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[foolishoptimist]

There are no accidental props in video games. Everything is made deliberately. It is designed to look a certain way, consciously put in a certain place, and does not simply appear there by some set designer with a warehouse of props.

That's not really true. As your Pixar quote mentioned everything in the scene has to be created, it's not feasible to make every object in every scene unique for that scene/location. Even in TLOU, lots scenery dressing objects are reused throughout.
In Uncharted 3, there's a painted portrait that is used multiple times in the one ruined mansion which really bugs me when I play it.

It's for this reason, we are used to it, that the giraffe's are easy to overlook, at least on first playthrough.

To add to the other examples for games that use motif, I'd also mention The Saboteur, and the dramatic color shifts. Obviously this isn't as subtle as the Giraffe's here, but it's a rare example.

Spoiler

At the start, the game is in color, the main character is reckless and carefree with the the Nazi movement present but not considered a threat. When Sean has a run-in with a Nazi Colonel, his brother is killed, and all color except red drains from the game world.
This color coding, IMO, is representative of the Nazi threat, and their occupation, but also of Seans' guilt. As he feels responsible for putting his brother in harms way, and not being able to save him.
This happens in a cut-scene, and is actually through Seans' POV that we see this, suggesting that this is how he sees the world.
This sets up all the games sabotage objectives to gradually bring back color to the world, as you liberate France, and take revenge for Seans' brothers death.

 

[Finale Fireworker]

That's not really true. As your Pixar quote mentioned everything in the scene has to be created, it's not feasible to make every object in every scene unique for that scene/location. Even in TLOU, lots scenery dressing objects are reused throughout.

In Uncharted 3, there's a painted portrait that is used multiple times in the one ruined mansion which really bugs me when I play it.

It's for this reason, we are used to it, that the giraffe's are easy to overlook, at least on first playthrough.

Perhaps I was not clear, and allow me to make myself clearer here: It is of course true that objects are reused throughout games and are used as generic scenery. This has always been true, as far back as bushes being reused as clouds in Super Mario Bros and all the identical interior layouts of houses in Assassin's Creed: Unity. To make every single object unique would be extremely expensive, time consuming, and unfeasible.

Even in Last of Us, oftentimes the giraffes are accompanied with other toys that are found throughout the game. And every dorm room had the same photos about them at the University, in several cases the same photo multiple times, and all the bulletin boards have the same information.

But all of these objects still need to be consciously designed by an artist. That portrait in Uncharted 3 wasn't found at some estate auction in West Hollywood, somebody still had to craft that object by hand for use in the set.

And this allows for serious consideration to be potentially put into every item. All of your objects have the potential to serve a specific creative purpose because they are all made for a purpose in the first place.

Maybe that purpose is just "scenery." But the object will be created to perfectly suit that purpose. Generic stacks of crates or barrels fulfill the specific purpose they were created for. And so, when studying an object placed in a digital environment, one can ask what that object's purpose was. Why was this object designed this way? Why was it placed here? What is its purpose?

By pulling the Pixar quote, I am acknowledging that all these giraffes were specifically chosen and designed to exist. The picture frame could have had any generic picture in it, but it was a giraffe. The prevailing stuffed animals could have been the stereotypical bears, but they are giraffes. Somebody chose giraffes, then placed those giraffes in places that indicate a purpose beyond basic set dressing.

Because while the artificial giraffe is technically part of the digital backlot, just like all the generic pictures and bulletin boards, they are used differently. Their purpose is distinct, they were crafted distinctly, and their existence within the game and their context is not accidental.

I know this was a lengthy reply for somebody who wasn't actually disagreeing with me. I apologize.

-

As for The Saboteur, I haven't played that game, but I really like what you're saying about it. You've definitely piqued my interest, because these kinds of motifs are very rare in games and I am trying to see where else they are used.

 

[Pound_lb003]

I agree with your reading and actually had the same thought occur to me. The only reason I didn't include it in this analysis is because, prior to beginning it last September, I learned that the giraffes were originally supposed to be zebras. They were changed to be more alien and more bizarre, because ND wanted Ellie to see the most bizarre and sensational animal possible.

HOWEVER.

Authorial intent is one thing, and textual reading is another. With what you said about giraffes and how they relate to evolution, and how the concept of adaptation is essentially woven into the plot of the game, the depiction of giraffes inherits an importance and a substance that may have been accidental. That doesn't make it any less true, or any less valid, or any less important to a reading of the text.

Because, ultimately, what matters is the information in front of us. We may get a glimpse at the thought process behind authorship, but what reaches the audience is what really counts.

I appreciate this post a great deal.

As I was writing it, I had this conversation with my partner. I said; even if it is not intentional (and as you stated, if they changed from zebras, it probably isn't), it was still poignant to me. And as you say, that is equally important.

'Textual reading!'

I was trying to explain this to him, saying 'it's about media language', when what I wanted to say was 'it's about textual reading'.

Thanks!

 

[Kimosabae]

The giraffes actually represent Neil Druckman's intensively repressed sexuality. How others cannot see this is a testament to their own failure as gamers.

