Analysis : Exploring the Emotional Landscape of the Last of Us
December 2020
The Last of Us (Naughty Dog, 2013) is a narrative-centred game that treads a vast emotional landscape, rich in deep and complex themes to unpack. Of all of these, it could be argued that the central driving theme is that of companionship. Via investigation of narrative, representation and gameplay techniques, this analysis will discuss how The Last of Us game is able to convey this theme through its core relationships with stark, emotive power.
Representation and Narrative
Joel is a protagonist whose life has been destroyed by the death of his daughter Sarah. Their close bond is shown during the opening sequence and it becomes clear through the game’s writing and representation that he never recovered from this loss. When we catch up with him years later, despite having the same ‘square’ frame connoting a dependable and reliable character (James, 2014), his dishevelled demeanour and curt lines of dialogue reveal a broken man. The destruction of this core companionship with his daughter has resulted in his degradation of stature and a withdrawal from society. Humans are, by nature, social creatures. Aristotle is said to have written: “He who is unable to live in society, or who has no need because he is sufficient for himself, must be either a beast or a god” (2009: 11). We see this dynamic at work in The Last of Us, where the removal of this core element of social companionship and societal integration has reduced Joel to the “beast” we are introduced to early in the game.
Through subtle changes in dialogue and animations, the player experiences the burgeoning relationship between Joel and Ellie, the immune girl he must escort across the ruins of America. Initially, Joel is cold and distant with Ellie. This resistance is shown through both his dismissive motion captured postures and spoken words, even going as to refer to her as ‘cargo’, so that it is clear that he sees Ellie as an unnecessary burden. From their time spent with Joel in the opening, the player will infer that Ellie reminds Joel of his long-dead daughter, reopening old wounds for him. This is starkly contrasted in the latter portions of the game, where we see Joel has adopted Ellie as his surrogate daughter. In the closing level, the player discovers that a cure for the deadly cordyceps virus is within reach, but in creating it, Ellie will die. Joel’s character arc comes full circle when in order to save Ellie, he is willing to put “his soul on the line, when he’s willing to damn the rest of humanity” (Straley, 2013). After killing the doctors in the surgery, the player must carry Ellie through the chaos of the hospital, as Joel desperately whispers “come on baby girl” and “we’re all right” (Naughty Dog, 2013). Throughout this sequence, diegetic sound fades out while Gustavo Santaolalla’s desolate score takes centre stage, heightening emotions and encouraging the player to reflect on what has unfolded between Joel and Ellie. The ability of music to impact emotion has been well-documented, with a study finding recipients experiencing nuanced feelings such as ‘tender longing’, ‘amazement’, ‘tranquillity’, ‘joy’, ‘activation’, ‘power’, ‘sensuality’, ‘transcendence’, ‘dysphoria’ and ‘sadness’ (Zentner et al. 2008). Furthermore, this hospital sequence mirrors the opening of the game when Joel is fleeing the chaos of the city with his daughter in his arms – further cementing the fact that he has fully bonded with Ellie and views her as his child.
Figure 1: Uncredited. Undated. Joel carrying Sarah through the streets of Austin.
Figure 2: Uncredited. 2015. Joel carrying Ellie through the Firefly hospital.
As the player spends a large portion of the game travelling alongside companions, much of the relationship building is conveyed through dialogue during gameplay. Some of the most effective uses of this technique come from the optional conversations that the player can encounter and initiate when exploring levels. These will often involve Joel and a party member talking about an element of their surroundings or reflecting on the journey so far. Despite not being integral to the story, they serve to add depth to the characters, with the player given access to anecdotal stories or unique characteristics of a party member. Due to their optional, and often discoverable, nature, these conversations feel personal to the player, making them feel as though they have bonded with their companions as a reward for taking the time to interact with them. A notable moment where this bonding can be experienced is near the end, when the player has the option to initiate a conversation with Ellie. If they choose to do so, Joel stands next to Ellie, and the two look out over Salt Lake City, as wild giraffes move gracefully in the distance. A serene moment like this is rare for the two, and they take the time to check in on each other, with Ellie saying “It’s got its ups and downs, but you can’t deny the view though” (Naughty Dog, 2013), a direct call back to one of her lines from the beginning of the game. This self-referencing, along with the gently uplifting score, subconsciously encourages the player to reflect on the preceding events of the game and the journey they have taken alongside the two protagonists. Furthermore, the giraffes are encountered gathering in herds, “suggesting the solace Ellie will find at becoming part of a community after living in fear of abandonment her whole life” (Wolf of Thorns, 2020). The giraffes serve as a visual embodiment of the companionship Ellie and Joel have found in one another.
