Despite the game getting showered in near-perfect reviews and already setting records in terms of sales, it’s no secret that The Last of Us 2 has been something of a polarizing game with fans. Even though there is a significant audience who hail the game as being one of Naughty Dog’s best, there’s also a great many who claim it’s the company’s worst release to date.
Over the last week, discussion surrounding the sequel has evolved into the biggest gaming discourse of the year so far, with the fanbase being split down the middle on a number of its more controversial narrative beats. Naturally, this hasn’t gone unnoticed by the minds behind the game either, with The Last of Us 2’s writer and director, Neil Druckmann, weighing in with his thoughts about the sequel’s divisive nature on Talking Games with Reggie and Harold.
“I think you have to create some separation to say, we made this game, we believe in this game, we’re proud of this game, now it’s out there and it’s like whatever reaction people have–whether they like it or not–that’s fair,” Neil Druckmann states on the podcast. “That’s their reaction and you don’t fight that.” However, the director rightfully takes exception with his stance on online criticism when it veers down toxic, inappropriate, or abusive avenues. Speaking on discussions about The Last of Us 2, Druckmann claims “the more hateful stuff, the more vile stuff, that’s a little harder. It’s especially harder when I see it happening to team members or cast members who play a particular character in the game.”
Click here to listen to the episode.
“We have an actor, she’s been getting really awful, vile stuff because of a fictional character she’s playing in the game,” Druckmann reveals, continuing “I just have a hard time wrapping my mind around that. The thing I try to do is just ignore it as much as I can. When things escalate to being serious, there are certain security protocols that we take and I report it to the proper authorities.” Regardless of anyone’s thoughts on the game, Druckmann is entirely correct in calling out some of the more intense and personal hate directed towards the developers and cast based on The Last of Us 2’s divisive story. Discussing and debating the game’s positives and negatives is one of the most interesting parts of video games, but directing hate speech towards those who made it is simply unacceptable.
In lighter news, Druckmann goes on to share some words of wisdom shared by Craig Mazin, the producer behind The Last of Us’ upcoming HBO adaptation. According to the industry icon, “When you’re doing something big, and you might disappoint fans, there is a cost to it now,” continuing, “you’re going to get a certain level of hate, a certain level of vitriol that you just have to deal with. There is no other way to make it go away.”
The Last of Us 2 is available now, exclusively for the PlayStation 4.
