Chapter 606: Mr. Chen's Clear Calculations! (Requesting Subscriptions and Monthly Passes)

Was it to save a little girl, or to preserve the hope of saving the world?

Many players online were constantly debating this. After all, according to traditional storylines, it would be more likely for Ellie to sacrifice herself to save the world.

However, in the game, players had absolutely no choice, which left some players with 'quite a bit of criticism' after experiencing it.

'Seriously, why did Joel have to selfishly rescue Ellie from the Fireflies in the end?'

'Likewise, I think perhaps it would have been better to give players an open choice for the ending. After all, from Ellie's perspective, she also wanted to change this desperate world.'

Of course, there were more players who disagreed.

'A bunch of people are too bored for their own good. If Joel had let Ellie sacrifice herself, I'd roast Chen Xu alive!'

'Exactly, an ending like that, as you're describing it, would be too messed up. Besides the writer's self-indulgence, it wouldn't achieve any effect.'

'+1, now you're saying the ending is too selfish, but if Joel or Ellie really did sacrifice themselves, you'd probably turn around and complain then.'

Players divided into two camps, each expressing their opinions, but it was clear that those who disagreed had the upper hand. The debate on related topic posts continued relentlessly. In just one day, nearly ten thousand posts accumulated, with players arguing amongst themselves without cease.

But just then, something many players hadn't anticipated occurred: Chen Xu actually publicly responded to this question on the official Weibo account. This not only surprised players but also drew the attention of media and game designers across the industry.

Because on the official Weibo account, Chen Xu even introduced the unique features regarding interactive elements in The Last of Us.

'Some players are discussing why Ellie couldn't sacrifice herself to save the world in the end. Here, I want to say that from the very beginning, the ending of The Last of Us was predetermined.'

'There was no intention to give players a choice at the end, or other reasons, such as whether the Fireflies' doctors could even create a cure with their rudimentary equipment.'

'These are merely fantasies about subsequent plot developments. What truly determined everything was Joel's character in the game.'

'Once Joel's character was established, it was destined that The Last of Us would only have one ending.'

'First is Joel's character setting in the game, such as the prologue with Sarah's story. Besides building player emotion and delivering sufficient poignant emotional impact through Sarah's death to quickly drive the story's mode, it's more important to showcase Joel's concern for his daughter, as well as his selfishness.'

'In the prologue, Tommy drives Joel and Sarah, and along the way, they encounter someone calling for help. Tommy wants to stop and save them, but Joel strongly objects, even demanding Tommy drive straight through the crowd. Tommy refuses, however, and upon arriving in Pittsburgh, through dialogue, it can be learned that Joel used to be a Hunter, which was a major reason for him and Tommy parting ways.'

'This was to highlight Joel's self-serving and selfish side. Following that, a very important point is Tess's sacrifice.'

'So how do we make Joel choose to escort Ellie? It's that Joel doesn't care about the world; he only cares about the people he values.'

'This was true for Sarah in the past and later for Tess. That's why Joel erupts when Bill mentions Tess in the town.'

'This design also better allows players to understand Joel's harshness towards Ellie through Tess's death.'

'These character developments already determined the subsequent events. The same goes for Ellie's storyline: how to create an emotional connection between Ellie and Joel? Through mutual reliance.'

'Initially, after being saved by Ellie, Joel slowly began to acknowledge her capabilities, gradually transitioning their relationship from strangers to trusted companions, and slowly overlapping with the shadow of his deceased daughter.'

'Ellie was similar; she had always been abandoned, moving from the quarantine zone to the Fireflies, then abandoned by Marlene of the Fireflies to Joel, the smuggler. The emotional bond formed along the way led Ellie to see Joel as her father.'

'Then Joel gets injured, shifting their relationship from protector to protected, and then to mutually reliant. At this point, Ellie and Joel's emotions reached new heights, so in the end, there would only be this one ending, seemingly 'against justice,' and no second one.'

'Unless, in some Parallel World, Joel and Ellie's characters completely collapse, could a so-called 'just' ending appear.'

………………

Reading Chen Xu's long statement, many players were surprised. This was the first time Chen Xu had given such a formal response, even analyzing and dissecting the game's settings and objectives. Industry designers, in particular, were utterly astonished. Although he didn't delve into every detail, Chen Xu's words laid out all the key and unique aspects of The Last of Us. He had essentially told all industry designers exactly why The Last of Us had achieved such success!

However, Chen Xu didn't care much about the industry designers' astonishment. Because knowing some things was ultimately useless. Just like in his previous life, after The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild achieved massive success, its directors Hidemaro Fujibayashi and Makoto Miyauchi meticulously detailed the 'Gravity, Triangle Rule, and Three-Ruler Law' of map design at a game development conference, yet there was still only one Breath of the Wild.

But game industry designers were focused on what exactly made The Last of Us successful. How its interactive features were designed. Ordinary players, however, while cheering for Chen Xu's response, shifted their attention to another point entirely. That the 'emotional knife' was indeed specifically aimed at the players!

On major community forums, few players were still discussing the ending; the topic had shifted entirely to Chen Xu.

“Damn, I knew it! Chen Xu definitely did this on purpose! What's a Warrior of Love? This is a Warrior of Love! Look at what he said here: ‘[Through Sarah's death, deliver sufficient emotional impact to players, quickly driving the story in its intended mode]’ – so this was specifically aimed at emotionally hitting us hard, he came prepared!”

“+1, and Tess's death too, we were clearly calculated by Mr. Chen!”

“I can only say, we can't outplay Mr. Chen!”

Following Chen Xu's official Weibo post, countless players voiced their feelings. As for Chen Xu? After posting that Weibo update, he went completely silent. After all, it was probably best to play dead at this point. As for players scolding him? Let them scold; just remember to buy the game after they're done.

(End of Chapter) <>