Summary
The future ofThe Last of Usfranchise is currently up in the air, but a third chapter in Naughty Dog’s epic post-apocalyptic adventure feels inevitable.The Last of Ushas become one of the most notable narrative-based series in the industry, and the ending ofPart 2depicted an uncertain future for Ellie. Naughty Dog has managed to tell a harrowing story with the two titles in the series, and its use of environmental storytelling to do so means a third entry has a high bar to achieve with its environments.
One of the best waysThe Last of Us Part 2set itself apart from the first game is how it used its environment to enhance the emotions and plot points being brought to screen.IfThe Last of Us Part 3wants to reach the same heightsas its predecessor, Naughty Dog has a lot to live up to with these more subtle methods of storytelling.
The Last of Us Part 3 Bringing Environmental Storytelling a Step Further
The Last of Us Part 2 Making the Environment Its Own Character
As if the first game in the series wasn’t bleak enough,The Last of Us Part 2turned up the dial on the hopelessness of a Cordyceps-infected world.Ellie’s quest for revenge on Abbybrought some of the most shocking moments of the franchise to life, and each devastating situation was highlighted through the environment of every scene.
One of the most obvious examples ofThe Last of Us Part 2’s environmental storytelling can be seen with its weather. A lot of the weather showcased throughout the story is holding a mirror up to Ellie’s emotions on her journey.When Joel is killed by Abby, the weather is cold and dark. Ellie’s time in Seattle hunting for Abby is usually rainy and dreary, demonstrating how Ellie continues to grieve throughout her hunt. On the other hand, the environment also highlights Ellie’s brief moments of happiness in a variety of ways, with the most notable being when Ellie and Dina are living at the farm house outside of Jackson during their short period of peace.
The environment inThe Last of Us Part 2reaches its apex during the game’s finale, when Ellie and Abby face each other one last time. The sky is a bleak and dark gray while the two characters beat each other senseless until Ellie eventually lets Abby go. Gray weather is a major point in this scene, as all of Ellie’s pain has bubbled up again and her grief has reached its highest point. Her realization thatkilling Abby still won’t bring Joel backweighs heavily on her, and the gray skies looming overhead is a perfect symbol of how her grief continues to hang over her.
Ellie’s Surroundings Continue to Evolve
At the end of the game, Ellie has returned to the farm house, but Dina and her son JJ are seemingly gone. It’s unclear if Ellie is still ongood terms with Dinaand if she’s simply visiting the house one last time or if she returned hoping Dina hadn’t left her. Either way, the final moments of the game show Ellie finally beginning to accept what has happened to her. She then walks away from the house, presumably back to Jackson.
The scene is somber and bittersweet, but the weather is a sunny, peaceful evening. Ellie still feels pain, and the emptiness of the home represents her loss, but the weather indicates that she is finally on the path to healing and acceptance. This open ending makesThe Last of Us Part 3’s storya mystery, but there will hopefully be just as much love and care given to the game’s environmental elements in the third chapter.