The theme of companionship can be seen via various ancillary characters met throughout the game. Bill is a neurotic, distrusting man who accompanies the player in an early portion of the game. It is implied through environmental storytelling and collectable notes that his fractured character is the result of losing a loved one, or ‘partner’ as he tells Joel. To the observant player, it is clear that his resulting loneliness and isolation has led him to become spiteful and cynical, devoid of much humanity and emotional literacy. An investigation into the effects of loneliness found that subjects who were lonely were “lower in optimism, social skills, social support, positive mood, surgency, emotional stability, conscientiousness, agreeableness, shyness, and sociability” than their nonlonely counterparts (Cacioppo et al., 2006). This certainly corroborates Bill’s portrayal and Naughty Dog’s overall stance that companionship is the cornerstone of our humanity. Later in the game, we meet two more side characters; Sam and Henry - brothers travelling in search of the ‘Fireflies’. Thematically, fireflies are a sign of hope in dark times. Narratively and within the world of the game they become a more literal symbol of hope, as the name of the rebel community fighting to find a cure to the cordyceps virus that has destroyed humanity. With their anti-establishment stance and graffiti being found throughout the world spelling phrases such as “LOOK FOR THE LIGHT” (Naughty Dog, 2013), the Fireflies’ presence is reassuring and encouraging to players. Although the brothers’ appearance is brief, Sam and Henry provide some much-needed levity to the player’s experience, conversing with Joel and Ellie about their hopes and aspirations, and times before the apocalypse. Sam is also the first young person that Ellie meets throughout the game and it is heartening for the player to see the two engage in sociable activities such as playing darts or football, laughing and having fun. In a horrific turn of events at the end of Summer, Sam gets infected and Henry is forced to shoot him after he turns into a zombified state. Grief-stricken, Henry turns the gun on himself and pulls the trigger. It happens within the span of seconds, but through the compelling acting, animations and cutscene direction, the player sees that the loss of his brother is too much for Henry. He would rather die than continue to live without his closest companion.
Figure 3: ChristopherOdd. 2013. Firefly graffiti found throughout the game.
Gameplay
We can also see this development in Joel and Ellie’s trust and companionship during emergent gameplay moments. Within exploration segments, the game follows a ‘ludus’ structure of play. However, once in combat, more options and unpredictability open to the player, pushing the game towards a more ‘paidia’-like experience (Caillois, 1958). Within these encounters, Ellie will sometimes help the player by throwing bricks or bottles at enemies to catch them off guard, allowing for Joel to finish them off or avoid taking damage. These emergent moments are highly rewarding, particularly on harder difficulty settings, where health is low and supplies are limited, leading the player to rely on her as a capable fighter when engaged in tense combat scenarios. Speaking on the subject, AI engineer Max Dyckhoff said “We wanted her to be saving the player. […] It really builds the relationship with Ellie at this point, which is exactly what we were going for.” (Dyckhoff, 2014). Conversely, Ellie also relies on Joel, as the player occasionally has to save her when she is being grappled by an attacker, with a timer implemented to promote hastiness. Additionally, during the Pittsburgh section, after a key narrative moment where Ellie saves Joel’s life, she is entrusted with a gun which, for the remainder of the game, she is able to shoot at enemies in combat, alongside her throwables. This organic development in Ellie’s utility to the player reinforces the two main characters’ developing connection beyond cutscenes and dialogue, having impact on moment-to-moment gameplay.