Seriously though, I both love and hate that image because it's both true and untrue. Readers tend to attach meaning to things the author did not intend, especially unpracticed readers. This is why nearly every slightly ambiguous piece of media has a "coma theory" attached to it, where eager readers interpret the main character to be in a coma or in a dream.

These people are always wrong. Unless we're talking about Mulholland Drive or Total Recall.

Most of the time, blue curtains are just blue. But a good author uses every word or image to tell their story. The less incidental their prose or set dressing, the more refined they are as an artist. If everything you give the audience is valuable, you know how to communicate your message to an audience.

Where to draw the line is usually easy. If your interpretation makes sense and you are concluding a message from the material that is relevant to the material itself, then whether the author intended it or not it becomes true. Authors say stuff by accident all the time, Arkham Asylum for example takes a particularly cruel stance on mental illness, and if the text for that interpretation is "on the page," then that is what the author wrote.

I know you were posting facetiously, but I also have been looking for a reason to explain this, because in my past and future threads there are people who are quick to say I am reaching.

All the empty drawers do not represent the hollow, empty heart of Joel. Those are blue curtains. But these giraffes? More than just giraffes!

Great post. This gives me a chance to express something that I've been thinking on for awhile. It's an issue regarding authorial intent in arts and how people are quick to dismiss something as nonsensical or mundane if they cannot make sense of an aspect in a way that attributes some deliberate, authorial meaning. I see it as a hobgoblin of little minds. Their sense of wonder and imagination has been strangled by expectations and the language of facts.

Yeah, the curtain might "Just be fucking blue" but if the reader abstracts more than blueness from the curtains, that abstraction is not lessened by the possibility of the author not intending anything more than blueness. In fact, that unique experience and interpretation gives volume and depth to the work, rather than aggrandizing the author.

But it often seems people are graveled or disappointed by the notion that an interpretation can be "wrong" and are more interested in knowing the "right" interpretation of something rather than interpreting at all. If they find they've interpreted something other than what an author intended, they feel disappointed or cheated; when they should feel enlarged and inspired.

I see this attitude all the time in pictorial arts and music and I find it sad.

The unity in the universe determines that there are endless parallels to be drawn every and anywhere, by everyone. That's the beauty of it and the beauty of art.

I see free-associative and abstract expression dismissed all the time as "non-sensical" or "meaningless" when it is literally impossible to speak or communicate entirely without meaning.

These giraffes, even if the evidence were not so prodigiously in favor of the symbolism and connections being intentional, your interpretation would not be any less true or valuable. Thanks to Naughty Dog and yourself for creating a place to ramble-off this incoherent mess of a post.

 

[DevilFox]

Great post. This gives me a chance to express something that I've been thinking on for awhile. It's an issue regarding authorial intent in arts, and how people are quick to dismiss something as nonsensical or mundane if they cannot make sense of an aspect in a way that attributes some deliberate, authorial meaning. I see it as a hobgoblin of little minds. Their sense of of wonder and imagination has been strangled by expectation.

Yeah, the curtain might "Just be fucking blue" but if the reader abstracts more than blueness from the curtains, that abstraction is not lessened by the possibility of the author not intending anything more than blueness. In fact, that unique experience and interpretation gives volume and depth to the work, rather than aggrandizing the author.

But it often seems people are graveled or disappointed by the notion that an interpretation can be "wrong" and are more interested in knowing the "right" interpretation of something rather than interpreting at all. If they find they've interpreted something other than what an author intended, they feel disappointed or cheated; when they should feel enlarged and inspired.

I see this attitude all the time in pictorial arts and music and I find it sad.

The unity in the universe determines that there are endless parallels to be drawn every and anywhere, by everyone. That's the beauty of it and the beauty of art.

I see free-associative and abstract expression dismissed all the time as "non-sensical" or "meaningless" when it is literally impossible to speak or communicate entirely without meaning.

These giraffes: even if the evidence were not so prodigiously in favor of the symbolism and connections being intentional, your interpretation would not be any less true or valuable. Thanks to Naught Dog and yourself for creating a place to ramble-off this incoherent mess of a post.

I agree with this so much. I had conversations about this topic in the past but it looks like that not many people (players) welcome the interpretations unless they're confirmed by the devs, which makes them facts and not interpretations at that point.
I consider a great value of the game to have more to see beyond the appearances.

 

[Kimosabae]

I agree with this so much. I had conversations about this topic in the past but it looks like that not many people (players) welcome the interpretations unless they're confirmed by the devs, which makes them facts and not interpretations at that point.
I consider a great value of the game to have more to see beyond the appearances.

Yes, well said. The information age seems to have made people jaded. They accept the "language of facts" and little more. Speculation after-the-fact is often a waste unless it is in due proportion to the evidence provided.

 

[The Wheel of Fortune]

Nice analysis, OP. I knew there was more to the giraffes than just the pretty scene at the (almost) end.

