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The Last of Us Part II has a wokeness problem, but it’s not what you think

Lisa Marie Segarra
By

This article contains spoilers for The Last of Us Part II.

The Last of Us Part II is a massive success, topping sales charts and dominating the conversation.

The issue, though, is where that conversation leaves us. This article will include light spoilers to discuss the discourse. It’s been a while since a top-selling game was this divisive, and not just in the difference in opinion. Much of the criticism is based on the game’s “wokeness” factor. People have taken issues with female character Abby’s body type and the inclusion of gay and transgender characters.

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The user score on Metacritic currently sits at 4.6, which is actually up from the 3 or so where it was shortly after release. Many of those low scores take issue with the story. Naughty Dog took a risk morphing the main antagonist into the protagonist. It was the kind of risk I felt made the game great, but it’s naturally divisive.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

The other low scores? Here’s what some of them have to say.

  • “In an effort to pander to certain demographics, the story takes a complete thematic nose-dive to have so-called representation of minorities surviving in an apocalyptic wasteland.”
  • “Focuses on sjw stuff more than actual players.”
  • “I’m sure it could have been better if someone didn’t get into this project. This someone is Anita Sarkeesian,” which referenced GamerGate target Sarkeesian.

The game’s subreddit is filled with unfounded claims that Abby is trans because her body type isn’t feminine enough, and offense at the inclusion of a trans character at all. These criticisms are misogynistic, homophobic, and transphobic. They also move the conversation away from valid and useful critiques of The Last of Us Part II.

Reviews have proven overwhelmingly positive. It holds a 94 on Metacritic for critic reviews, a score I contributed to with my five-star review. It’s the first game we’ve given five stars since 2018’s Red Dead Redemption II. 

But that doesn’t mean it’s a perfect game.

Players and reviewers have noted that The Last of Us Part II ventures from standard gritty storytelling into torture porn. It’s not just excessive violence, though it’s that, too. The game lets you, and at times forces you, to brutally stab dogs. It also includes deadnaming, where someone calls a transgender person by their original name rather than the one they’ve chosen after, and while, transitioning.

The game’s choices deserve discussion, and as a successful and lauded title, The Last of Us Part II is an excellent opportunity to talk about the many issues it tackles. That opportunity is being squandered.

Recent issues in the gaming industry, including new sexual harassment, assault, and misconduct allegations, prove the industry still breeds toxicity. It’s time we start moving forward instead of dredging through the same muck we’ve wallowed in for years.

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Lisa Marie Segarra
Lisa Marie Segarra
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Lisa Marie Segarra is the Gaming Section at Digital Trends. She's previously covered tech and gaming at Fortune Magazine and…
New art for The Last of Us multiplayer spinoff teases its seaside setting
The second piece of The Last of Us multiplayer concept art shows two players walking toward a beached yacht.

Naughty Dog reaffirmed that it will share more details about The Last of Us' multiplayer game this year and released new concept art for it. The image gives a better sense of its setting, with a massive boat serving as a key set piece.
The new image shows two players as they approach a giant beached yacht. Rusted vehicles, palm trees, and a flooded street surround them, suggesting that this is in some sort of seaside town. Earlier concept art for the game seemed to indicate a San Francisco setting, though it's unclear if the new image is from the same location.
While Naughty Dog hasn't commented on exactly what exactly this concept art is supposed to show, it seems like this is one of the maps where players will be able to fight the Infected and potentially other players. It also looks reminiscent of some of the final areas of The Last of Us Part II.
This reassurance of its development and concept art came as part of a blog post on Naughty Dog's website today meant to kick off the series' tenth anniversary. "With a team led by Vinit Agarwal, Joe Pettinati, and Anthony Newman, the project is shaping up to be a fresh, new experience from our studio, but one rooted in Naughty Dog’s passion for delivering incredible stories, characters, and gameplay," Neil Druckmann writes in the blog post.
This multiplayer game has been a long time coming, as it was originally meant to release alongside The Last of Us Part II but was separated to become a standalone release. We haven't heard that much about it since then, only getting some concept art at Summer Game Fest 2022. As this new concept art looks like it's from a very different location than the previous art, it seems like this multiplayer game could have multiple maps. 
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What makes the video game industry so exciting is that it’s still relatively young. Developers are still routinely discovering new ways to turn the medium on its head, redefining the idea of what a game is by bucking against trends. Though major productions like God of War Ragnarok are no doubt impressive, the most groundbreaking titles are often the less obvious ones.

