8 Great Video Games Remembered For ONE Thing
6. Joel's Death - The Last of Us Part II
The Last of Us Part II is one of the most ambitious and technically sublime video games ever made.
From its peerless cinematic presentation to its ultra-satisfying gameplay loop and bold story, it is an astounding achievement the likes of which we're rarely blessed with.
And yet, basically no discussion about Naughty Dog's post-apocalyptic sequel can avoid devolving into a slanging match over whether they were "right" to kill off original protagonist Joel within the first few hours.
Joel is of course beaten to death out of nowhere by a new character, Abby, in front of Ellie - an outcome later revealed to be an act of revenge after Joel killed Abby's father at the end of the first game.
To call the discourse surrounding The Last of Us Part II "toxic" is quite the understatement, for while it's a totally valid opinion to be disappointed with Joel's early demise, the foaming vitriol it stirred up within the fanbase was simply disproportionate.
And even today, five years removed from the game's release, it is known more for its controversial, fandom-alienating story choice than its basically undeniable accomplishments otherwise.
Maybe as a society we'll one day be ready to talk about the game outside of its Big Divisive Moment, but we're definitely not there yet.