If, for no matter cause, you weren’t happy with the hopeful ambiguity of The Final of Us Half II’s ending, it feels like Naughty Canine nonetheless thinks there’s at the very least yet one more bullet within the chamber for the collection. 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 a top level view for a 3rd Final of Us sport, this wasn’t really the case again in 2021. At that time, he was referring to a facet story that targeted 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 sport (thanks Gematsu).
“The primary sport had such a clear idea of the unconditional love a father or mother feels for his or her little one,” Druckmann mentioned. “The second, as soon as we landed on this concept of the pursuit of justice at any price, justice for those you’re keen on, it felt like there’s a clear idea right here and there’s a through-line from the primary sport about love. If we by no means get to do it once more, this can be a high quality ending level. The final chew of the apple, the story’s finished.”
“I’ve been fascinated about, ‘Is there an idea there?’ And for now years, I haven’t been capable of finding that idea,” he continued. “However lately, 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 one more chapter to this story.”
Regardless of my vehement dislike of the reductive method 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 sport. However I additionally was so content material with the full-circle ending Half II supplied with its concentrate on forgiveness over grief-driven violence. My concern 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 number of the classes realized on the finish of the second sport to justify its existence in some individuals’s eyes. My superb third Final of Us sport would haven’t any fight in any respect. It could present Ellie strolling by way of Jackson, discovering her estranged girlfriend, Dina, and seeing if bridges will 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 can be left. However capitalism dictates that massive 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 mission. The crew is engaged on a brand new IP, which is the primary time the studio has finished so because the unique Final of Us in 2013.