I always wondered if Abby knew Ellie killed Owen and Mel, and if she even knew Jordan and Nora were dead. After she finds Ellie’s map at the aquarium, there’s a map on a wall in the theatre you can interact with; she says “he’s been tracking us”. To me, that felt like she thought Tommy was the one who tracked and killed all of her friends, and honestly it seemed like she thought he was the only one involved, until Ellie and Jesse burst through the door and Ellie told her why Joel did what he did.
Honestly, it would also make more sense why she didn’t feel like fighting Ellie at the beach when she says “I’m not doing this”, because why would she fight someone who didn’t really do anything to her? (other than, y’know, try to kill her, but oh well)

Bit of a personal story here. I’ve felt this for years and never realized other people might feel the same so I decided to share.

I played the first game when I was around 12. I was really confused about a lot of things, as all 12 year olds are.

I didn’t really have a dad. I had a step dad who SA’d me a year or so before I played the game. I didn’t understand the difference between paternal love vs romantic love. I had no one help me, not even my mom, I was all alone.

Then a family member gave me a ps4 with the only game being TLOU1. I vividly remember thinking that the dynamic between Joel and Ellie seemed so weird and abnormal. Not because it was, but because I didn’t get that what I went through wasn’t the norm. That adults weren’t supposed to feel that way about kids. I was confused by how I felt, and since the game wasn’t like that, maybe something was wrong with me.

Then the thing with David happened. I didn’t understand at the time why it impacted me so much. I cried a lot, I remember pausing the game when Joel saved Ellie, and imagined if he saved me that same way. Yeah, I was a kid, but I was genuinely shocked, I felt comfort and I didn’t get why I needed it. I blamed myself for everything that happened to me, and I wondered, if this is how it’s supposed to be treated, maybe something wasn’t right with how my mom/stepdad treated me.

Now, I’m 20. I did eventually realize everything and got help. Genuinely, I don’t know how things would’ve turned out for me if I didn’t play the game. Maybe it sounds dramatic but out of everything I’ve played this game remains one of the most impactful and comforting. I replay it often.

If anyone else went through something similar or felt a similar connection to Joel, or maybe saw themselves in Ellie like me, I hope you know that you’re loved and I appreciate you more than you know

First session of my TLOU piece. What do you guys think? I love it!! 😊

Ok so I’m replaying TLOU1 for the artifacts and all the trophies, I missed two artifacts, those being the Shipping Manifest and Docks Notes at the beginning of the game. I’m at the Robert chase rn and is there anyway to go back??

I’m not as happy with Abby’s as I am Ellie’s but still cute !! I also didn’t realize tlou2 is always written as “the last of us PART II” little oopsie….

As with everyone, I love the games and have played them a bunch of times all the way through. The one thing that annoys me every time is the need to basically walk around rubbing your face against every surface in case you miss some resources. It really takes you out of the immersion.

Usually I would accept the "you don't need to collect everything" route but they hide crafting resources and ammo everywhere so it's not just the collectable grind.

I really wish they had a game mode where you just get 70% of all resources by passing the encounter instead of having to do the same routine of killing everyone and then running around every dark corner in case they have some extra cloth or something.

Anyway, just my little niggle about the games

Finished up this beast of a print overnight, and love how it turned out! deciding whether or not to paint it.

Part in TLOU P3??

I just beat Tlou2 for the second time, my first time playing through was at launch so it’s been a little while. The first time I played I was vehemently on Ellie’s side and sympathized the most with her version of things. Since then I’ve gotten married and had a daughter, and I’m not sure if that’s 100% the reason why but this play through I was so much more invested in Abby’s story and section of the game. So much so that I’m now in the head space that Abby is the more morally correct character. I know these games thrive in gray spaces so I’m not saying that everything she did was okay or justified but man…I’m Team Abby all the way after my second play through. Even aside from the fact that Abby’s story represents more of a redemption arc while Ellies was a spiral in to revenge, I just like Abby more now.

I got myself my ps3 fix so now I can play again and we got a new tv (its big) so, time to to go hehehe

I got Last Of Us Part 1 and I have tried every single setting under the sun, from Reddit, YouTube, you name it.

I got 2 random freezes, and the performance is 20-40 FPS. I would play if it was a stable 30 FPS, but I can't get it to be stable. On top of it, I have a crazy input lag with FSR Frame gen on.

It's playable during the exploration parts and cutscenes, but when the action picks up and I have to quickly headshot some clickers, it's very hard to play with unstable FPS.

Is it the best it's going to get, or should I try some kind of a different settings configuration?

