This article will be exploring The Last of Us Part II DLC ideas. Spoilers will be featured, so proceed at your own risk.
Be sure to read our The Last of Us Part II review.
1. Joel after Sarah’s Death
The treatment of Joel in Part II is somewhat of a complex topic. I fell into the “disappointed” camp, given that I thought I was signing up for another Joel and Ellie story with twists and unexpected turns. Nevertheless, my aim here isn’t to touch on review topics for the game, but more so based on what I would want to see from the Last of Us Part II DLC in the future. And what I want to see, is more of Joel.
Predictable option, I know. There’s a lot of back and forth dialogue as to how Joel and his brother, Tommy, dealt with the aftermath of the infection, and how Joel personally handled the death of his daughter, Sarah. An area of interest is how Joel became the man he is in Part I. I, for one, would be interested to see what they had to accomplish to survive in this new gritty world. For those still struggling with Joel’s death, maybe actually seeing the atrocities he committed will ease the pain we felt after he was killed.
Okay, I’m not expecting it to miraculously destroy our attachment to Joel. But understanding the concept of a dog eat dog world, and to truly see Joel’s nastier sides may have a different kind of impact on the controversial scene. And anyway, regardless of all of that, I sure would love to throw a meaty right hook with Joel in this new, shiny, visually upgraded world.
Joel is one of the most complex video game characters I’ve grown attached to. The idea of spending more time around him and understanding his nature is something I’ll never turn down in some The Last of Us Part II DLC.
2. Eugene’s Firefly Days
I might be the only one interested in this character. Who the hell is this weed-growing, hoarding, killer hippy ex-firefly?
There are quite a lot of new comers to Ellie’s story in Part II. And as much as I love Joel and Ellie, I also love the world and lore Naughty Dog has expertly crafted. Meeting new characters, getting to know their story and how they’ve handled the infection is something I really value. Seeing the world from the eyes of a stoner Firefly during their days of struggle could be pretty cool in itself. The details we gather from Eugene after we visit his bunker as Ellie and Dina certainly enhance those feelings of interest.
The items he’s hoarded, the notes he’s left around and how Dina mentions he was “lonely” all add to my curiosity. Who is Eugene? Why is he so loved and how did he end up so alone? Through Eugene’s eyes, we could also get extra stories from Tommy and his Firefly days, and I love me some more Tommy stories.
Eugene and Tommy partook in terrorist attacks, mainly in the Denver QZ. In the opening sections of the game, Dina also mentions that Eugene tortured a general in the military with Tommy. What else is there to this character and this dynamic duo? Anyone else interested in Eugene as The Last of Us Part II DLC?
3. Jesse Until his Run-in with Ellie
Another character I was quite interested in but unfortunately didn’t seem to get much on. Jesse is a ride or die Jackson guy, but what’s his story and how did he become such a reliable companion in The Last of Us Part II?
An interesting time frame of getting to know more about Jessie could be when he was out looking for Ellie. How he sets out on the journey, his own motivations and why he’s so well connected with Ellie are all interesting topics that could reveal more about him.
Jesse is certainly among the new characters I care about, but his feature was quite short. A character such as himself deserves a bit more screen time and a more detailed overview on who he actually was. I’d be happy with some Jessie DLC that also details his relationship with Dina.
4. Tommy’s Journey
One half of the Miller boys we’ve all grown to love. Tommy sets out on his own revenge quest earlier than Ellie, and that seems like a pretty decent time frame to get to play as him.
A lot of people were impacted by Joel’s death. The game often fixates on Ellie’s perspective but what about Joel’s brother, Tommy? We see the wrath of Tommy as we track him down as Ellie, but actually playing those sections and understanding the emotions Tommy was going through could be quite powerful.
We’ve known Tommy since the first game and have all become quite emotionally attached to him. Playing the game in his boots could be quite awesome. And hey, who wouldn’t want to use that killer sniper we got a taste of with Ellie mid-game? I know I would!
5. Lev & The Seraphites
The Seraphites feature as one of the main antagonistic factions in The Last of Us Part II. However, apart from vague references, the game doesn’t really explore the cult’s practices or way of life in much detail. I wanted to know more about the cult. How they came to be around and why they have such a strong attachment to their prophet. Who is she? How did she become such a prominent figure? And why do people love her so much? Even Lev, a child critical of Seraphite traditions, still can’t seem to break their connection to such figure, so what’s her story?
Enter Lev DLC.
From Lev’s perspective, we not only get a deep dive on what Lev was going through and the complexities on being labelled an apostate, but we could also understand Seraphite culture and traditions. Lev’s relationship with Yara and their complex interactions with their mother could also be areas to explore. Playing as Lev up until saving Abby would certainly be a journey I’m interested in.
Those were characters and time frames I would enjoy playing in The Last of Us Part II as DLC. Which areas do you think Naughty Dog could explore? Any characters I left out that you would enjoy a playthrough with? Be sure to drop a comment below!