10 Divisive Video Game Endings Nobody Agrees On
6. The Last Of Us
To be clear: its nearly impossible to find anyone who hates the ending of The Last of Us. It is subtle and nuanced in the way that few video games are, and the response to it was overwhelmingly positive. However, the ending is divisive not because of how it concluded the story of Joel and Ellie, but more so because of the motivations of the characters and the moral questions it brings ups.
The Last of Us ends with Joel killing the Fireflies and saving Ellie at the expense of a potential cure. In essence, Joel dooms mankind because he cant let go of Ellie, who has become a surrogate daughter to him. The ending forces you to kill good and innocent people to save a character youve grown to care about.
Theres a fascinating moral quandary at the centre of all that, and its one that the game has no easy answer to. Many people would argue that what Joel did was damning and selfish. Others see him as being in the right. After all, is mankind worth saving if it means taking the life of a child?
On top of that, the game also ends on the question of whether Ellie knows Joel is lying to her. Again, it leaves it open to interpretation. Some people are convinced she knows; others believe she accepts Joels lie. The strength of this ending lies on its ambiguity, and its one that gamers continue to discuss.