Every NPC Has A Name In The Last of Us Part 2

In The Last of Us: Part II, players must navigate through an overgrown Seattle, avoiding or fighting any enemies that come across their path. However, some of these enemies are humans that have avoided the virus like Ellie and Joel, but have differing ideas on how to deal with other survivors. Players that have not completed the first Last of Us should definitely endeavor to complete it before jumping into this next installment, as more explanation of the Fireflies would contain major spoilers for the game.

In order to make The Last of Us: Part II truly unique in the world of survival based story games, Naughty Dog has given every one of their Non Player Characters (NPCs) a unique name. This means that whenever players brutally attack one guard in the game, any others that see this will cry out their name in horror as they fall to the ground. Because Ellie is going through a challenging moment in her life, the developpers want players to fully experience and understand the choices that they make throgughout their game, as well as their consequences. 
 

Naughty Dog's idea for this game was that there are no heroes or villains, just as it is in real life. With this decision, the game is supposed to feel more authentic and grounded, as it is with the developers using real world locations for players to explore. Because Ellie believes that she is fighting for what's right and she is protecting her new family, Naughty Dog wants to put players in her shoes, realizing the difficulty of each choice. 

Ellie is not a killing machine like other main characters in survival based games, she is intended to be a normal human being, just like us. Giving the NPC enemies specific names will ground players into the game, forcing them to consider whether every choice that they make is the right one. With the current pandemic going on in our world, the environment of The Last of Us seems very realistic, and playing as Ellie allows players to see the world through the eyes of those who are less fortunate, those who are fighting for their lives every day. 

Despite how enjoyable or unrealistic the first Last of Us may have seemed to players, Naughty Dog's latest installment will undoubtedly have players questioning each of their decisions, changing how the game is played from one user to another. Will you make the choice to kill all who cross your path, to avoid and stealth away from enemies at all costs, or something in between? The choice is yours, and the consequences are yours to bear.

The Last of Us: Part II releases on June 19, 2020 for PlayStation 4.

Kieran Mouritsen
Editor, NoobFeed