The Last of Us captured the hearts of fans in 2013 and received widespread acclaim. Its sequel, however, generated divided opinions due to its bold and controversial story. Despite some preferring a different narrative direction, one of the main actors of the game has no regrets about the decisions made.
The recently released documentary Grounded II: Making The Last of Us Part II sheds light on the challenging development process of the sequel. In the documentary, members of the creative team, developers, and actors discuss their involvement in the project.
Troy Baker defends The Last of Us: Part II story
One of the personalities who made an appearance was Troy Baker, the esteemed voice actor who portrayed Joel in Naughty Dogs games. In the documentary, he states that he wouldnt change any element of the project and staunchly defended the story. In fact, he claims that no one has been able to tell him a better version of that tale.
"Theres not one aspect of the game that I would change. Every time someone comes up to me and says, you know, I didnt really like what they did to Joel, I say, great, awesome. Tell me a better version of that story. And to this day, they still cant," commented Troy Baker.
Before proceeding, be advised that we will discuss spoilers about one of the most important moments in the story.
The effect of The Last of Us: Part II leaks
Before its release, The Last of Us: Part II fell victim to a significant leak that revealed many key points of the story. One of the scenes that came to light was Joels cold-blooded death at the hands of Abby Anderson, a character introduced in the sequel who plays a significant role in the narrative.
Regarding the massive leak, Troy Baker stated that he was "really angry." Unfortunately, the videos and images out of context triggered a violent reaction from the community, leading to threats and harassment against developers and actors.
Laura Bailey, who plays Abby in The Last of Us: Part II, opened up in the documentary and revealed that both she and her 2-year-old son received death threats. Neil Druckmann confessed that he really wanted to seek revenge against the leaker.
Regarding the games story, its noteworthy that it could have had a very different ending. Neil Druckmann and narrative lead Halley Gross confirmed that, in the original version, Abby dies at the hands of Ellie in the final confrontation.
But tell us, what do you think of Troy Bakers statements? Let us hear your thoughts in the comments.
The Last of Us Part II Remastered is now available for PS5.