 

[ajcacio]

Just wanted to post a quote that more or less confirms finale's theories. I really appreciate your analysis

“There are more giraffe references in the game that serve as a sort of foreshadowing. Plush toys can be found in Sarah’s room and more places throughout the game. Also when I made concept art for a scene early in the game when panic strikes and Joel, Tommy and Sarah run through town, I named one of the movies playing in the theatre ‘Giraffic Park’. Not quite sure if that made it in the game. So I actually sent away for t-shirts with the Jurassic Park logo changed to Giraffic Park. I gave them out to people around the studio that worked on that level.”

http://ctrl500.com/art/making-the-last-of-us-iconic-giraffe-scene/?sf8251883=1

 

[Finale Fireworker]

What a coincidence, because I was about to bump this thread again today with a bonus analysis of the steakhouse set. Thank you for posting that!

For what it's worth, "Giraffic Park" is not on the in-game marquee. I believe it can be seen in some concept art though that has been published.

 

[ajcacio]

What a coincidence, because I was about to bump this thread again today with a bonus analysis of the steakhouse set. Thank you for posting that!

For what it's worth, "Giraffic Park" is not on the in-game marquee. I believe it can be seen in some concept art though that has been published.

My pleasure! Looking forward to reading more from you.

 

[SunBroDave]

My analysis below. If you haven't played the game you really have no business in this thread, so I'm not going to use any spoiler tags.

Throughout the entire game, the stuffed giraffes and the pictures of giraffes are all mementos of the world before the infection. They're symbolic of what - and who - was lost from the world when everything went to hell. As the story progresses the image and the idea are reinforced - that what's lost will never be found again. In the context of Joel, this means Sarah, the one person he loved more than anything, and the loss of whom has turned him into the disillusioned, violent, shell of a man he once was.

But in that last scene before finding the Fireflies, when Joel walks through the door and sees both Ellie and the giraffes - the giraffes that everyone had assumed were wiped out in the infestation - it's such a powerful moment because Joel realizes that maybe there is still good in the world. And he realizes this as he stares at both Ellie and the giraffes. But the giraffes are gone just as quickly as they appeared, showing that even though there might still be good in the world, you gotta hold on to it or it'll slip through your fingers.

The reason that this scene happens right before the hospital scene is because it's directly relevant to Joel's actions in the latter. It is Joel's (perhaps subconscious) realization in the giraffe scene that motivates his actions in the hospital to save Ellie. The love he has for Ellie is something that he never thought he'd ever have again after he lost Sarah, and he doesn't want to lose that love again - he can't lose that love again.

 

[Finale Fireworker]

My analysis below. If you haven't played the game you really have no business in this thread, so I'm not going to use any spoiler tags.

Throughout the entire game, the stuffed giraffes and the pictures of giraffes are all mementos of the world before the infection. They're symbolic of what - and who - was lost from the world when everything went to hell. As the story progresses the image and the idea are reinforced - that what's lost will never be found again. In the context of Joel, this means Sarah, the one person he loved more than anything, and the loss of whom has turned him into the disillusioned, violent, shell of a man he once was.

But in that last scene before finding the Fireflies, when Joel walks through the door and sees both Ellie and the giraffes - the giraffes that everyone had assumed were wiped out in the infestation - it's such a powerful moment because Joel realizes that maybe there is still good in the world. And he realizes this as he stares at both Ellie and the giraffes. But the giraffes are gone just as quickly as they appeared, showing that even though there might still be good in the world, you gotta hold on to it or it'll slip through your fingers.

The reason that this scene happens right before the hospital scene is because it's directly relevant to Joel's actions in the latter. It is Joel's (perhaps subconscious) realization in the giraffe scene that motivates his actions in the hospital to save Ellie. The love he has for Ellie is something that he never thought he'd ever have again after he lost Sarah, and he doesn't want to lose that love again - he can't lose that love again.

A fantastic summation I agree with 100%. The giraffes are the tipping point for Joel, remember he finally accepts the photo of him and Sarah and, for the first time, tells Ellie that things are okay right after. But the greater importance is that, even after the infection, the giraffes are always there. They are all around Joel if he would choose to see them. And when he finally can't ignore them anymore his eyes are finally open to love again. It's a truly beautiful moment.

 

[BouncyFrag]

Cool thread. I've yet to play through the remaster and will keep an eye out for them.

 

[RipperGrim]

I'm literally like this

Thanks for the read OP! This just makes me more aware of just how awesome The Last of Us is.

 

[Finale Fireworker]

***3/38 Update***

This is just a miniature bonus post to demonstrate the quality of Naughty Dog's set dressing. We have already talked in this thread about the value of placing meaningful scenery, like the giraffes, over meaningless scenery, like stacks of crates. But what makes The Last of Us so significant is that it goes miles and miles beyond the set dressing of other games and pays very close attention to the narrative context when dressing a set location.

Probably the best example of this is Todd's Steakhouse.

Todd's Steakhouse is a scene I'm sure everybody knows well: here David is stalking Ellie with a machete while the building itself begins to burn down. In the conclusion of this scene, David catches up to Ellie with the intention of sexually assaulting and killing her, but she is able to reach his machete and hacks him to pieces instead.

The situation is horrific enough. Ellie is being stalked by a murdering pedophile. But what else is going on below the surface of this scene? Remember that, as far as Ellie knows, Joel is dying in a garage. Her motivation for venturing out alone in the first place is that she is now providing for Joel and herself. Even though she is hungry, she is willing to trade the deer she has just hunted away for medicine to potentially save Joel.

