Neil Druckmann – creative director on The Last of Us Part 2 – has revealed that he felt “terrible” and “depressed” for what the game’s cast had to go through following intense fan backlash.
His comments were made as part of the commentary included with The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered on PS5.
The enhanced release features a number of extras, including cinematic commentary with the game’s cast and creative team.
Druckmann explained in detail how he felt about fan reaction to the game’s plot. Unfortunate leaks revealed ahead of its release that fan-favourite character Joel Miller (voiced by Troy Baker) died at the hands of newcomer Abby Anderson (Laura Bailey).
In the commentary for The Last of Us Part 2‘s credits, Druckmann says “We’re all at home, and we all kind of have to be depressed that this is happening, and finish the game.”
He explains that despite the “redemption arc” that followed when The Last of Us Part 2 won numerous awards, “his greatest fear when that backlash was happening was that I’ve let you all down in some way, that I didn’t do right by you.”
Druckmann added that he was “afraid to talk about it” with the game’s cast because he worried he would become too emotional.
These feelings ultimately drove him to apologise to Troy Baker, saying that he felt he “did [Troy] wrong”. Baker told Druckmann that he loved The Last of Us Part 2 and “wouldn’t change a beat.”
The Last of Us Part 2 director goes on to explain that, for him, the game was worth making despite the backlash that followed.
However, he feels differently when it comes to the game’s cast. “When I think about what you all went through, that’s the one thing that gives me pause.”
He singled out the attacks targeted at Laura Bailey – Abby’s voice actor – as particularly troubling. “Especially you, Laura, what you went through. That’s when I’m like… I don’t know if I would put an actor through that again[…] I felt terrible for what you were going through.”, Druckmann said.
Bailey responded to Druckmann by acknowledging that “Well, we were all going through it.”.
Earlier in the commentary, Druckmann and the cast had also discussed the game’s original ending, where it was planned for Ellie to kill Abby.
Hopefully Neil Druckmann’s comments about the emotional impact of the fan backlash will give gamers pause for thought in future.
There is a long history of fans attacking and harassing actors who they blame for controversial creative decisions.
In the case of The Last of Us Part 2, the game and its cast – particularly Bailey – have faced a sustained campaign of hate from certain parts of the fan base for years since its release.
Many expect Kaitlyn Dever – who was recently cast as Abby for season 2 of The Last of Us TV show – will face similar harassment from fans.
Despite the vicious reaction to the game, The Last of Us Part 2 went on to receive rave reviews from critics. It won hundreds of Game of the Year awards and sold over 10 million copies.
How did you feel about The Last of Us Part 2‘s fan backlash? Let us know in the comment section below and don’t forget to check out our other gaming articles.
