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Games like The Last of Us Part II and The Walking Dead are fascinating, as they’re able to present avid gamers with a take a look at the world after the autumn of society because it’s at the moment recognized. It additionally shifts the participant’s thoughts from fascinated by the world with its present stage of security and stability to one in all hazard: the post-apocalypse.
Importantly, these video games have quite a bit to say about what it’s to be human — particularly, what it means to retain one’s humanity in a world that always pushes the bounds of their capability for compassion. Both video games deal with the concepts that come together with the tip of the world. They every characteristic a protagonist who has grown up within the post-apocalypse, every with their very own traumas. Yet each protagonists, Ellie and Clementine, turn out to be vastly totally different folks by the conclusion of their tales.
Looking at Ellie — particularly at her character as she seems in The Last of Us Part II — she is grown by the timeline of this title and has been coping with the fallout of Joel’s selection on the finish of the unique The Last of Us. Their relationship is strained, awkward, and tough, which solely means it is human. Ellie is attempting to be taught to belief somebody once more and heal the cracks between them. However, Joel’s dying by the hands of Abby robbed Ellie of her therapeutic.
Ellie turns into a definite product of her surroundings, a recklessly violent, remorseless girl obsessed along with her private want for vengeance. She mercilessly hunts Abby’s crew down and slaughters virtually all of them, even those that did not straight have a hand in Joel’s dying.
Whether Ellie is justified in her actions is up for debate. The reality stays that she turns into decide, jury, and executioner for Abby and her mates. Yet, she could not end the job when combating Abby. This is due to an often-objective fact about humanity. Revenge will typically destroy the individual in search of it out as a lot as it can destroy the recipient. Ellie chasing vengeance as a method to cease her personal hurting is compelled to face her worst destiny: being left utterly alone.
The post-apocalypse isn’t a hospitable place. It is merciless and inhumane in ways in which many cannot think about, particularly with regard to the world of The Last of Us. The sport permits gamers perception into how a human being may be pushed to turn out to be one thing so removed from what they have been. Ellie is an instance of how cycles of ache and vengeance harm everybody concerned.
On the other aspect of the post-apocalypse is Clementine. If Ellie is the results of totally surrendering to the post-apocalypse and abandoning compassion, Clementine could be the other. Of course, this is not to say that Clementine is with out her personal situations of brutality. However, The Walking Dead reveals gamers a younger girl who has misplaced virtually every thing to a horrendous world, but maintains the bravery to care about others.
Specifically, Clementine opts to care for and lift AJ. Whereas Ellie forsakes her new household in Dina and the infant for vengeance, Clementine steps as much as present one other easy methods to survive on this new world. It is an act of humanity — to point out a baby their method in life. It’s the identical sort of humanity that Lee reveals to Clementine within the first Walking Dead sport.
Looking at each of those characters, their settings, how they differ, and the way they’re the identical provides avid gamers a take a look at ethical dilemmas in a post-apocalyptic world. Humans are a dichotomy — each fragile and resilient, altruistic and merciless. When pushed to extremes, people draw on what they know.
Both Ellie and Clementine are merchandise of their surroundings. Where they differ is their influences. Whereas Ellie channels Joel and his violence, Clementine channels Lee and his kindness. This is not to say one is extra justified than one other — it’s to say that video games in regards to the post-apocalypse inform folks quite a bit about themselves. Despite having the capability for excellent violence, humankind additionally has an incredible capability for love. Further, an individual who permits their want for revenge to drown out their want to like will lose every thing.
The Last of Us Part II and The Walking Dead present classes in what it’s to be a human being even in essentially the most horrific of circumstances. Both video games act as a warning, and each handle to show us just a bit extra about mankind itself.
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