Because more important than anything else is saving Joel. But why?

Remember even earlier when Ellie and Henry are discussing their fears and Ellie explains, after some hesitation, that she is afraid of being alone. When she has somebody to joke with and somebody by her side, she is able to bury that fear, but even talking about it is difficult for her. Joel's survival is the most important thing to her not only because he is her friend, but because if Joel dies Ellie is alone again. Her biggest fear.

Let's go back to the steakhouse. Ellie is being hunted by a man she originally trusted. Her attempt to save Joel's life is very nearing failure. If David kills Ellie, he is killing Joel too. And worst of all, she is alone. Her greatest fear is realized: another friend is dying, she is failing to save them, and she is all alone. Ellie is in Hell. Her own, personal Hell.

And how is this communicated to the player through the setdressing of the steakhouse? The steakhouse is a place where flesh is seared.

A banner acknowledges a higher, biblical power.

The floor is covered with encircled stars.

The walls are covered with horned beasts.

She is surrounded in flames.

The Satanic imagery and suggestion is plentiful and all encompassing. Horned beasts, pentagrams, and flames in a realm where flesh is burned endlessly. And Ellie has a table for one. The impact this nightmare has on Ellie is clear in the very next scene, where her post-traumatic stress displays a major change in Ellie's character.

 

[FantasticMrFoxdie]

Never thought of it that way, but definitely can't say that moment in the game didn't have a hellish presence to it. especially in contrast to a raging blizzard going on outside.

 

[OricWindstar]

I only beat it for the first time a week ago, so haven't had a chance to notice subtleties like this. Great read.

 

[Finale Fireworker]

Never thought of it that way, but definitely can't say that moment in the game didn't have a hellish presence to it. especially in contrast to a raging blizzard going on outside.

It being a winter blizzard outside is even indicative of how Ellie and Joel's trip has stopped, or frozen, during Ellie's lateral excursion. What happens in Winter doesn't actually move them any closer to Salt Lake City. It freezes them in place while Ellie has a traumatic experience she, at least from what we see in the game, never moves beyond.

The idea that part of her is forever frozen in Winter, where her innocence died, feels meaningful as well. Winter is Ellie's "Girl Interrupted" moment, and Winter interrupts everything her and Joel are working towards.

 

[Giraffer]

Amazing game. Amazing thread.

 

[Finale Fireworker]

Amazing game. Amazing thread.

It's like you made your account just for this thread! Too bad more of the 17,000 viewers wouldn't post too and give this thread more exposure.

 

[Giraffer]

It's like you made your account just for this thread! Too bad more of the 17,000 viewers wouldn't post too and give this thread more exposure.

Haha I rarely post, but I felt I had a duty to post in this one. Brilliant analysis, man. I never noticed how much weight the giraffes actually held.

 

[uncleniccius]

I haven't seen this thread before, it is wonderful. I noticed some of the giraffe's while I played, but you've taken it to the next level!

Are you still planning on doing a Left Behind themed update? I imagine this takes a long time but it deserves credit, this was a fascinating read.

 

[Finale Fireworker]

I haven't seen this thread before, it is wonderful. I noticed some of the giraffe's while I played, but you've taken it to the next level!

Are you still planning on doing a Left Behind themed update? I imagine this takes a long time but it deserves credit, this was a fascinating read.

Yes, absolutely, the Left Behind update is still coming. There are giraffes there that need to be screened and documented, even if it is comparatively less of an undertaking than the main game. The reason it has taken so long is because for the last few months I have been also working on another Last of Us thread to follow up this one with, as well as another BioShock thread. I tend to work on lots of things all at once and then finish them all at once.

 

[dominuece]

Phenomenal thread, OP. Thank you. This is one of the many reasons I love GAF.

I had noticed the giraffe motif while playing, but I was too encapsulated in the experience to notice the nuances. I need to replay TLoU immediately. Ellie's "hell" motif really took your findings to greater heights.

Great analysis. I will share this thread with friends.

 

[Finale Fireworker]

Phenomenal thread, OP. Thank you. This is one of the many reasons I love GAF.

I had noticed the giraffe motif while playing, but I was too encapsulated in the experience to notice the nuances. I need to replay TLoU immediately. Ellie's "hell" motif really took your findings to greater heights.

Great analysis. I will share this thread with friends.

Thank you very much for your kind words and the attention. Making threads like these are actually why I joined GAF in the first place, hoping this would be the best community to have these kinds of conversations.

Posts like yours validate my whole effort.

 

[ShaneDude]

Brilliant thread. I will replay this game immediately

 

[BeEatNU]

lovely thread

 

[Finale Fireworker]

Brilliant thread. I will replay this game immediately

When you do, consider that the only functioning mirror in the game is placed immediately in front of you when you gain control in the beginning in Sarah's bedroom.

What is being reflected, and what are you being asked to reflect on in effect?

 

[bwakh]

What a good thread. Thank you OP for the great analysis. I noticed there were giraffes in places in TLOU but never knew that they were used in and around key events in the entire game.

