you mean?
I would have been more surprised if he'd just left her there to die. 🤔
The only other way out of that, would have been some kinda patronising "I'll tell you when you're older" line. 😶
I liked it but it had some problems. It was too long and the pacing was a big issue. Still I think the story mostly worked and post apocalyptic Seattle is one of my favorite video game settings ever. I hope they make a Part III because I want to see what becomes of Ellie after this
It is! So good, I didn't think a sequel was necessary.
Good thing they didn't listen to your unwanted opinion.
@@mr.dr0bot731 It consumes the product or it gets the hose again
@@mr.dr0bot731 Maybe they should have.
@@night1952 Nah, Joel shouldn't have gotten away with his actions, so a sequel exploring the consequences of it is very much warranted.
@@mr.dr0bot731 welcome to the internet
You are really good RUclips r
"i'm not even sure I want a sequel".
If you read the GQ magazine interview, it Drickman says (no spoilers)
>But in the end he felt that diverging from Joel and Ellie’s story was the “coward’s way out. To me, at that point, you might as well just do a new IP,” he continues, “versus saying: no, we’re gonna double down and we’re gonna expose what this ending means. To take some of the things that people hold sacred and just... dismantle it.”
>It reframes and recontextualises its events, as well as major decisions from the first game, and creates an unsettling reflection within you as a player that shines a light on the futility and cyclical nature of violent retribution.
Expect the new game to wrench your gut, or break the illusion. On one hand, the consequences of Joel being not a good guy will be explored, and I suspect Ellie having been raised with the infection then having Joel for a father is now a hard woman capable of her own monstrous acts. All that said, I think it will continue doing what you love about it.
A sign of how good of a writer you are is how much you can say with a few words, the last of us is a great example of that
The Lastovvus
Shout out to the VA's
Watching this video after Part II makes me sad.
Peak of showing not telling
"Even just talking about it now destroys me" Yep.
The Last of Us' Ending is Genius - No ,this game is boring storyline but , Xenogears , Planescape:Torment , Nier Automata , Nier Gestalt ,Mask of the betrayer , Silent hill 2 ,Rule of Rose , Metal Gear Solid 1-4 ,Shadow of the Collosus , Persona 3 ,Pathologic ,The Cat lady , Sanitarium , Portal 2 ,Half life 2 ,The Void (Tension), Conker bad fury day THIS GAMES ENDING IS GENIUS AMATORS
Gaping plot hole with the ending of TLOU, unless I'm missing something.
Joel: 'oh yeh, well, when we got to the Fireflies, turns out there's loads of people who are immune. Hasn't done any good though. In fact they've stopped trying.'
Ellie: 'Oh. So why am I in a fucking hospital gown?'
As I see it, it's not a plot hole but a obvious bad lie. So bad that Ellie just has to notice it.
That's what great about the ending: it doesn't explain what's happening explicitly but in a very subtle way.
A video about The Last of Us? OUH YES!!!!!
Edit: Even after reading all the spoilers, I'm utterly excited about Part II! Hopefully we'll see a video about that too! :)
She didn't know she was going to be killed! It was obvious that she didn't know about it. Tlou2 proves it one more time.
I just finished this game for the third time (I didnt like it the first two times) and I loved it this time around! If the sequel sucks then it's going to be non-canon for me lmao
I know I'm the odd man out here, but I think the ending is trash.
Now I don't mean how they capped it off, which is really what this video is about, but right before that. Upon reaching their final destination, It should be fairly obvious to everyone there that Joel cares about Ellie. So why do they tell him they are going to kill her? they could just have easily lied and told him that she died when the fungus did something they didn't expect. Heck why did they decide it was the best idea to kill her within 30 seconds of her getting dropped off? Maybe like, watch her for a few weeks before deciding to kill her? They couldn't have figured out that quickly that they need to kill her. Brain biopsies exist and should have been performed long before they deiced to kill their only specimen.
Then to add insult to this already dumb situation, Joel manages to take down a MUCH larger, MUCH better trained, and MUCH better armed force. Really? I know hes fought his way though everything to get here but that was nothing compared to a trained squad with Kevlar and automatic rifles.
