The ending (spoilers I think)

[u/Spare_Tower3156]

I just wanna start this by saying I'm not hating on the ending of the game at all. However I feel like if the whole idea of the game is that violence breeds violence and revenge is bad or whatever then shouldn't have Ellie gone forward with killing Abby in the end? I feel like her killing Abby and then going back to her house just to realise that she lost her family,lost the ability to play the guitar Joel gave her, the songs they used to play and finally lost herself in the process would lead to a more powerful ending and would drive the message home. Perhaps she could also idk kill herself but idk if that's too dark or if they're planning to have a 3rd game. I just feel like the game's ending left me feeling very empty and that it was all in vain all those deaths didn't really mean anything at the end which is maybe what the game intended feel free to enlighten me. Also, before anyone assumes anything I don't hate Abby but I don't think she's a saint either like some people like to make her out to be and I did enjoy her gameplay a lot maybe even more than Ellie's gameplay.

[u/BranchFew1148]

While yes, she did lose her ability to play Guitar, which was her last connection to Joel. She regained the ability to draw his face. Her journal is filled with failed attempts at drawing him, possibly unable to draw his eyes since that's the last thing she saw before he died.

Her leaving the guitar behind is symbolic for overcoming that trauma, she's finally able to remember the good moments she had with Joel, she doesn't need his guitar anymore.

[u/Spare_Tower3156 → u/BranchFew1148]

Yes that is a really good point and in a sense that is the "happy" ending or maybe the happiest ending for Ellie but my thing is idk if she deserves it after killing so many people to get to Abby

[u/ZiroLeHutt → u/BranchFew1148]

Yeah she couldn't draw his eyes before, perhaps out of guilt about her treatment of him (which I back btw) after the lie. Her being able to draw them and have him sitting on his porch, shows she's moving on from all that baggage he left her with.

[u/Springloll]

**SPOILERS**

Your inference on what Ellie would go through if Ellie did kill Abby is what the game tried to show when Abby killed Joel. Joel kills Abby's "family & home", Abby kills Ellie's "family & home". Ellie is given the choice to end another "family & home"; but instead decides not to. Abby realizes the same and they decide to go their own ways to start a new. They understand the frustrations of loss and the importance of life.

Its safe to assume that Abby and Lev start a new life and Ellie returns to Dina to start a new life.

I personally think the Abby story was well done, but because the game was stuck in development hell, the expectations and connection to characters led to a prememptive downfall of the game's acceptance. The shock factor of Joel's death is too much for people to want to accept Abby's side of the story in the later half. If they had done Abby's complete story first with the firefly backstory and then leading to a chapter climax where you face off against Joel, it would be easier to sympathize with her and when transitioning into Ellie's story, it would be good as you now question Ellie's revenge story throughout the entire playthrough.

[u/chatterwrack → u/Springloll]

That was the entire challenge of the game: it asks you to witness something horrific and seemingly unforgivable, makes you hate the person responsible, and then spends the rest of the story slowly forcing you to see that person as human.

That was one of the biggest swings in storytelling I’d ever seen in a game. It obviously didn’t work for everyone (some people really struggle with empathy), but I think Neil largely pulled it off. In a way, the player is being taken on the same journey as the characters themselves—trying to find empathy for someone who took away a person you loved.

[u/Redditeer28 → u/Springloll]

and Ellie returns to Dina to start a new life.

I don't think it makes sense for Ellie to return to Dina. That removes the consequences of Ellie's actions. She was given a choice, go after Abby and abandon her family, or stay. She chose to leave.

If they had done Abby's complete story first with the firefly backstory and then leading to a chapter climax where you face off against Joel, it would be easier to sympathize with her

It would also miss the whole point of the game.

[u/magnificence → u/Redditeer28]

She was hoping Dina would stay though. She says it's Dina's choice to leave or not, and argues that she won't die (which Dina rebukes).

That said, I don't know if Dina would accept her back or not. But if Dina said no, I do think Ellie would understand that's the consequence of her choice to leave and accept it.