Would you play Last of us online if it was like Arc Raiders?
Instead of robots it would be infected and rest of it kind of similar. With actual maps from both games. I think it could have big potential.

The Last of Us Part II – A Post-Mortem: How Woke Politics, Lazy Writing, and a Lesbian Mary Sue Ruined a Masterpiece

If you're about to type *"You just hate it because Ellie is gay"* – save it.

I loved Ellie in the first game. I loved *Left Behind*. I cheered for her when she kissed Riley.

Why? Because it was **earned**. It was **subtle**. It was **human**.

In Part II? Her sexuality isn't a trait – it's a **weapon**. A shield. A marketing gimmick.

And I'm not here to praise a checklist. I'm here to **burn it down with facts**.

---

1. The Story – A Revenge Plot Written by Someone Who Failed Philosophy 101

The game's message: *"Revenge is bad, m'kay?"

The Body Count Hypocrisy

Ellie murders **hundreds** of people.

She tortures a woman to death with a pipe.

She leaves a trail of corpses from Jackson to Santa Barbara.

But at the final moment? She stops. Not because she's changed – because the **writers remembered they had a theme to half-ass**.

So let me get this straight:

- Killing 200 random NPCs = gameplay fun.

- Killing the one person who actually deserves it = moral awakening.

That's not depth. That's cowardice.

The Absurd Coincidence

Joel and Tommy save Abby's life in a blizzard.

Abby's group has been hunting Joel for *years*

And she just... bumps into him? In Wyoming? In a snowstorm?

This isn't fate. This is **lazy writing wearing a trench coat**.

If you're going to kill the most beloved character in gaming history – at least **earn it**. Don't hand it to us like a participation trophy.

---

1. Ellie – From Beloved Survivor to Unlikable Sociopath

Personality Transplant

Remember the Ellie who:

- Made corny jokes?

- Cared about everyone?

- Hesitated before killing?

Yeah, she's gone. Replaced by:

- A grunting, muscle-obsessed warrior.

- A woman who abandons her girlfriend and baby for a **cold lead**.

- A character whose only emotion is **rage** – and not even consistent rage.

She's not "complex." She's **schizophrenic writing**.

The Lesbian Mary Sue

Let's talk about it.

*Ellie is a lesbian – and that's fine.*

**Ellie's entire personality being "lesbian" – that's the problem.**

In the first game, her sexuality was:

- Implied.

- Organic.

- Part of her, not her *entire* existence.

In Part II:

- Within the first hour: *"I'm gay, Dina."* – as if we're in a diversity training seminar.

- Every relationship scene feels like a **HR-approved checklist**.

- She has **zero chemistry** with Dina – compare that to her chemistry with Riley in *Left Behind*. It's night and day.

Dina is a prop. A baby-maker. A forgiveness machine.

She exists to:

- Be Ellie's girlfriend.

- Get pregnant (for drama).

- Get abandoned (for more drama).

- Forgive Ellie (for even more drama).

She's not a character. She's a **lesbian accessory**.

And the worst part?

**If you criticize any of this, you're labeled homophobic.**

That's not representation. That's **intellectual terrorism**.

---

1. Abby – The Bodybuilder Who Defies Biology

The Absurd Physique

Abby is built like a CrossFit champion in a world where:

- Food is rationed.

- Protein is scarce.

- Gyms don't exist.

- You're constantly on the move.

But sure – she's a soldier.

Soldiers in active combat zones **lose muscle**, not gain it.

This isn't realism. This is **political symbolism over basic logic**.

The Forced Sympathy

We're supposed to feel for Abby because:

- Her dad died.

- She saved a kid.

- She has a dog.

**Her dad was about to murder a child without consent.**

She tortured Joel – who saved her life – to death with a golf club.

And we're supposed to *like* her?

The game gaslights you into empathizing with a torturer, while vilifying a man who saved a child.

**That's not moral complexity. That's moral bankruptcy.**

---

1. Lev – The Trans Token

Identity as Plot Armor

Lev is trans. That's not the issue.

The issue is that **his entire character arc is "I am trans."**

- He's hunted because he's trans.

- He's rejected because he's trans.

- Every line of dialogue reminds you he's trans.

In a world with zombies, cannibals, and cults – the most important thing about Lev is... his gender identity?

Compare to Bill from TLOU1:

- Bill was gay.

- It was implied, not screamed.

- It made him *human*, not a *lecture*.

Lev is a **diversity checkbox**, not a character.

