Last of Us 2 Trailer Officially Markets The Game As ABBY'S Story
Six months after its exclusive release on the PlayStation 4, Naughty Dog and Sony have released a new trailer for The Last of Us Part 2, with the focus on Abby Anderson’s side of the story. The Last of Us Part 2 released in the June of this year, and immediately went on to become a huge success for PlayStation and Naughty Dog. Within three days of its release, it sold over 4 million units, becoming the fastest ever selling first-party exclusive for Sony.
Despite these incredibly impressive figures though, the game went on to be review bombed by gamers. The reason behind this sudden backlash can be sourced back to the controversial character, and dual protagonist, Abby Anderson. Within the opening few hours of gameplay, this character performs an act that was so unexpected it caused intense anger and upset in the gaming community. This resulted in the character’s actor Laura Bailey and game director Neil Druckman to receive death threats over social media from enraged fans. Perhaps this reaction from fans, although not the totally inexcusable way it manifested, was something that the developers of The Last of Us Part 2 expected. The character of Abby was notably elusive in the marketing campaigns prior to the game’s summer release.
However, six months later, it is Abby that is the main focus, in a new trailer for The Last of Us Part 2 released by PlayStation and Naughty Dog today. Entitled “Abby’s Story”, the new ad lets viewers learn more about the divisive character as she and Ellie “… descend into a devastating cycle of violence fueled by vengeance”. While it is unusual for a trailer to be released after a game has already been out for a significant period, it is likely that this trailer was kept under wraps to avoid any spoilers for the plot of The Last of Us Part 2.
Regardless of how gamers feel about the character of Abby, especially after her actions early on in the game, her story arc does offer redemption. There are definitely those out there who champion Abby and celebrate her character. Jocelyn Mettler, Abby’s face model for The Last of Us Part 2, even cosplayed as her character for Hallowe’en, much to the delight of fans.
Despite the divisive nature of the plot for The Last of Us Part 2, that has not stopped the game from being nominated for several awards at this year's The Game Awards show. Among these nominations, TLOU2 is up for the highly coveted Game of the Year award alongside the Final Fantasy VII remake and Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Love it or loath it, there is no denying that this game has had an incredible impact on the gaming community in 2020 and Abby is a key part of why.
The Last of Us Part 2 is available now for PlayStation 4 (and will also run on the PlayStation 5)
Source: PlayStation