I just don't get how everyone over looks this obvious bad writing to then praise it so much.
I wish the game had two endings. one where you could refuse to save Ellie. I personally felt Jeol was being selfish and as a player, I didn't develop enough sympathy to be conviced to flip off the world and all the cruelty for her.
This comment may not receive responses, but as I have ended the TLOU 1 just today I had to write this somewhere. As the sequel released years ago already and seeing the cover photos of it I assumed that Joel should die some point in this first title. So when it ended this way I thought that I missed the real ending so I went back to yhe last chapter and tried not to kill doctors who were to operate Ellie. But it was not possible to proceed the game without getting rid of them. Here I realized that the ending was just as what I saw. It is probably the most unexpected ending of games and even movies. The story had been unfolding with deep and large narratives making me to wonder how it will end then... It just ended. I am still confused.
Great writing, really poor gameplay.
The ending was fantastic and closed the book on the story extremely well. The sequel is a comically ill-advised endeavor.
*What Joel did was absolutely horrible and DEAD WRONG ...*
But he was stuck in his ways and suffered from a crushing trauma by losing his daughter so brutally 20 years ago. Nevertheless, he knew all of this full-well. He simply could not free himself of what he felt he needed to do. The guilt he feels about this horrific act of mass murder he just commited out of selfishness and love ... one can read in his face when he lies to Ellie is more interesting to me than Ellie having some doubts about what happened back at the hospital. And the fact that Joel is not in control of himself when it comes to Ellie and his trauma of losing Sarah which he probably will never overcome, despite being so capable in many situations that would have simply crushed the toughest of people, will be something that Joel will very much be aware of and feel ashamed for, whenever he thinks about all the murders he commited that had nothing to do with survival and only meant him getting his way and innocent people dying in the process. Like, for instant Marlene and the doctors he killed. Aswell as all the Firefly soldiers. I think by trying to push through the pain of losing Sarah and trying to surpress these emotions Joel became in the end quite the monster himself, because he failed at it. And in the end his trauma drives his emotions and thereby him much more than he wants to believe. If he had opened up to others more instead of being so stubborn many of these people could still be alive. Joel could have used his "grit" for the betterment of mankind and to protecting what is left and use his energy to build up something new. But he did not. Really an incredible characterisation.
I also wanna mention that I do not fully understand why people are so convinced that Ellie sees through Joel's lie at the end. She looks pretty convinced to me. She is 14 and has been through a lot. I do not think she fully grasps what he has done. At least her face and eys do not give it away.
so I've seen the science videos for the game and it wss not possible to get a vaccine from ellie also I've never played this game until last week lol beat in 3 days on survivor while I was sick was truly the greatest gaming experience of my life so far and I can't wait to do new game plus to get the platnium trophy also Joel is 100% the good guy and in my last of us universe they live happy ever after in Tommy's camp and the part 2 never happened 😀 👍
I feel like Hamish’s thoughts on TLOU 2’s ending would be drastically different tha this one
I mean even if I were given a choice to allow Ellie to go through the surgery and sacrifice her life to possibly save the world or save her and pretty much doom that opportunity, I would have still chosen the second option.
Can you do a play through of the new one please? I don't wanna buy it, and I imagine your insights will be most welcome.
Even though i know what Joel has been trough, i still think sacrifacing Ellie would be the better option. The world would be saved, and i think that is more important than Ellie...
The truth is fundamentally at the end of it all not a single person playing question what Joel was doing, by this point we have traveled with these characters the entire distance we've seen their pain and struggles so when you get to this single moment you completely understand.
You understand that it's not the right choice it's the only choice, for Joel this is the only option while it would doom humanity and that morally it is horrible at the end of it all Joel could never make that choice Joel could never let Ellie die.
From the moment you found out that any chance of a cure would most likely kill her, you knew the decision was made
Just got into gaming and I just finished the remake. Damn bruh it was crazy.