Just as Joel and Ellie’s special dynamic can be seen when they work together in combat, the power of their relationship is also accentuated during the times when they are alone. At key moments when Joel and Ellie get separated, gameplay adopts a more challenging level, and the tone becomes darker as a direct reflection of this theme. This elevated difficulty is seen when Joel must traverse the cordyceps-ridden ground floor of the hotel or storm the Firefly hospital. The most notable section where this is experienced is during the Winter chapter when the player takes control of Ellie. This segment takes on a considerably darker tone, tackling cannibalism, torture, and attempted rape, against the backdrop of a cold, frigid environment. The player must take extra care during the combat in this chapter, as Ellie’s weapon selection is limited, and Joel is not able to provide support. In a particularly tense engagement, the player is tasked with navigating combat scenarios in which they are largely overwhelmed, all while their vision is obscured by a snowstorm. Here, the player is placed directly in Ellie’s position, to feel the fear and panic of being separated from her partner in a dangerous situation, with the obstruction of their sight serving as a literal depiction of her uncertainty, thereby directly impacting gameplay. The chapter concludes in what could be considered as the only ‘boss fight’ of the game, a tense engagement designed to challenge the player and instil a sense of fear. By raising the stakes and difficulty level during gameplay, Naughty Dog reminds the player that Ellie and Joel need each other to survive. Their companionship is their strength.
Figure 4: STR Games. 2014. Ellie caught in the snowstorm.
Another way in which the theme of companionship is illustrated through gameplay is in the various level sections where Joel and Ellie must work together to proceed through otherwise untraversable obstacles. These segments can vary from hoisting Ellie up on to high platforms to pushing her on pallets across bodies of water. While these moments serve a primarily technical purpose, to mask loading screens, it could be argued that their frequency goes lengths to convey Joel and Ellie’s reliance on one another; without each other’s unique abilities, they would not be able to navigate these perilous environments. Naughty Dog even turned this trope on its head when, in a late section of the game, following Ellie’s traumatic events in Winter, she subverts the player’s expectations and goes against the game’s established grammar, by refusing to help them move a ladder. As Katherine Isbsister puts it, “game designers use dynamic and reactive engagement with these other characters who populate a game’s story world to add to the emotional palette of games as a medium.” (2016: 20). This is certainly true at this point, where through her refusal to do what the player asks, the strain of the relationship is highlighted, and Ellie is further conveyed to be a real human with her own emotions and characteristics. Believable moments like this show Ellie to be not just a gameplay device in service of Joel and the player, but rather an important character in her own right and a reminder of the importance of this core companionship.
Final Thoughts
Through techniques pertaining to narrative, gameplay and representation, the theme of companionship in The Last of Us’ becomes central to the player’s experience, as they themselves come to form attachments to these protagonists. Despite the odds stacked against the pair as they traverse a brutal, post-apocalyptic world, it is Ellie and Joel’s bond and companionship that drives them forwards, gives them hope and belonging, and ultimately brings them their salvation, at the cost of humanity’s.
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List of figures
Figure 1: Joel carrying Sarah through the streets of Austin. Giant Bomb [online]. Available at: https://www.giantbomb.com/sarah/3005-27235/ [accessed 03/12/2020].
Figure 2: Joel carrying Ellie through the Firefly hospital. 2015. IGN [online]. Available at: https://www.ign.com/wikis/the-last-of-us/The_Hospital [accessed 03/12/2020].
Figure 3: ChristopherOdd. 2013. Firefly graffiti found throughout the game. YouTube [user-generated content]. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMKe7N-cYjg&list=PLj_Goi54wf0e2YJ1uYtbkld-Ut6cbLs6c [accessed 03/12/2020].
Figure 4: STR Games. 2014. Ellie caught in the snowstorm. YouTube [YouTube user-generated content]. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFGcAqop1v8 [accessed 03/12/2020].