No spoilers are discussed in this post.
Late last month, story spoilers for Naughty Dog’s much anticipated The Last of Us Part 2 – sequel to the critically acclaimed 2013 original – leaked online.
Much to Naughty Dog’s dismay, hackers had managed to exploit a security flaw in the developer’s older games and gained access to internal servers where they found a trove of in-game footage. This paved the way for substantial leaks, and in-depth details of the game’s story spilled across the internet.
Like so many others, I’ve been waiting patiently for The Last of Us Part 2 since I completed the previous title for the first time seven years ago. I really enjoyed my time playing part one (and the PS4 remaster which came a bit later) and took the game’s multiple delays on the chin confident they would help deliver a superior finished product.
But thanks to the leaks, the build-up to release day has been somewhat dampened. It’s no fun when you’re having to duck and dive to avoid spoilers whenever you come across a mention of the game. Just the other day, I saw a promotional video on PlayStation’s official Twitter and stopped to watch it. In the few seconds I spent glancing at replies to the tweet, I’d accidentally read two key plot points.
Here’s what I don’t understand – if these folk care about The Last of Us enough to seek out spoilers in the first place, why would they want to force them on unsuspecting gamers and ruin their experience of playing it through and forming their own judgment? I’ve heard some of the reasoning: “because the story sucks and fans should know before purchasing so they can make their minds up”. Well, that’s subjective. There is no way of knowing how other fans – especially those of different ages, backgrounds and interests – will react.
If you haven’t actually played the game, how can you know what works and what doesn’t in a wider context? And just because you’re a hardcore ‘fan’ of an entertainment property and unhappy with a creative decision which hasn’t gone your way, that doesn’t make it OK to undermine the work of committed developers and put a downer on other people’s anticipation.
When it comes down to it, whatever information is floating around out there probably won’t be enough to steer players away from (or toward) The Last of Us Part 2. It’s important to remember that most players are casual – not everyone has the time or interest level to expend unnecessary amounts of energy on a video game. They just want a fun, engaging experience to keep them reasonably entertained for a couple of weeks. And no amount of leaking or spoiling or trying to persuade someone that something is crap is going to change that. Just let people have their excitement, and let’s leave the pointless spoiler talk to the forums full of people who actually give a sh*t, yeah?
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Featured Image Credit: Naughty Dog / Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe (fair use)