TLOU continues to amaze me in respect of how complete this game is. Much applause to Druckmann and Straley.

Reminds me to finish the game again on PS4 and experience Left Behind for the first time.

 

[Finale Fireworker]

What a good thread. Thank you OP for the great analysis. I noticed there were giraffes in places in TLOU but never knew that they were used in and around key events in the entire game.

TLOU continues to amaze me in respect of how complete this game is. Much applause to Druckmann and Straley.

Reminds me to finish the game again on PS4 and experience Left Behind for the first time.

This is why I am so excited for Uncharted 4. Not because I want it to be serious like The Last of Us or anything like that, but because I am confident that whatever story Uncharted 4 will tell will be as well told as Last of Us.

Left Behind is truly fantastic and I consider it utterly inextricable from the totality of Last of Us. Even thought it fits nicely as a Winter prelude, it should absolutely be played last. In that regard, it is thankfully never too late to play it.

 

[bwakh]

***3/38 Update***

This is just a miniature bonus post to demonstrate the quality of Naughty Dog's set dressing. We have already talked in this thread about the value of placing meaningful scenery, like the giraffes, over meaningless scenery, like stacks of crates. But what makes The Last of Us so significant is that it goes miles and miles beyond the set dressing of other games and pays very close attention to the narrative context when dressing a set location.

Probably the best example of this is Todd's Steakhouse.

Todd's Steakhouse is a scene I'm sure everybody knows well: here Dave is stalking Ellie with a machete while the building itself begins to burn down. In the conclusion of this scene, Dave catches up to Ellie with the intention of sexually assaulting and killing her, but she is able to reach his machete and hacks him to pieces instead.

The situation is horrific enough. Ellie is being stalked by a murdering pedophile. But what else is going on below the surface of this scene? Remember that, as far as Ellie knows, Joel is dying in a garage. Her motivation for venturing out alone in the first place is that she is now providing for Joel and herself. Even though she is hungry, she is willing to trade the deer she has just hunted away for medicine to potentially save Joel.

Because more important than anything else is saving Joel. But why?

Remember even earlier when Ellie and Henry are discussing their fears and Ellie explains, after some hesitation, that she is afraid of being alone. When she has somebody to joke with and somebody by her side, she is able to bury that fear, but even talking about it is difficult for her. Joel's survival is the most important thing to her not only because he is her friend, but because if Joel dies Ellie is alone again. Her biggest fear.

Let's go back to the steakhouse. Ellie is being hunted by a man she originally trusted. Her attempt to save Joel's life is very nearing failure. If Dave kills Ellie, he is killing Joel too. And worst of all, she is alone. Her greatest fear is realized: another friend is dying, she is failing to save them, and she is all alone. Ellie is in Hell. Her own, personal Hell.

And how is this communicated to the player through the setdressing of the steakhouse? The steakhouse is a place where flesh is seared.

A banner acknowledges a higher, biblical power.

The floor is covered with encircled stars.

The walls are covered with horned beasts.

She is surrounded in flames.

The Satanic imagery and suggestion is plentiful and all encompassing. Horned beasts, pentagrams, and flames in a realm where flesh is burned endlessly. And Ellie has a table for one. The impact this nightmare has on Ellie is clear in the very next scene, where her post-traumatic stress displays a major change in Ellie's character.

Great stuff. I kind of rushed through this section on my first playthrough so I missed all this.

But again ND's setdressing is amazing and subtle imagery are only prominent on closer inspection and second viewings. Reminds me of the show Hannibal. Not in the way that this scene was of a cannibalistic nature but because the show also floored me with expertly done imagery as it is done in this game.

This is why I am so excited for Uncharted 4. Not because I want it to be serious like The Last of Us or anything like that, but because I am confident that whatever story Uncharted 4 will tell will be as well told as Last of Us.

Left Behind is truly fantastic and I consider it utterly inextricable from the totality of Last of Us. Even thought it fits nicely as a Winter prelude, it should absolutely be played last. In that regard, it is thankfully never too late to play it.

Yes so I've heard. It may be short but promises to be great. Can't wait to experience this kind of direction in a game again.

Same reason I am excited for Uncharted 4... Well I am excited for UC4 even without that reason. Lol. But seriously, this thread suggested to me again that Uncharted 4 will not be a simple Indiana Jones romp again. The story will be well told, the experience will be well crafted and the game, more complete.

 

[uncleniccius]

Yes, absolutely, the Left Behind update is still coming. There are giraffes there that need to be screened and documented, even if it is comparatively less of an undertaking than the main game. The reason it has taken so long is because for the last few months I have been also working on another Last of Us thread to follow up this one with, as well as another BioShock thread. I tend to work on lots of things all at once and then finish them all at once.

Awesome! I look forward to it.

And again, thanks for making this. This kind of stuff is why I love GAF, there are loads of awesome, dedicated posters making cool threads.

And a Bioshock thread sounds cool as well, exciting!

 

[stryke]

***3/38 Update***

What a great update. Love it.

Good job.

 

[Finale Fireworker]

Awesome! I look forward to it.

And again, thanks for making this. This kind of stuff is why I love GAF, there are loads of awesome, dedicated posters making cool threads.

