Regardless of which entertainment medium they take place in, sequels are a tricky thing to pull off successfully. There is the expectation to deliver more of the same elements that made people fall in love with the original, while simultaneously adding new ideas to the formula to keep the experience fresh. The Last of Us 2 had sky high expectations after the universal acclaim the original release garnered, and while it brought home several Game of the Year awards, it wasn’t without controversy.
In short, the main protagonist of the first game, Joel, was brutally murdered not long into the opening moments of The Last of Us 2, catching many off guard and upsetting those who loved the character. A risky creative choice sets the events in motion for one of the best reviewed PS4 exclusives, but more could be on the way. If the rumors of story DLC for The Last of Us 2 are true, Naughty Dog would be wise to follow Destiny 2’s example for how to renew fan perception of a character.
While main characters being killed off in fiction is not a new concept, it’s more the way that The Last of Us 2 went about it that seemed to upset fans the most. Trailers leading up to the game were extremely cryptic, and what was shown seemed to indicate that Joel would feature just as prominently as Ellie in this second outing. However, when The Last of Us 2 plot details leaked online prior to release, many were immediately angered to learn that Joel would be killed off early on in the adventure.
For some, what really rubbed salt in the wound was how The Last of Us 2 places the player in control of new protagonist Abby for nearly half the game, the same character that ruthlessly murders Joel. An interesting, subversive twist to be sure, but this was still too much for some fans to stomach, completely refusing to sympathize and better understand Abby’s perspective in the storyline.
The original game received standalone story DLC with The Last of Us: Left Behind, a brief but effective glimpse into Ellie’s relationship with Riley, a character only mentioned in passing during the base game. This addition to the main story deepened Ellie’s character and provided more context for her many motivations, beliefs and insecurities. Considering that many fans are still on the fence regarding Abby, Naughty Dog has an opportunity to flesh out her character and “redeem” her.
As mentioned earlier, Destiny 2 is another video game sequel that experienced similar reception after the surprising death of a beloved main character. In that instance, it was during the Destiny 2: Forsaken expansion DLC where Prince Uldren killed fan favorite character Cayde-6 in a startling turn of events for players. This was really negative for the game, but many were immediately up in arms, calling for Uldren’s head.
However, with later DLC’s being released, Bungie was surprisingly able to make Uldren more likeable in the eyes of fans and make up for his past actions. Considering this was once a character that was despised, it was a complete reversal for Uldren/Crow to be accepted by the same viewers who once hated him not long before. Naughty Dog is in a similar place with Abby’s current position in the franchise, and while she need not necessarily invent herself, a DLC exploring a key character aspect that turns a generally hated character into someone more sympathetic couldn’t hurt.
A single player story DLC for The Last of Us 2 solely revolving around Abby could help to improve the mighty thin ice between her and some members of the fanbase. Whether it takes place before, during ,or after The Last of Us 2’s main plot, an Abby focused DLC gives players more time and more opportunities to understand and empathize with Abby as a person living in a terrible world.
It remains to be seen whether Naughty Dog actually does have single player DLC planned to go alongside the long anticipated, standalone multiplayer mode for The Last of Us 2. Based on the original game having a similar story add-on, and other PlayStation franchises branching out with similar inclusions such as Marvel’s Spider-Man having The City That Never Sleeps DLC packs, it would be a wise move for Naughty Dog and Sony to follow the same principle with The Last of Us 2.
The Last of Us 2 is now available for PS4.
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