Big spoilers for The Last of Us Part II follow.
Released in 2016, Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End is the culmination of Nathan Drake’s story, it being one of the most revered games of all time that also closes the book on one of the most lovable mass murderers of all time. As well as that, though, it also seems like it sets up the events of The Last of Us Part II.
In the epilogue of the game, you can find a poster that seems to tie in to the The Last of Us universe, as well as hints at the setup for the second game.
Although obscured, it’s not a crazy guess to suggest that the main title is The Last of Us with the subtitle of American Daughters. The Last of Us: American Daughters is published by Dark Horse Comics in-game, who also released the actually real The Last of Us: American Dreams with writing coming from Neil Druckmann and Faith Erin Hicks.
Neil Druckmann is, of course, the brainchild of The Last of Us alongside Bruce Straley, and also the director of Uncharted 4, again alongside Straley. It’s not a stretch at all to suggest that they were planting the seeds long before the game’s announcement.
The figure on the front cover, a pregnant woman wearing a mask with a gun, is up for debate. Some believe it’s Ellie’s mother, but it’s hard to tell. While this character doesn’t really seem to fit into The Last of Us Part II, that subtitle sure does.
‘American Daughters’ may well be referring to both Ellie and Abby, the two main characters you play as in the sequel. Ellie is the closest thing to a daughter Joel, the main character of the original game, has known since the death of his daughter, while Abby’s father was an important part of the Fireflies.
The Last of Us Part II is a game all about daughters and the impact of losing your father. Joel killed Abby’s father to save Ellie, and then Abby returns the favour to Ellie’s surrogate father early on in the second game.
From there, it becomes a tale of daughters twisted by loss, both stuck in an almost hopeless cycle of violence. While the overall story of The Last of Us Part II might not be that well received, this easter egg seems to show the plan all along.
The Last of Us Part II is out now exclusively for the PlayStation 4. From our review:
“In trying to subvert expectations, The Last of Us Part II discards the best aspects of its predecessor to provide a rote revenge tale that is ill-considered, ending on a note that makes everything — all the violence, all the loss, all the struggle — feel utterly, hopelessly pointless.”
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