[NOTE: This is only a summary of the comparisons made by critical fans and not representative of Game Rant’s feelings towards the game. SPOILERS will follow.]
Well beforeThe Last of Us Part 2even released, there were some fans of the original game that were calling for boycotts of the sequel. And when the game eventually released, the criticisms ofThe Last of Us 2only grew. From review bombs to personal threats, the response among some fans to the sequel has been so aggressive that it borders on obsessive. And the criticisms of the game call to mind the response toStar Wars Episode 8: The Last Jediback in 2017.
While the stories ofThe Last of Us Part 2andThe Last Jedicouldn’t be further apart, critical fans draw some strong comparisons between the two. They feel as though the faults of Naughty Dog’s video game resemble the faults of Disney’s blockbuster movie.
Treatment of a Beloved Character
BothThe Last of Us Part 2andStar Wars: The Last Jedihave drawn criticism for the way they treat their beloved main character. In the case ofTLOUit is the sequel’streatment of Joelthat has become a major source of frustration, and inThe Last Jediit was the characterization and treatment of Luke Skywalker.
The Last of Us Part 2shifts the focus to Ellie in its story and as a result, some feel that Joel was mistreated. The decision to use him as motivation for Ellie’s revenge story is seen as a betrayal. Coincidentally, bothLast of UsandLast Jedikill off these formerly main characters, but Naughty Dog’s game does it very early on.
Alongside the choice of killing off a beloved character, the decisions of those characters are called into question by disappointed fans. Some feel that Joel is only put in such a vulnerable position because the writers didn’t “understand” the character.Joel’s willingness to trust complete strangershas been a major sticking point for criticisms. So much so that it calls to mind the criticisms of Luke’s abandonment of the Force and his attempted murder of Ben Solo inThe Last Jedi.
Blaming the Director
As far as the source of the major complaints, fans are pointing to Neil Druckmann as the creative individual that “dropped the ball.” Druckmann’s treatment byThe Last of Usfans feels eerily similar to the wayStar Warsfans jumped on Rian Johnson for his work onEpisode 8. From theories aboutDruckmann inserting himself into the gameto Johnson’s dislike of existingStar Warscanon, there have also been a lot of conspiracy theories directed towards each.
Both fan groups feel the writer/director is the singular figure responsible for the failures of the sequel, and thus have directed a lot of the hate their way. SinceThe Last of Us Part 2only just released, there hasn’t been enough time for Druckmann to gain distance and reflect on the experience, but for Johnson, it seems that he has taken the criticisms in stride.
Narrative Choices
It doesn’t happen as often as in movies, but occasionally video games are criticized for trying to push an agenda. In the case of bothThe Last of Us Part2andThe Last Jedi, some fans feel that the creators were trying to push a certain type of narrative onto fans and fulfill social obligations rather than creative ones.
ForThe Last Jedi, there were plenty of criticisms that used the term SJW and “woke,” andThe Last of Us Part 2is much the same. Fans of Naughty Dog’s game point to the use of a trans character and the choice to have players control Abby (a strong female protagonist) as two examples of this agenda pushing.
Review Bombing
Over the last few days, a strong effort has been made by some disappointed gamers toreview bombThe Last of Us Part 2. While the Metacritic score for the game is still in the 90s (currently 94), the User Score is currently at 4.4 with over 73,000 ratings. There is no question thatThe Last of Us 2is getting review bombed in an effort to drive the user score as low as possible. The average game gets around 10,000+ ratings from users when all is said and done, butThe Last of Us Part 2has nearly seven times that less than a week after release. Not to mention, the negative user scores started coming in as soon as the game was available, meaning many of the 0-point scores were from those who didn’t play the game.
By comparison,The Last Jedisits at 90% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes from critics and 43% Audience Score. Again, the number of user ratings is much higher than the average film with 219,000+ scores and the negative scores started rolling in as soon as people could vote.
It’s not a blanket 1:1 but the fact that a lot of critics loved both The Last of Us Part 2 and The Last Jedi while many fans hated them is more than a coincidence. And the response to both has been excessive in an effort to punish the creators, which is odd.
Influence on Sequels
Ultimately, the response toStar Wars Episode 8: The Last Jediseemingly influenced the writing of its follow-up,The Rise of Skywalker. That film ended up pleasing neither camp, as the efforts to course-correct disappointed those that likedThe Last Jediand were seen as an admission of guilt by those that hated it. Still, the strong response had an impact and led to some changes in the sequel.
While fans don’t yet knowifThe Last of Us Part 3will ever be a reality, it’s possible the response might impact its development. If the game completely ignores the existence of Abby or Lev, for example, that would feel similar to the wayEpisode 9treats Rose, a character some fans did not like. But right now director Neil Druckmann is still taking in feedback and has no idea whatThe Last of Us 3could be about.
