Mr. Luchador
Member
This version would have made my GOTY list, Naughty Dog. You had your chance.
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How would you have written the ending for The Last of Us?
- Thread starter Hydrogen Bluebird
- Start date
This version would have made my GOTY list, Naughty Dog. You had your chance.
I think it went out like it should have done. The ending was a punch in the stomach for me, the realisation and Ellie's reaction (she wants to appear accepting to Joel) was a bit hard to swallow. You wanted things to be okay, but it wasn't okay. There were completely valid and understandable reasons as to why it wasn't okay, and what made it harder was that you could sympathise with Joel's actions.
Actually, it makes it better cause it adds in more greyness. Would killing her even have done anything?
I'm sorry, no, the ending was abrupt for a reason (You would probably hate the ending to Grapes of Wrath too which also was abrupt and purposely so, and not cause of laziness like you accuse).
That was part of its point. It's not a happy ending, it's not a hopeful ending, it leaves you standing there with nothing really resolved. But that's where these people are, there is no resolution, they're kinda of just stuck there surviving. The abrupt ending helps convey that better than trying to tie up loose ends. There's no real way to tie up loose ends, this world isn't that neat and it is certainly not that nice. The abrupt ending helps you feel the same way the people in this story do. It's not lazyness, it's perfect art and an ending that perfectly conveys the story they are trying to tell.
Muskieratboi
Member
Woulda had a secondary "Let her be chopped up for science" ending. Joel despondent, slumping down against a wall, and starting to weep. Cut to credits.
Post credits scene, 2 years later. Joel's living with his brother. place looks pretty much the same.
knock on the door, Joel answers. It's Marlene. "We need to talk." Cut to black.
Post credits scene, 2 years later. Joel's living with his brother. place looks pretty much the same.
knock on the door, Joel answers. It's Marlene. "We need to talk." Cut to black.
No, it doesn't? Joel's behavior is easily justifiable if they've killed previous candidates with the viral immunity and came up empty-handed. How is it even a discussion at that point?
Because we don't know if this would have worked or not. Maybe this time they did have a cure (I got the impression they thought Ellie was different than their previous subjects from the notes found. And I'm pretty sure I got them all cause I made a point. I am a stickler for finding story related notes even if I don't worry about other type collectables in games).
It creates this unknown that maybe it would have worked. But they weren't even close to certain. They just knew she was different than their previous experiments. But... their previous experiments hadn't shown helpful so on the other hand this might have been a waste too.
Freshmaker
I am Korean.
They're in the hospital when you're sneaking around.
I would have a over the top twist: when they reach the hospital instead of grabbing ellie, they would grab joel cause he was the real cure, ellie was just a decoy working for the fireflies all this tine and had is bit on the arm faked, joel is in the bench ready to be operated slowly closing is eyes and the last thing he see is ellie feeling sad but with the determination that this had to be done, then they start to operate him and he says: not the bees, not the bees!!! And dies
The end.
The end.
BouncyFrag
Member
Joel becomes infected and you are then given the option to control Joel or Ellie in a fight to the death. As this scene goes down in a rundown frontier heritage museum, Ellie is armed with only a single shot muskett so the fight boils down to whether or not she can land the one and only bullet she has. To counter Joel's increased strength and rage, Ellie can summon a pack of fully sentient, mutated giraffes who can speak broken english to protect her. Once one of them falls, Joel wakes up on his couch having fallen asleep during a Walking Dead marathon on AMC in his lucky giraffe long johns.
I don't think just because it's an unresolved ending it's "perfect art." Imagine if most game and movie endings were cut 15 minutes short and the devs/directors said "It's supposed to be unresolved bc that's how life is."
You miss the point that the ending fit the whole theme of that particular story. It felt cut short for a reason and not because they just cut off part of it. There was a point to the fact it was cut short.
It's a choice in how to end it and just cause it is unconventional does not make it bad or lazy. They meant to do it that way and I feel it fit the story perfectly along with the atmosphere they were trying to make.
No, it's not a good ending for every story so eyah, of course it wouldn't work if they just did that with any movie or game story (your point is silly). But then no ending fits every story right. But it was a good ending for that story.
I still don't think it was a good ending for the story. But, let's agree to disagree.
Vlodril
Member
Funnily enough the last of us is the only game i can remember that although gave you no option to pick the choices of the heroes, it found me totally agreeable with almost every choice the characters made (except perhaps joel taking a bit more time to soften to ellie than i thought he would. all his other actions though where spot on from what i expected from the character).
Vincent Alexander
Member
I don't know what I would change. I just know I hated Joel's lie to Ellie, only because it was a dumb one and a million better lies could've been told. There is no possible way Ellie doesn't know Joel is lying, without me assuming Ellie is a complete moron.
I'm pretty sure they implied she did know. And she accepted the lie because she cared for Joel and accepted it for his sake and decided not to question it.
(this is one of the reasons I like the ending, there is so many ways you can interpret it. but I really do think Ellie knew he was lieing to her and knew he couldn't handle losing her so accepted his lie).
It's perfect and satisfying as it is. I wouldn't have changed a thing.
