Attachment is subtle. We are quick to connect and disconnect with stuff all day long. Among our thousands of choices about trends, content, and products a select few slowly begin to linger and take on a feeling of home. Of a decided thing we can look to again and again and know what it is and what it’s about. There is a fine line between familiarity and boredom though, especially in video games. Creators frequently choose to upend the whole thing rather than keep walking a tightrope. It’s always a risk. Especially when it’s something worth lots and lots of money.
When The Last of Us Part II launched on June 19, 2020, it wasn’t content to continue the story of one of gaming’s most beloved narratives. It dismantled it, intentionally, to show its audience what the foundation was really all about. The shocking demise of a franchise character, a villain-turned-protagonist POV, and a complex world built upon a shifting moral code that made players feel frustrated and uneasy. TLOU 2 took a hard left turn away from fan service and blazed a trail that’s still clear to us five years later.