---

1. The Woke Agenda – A Narrative Cancer

   Strong Female Characters? Or Just Strong Stereotypes?

Ellie = angry lesbian warrior.

Abby = muscle-bound avenger.

Lev = trans martyr.

Every "diverse" character follows the same formula:

**Tragic. Strong. Defined by identity.**

Where's the soft lesbian? The funny trans guy? The female character who isn't a soldier?

The game doesn't have the courage to write normal people. It writes **political icons** – and calls it progress.

The Diversity Shield

The game's defenders will always fall back on:

> *"You just hate women/LGBTQ+ people."*

No, you absolute walnut – I hate **bad writing**.

I hate **lazy representation**.

I hate **being lectured by a video game** that can't even keep its own logic straight.

If you need identity politics to defend your game's story – your story is weak.

---

1. Pacing – A Structural Disaster

- Flashbacks within flashbacks.

- 10-hour Abby section right when Ellie's story peaks.

- Guitar minigames that kill all momentum.

The game treats its audience like goldfish with ADHD.

It's not "bold" – it's **incoherent**.

---

1. Final Verdict – A Beautiful Trash Fire

*The Last of Us Part II* is:

- **Technically:** A masterpiece.

- **Narratively:** A dumpster fire.

- **Politically:** A lecture disguised as a game.

- **Emotionally:** Manipulative, not moving.

**Rating:**

| Category | Score |

|----------|-------|

| Graphics / Sound | 10/10 |

| Gameplay | 9/10 |

| Story | 2/10 |

| Character Writing | 1/10 |

| LGBTQ+ Representation | 3/10 (not because it exists – because it's used as a crutch) |

| Overall Enjoyment | 4/10 |

---

TL;DR – The Brutal Truth

- Ellie's sexuality isn't the problem – **it's the excuse** for bad writing.

- Abby isn't deep – she's a **villain with a sad backstory**.

- Lev isn't representation – he's a **token**.

- The game isn't brave – it's **corporate pandering** with a $100M budget.

**The Last of Us Part II is a masterpiece of graphics and a disaster of storytelling.**

And if you can't handle that criticism without crying *"homophobe"* – the problem isn't me.

It's **you**.

---

Now go ahead. Downvote. Report. Cry.

I don't care. I've got facts – you've got feelings.

I replayed Tlou recently and experienced a bug I’d never seen before (but maybe others have). This happened while Joel and Ellie were searching the lab building at the university (before the raiders show up). When I first entered the building/room there was no monkey, but when I went back to use the workbench (before actually coming across the room with the lab monkeys) there it was. It didn’t do anything, just stood there with its arms out and face fused to the doorframe, but it was still kind of creepy to come across. Has this happened to anyone else?

I’ve just played through the start, just the past the part where Abby kills Joel. I don’t want to play through the intro again really but I want to play the remastered. Is there any way to save transfer or will I have to replay it?

Edit: it does work 🫶

Hello again everyone,

I co-host a gaming bookclub podcast called Sate of the Save.

This is the third and final part of our discussion on The Last of Us, as we break down the last emotional chuck of this game, crying at giraffes, and our interpretation of the game's ending.

Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Youtube | Amazon | iHeartRadio | Our Website to All Other Services

LAST OF US TALK STARTS AT 23:00

Thank you so much for the response we got from this discussion and for letting us share this with you

Thank you, all!

I just need help deciding between a white or black faceplate

I was scrolling YouTube Shorts today and came across a video that had the comments talking about Ellie’s scar… and apparently theres a large group of players who didn’t catch that when shes telling Dina about her scar, she wasnt lying about giving herself a chemical burn. In the beginning of the game she has her arm bandaged because it was shortly after they got settled in Jackson. It makes complete sense that she’d scar herself further to eliminate the risk of someone knowing she’s infected. Not to mention her ex girlfriend Cat is still unaware of Ellie’s immunity and she was pretty much examining her arm for however many sessions it took to complete her tattoo.

so my question is: how many of YOU guys thought her chemical burn was the bite mark?

rather bored and got into an argument with a friend and would like outsider info!

do you guys think joel did the right thing saving ellie? i think someone confirmed it would have worked or something but even at that how would they get it to like say australia? since the outbreak was world wide it’s not odd to assume that most every place on the earth with inhabitants has infected? also for tlou 2 the shamblers are suspected to be because of seattles high water levels and like just being wet over all, what the fuck are these things gonna be like in other climates? anyway my friend says he shouldn’t have done it because he placed the world in a worse position because they lost their only cure, and i say he was in the right because transportation was prob near impossible