The recently released Last of Us Part 2 Remastered provides players with a native-PS5 version of Ellie and Abby’s intense experiences. Alongside this reissue, Naughty Dog, the developer, added some extra elements to entice players back, including the roguelike survival mode No Return.
However, what caught my interest the most during my return this weekend was the inclusion of the game’s Lost Levels.
The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered features three Lost Levels: Jackson Party, Seattle Sewers, and The Hunt. Each level offers insights into its background and development process, providing players with a deeper understanding of why it didn’t make the final cut.
However, I want to specifically discuss how two of the Lost Levels addressed Ellie’s trauma. Please be aware that there will be spoilers for The Last of Us Part 2 below.
As many know, Joel, the protagonist from The Last of Us Part 1, meets a brutal end early in the sequel. Ellie witnesses his death, leading her on a quest for vengeance that takes her to Seattle.
In the second Lost Level, Seattle Sewers, Ellie navigates water puzzles and dead ends before reaching the surface. During this exploration, she encounters a Clicker in a tight pipe, with the fungal corpse momentarily transforming into a vision of Joel.
Naughty Dog developer Pete Ellis explains that this moment was designed to showcase Ellie’s PTSD, but it was ultimately saved for the farm level to give it more impact.
The third Lost Level, The Hunt, delves into Ellie’s PTSD as she tracks an injured boar. This section was intended to occur towards the end of The Last of Us Part 2, providing players with uncertainty about Ellie’s whereabouts, her target, and the fate of Dina.
Although cut from the final release, the game’s journal entry references Ellie’s traumatic experience while hunting the boar, emphasizing the lasting impact of violence on her.
While these Lost Levels never made it to the game’s final version, they offer an interesting perspective on the developers’ intentions to explore Ellie’s trauma through various gameplay moments. For more information on the game and its No Return roguelike mode, check out Vikki Blake’s The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered impressions.
