Seven years after the original’s release, The Last of Us Part II is finally available for PlayStation 4. Even before the release, writer and director Neil Druckmann acknowledged that some fans of the first game would not like the sequel, and now that the game is out, it has responded to more hate on the internet. This includes hatred directed towards one of the cast members, not by the actor himself, but by the character he plays.
Speaking on the podcast of former Nintendo chief Reggie Fils-Aime, Druckmann said people aren’t worth fighting against when they share their opinions on a game, whether it’s good or bad. However, Druckmann said he can’t understand how people get so mad at fictional characters.
“I think you have to create a separation to say, we created this game, we believe in this game, we are proud of this game, now it’s out there and it’s like any reaction people have, whether they like it or not. – that’s fair.” Druckmann said. “That’s his reaction and you don’t fight that. The other thing with the most hateful things, the vilest things, is a little bit harder. It’s especially harder when I see what happens to team members or cast members who they play a particular character in the game. “
“We have an actor, she has been getting really horrible and vile things because of a fictional character who is playing in the game, “added Druckmann.” I have a hard time thinking about that. What I’m trying to do is ignore it as much as I can. When things get serious, there are certain security protocols we take and I report it to the proper authorities. Then, try to focus on the positive and distract yourself with other things. But it’s kind of like reality. “
Also in the interview, Druckmann said he has been speaking to Chernobyl writer Craig Mazin on this topic. They are currently working together on the HBO TV version of The Last of Us.
“I’ve had a lot of conversations with him about these things. He articulated it pretty well, it’s like people have to educate themselves. This is a bit of a cost. When you’re doing something big and you can disappoint the fans, now it comes at a cost.” Druckmann said. “That is, you will get a certain level of hatred, a certain level of vitriol that you just have to deal with. There is no other way to make it go away.”
Even though part of the audience didn’t like The Last of Us Part II, the game broke PlayStation sales records with 4 million copies sold in its first three days.
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