If this section was placed early on it could've worked but instead every second playing as Abby I kept wondering when I was going to play as Ellie and finally kill her.Īs you play as Abby you see most of the key characters Ellie kills. To rub salt on the wounds she'll occasionally talk about Joel's death like it was necessary and nothing of consequence will come from it. Abby playing with animals, Abby showing her affection for her friends, and Abby living in this community similar to Jackson. The game cuts there and has us control Abby in an attempt to force a connection. Despite her and her friends having done the exact same thing! What's more sickening is that Abby tries to turn it on Ellie when confronted, stating that letting her and Tommy live was a gift somehow and she didn't expect them to take revenge for what she did. Dina and Ellie clearly express their love for one another whereas Jesse shows his dedication to helping in any way and Abby kills him too. Both have strong attachments to Ellie with both willing to put their lives on the line for Ellie and avenge Joel. Abby is a strange brute who just killed the protagonist of the first game that most players spent hours controlling and building a relationship with and it doesn't stop there.Īs you control Ellie in her journey for revenge you gain a powerful connection to Ellie's friends Dina and Jesse. Joel was someone we watched grow and gain a profound attachment to Ellie. He killed a lot of good people and you can make the argument he deserved what happened but the way it was handled was poor. Joel wasn't a good person, he was a butcher and for a time a hunter. And this is where Abby's defining characteristic is shown.Ībby relentlessly beats Joel to death as her friends force Ellie to watch, begging her to stop. However, what doesn't make any sense is Joel and Tommy heading into the building after seeing so many unknown faces clearly wearing military gear. Many have made the argument this goes against Joel's character but after years of living in Jackson Joel's compassion may have grown. Her introduction was the sledgehammer approach that not only smashed the walls of the narrative but the floor and even the ceiling.ĭuring the opening chapter, Joel and Tommy saves Abby and goes as far as to trust this girl they've never met. It has to be done carefully with surgical precision but was not done with Abby. Look at Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, with Raiden being one of the most hated characters of the time. The introduction of a new playable character to a sequel of an established and well-regarded game is not easy. A character so poorly introduced and executed that her entire personality was established before knowing anything about her. With so many varied opinions but one topic remains predominant, how lousy Abby is. With massive swinging opinions about the title is a prime example of terrible storytelling, SJW propaganda, or a true masterpiece. The Last of Us Part II has released and the reception towards the game has been alarming. This Article Contains Spoilers for The Last of Us Part II