I'm sorry but that sounds terribly cliché.
I'm thankful that the game hasn't a typical "sacrifice"-ending because that's the first thing you'd expect.
I'm sorry but that sounds terribly cliché.
I'm thankful that the game hasn't a typical "sacrifice"-ending because that's the first thing you'd expect.
Ivory Samoan
Gold Member
I wouldn't change a thing.....
or go with the Vin Diesel theorem.
OuterLimits
Member
Currently playing it again on PS4 and one the Winter portion I do have a question. When Ellie gets bitten by a Clicker or even Runner I think, black lines appear on her making it seem like she is quickly turning into one of the infected. Is that possible since she is immune? Maybe the answer is obvious and I missed it? Perhaps I am drawing the wrong conclusion completely. My apologies for going a bit off topic.
Overall In like the ending the way it is. Definitely makes you wonder what the future was like for Joel and Ellie.
Overall In like the ending the way it is. Definitely makes you wonder what the future was like for Joel and Ellie.
People at work think I'm crying right now. But I'm actually laughing with tears in my eyes.Ellie and Joel are driving away from the hospital. He has saved her, and murdered the fireflies.
In the rearview mirror, Joel sees a car approaching. He lightly hits the gas pedal, trying to put a little distance between him and the car that follows. The car keeps gaining on him, it pulls up beside him.
Joel looks out the window and sees the last person he wants to see right now.
It is Vin Diesel. A relic from Joel's dark drift racing past.
Vin gives Joel a look that only says one thing. This challenge is on baby.
Joel knows what he must do, Ellie has never seen him like this. The blood of a racer courses through his veins.
"I know you can do this Joel. The blood of a racer courses through your veins."
With Ellie's encouragement, Joel slams on the gas. He races Vin Diesel. Joel is faster than Vin Diesel. In fact, he is better than Vin Diesel in lots of ways.
He wins the race.
Ellie and Joel embrace, victorious. He holds her close, and whispers in her ear.
"You know, Elllie, we really are 2 fast 2 furious."
They cry.
Absolutely. It was the right ending ultimately. The journey Joel and ellie have been on, before they met and then what they went through together.
Prototype Viktor
Member
Joel and Ellie would have been walking around the town and see a 40 yr old Ellen Page
From what I remember playing about a week ago, the logs say that Ellie will absolutely cure the infection. That's the entire moral dilemma of the ending, right?
Edit: Here's the dialogue from the audio recorder:
"Marlene was right. The girl's infection is like nothing I've ever seen. ... We must find a way to replicate this state under laboratory conditions. We're about to hit a milestone in human history equal to the discovery of penicillin."
Sol_Goodguy
Member
Congrats on making headlines.Ellie and Joel are driving away from the hospital. He has saved her, and murdered the fireflies.
In the rearview mirror, Joel sees a car approaching. He lightly hits the gas pedal, trying to put a little distance between him and the car that follows. The car keeps gaining on him, it pulls up beside him.
Joel looks out the window and sees the last person he wants to see right now.
It is Vin Diesel. A relic from Joel's dark drift racing past.
Vin gives Joel a look that only says one thing. This challenge is on baby.
Joel knows what he must do, Ellie has never seen him like this. The blood of a racer courses through his veins.
"I know you can do this Joel. The blood of a racer courses through your veins."
With Ellie's encouragement, Joel slams on the gas. He races Vin Diesel. Joel is faster than Vin Diesel. In fact, he is better than Vin Diesel in lots of ways.
He wins the race.
Ellie and Joel embrace, victorious. He holds her close, and whispers in her ear.
"You know, Elllie, we really are 2 fast 2 furious."
They cry.
hotnheavyload
Banned
Probably would've made Ellie sacrifice herself for the benefit of humanity and Joel commit suicide for his own benefit.
The ending itself is fine but a little earlier I would make the Fireflies a little friendlier rather than being almost outright hostile towards Joel. They could have talked about it a bit better. I'd have liked to see Ellie's perspective but I guess that ruins the whole selfish Joel ending thing.
EmptySpace
Banned
didn't like the obvious lie.
if you wanna lie about something, act like you are really lying. joel should've watched heisenberg lie.
didn't like how ellie was like, "alrighty then." she had doubts, but in the end she just said, "fuck it."
if you wanna lie about something, act like you are really lying. joel should've watched heisenberg lie.
didn't like how ellie was like, "alrighty then." she had doubts, but in the end she just said, "fuck it."
Laughing Banana
Weeping Pickle
I don't like the ending.
I mean, I do understand what they're after, and how for some it can be perceived as powerful or characterized with terms like "deep" or "meaningful", but still, I don't like it.
I mean, I do understand what they're after, and how for some it can be perceived as powerful or characterized with terms like "deep" or "meaningful", but still, I don't like it.
That's not an attempt at granting immunity.
AusRoachman
Member
Out of nowhere a star child appears offering you 3 choices and each one just adds a colour filter to the ending .
Or just as you get knocked out after saving Ellie from drowning have a to be continued message appear.
Or just as you get knocked out after saving Ellie from drowning have a to be continued message appear.