Ok, it's hard to argue that The Last of Us is a powerhouse when it comes to critical reviews and sales figures, I concede this from the outset. What I do not concede is when people say it's one of the best stories of all time. No, it isn't. At least not in the way people think it is.
The Last of Us is the story of a selfish middle aged man whose actions will ensure the demise of the human race. Joel is not someone to be looked up to and revered as so many people seem to do. He's a dangerous psychopath driven to insanity by the (admittedly tragic) loss of his daughter, after which he loses all semblance of reason and logic. He should be sectioned and the events of the game should not be allowed to occur.
Once you come to terms with this, Joel and Ellie's "relationship" does not become an endearing one, it becomes creepy. Here's a man, who at the end of the game essentially kidnaps a little girl, murdering countless soldiers and hospital workers in the process, because she reminds him of his daughter. That's before you consider he's also kidnapping the zombie cure and ensuring millions more people die in the process. To cap it all off, he then lies to Ellie because his selfish intentions and the idea of her are ultimately far more important to him than she is as a person. What a colossal dick.
I for one was overjoyed in The Last of Us Part 2 when Joel gets exactly what he deserved, a nine iron through his skull. This scene caused outrage and I cannot fathom why. Joel is not a good person. He's a selfish prick and he deserves punishment for his actions, and boy oh boy does he get punishment.
Abby's actions throughout the course of The Last of Us Part 2 are INFINITELY more justified than Joel's in the first game. Abby actually has motives which make sense and do not endanger the survival of the human race. A maniac killed her father to steal a little girl. Decent motivations right! Yet Abby is somehow considered the "villain" of Part 2? Because kidnapping and murder for selfish reasons is ok I guess?
Even Ellie's actions in Part 2 do not make sense. She doesn't owe Joel anything, in fact it's the complete opposite. We see during flashbacks that she comes to resent him, which realistically is where their relationship would end. Sure, Joel looked after her in the first game, but think about it. If you learned that some random guy, who let's face it, you barely know, steals your choices away from you and starts to consider you as their child, what would you do? Would you be creeped out and get as far away from him as possible, or would you let him continue to play out his dead daughter fantasies on you because he killed a few zombies for you.
Leaves a bad taste in the mouth doesn't it.
The Last of Us is the story of a selfish middle aged man whose actions will ensure the demise of the human race. Joel is not someone to be looked up to and revered as so many people seem to do. He's a dangerous psychopath driven to insanity by the (admittedly tragic) loss of his daughter, after which he loses all semblance of reason and logic. He should be sectioned and the events of the game should not be allowed to occur.
Once you come to terms with this, Joel and Ellie's "relationship" does not become an endearing one, it becomes creepy. Here's a man, who at the end of the game essentially kidnaps a little girl, murdering countless soldiers and hospital workers in the process, because she reminds him of his daughter. That's before you consider he's also kidnapping the zombie cure and ensuring millions more people die in the process. To cap it all off, he then lies to Ellie because his selfish intentions and the idea of her are ultimately far more important to him than she is as a person. What a colossal dick.
I for one was overjoyed in The Last of Us Part 2 when Joel gets exactly what he deserved, a nine iron through his skull. This scene caused outrage and I cannot fathom why. Joel is not a good person. He's a selfish prick and he deserves punishment for his actions, and boy oh boy does he get punishment.
Abby's actions throughout the course of The Last of Us Part 2 are INFINITELY more justified than Joel's in the first game. Abby actually has motives which make sense and do not endanger the survival of the human race. A maniac killed her father to steal a little girl. Decent motivations right! Yet Abby is somehow considered the "villain" of Part 2? Because kidnapping and murder for selfish reasons is ok I guess?
Even Ellie's actions in Part 2 do not make sense. She doesn't owe Joel anything, in fact it's the complete opposite. We see during flashbacks that she comes to resent him, which realistically is where their relationship would end. Sure, Joel looked after her in the first game, but think about it. If you learned that some random guy, who let's face it, you barely know, steals your choices away from you and starts to consider you as their child, what would you do? Would you be creeped out and get as far away from him as possible, or would you let him continue to play out his dead daughter fantasies on you because he killed a few zombies for you.
Leaves a bad taste in the mouth doesn't it.
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