"The Last of Us" Had an Epilogue and Fans Got to See it Performed Live Last Night

The Last of Us was turned into a musical last night with the Last of Us: One Night Live.

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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During last night's performance of The Last of Us: One Night Live, fans of the near-universal 2013 Game of the Year were treated to not only a live performance of portions of the game, but were also given a look at an epilogue that developer Naughty Dog cut from the final game.

Spoilers Ahead

The Last of Us lead writer Neil Druckman hosted the event and Troy Baker and Ashley Johnson reprise their roles as Joel and Ellie and perform some of the most emotionally resonant scenes from the game. Composer Gustavo Santaolalla was also at the event to perform the game's score with a full instrumental backing section. The event was streamed via PSN, Twitch, and YouTube and if you missed it, you can watch it in its entirety above. Not surprisingly, the live performances of Baker and Johnson were somehow even more of a punch to the gut than the original experience of playing the game. After the event ended and the livestream was finished, fans in the audience were treated to an epilogue that was unable to be captured on video. The reports of the cut scene come from NeoGAF members in the audience and Polygon. Again, spoilers ahead.

Joel and Ellie seen living at the dam where Tommy, Joel's brother, made his home. Some members in the audience reported hearing Druckman saying that this was four years after the ending of the game, while others claim that Druckman was making a reference to the game's length in development. Either way,  Joel mentions to Ellie that he's currently in a relationship with a woman at Tommy's camp named Esther, and that Tommy is pressing Joel to marry her. Ellie is distant throughout the exchange and some in the audience speculate that she's become suspicious about Joel and after the events of  the hospital in Salt Lake City in the game's original ending.

Joel produces an acoustic guitar and begins to Ellie a song about their time on the road with one another. According to one attendee, "From the context of the dialogue as well as the song, it sounded to me that Joel initially began writing the song for Sarah, but now it is for Ellie. If I remember correctly Joel says something along the lines of "I was writing this before.... Nevermind that."

Ellie thanks Joel for the song and he tells her a joke "What's the downside of eating a clock? It's time-consuming." The line is a call-back to Ellie's terrible jokebook from their journey together. Joel gives Ellie his guitar and promises to teach her how to play, before he leaves. Ellie strums one note on the guitar as the theater goes dark. 

If you're looking to have your hear pulled out of your chest on a Tuesday afternoon, feel free to watch the video above minus the scene we've just described. The Last of Us: Remastered for the PS4 is out today.

 [via NeoGaf, Eurogamer,  Polygon]

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