Revolution against taste

A revolution against taste.

That's the most accurate way to describe the direction of The Last of Us Part II.

I'm not talking in particular about Ellie and Dinah's lesbian relationship, or the evil Christian cultists who play the bad guys. Those are choices any SJW creator would make, in alignment with the world as they see it.

I'm talking about taking control of a character, Abbie, whose actions and motivations are the opposite of what fans of the first game enjoyed. For a game so narratively focused as The Last of Us, killing the hero and beating the heroine to within an inch of death is the last thing any player wants. It's the antithesis of what a sequel should be.

"We don’t use the word 'fun.' We say 'engaging,' and it might seem like a minor distinction, but it’s an important one for us, which is, we believe that if we're invested in the character and the relationships they’re in and their goal, then we're gonna go along on their journey with them and maybe even commit acts that make us uncomfortable across our moral lines and maybe get us to ask questions about where we stand on righteousness and pursuing justice at...ever-escalating costs." –Neil Druckmann

 

Why play a game that the creator touts as divisive and uncomfortable? That might work for a 2-hour movie, but not for a 40-hour game where you actively engage the story. Gamers are not masochists. The least they expect from a game is a good time.

Many games fail because they aren't fun. If half the leaks are true, The Last of Us Part II fails in spectacular fashion because it is deliberately not fun. It's an inversion of the very idea of entertainment. You should like what you hate.

The malice and depravity of this meta statement is in part what's driving the backlash. Here's hoping other creators take note.

Rather than pay $60 for a virtual Maoist struggle session, why not read an entertaining, underpriced book? I've made available the first 4 chapters of my sci-fi thriller, Seeds of Calamity, for free. If it piques your interest, get yourself a copy at Amazon for under a buck. I appreciate the support!

As always, let me know what you think. Leave a comment below and I'll reply as soon as I can.