And a Bioshock thread sounds cool as well, exciting!

I actually started playing Left Behind through today, so the update should be done by the end of the weak. Left Behind has a lot of feminine set dressing (from American Princess, the nail salon, to the statue of Artemis, etc), but its giraffes are much more concisely placed.

What a great update. Love it.

Good job.

Thank you very much!

 

[elfinke]

I actually started playing Left Behind through today, so the update should be done by the end of the weak. Left Behind has a lot of feminine set dressing (from American Princess, the nail salon, to the statue of Artemis, etc), but its giraffes are much more concisely placed.



Thank you very much!

I hope you had an excellent Easter break. This is a truly magnificent thread which I've enjoyed from top to bottom. I just picked up a PS4, and it came with TLoUR, which I will be playing with a better appreciation of some of the inanimate objects now (not least because of the frame rate and detail increase!)

I've been looking forward to your Left Behind update, how is it coming along?

 

[Kimosabae]

Just got around to reading the last update: smh I feel like an idiot for not considering for a moment, that potential metaphor. What makes it so well done is that the symbols fit the aesthetic of the establishment, perfectly, and don't even hint at such an obvious metaphor.

Ugh.

Sometimes you think you have whim for creating and than something like TLoU comes along and really puts you in your fucking place.

 

[Finale Fireworker]

***5/23 Update***

This update is very long overdue and decidedly smaller that the others, but I found myself with several unoccupied hours (a great rarity) and wanted to finish what I set out to do.

Left Behind is Ellie's chapter. Taking place at the turn of Winter, Ellie hauls an injured and incapacitated Joel to a shopping mall. Securing him behind a locked door, Ellie must survive alone for the first time since her journey with Joel began. As seen in the Todd's Steakhouse update, Winter is the darkest part of the game. It is the segment that defines Ellie's character for the duration of the narrative, and Left Behind benefits that definition by allowing the player to explore Ellie outside the context of Joel.

This is Ellie as the individual.

Part One of Three: The Hunter and the Statue

Almost as soon as the player gains control of Ellie in Left Behind, she comes face to face with an enormous statue of a Native American wielding a bow. This statue is the important one. This isn't actually the first statue Ellie encounters, though. The first one she sees is a Native American riding a horse. But before we start Left Behind, let's go back to the main game.

In Lincoln, Massachusetts, also known as Bill's Town, Joel finds one of Bill's bows. The following conversation occurs:

ELLIE: Let me use that, I'm a pretty good shot with that thing.
JOEL: How 'bout we just leave this kind of stuff to me.
ELLIE: Well, we could both be armed. Cover each other.
JOEL: I don't think so.

At this point in the main game, Joel is still trying to protect Ellie. He doesn't want her armed, he doubts her own survival capabilities, and doesn't want Ellie to be responsible for killing. This is a very naive stance for Joel to take, as Ellie is a survivor and has had to lethally defend herself before. When Ellie claims to be a good shot with the bow, Joel is unmoved. Perhaps Joel thinks she has only practiced on targets, which would not translate to practical skill in the field. Perhaps Joel still doesn't think Ellie has ever killed somebody and doesn't want play agent to her first kill. Maybe he doesn't want Ellie armed because he somehow feels she is safer when he is in absolute control. Whatever the reason, when Joel acquires the bow, he doesn't think Ellie is fit to wield it. Unmoving and with bow in hand, he is not looking at what's right in front of him.

In this way, the statue is Joel.

The bow hunter is one of the first (actually the second) things the player sees when they assume control of Ellie in Left Behind. The figure is decidedly male, decidedly skilled, and completely inert. Like the statue, Joel is now paralyzed with injury and must stay behind. As Ellie seeks some sort of supplies to return him to action, the statue is a towering manifestation of the weight on her conscience. But the statue is not literally Joel, of course, and its symbolism extends beyond him. Because in other ways the statue is also Ellie.

In the original hard cut to winter, our first scene is an arrow piercing a rabbit. The player does not see who fired the arrow immediately, but suspicions it is Ellie and not Joel are quickly confirmed. The first time the player experiences this scene, they don't know how much time has passed. They don't know if Joel is alive or dead. But what they do know, as of that moment, Ellie is now the hunter. In the following sequence, Ellie's skill as a hunter is tested when she must quietly hunt a buck. She is the autonomous provider, and with the appearance of David, the autonomous bargainer and trader as well.

The appearance of the statue, as the first set piece Ellie encounters in Left Behind, becomes the new first sequence after Joel is injured and Ellie is on her own. She ascends a stationary escalator and the figure appears before her. The symbolism here is clear: Ellie has ascended, and she is now the hunter. During Left Behind, Ellie acquires her own bow, and her status as a bowed woman (a common trope, invoking Artemis, the goddess of the hunt) is achieved.

The statue is big, bold, but also ambiguous. Its symbolism is abstract, but meaningful.

