The "Last of Us Part II's" trailer first aired at Paris Game's Week. Fans all over rejoiced at the chance to learn more about the upcoming game's sequel, but not everyone was happy with the brand new content. The trailer caused a divide among fans because of its reportedly violent content. Amidst the clamor and complaints, PlayStation executive Jim Ryans stepped up to the plate to defend "The Last of Us Part II."
Undeniably, the trailer featured a large amount of violence. It begins with two women getting dragged across the ground. One of them struggles against her captors, and in return, they bash her arm in with a hammer until her bones break.
The second woman suffers a similar fate. A noose is tied around her neck, the rope is thrown across a tree branch, and she is lifted into the air for a semi-public hanging.
Even their rescue is grim and brutal. It comes in the form of an ally who shoots the woman's attackers dead with her bow and arrow. Once the grisly fight scene is over, the women come together to fret over an even greater threat that lurks in the shadows. The trailer did not include the previous game's protagonists, Joel and Ellie.
The scenes above sparked conversations between whether or not the game was too violent.
In an interview with Telegraph UK, Ryan's gave his take on the whole thing.
"The Last of Us obviously is a game made by adults to be played by adults. I should never prejudge this but it will probably be rated 18, I think it's fair to say. And there's that market for those people who like that sort of game. Adults who like that sort of game. And I think we cater for that..."
The game was never advertised as kid-friendly in the first place. According to Ryan, developers produce the games and they create avenues so that people interested in certain genres can choose the games they want. If "The Last of Us Part II" is too violent for some, there are plenty more games out there that are more suited to their own tastes.
