During the winter stage of the game Ellie is working to keep Joel alive. It is through these efforts that she encounters David and barters some supplies from him for food. Initially all seems well and the two make a good team as they combat an attack by infected while waiting for supplies. However David soon reveals his group to have been the one that had attacked Joel and Ellie at the university. David allows Ellie to leave before hunting her down, revealing his group's cannibalistic nature in addition to hinting at his own paedophilia. This lends added weight to the eventual battle with David, which is in itself a study in tension and fear that few games can emulate. After both combatants collapse from exhaustion David awakens and gets the upper hand before Ellie turns the tables and finally delivers the finishing blow with her machete. This relief quickly turns back to horror as she hacks away at Davids face in an explosion of violence that leads the player to wonder if Ellies psyche has finally snapped. Joels arrival calms Ellie and allows her to digest the horrors of what has just happened to her, but the moment is perhaps the most traumatic of all the events that are presented throughout the game. Despite that, the closing moments of the scene also solidifies the bond between the pair and sets the course for the final moments of the game. Are there any we missed? Let us know your favourites in the comments!
Lee Price is a writer for 411mania.com and Starburst Magazine, which is published in the UK. He is currently working as a freelance writer. He hopes to one day fund his addiction to video games by writing about video games, and he maintains a sporadically updated blog at leesrandombulls*it.wordpress.com
