The unique Final of Us’ ending is broadly thought of a “second” for narrative in video video games, however after the sequel got here in and knocked it off a shelf and mentioned, “no, we’re going to really look at the ramifications of what simply occurred as a substitute of creating it this untouchable, crystalized factor,” I principally consider it as a prologue to one thing extra profound.
The Final of Us Half II can generally look like a mindless train in violent extra. It intentionally partitions you off from the motivations of Ellie as she travels via post-apocalyptic Seattle in righteous fury. It makes you play as the girl she got here to kill and paints her as a sympathetic sufferer in actions you as soon as carried out as Joel within the authentic sport. Then if you’ve seen all these truths lastly uncovered, it asks you to, as soon as once more, interact in Ellie’s revenge tour as a result of she isn’t satiated.
It’s straightforward to dismiss Ellie’s ultimate bout of revenge-driven violence in Santa Barbara, one which comes on the expense of her household, as a regression of her character. I, the participant, have seen the reality of why Abby killed Joel within the opening hour. Why doesn’t Ellie see what I, the omnipresent observer of this complete scenario, have seen? Why can’t she merely do what I would like?
Nicely, The Final of Us isn’t about you, and Ellie has had her personal company ripped from her by a pack of contaminated biting her and her old flame, Joel denying her the possibility to be the treatment, and Abby beating her inside an inch of her life as she sought revenge. Ellie’s story is one among consistently having to do what’s demanded by others and circumstance, quite than attending to make her personal selections. So it’s essential that, quite than merely placing her ache down as a result of that’s what others need, she has to make that call for herself.
The Final of Us Half II ends with a violent conflict between Ellie and Abby that, even if you win the combat, Ellie makes the choice to let her go. In a second of readability, Ellie realizes that this grief she’s been carrying together with her gained’t go away by killing Abby, and that the one method she will be able to really transfer ahead is to forgive not Abby, however Joel. She returns to her farm in Wyoming, tries to play the guitar Joel gave her, however can’t as a result of Abby took her fingers within the scrap. She remembers her and Joel’s final discuss, the place they argued over his violent actions on the finish of the primary sport, denying her the possibility to save lots of humanity. However when he tells her he would nonetheless, after having seen the fallout of his actions, select to save lots of her life, she’s left with a alternative. Maintain onto this anger in the direction of somebody she loves, or put it down of her personal volition. She by no means will get fairly to that time, however she leaves with the hope that she may someday.
That day lastly comes within the very ultimate scene. Ellie leaves the guitar Joel gave her on the farm and heads out into the Wyoming wilderness. We don’t know the place she’s going, however we all know the place she’s been. To me, that is the hopeful actualization of every little thing The Final of Us put forth with each video games. The place the unique sport ended on uncomfortable uncertainty, Half II ends with some model of peace for everybody concerned. It was by no means about violence. It was by no means about revenge. It was about forgiveness. — Kenneth Shepard
