A listing on GameStop’s website for The Last of Us Part II (still up at the time of this writing) strangely seems to describe dog murder as if it’s a key feature that players are meant to enjoy. Such is the description that concerned players took to social media, prompting a response from Naughty Dog’s Arne Meyer, who understandably wasn’t happy with the retailer. Meyer clarified on Twitter that Naughty Dog neither wrote nor assisted in writing the following:
- Dogs – One of the most noticeable new features of the game is the inclusion of dogs. These dogs are in the game to follow your scent and will attack you as soon as they have sniffed you out. The game doesn’t pull any punches or “stray” from the idea that while you’re playing as Ellie in a struggle to survive, killing dogs is necessary. You’ll also have to deal with the fact though that each dog has an owner, which will call out the dog’s name and cry in absolute horror when they discover their lifeless furry best friend. You’ve been warned.
So @naughty_dog didn’t write or assist writing this.
Don’t appreciate out of context screenshot crops without mentioning the source. Folks, please google these things!
This text came from an independent editorial post from a retailer. It’s on their website. https://t.co/nh3nw1StOa
— arne (@arnemeyer) May 7, 2020
The Last of Us II is brutal, yes, but some of the violence can be avoided. As Naughty Dog told Polygon last year, there is “regrettable violence” that will have players question their decisions and think twice about their actions. It’s not a feature that’s meant to be enjoyed.
