It’s been a little over a year since Naughty Dog releasedThe Last of Us 2to widespread critical acclaim, but while the game earned strong reviews from critics, it wasn’t without its controversy. One of themost divisive aspects ofThe Last of Us 2was the decision to have players control Abby for a significant portion of the game, especially due to some of the actions Abby takes when players first meet the character. A year later, WWE star Shayna Baszler has thrown her support behind Abby, claiming to be “Team Abby” on Twitter, expectedly garnering a mixed response from her followers on the platform.
Note: to properly discuss the controversy surrounding Abby, it’s necessary for this article to get intoLast of Usspoilers. Proceed with caution.
Some of the responses on Twitter are supportive of Baszler being on Team Abby, whereas others have declared themselves to be Team Ellie. It’s an argument that’s been raging sinceThe Last of Us 2first launched last year, but there are a surprising number of replies that seem to be on Team Abby, showing perhaps a general change in how the public views the characters and events ofThe Last of Us 2.
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The reason why so many people are vehemently against the Abby character inThe Last of Us 2is because she brutally murders Joel at the beginning of the game.Abby killing Joelis easily one of the most shocking moments in theLast of Usgames, and since Joel was such a fan favorite character, many were understandably upset about his death. Forcing players to play through about half the game as Abby seemed to further cement their dislike for the character.
Twitter user Richard Haylor is one fan who found Naughty Dog’s decision to makeThe Last of Us 2players play as Abby a “bold and brilliant move” as it forced players to “look at the other side.” This tweet prompted a response from Baszler, who offered yet another controversial opinion. Baszler believes thatThe Last of Us 2actually makes people play as the villain first, implyingEllie is the real villainof the game. “And I think that is brilliant,” she added.
Shayna Baszler wasn’t the only WWE star who offered a controversial statement onThe Last of Us 2on the game’s 1 year anniversary. Fellow WWE wrestler Dakota Kai also chimed in, saying no one should call Abby a villain without also “calling Joel and Ellie villains” as well. As one might expect, Kai’s comments also generated quite varied reactions from the community.
WhileThe Last of Us 2remains a controversial game, there’s no taking away from its success.The Last of Us 2has more Game of the Year awardsthan any other game in history and sold millions of copies. ALast of UsHBO series is in the works, andNaughty Dog reportedly has an outline forThe Last of Us 3, not to mention a potentialLast of Us 2multiplayer game and a remake of the first game in the works. Fans of the franchise should have a lot to look forward to in the years ahead.
