If, for no matter cause, you weren’t happy with the hopeful ambiguity of The Final of Us Half II’s ending, it seems like Naughty Canine nonetheless thinks there’s not less than yet another bullet within the chamber for the sequence. Director Neil Druckmann has revealed within the Grounded II: The Making of The Final of Us Half II documentary that he nonetheless thinks there’s a 3rd chapter on this story. And god, I want he would simply let protagonist Ellie type her life out in peace.
Within the documentary, Druckmann defined that whereas he was beforehand quoted saying that Naughty Canine had an overview for a 3rd Final of Us recreation, this wasn’t really the case again in 2021. At that time, he was referring to a facet story that centered on Tommy, the brother of Half I protagonist Joel, who ends in a revenge-fueled rage with no closure. That idea has since been shelved, and Druckmann really has an idea for a possible third recreation (thanks Gematsu).
“The primary recreation had such a clear idea of the unconditional love a father or mother feels for his or her little one,” Druckmann stated. “The second, as soon as we landed on this concept of the pursuit of justice at any value, justice for those you like, it felt like there’s a clear idea right here and there’s a through-line from the primary recreation about love. If we by no means get to do it once more, it is a high quality ending level. The final chunk of the apple, the story’s carried out.”
“I’ve been fascinated by, ‘Is there an idea there?’ And for now years, I haven’t been capable of finding that idea,” he continued. “However not too long ago, that’s modified. I don’t have a narrative, however I do have that idea, that, to me…is its personal factor, but has this through-line for all three. So it does really feel like there’s most likely yet another chapter to this story.”
Regardless of my vehement dislike of the reductive means Druckmann talks about The Final of Us, I do discover Half II to be a worthwhile continuation of The Final of Us’ story. A part of me trusts that the crew may do proper by each character and story concerned in a 3rd recreation. However I additionally was so content material with the full-circle ending Half II supplied with its give attention to forgiveness over grief-driven violence. My worry is that as a result of AAA video video games carry the expectation of fight, a hypothetical Final of Us Half III must undermine a few of the classes realized on the finish of the second recreation to justify its existence in some folks’s eyes. My supreme third Final of Us recreation would don’t have any fight in any respect. It could present Ellie strolling by Jackson, discovering her estranged girlfriend, Dina, and seeing if bridges could be rebuilt.
However I don’t assume I really must see that. I like ending The Final of Us at Ellie leaving the ache of each video games behind and looking for one thing within the items which might be left. However capitalism dictates that huge online game franchises should be dragged again onto the meeting line. Right here’s hoping no matter Naughty Canine has deliberate manages to really feel like a pure continuation of what’s come earlier than.
No matter The Final of Us Half III is, it’s not Naughty Canine’s subsequent challenge. The crew is engaged on a brand new IP, which is the primary time the studio has carried out so for the reason that authentic Final of Us in 2013.