9 Video Games Saved By RIDICULOUSLY Last-Minute Changes

9. A Completely Different Ending - The Last Of Us

The Last of Us' ending became so instantly iconic - and controversial - because of how it bucked the trends of not only post-apocalyptic fiction, but video game storytelling in general.

Though protagonists Ellie and Joel "win" in that they survive together, the title ends with there being no hope of a cure for the virus that destroyed civilisation, and Joel murdering all the "good guys" and then lying to his new surrogate daughter so they can enjoy the rest of their life.

The original ending that Neil Druckmann was given the greenlight for, however, was nowhere near as subversive.

Originally, Tess (who dies early on in the final game), would end up being a main villain, with the climactic level seeing her capture Joel and torturing him for betraying her. Here, Ellie would be given a choice to kill Tess to save her companion (in this version, this would be her first human kill), ending on a happier note where civilisation had more of a chance to rebuild.

Druckmann didn't feel the ending was honest enough, and didn't fit with the established arcs, so changed it, much to the derision of several Naughty Dog staff members who thought the new conclusion was "anti-climactic".

It was the right move though, as not only did it result in a far more resonant ending, but it also impacted gameplay, as Ellie was freed up to become more active in combat after killing her first human enemy far sooner in the story.