Ellie didn’t know she was sacrificing herself, her conversation with Joel after the giraffe 🦒 confirmed that and drunkmann confirmed that Ellie didn’t know.
had to give this a rewatch after i was checking out a plot recap in preparation for starting part 2 that summed up that ending moment as simply "Ellie looks him in the eye and accepts his answer"
Good vid but Ellie did NOT know she was gonna die, though she may have chosen to sacrifice herself
"GTA V... Imagine Heat, if Waingro was the protagonist!"
😂😂😂
Bioshock infinite was a good game, but it paled in storytelling value to Bioshock 2.
I disagree about Joel being a monster. The fireflies were full of shit, Joel didn't doom anyone.
Joel should have left a nailbomb before he goes and saves Ellie at the hospital so part 2 would become non existent...
I remember the ending of the first game more vividly than the second I can barely remember what happened at the end of the second
The search for a cure is always a backdrop. The story is the relationship between Joel and Ellie, and their changes (or refusals to change).
His greatest crime, in the focus of the story, is robbing Ellie of her purpose for his own grief. Joel offers for them to leave before reaching the hospital, to which Ellie replies "after everything I've done... it can't be for nothing." And at the end, she talks about Riley choosing the hard way out to spend more time with her, and Tess dying for a greater purpose.
Joel's decision is stealing her ability to choose her own purpose and goals. Instead of fighting for the future, she has to survive for them, or give up.
And the end is her bleak acceptance.
But you gotta remember; the Fireflies stole that choice first.
Marlene is right, that everything we know of Ellie argues that she’d willing choose to sacrifice her life. But the Fireflies didn’t give her that choice, did they?
Because Ellie may have figured she’d have to die for the cure. But there’s no way she consented to the surgery, without getting a chance to say goodbye to Joel first. Without even waiting to make sure he actually woke up, from being cracked in the head with the butt of a gun.
They dragged an unconscious girl away from the only person who really gave a damn about her, and slapped some anesthesia into her to make sure she stayed asleep while they cut her skull open and took her brain from her. Not bothering to ask. Not bothering to give her the one last moment with the only person she really loves left to her.
Joel may be a monster. But the Fireflies are evil as well.
Fantastic video.
Any time someone talks about the ending to The Last of Us they always skip over the fact that the Fireflies were going to execute Joel. If nothing else Joel had the right to defend himself, just as he had been doing throughout the game. Do you really think he could just run away after that? Leaving Ellie in the hands of the people that just tried to kill him?
When do they try to kill him? He's escorted out. He's only threatened if he interferes with Ellie, which he does.
This is a good read... But the sequel fully contradicts this.
Awesome. Never had someone put so well into words my feelings for this ending, it absolutely is the icing on the cake of TLOU.
Been replaying TLoU in preparation for the second game and I couldn't agree more. While the gameplay is very bog-standard, the story of TLoU is quite possibly my favorite video game story I've ever played through
I don't think the gameplay is bog-standard at all. It's weighty, EXTREMELY well animated, visceral and intense. The weapon swaying is probably a bit much for some, but with the adrenaline the characters must be feeling it just adds to the feel. I don't understand what people mean when they say the gameplay is weak - its stealth action with brutal combat, there's nothing I would change about the first games' melee or shooting
I dont want to Attack you but how can this be? The ending and beginning is Just fantastic but everything in the middle is so painfully predictible and generic, its Just the typical Zombie movie Story.
@@Exel3nce You obviously have no idea of the subtlety of the story. Yes there are infected, yes there are different "factions", but the truth of the game is that the relationship between Joel and Ellie is the growth of the story. This is amongst the best apocalypse stories ever told.
@@Exel3nce "Generic" stories can be great if told right. I don't see anything wrong with TLOU being "a typical zombie movie story."
@@littlekitsune1 there is nothing wrong with it, it Just doesnt deserve all the praise for that
It's great storytelling and characterisation, but it's the sort of thing that film has been doing for decades. The fact that these kind of storytelling techniques are so rare in games, and so notable by their exception when they appear, is part of what makes me feel that games really haven't yet achieved the levels of artistry of other mediums yet, when the bar for the writing is relatively low.
And now we get golf clubs
Damn dude that clip of adam sessler sent me back lmao
Excellent explanation of that ending. Thank you!