It has come to light that The Last of Us Part 2 originally had an alternative ending, which would have made Ellie’s future clearer and, possibly, a little bit more hopeful. The Last of Us Part 2 released almost a year ago, and in that time, it has gone on to smash records for both Sony and Naughty Dog. It notably knocked The Witcher 3 off the top spot, becoming the most awarded game in history. And even since then, the awards have continued to roll in thick and fast. The Last of Us Part 2 currently stands as the only game ever to have received 300 Game of the Year accolades.
Despite this incredible spate of awards, Naughty Dog currently has no plans for a third game in its The Last of Us series. Regardless, The Last of Us Part 2 is still the topic of numerous online debates and forums, with many questioning just where Ellie is heading off to in the game’s closing cinematic, as it is left incredibly vague.
However, in a recent podcast, The Last of Us Part 2 co-writer Halley Gross revealed that there was actually an alternative ending scripted, which made Ellie’s destination seem more apparent. Speaking with Script Apart, Gross shared that, unlike in the final release of the game, Ellie was originally shown to pick up one of JJ’s stuffed toys from the now vacant farmhouse and place it in her backpack. With the toy collected, Ellie then set off on her journey as the game concluded. According to Gross, however, this made the implication that Ellie was leaving to find Dina and JJ too evident, and neither Gross nor The Last of Us Part 2 director Neil Druckmann wanted it to be that way. Instead, the scene plays out with Ellie leaving the farmhouse empty handed and her fate unknown.
This is not to say the Ellie was definitely not on her way to find Dina and JJ at the end of The Last of Us Part 2, however. Many fans still have hopes that Ellie will eventually find her way back to her family, as this was something that Ellie had always longed for since the first game. In the same podcast, Neil Druckmann disclosed that he and Gross have made an outline for the third game, which explores more about what happens after the events of The Last of Us Part 2. Sadly, though, he did not expand any further on what this outline means in terms of Ellie’s fate, and further reiterated that the game is not being made any time soon, if at all.
Despite this, there is still plenty for fans of the series to currently be excited by. Along with the upcoming HBO adaptation, a remake of 2013’s The Last of Us is reportedly in development for the current generation of consoles. While this does not answer anything about Ellie’s destination in The Last of Us Part 2, it is nonetheless a chance for the developers to incorporate some of the more impressive features of TLOU2 into the original game. It also offers fans a chance to see Joel in action once more, which is certainly not a bad thing.
The Last of Us Part 2 is currently available for the PlayStation 4.
Source: Script Apart