WARNING: Spoiler Ahead!
For people who like The Last of Us, the beginning of the game is something they will never forget. Even though the game came out in 2013, more information about how it was made is coming to light this month with the release of the HBO version. This includes the fact that players were supposed to start the game as Joel, not Sarah, as the two of them left their home in Texas to go on the road after a zombie outbreak.
This news comes after the release of “A Father’s Love,” a behind-the-scenes featurette that shows how Naughty Dog worked on The Last of Us‘s epic opening. In this episode-based documentary, the show’s creator Neil Druckmann says, “For a long time, the plan was for Joel to play Sarah, not Sarah to play Joel.
If you were Joel, you’d hear a commotion at your neighbor’s house, walk over, and see that they were infected. Then you’d go back home, grab your daughter, and run. But it felt like, I’ve seen this… Everything is creepier and scarier because you are seeing it through the eyes of a very innocent child.” We should agree.
As the video goes on, different people who worked on the game talk about the decisions they made that led up to that scene. Artists, animators, and designers talk about how they used sound design and minimal lighting to add to the atmosphere and build up the tension leading up to the big moments.
The Game’s Creators also talk about the idea of switching control to Joel after the car accident, because from that point on, the game was about a father fighting for his daughter. Whereas the earlier scenes with Sarah in charge, showing her interest in her room and the comfort and safety of their home, felt like they were the most important parts of the game at the start.
Did you think it was the right choice to play Sarah instead of Joel? Tell us in the comments, and keep checking back to us for more interesting news.