But, again, the first statue Ellie sees (separated from the statue of the hunter by an escalator and a few short seconds) is a horsebound figure wielding a spear. While less meaningful overall, Ellie has been established as a horsebound figure multiple times. She is preoccupied with one of Tommy's horses, where she explains she has ridden one before. She names Callus, the horse she and Joel take to Colorado. She later rides Callus as a means of conveyance and ultimately distraction, where the horse is killed. This statue, preluding the archer, is another symbol of Ellie.

The name Ellie gives her horse, Callus, is a Scottish surname which means "son of warrior chief."

Part Two of Three: Feminine Imagery

Perhaps not unlike real shopping malls, which makes the location ideal for the story Left Behind explored, the Liberty Garden and the Colorado Mountain Plaza are covered with feminine images and locations. There are masculine images as well, of course, but they are far fewer and less frequently encountered. To understand the importance of the feminine set dressing, it helps to explain what Left Behind is actually about.

Left Behind is Ellie's sexual awakening. It is not grand or sensational, as the term "sexual awakening" is sometimes used, but rather quite subdued and thoughtful. Ellie and her best friend Riley love each other, and their feelings towards one another are confusing to them. The attraction is present, the love is clear, but what these feelings mean to the two girls is unestablished. Riley doesn't know why she brought Ellie to the mall. Ellie surprises herself when she kisses Riley, spontaneously, as if she finally could not express herself any other way. "Sorry," she says. "For what?" Riley replies.

With this in mind, the bouquet of feminine imagery is an expression of Ellie being on the pubescent cusp. Ellie's kiss with Riley is a sexual realization and an admission of sexuality and identity. All of Left Behind is a small exercise in puberty and all of the confusing, conflicting feelings that come with sexual development. In the context of the shopping mall, the young and mature feminine imagery does not clash. In this space, and the space Ellie is in personally, these identities coexist. Young enough to play with dolls (American Princess), but old enough to ask Skeleseer about her developing breasts.

One of the images that occurs repeatedly in the Liberty Garden mall is the Panda Safari poster, which depicts a young girl on an exploratory adventure. The placement of this in the Boston mall, with Riley, is meaningful. Here, skewing younger, Ellie is a girl exploring her relationship with her friend.

Another image, which is actually two images, is seen in the Colorado mall. On the left is a running female athlete, and on the right is a girl in a striped shirt. The imagery here is subtle, but aids in the interpretation of the two malls being complexes of Ellie's own mind. In the other mall, when the player first gains control of Ellie, the two have just finished running to evade detection from military posts. Riley says: "You were pretty quick out there, I'm impressed." Ellie's shirt is also striped.

In the Colorado mall, where Ellie skews older, there is imagery of sexualized older women. Taking place after her sexual awakening, where Ellie is more mature, this imagery is not misplaced either. The beautiful, sexually assertive women are a feminine fantasy, something Ellie at least considers when asking Skeleseer about her body and briefly embodies to have the confidence to kiss Riley.

But it is worth noting that these images are fragmented. They are missing pieces, or they are damaged, and the picture is not perfectly clear. This gives a very "girl interrupted" feel to the images, as Ellie's sexual identity is not fully formed. Before she could complete her exploration with Riley, the experience is cut short. It is even traumatizing. This would only get worse with her encounter with David, who attempts to sexually assault her. Ellie's picture of sexuality has been damaged by sex being continually out of her own control. This is actually my favorite part of the set dressing in Left Behind.

Locations like the snowed in nail salon, seen below, fit this same interpretation. The nail salon is snowed in, but still somewhat intact. The portraits on the wall are undamaged, the sign still hangs, and most hauntingly, the nail polish sits mostly undisturbed on the shelf. This gendered altar is frozen, with no way to carry out the intent of its construction, and so it remains in stasis. It still stands, but it has been interrupted in a way that makes its use difficult.

Stores like American Princess and Goldfish Kids, both in Colorado, are indicative of Ellie's actual age. Ellie is very young, but no semblance of a child. In another world, she might have still had dolls or shopped at preteen clothing stores only a few years before. These stores coexisting in the fabric of the Colorado Mall alongside the sexually defined images of older women shows how Ellie straddles the line between girlhood and womanhood. Neither have true influence yet, she is both and neither. Fourteen is a confusing age.

To finish off, here is the sign that stands at the entrance of the Liberty Garden mall. The fact that it only depicts women establishes the malls as feminine zones that serve as a foundation for feminine interaction. This isn't literal, this isn't to say shopping malls are actually feminine spaces in the real world and only women shop, but in the literary context of the story, the malls serve this purpose. In these spaces, we explore a story about the live's of women. Women with baggage.

Part Three of Three: The Giraffes

As I mentioned last year when I wrote the initial study for this thread, Left Behind has a few of its own giraffes to add to the overall compendium of the motifs. They are centralized in the arcade, where Ellie and Riley share an emotional moment regarding the imminent end to their brief reunion. Riley is leaving again, to another city, and she came in hopes of Ellie asking her to stay.

The giraffes are well placed here, foreshadowing not only the loss of Riley as she moves to a new city, but the emotional moment which follows this scene. Ellie tells Riley not to leave (at Riley's insistence), and Riley agrees to stay. Riley and Ellie play with water guns, dance to some music, and kiss. For a moment, everything is perfect. Everything is going to be okay.

