Remastered commentary claims that The Last of Us Part 2 nearly had a completely different conclusion.
It’s an odd combination, The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered. On the one hand, it provides a solid justification for reviewing Digital Trends’ 2020 Game of the Year choice. However, it’s an odd bundle of tone-deaf additional modes that dilute the core game’s own message of cyclical violence. It’s not as much of a “remaster” as the title suggests, so most gamers may as well ignore it.
But there’s one solid reason to look into the bundle. Neil Druckmann, the game’s creative director, and other cast members are included on a lengthy commentary track included in the new edition. It’s a multi-hour analysis that go over almost every single cinematic in the adventure and frequently provides some insightful details on the undertaking. It will make it easier for you to comprehend the subtleties of particular moments and the performers’ approaches to their roles.
The most intriguing aspect, though, is how much of Naughty Dog’s initial concepts for the project are revealed in the commentary. From its cast to its drastically altered conclusion, The Last of Us Part 2 was nearly a whole new game. If you don’t want to spend money on a redundant reissue,These are a few of the more juicy nuggets we discovered throughout the commentary track.
These are some of the most juicy details we could find across the whole commentary tape.
Seattle was constructed as a result of the famed Second Son
Sucker Punch
Even if there are many plot aspects to explore, some information from behind the scenes is the most unexpected revelation. Commentary adds that Infamous: Second Son, another Sony game set in the city, served as the inspiration for Naughty Dog’s portrayal of Seattle in the game. The team at Sucker Punch reveals that when Naughty Dog first began work, it was granted access to its Seattle map. Naughty Dog then started cutting off passages that it might utilize to create levels with a specific theme. The Last of Us Part 2’s postapocalyptic metropolis obviously differs much from Infamous’, yet the former was constructed on the foundation of the latter.
Abby almost had a different voice
Naughty Dog
In The Last of Us Part 2, voice actress Laura Bailey plays a pivotal part in giving Abby life. Although it’s difficult to picture someone else in the position now, there was a time when she wasn’t in the game. In one scene, Druckmann affirms that the initial plan was not to cast Laura Bailey in the part. Of course, things changed and she ended up getting the part, but there is a different version of events in which a different character gets to voice Abby.
The golf club scene almost looked very different
Naughty Dog
There are several reasons to listen to the whole commentary track at the moment where Joel meets his tragic end at the end of a golf club. The crew not only shares some candid comments from the actors, but they also highlight two instances when it was nearly entirely different. One is only an editing choice. The version that takes place in the final game takes place in a single continuous shot. We nearly lost out on this useful technique since an early version had some cuts. Notably, Druckmann and associates made adjustments when Ellie entered the picture. In the first script, she was supposed to enter the room after Joel had passed away.However, it was altered to ensure that Ellie arrived in time to see the gruesome murder and be more appropriately inspired by it.
It was almost five days instead of three
Naughty Dog
We play as Ellie for three days in Seattle in The Last of Us Part 2, and then we go back and play those same three days from Abby’s point of view. It’s a remarkable framework. Analysis indicates that the game was actually roughly five days longer. Ellie would spend one day exploring the culture of Scar Island as part of the additional time. Naughty Dog finally decided to delete the segment since they thought it didn’t change Ellie’s path. Reducing the duration by a few days seems like the best course of action, given how lengthy the final game is now.
We almost had Ghost Joel
Naughty Dog
Throughout the hours of discussion, the team talks about several ideas that were rejected, but one will leave you thinking, “Thank God that was rejected.” The group attests that the first plan called for Joel to exist as a ghost who would periodically appear to speak with Ellie. That was probably designed as a means of preserving the well-liked character in the game following his demise. Thank goodness Druckmann decided the concept was “too campy” and scrapped it.
The original ending was radically different
The game’s finale, which was nearly totally different, is the subject of the commentary track’s biggest bombshell. For starters, Lev would have perished in the original draft along with Yarra. After the crew noticed the early interaction between Lev and Abby’s actors, that particular aspect was adjusted. The fact that Abby was initially scheduled to die is even more startling. In the original screenplay, Ellie would carry out her revenge mission and successfully drown Abby rather than giving up at the last minute. That’s a fairly significant divergence since those two adjustments will probably alter the plot of The Last of Us Part 3.
Ellie’s story ended nearly entirely differently as well, particularly in regards to what happened to her hand. In the finished product, Abby chokes off a few of Ellie’s fingers during their last conversation. Ellie would always end the game crippled, but the means by which that occurred was nearly entirely different. In a previous draft, Ellie was attacked by the father of a random NPC she murdered in a town toward the conclusion. It would have been an unanticipated violent act that demonstrated the extent to which the cycle of violence had taken hold.
There were other, more subtle alterations. After a confrontation with Abby, Ellie returns home to discover that Dina has moved out as the current game comes to a close.Originally, Naughty Dog was concerned that players might believe that something awful had happened to Dina when Ellie returned home to an entirely vacant house. The very last flashback shows Ellie and Joel making a shaky reconciliation. The two were supposed to embrace in the first version of the scenario, but the crew finally thought that the characters weren’t nearly developed enough. Ellie would be deprived of a little amount of closure if there was no physical reconciliation, which would exacerbate her grief over Joel’s passing. The conclusion would have felt quite different as a result of all of this, but when you see the finished product, Naughty Dog’s explanations for the modifications make sense. At least we can relax knowing that we were spared from having to meet ghost Joel.
The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered is available now on PlayStation 5.