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After a summer full of ups and downs in terms of game releases, the fall season started off strong in September. Every week brought tons of notable games to try, and they ran the gamut from disappointing to outstanding. Fans of almost every gaming genre had something to check out this month. Some of these titles experimented with new mechanics and tried to push the industry forward, while others repeated winning formulas to great success. 
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The Last of Us Part 1 
The Last of Us Part I Rebuilt for PS5 - Features and Gameplay Trailer | PS5 Games
The Last of Us Part 1 is a pretty divisive title as it's a $70 PS5 remake of a game that was already available on PS4 for just $20. If you ignore the price though, The Last of Us is still a great game. On top of giving the original a nice visual overhaul, The Last of Us Part 1 also incorporates some industry-leading accessibility options. Overall, the remake ensures that people who've never been able to try the PS3 classic now have the best way to experience one of the greatest games of all time.
"The Last of Us Part I shows that Naughty Dog’s gritty action game is still an enduring classic that hasn’t aged a day," Giovanni Colantonio wrote in a four-and-a-half star review of the remake. "Though that’s largely because Sony won’t allow it to, as evidenced by a mostly superfluous remake that doesn’t meaningfully improve on the game’s perfectly modern (and much cheaper) 2014 remaster. However, the project does once again push the industry forward in an important way: by raising the bar for accessibility in gaming’s past, present, and future."
So, this is a bit of an odd case where almost everyone will be in one of two camps. If you’re still a bit salty that Sony is charging $70 for this remake, then The Last of Us Part I probably isn’t worth it for you. But if you’ve never played it before or require more thorough accessibility options to enjoy video games, then it’s a must-play. The Last of Us Part I is available now exclusively on PS5.
Splatoon 3
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Splatoon 3 might not be a revelatory title for Nintendo's most recent hit franchise, but it's still a whole lot of fun. It expands upon its winning shooter formula with well-designed new maps, interesting new weapons and abilities, and the most refined campaign in the series yet. While Nintendo plans on supporting the game for the foreseeable future, it also isn't weighed down with as much live service junk as many other titles in this space. 
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Splatoon 3 currently stands out as the defining multiplayer game of September 2022 and one of the best of the year, period. It's very kid-friendly and approachable when compared to other games in the genre too, so it's a great game to play with friends and family. Splatoon 3 is available now exclusively on Nintendo Switch. 
Shovel Knight Dig
Shovel Knight Dig is OUT NOW!
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Roguelike fans had yet another title to be excited about with Desta: The Memories Between, the latest title from Monument Valley and Alba: A Wildlife Adventure developer Ustwo Games. It follows the titular character, Desta, as they return to their hometown and must repair their relationships with old friends through dreamlike tactical battles. Desta: The Memories Between is a fast-paced and easily digestible tactics experience for fans of that genre, while the slowly unfolding story will keep you engaged from run to run.
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Railbound
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The Wandering Village
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City builders and farming sims are more popular than ever, so it can be hard to stand out in that space. The Wandering Village is able to do so because of a very interesting hook: your village is on the back of a giant wandering creature named Onbu. While it's still in early access, fans of the genre can already have a very good time with the game's community researching, building, and management systems. The Wandering Village's hand-drawn visuals are also always pleasant to look at. 
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Return to Monkey Island
If you grew up playing PC games in the 1990s, you might have fond memories of The Secret of Monkey Island. The Lucasarts classic was a landmark point-and-click adventure game that continues to persevere as a cult classic. It's so beloved that its fans can be protective over it. That's exactly what happened when we first saw Return to Monkey Island. While fans were excited to see series creator Ron Gilbert involved, others criticized the title for its new, modern art style. Even when some players got exactly what they wanted, they were still disappointed.
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Return to Monkey Island may not give players the answers they want, but it does perhaps give them the one they need to hear. The game is available now on PC and Nintendo Switch. ~ Giovanni Colantonio

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