But the tragedy is known to the player, and this moment is very bittersweet. Ellie and Riley are attacked by infected, who bite them both. Riley and Ellie agree to die together ("lose their minds together"), but Ellie discovers she is immune. Ellie as an individual, as the only known human immune to the infection, is awakened. Ellie's burdensome individuality has comes at the expense of her best friend, and Ellie continues on in emotional solitude.

There is also, as a bonus, a Savage Starlight poster here. Endure and survive.

 

[DarthWalden]

Great job OP. I feel had for never having noticed a giraffe through my entire play through but maybe I did subconsciously. The games story failed to strike a chord with me outside of the jaw dropping intro and maybe this is an indication of why, the details were in the little things.

 

[Finale Fireworker]

Great job OP. I feel had for never having noticed a giraffe through my entire play through but maybe I did subconsciously. The games story failed to strike a chord with me outside of the jaw dropping intro and maybe this is an indication of why, the details were in the little things.

I'm sorry you didn't connect with the story. One said before that the Last of Us narrative is not plain and simple. It does not give you a lot of straight answers. What it asks you to do is meet it halfway and accept the story it gives you as a series of ideas for you, the player, to think about. The harder you lean into the story, and the more invested you allow yourself to become, the more there is to enjoy.

I hope more games like Last of Us come to exist and that you will really connect with one of them. Thanks a lot for coming in and saying something even though the story wasn't your favorite thing. The reason I put so much time on writing this stuff is so people will read it.

 

[Finale Fireworker]

Thread is too long for the casual reader and the front page moves too fast for any visibility. Future threads will have to be shorter to be more accessible.

This is what it sounds like when doves cry.

 

[comedy bomb]

Fascinating read. Sadly I fall into the category of completely missing the details. Humbling though to to see the minds of more intelligent folk and how they process information while they play. I was just happy to find supplies.

 

[Finale Fireworker]

Fascinating read. Sadly I fall into the category of completely missing the details. Humbling though to to see the minds of more intelligent folk and how they process information while they play. I was just happy to find supplies.

Thanks so much for reading! And thank you for the comment, because I thrive on feedback and the thread needs the bumps.

Part of what motivates me to make these topics is the assumption that most people haven't considered them, or at least considered them heavily. Most people don't notice this stuff when they're playing, especially if they've only played once, and those are the people that I write for.

 

[brandonh83]

Good stuff. I don't like the game as much as others, but the attention to detail and ability to analyze it all can't really be denied. It definitely helps the game's environments to feel like a breathing, organic part of the character journey. This is one of many reasons I love Silent Hill and the Bioshock games. They're more than just stories as everything right down to the environments are stories and characters themselves.

 

[comedy bomb]

Thanks so much for reading! And thank you for the comment, because I thrive on feedback and the thread needs the bumps.

Part of what motivates me to make these topics is the assumption that most people haven't considered them, or at least considered them heavily. Most people don't notice this stuff when they're playing, especially if they've only played once, and those are the people that I write for.

Your work will certainly be remembered on a second slower paced play through.

 

[Finale Fireworker]

Good stuff. I don't like the game as much as others, but the attention to detail and ability to analyze it all can't really be denied. It definitely helps the game's environments to feel like a breathing, organic part of the character journey. This is one of many reasons I love Silent Hill and the Bioshock games. They're more than just stories as everything right down to the environments are stories and characters themselves.

I also have written and intend to write on BioShock, which is one of my favorite games. I believe BioShock is the most textually rich game made to date.

I also love Silent Hill 2, so perhaps some of my future threads will appeal to you. My goal is to test run a dozen or so topics here on GAF and eventually move my material to a website. Unfortunately it's something I can only do in my spare time, which I have very little of.

My intended topics, now that this one is complete, are Luigi's Mansion and a full-fledged return to BioShock. I hope to see you there.

 

[Yagharek]

I never understood the big deal about the giraffes.

Now I do.

Tremendous OP.

 

[Finale Fireworker]

I never understood the big deal about the giraffes.

Now I do.

Tremendous OP.

Thanks a ton. You have helped me fulfill the mission statement of this topic. Broadening the understanding of games is the platform for all my work. Partly as an antithesis to typical games writing, but mostly because it is what I love.

Your work will certainly be remembered on a second slower paced play through.

I hope you enjoy your repeat play, and hope what you've read here benefits your appreciation for the game itself. Last of Us can be an exhausting game to replay (trust me, these pictures were an endeavor), so making your playthroughs really count is valuable.

 

[Nuke Soda]

OP, you knocked this thread out of the park. I would most certainly be interested in other essays and theories you write down the line. I am the type who plays a game and sees what is in front of me, not a deep thinker. Next time I play through TLOU I will be looking for all the giraffes I missed.

Good job.

 

[Handy Fake]

Tremendous.

I wonder if the fact that the giraffe is the only animal born with horns symbolises the protagonists' survival instinct, Ellie's in particular.

 

[NHarmonic.]

Wow at the steakhouse analysis. For me it was one of the better crafted atmospheres in the game. Tensional, bloody, really like hell, and that even without considering the motifs and details of the scenery you mentioned (and i didn't catched, except for the fire).