Summary
ThoughThe Last of Us 2is certainly elevated by an emotional story and brilliant performances from its cast, the gameplay of theNaughty Dogtitle is excellent as well. A clear step up from its predecessor, melee combat is a lot deeper, guns feel better, and environments allow for a wider variety of strategies to be used. While set piece moments may stick with players the most, one optional workbench is likely engraved into the minds of anyone who visited it.
Normally, workbenches inThe Last of Us 2are a safe space for Ellie and Abby to upgrade their arsenals using parts that players have collected during their journeys. However, there is one particular workbench during Ellie’s portion of the story that lulls players into a false sense of security. This leads to a genuinely terrifying moment, and it is one that more games - especially horror titles - should take inspiration from.
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The Last of Us 2’s Workbench Ambush Is Perfect For Horror Games
Prior to heading to the Aquarium with Ellie, players can head to a random room inside an apartment to find a workbench. While interacting with the table will trigger the same animation players will have seen several times by this point, with even the upgrade options appearing on-screen to fully disguise the bench as a normal upgrade station, Ellie will soon be attacked by a group ofWLFsoldiers. If players listen carefully, they can hear the enemy run up on Ellie, making the sudden jumpscare even more intimidating.
While it is easy enough to fight off the WLF forces that come for Ellie, the moment stands out because it makes a once-safe space unsettling. From this point on, players will likely be more careful when visiting workbenches during their playthroughs, though this is the only one that triggers a bonus combat encounter. Regardless, it is a sign of good game design that Naughty Dog was able to transform a generic upgrade station into one of thescariest sequences inThe Last of Us 2, and more games can learn from this strategy.
Safe spaces in video games are common, especially within horror titles. The save stations in theDead Spaceseries give players a brief moment to breathe, while the save rooms oftheResident Evilserieshave become iconic for their calming music. Both of these are perfect examples of areas where jumpscares could be added. Perhaps one ofDead Space’s Hunters could rip open a save station when players go to interact with it, leading to another regenerator chase if players are fooled by the fake station. Alternatively, a huge Tyrant could break down a wall in aResident Evilsave room after players have interacted with their storage, attacking them and forcing players to rush out the door.
However, adding some jumpscares into areas where players are certain that they are safe would only be capitalizing on half of what madeThe Last of Us 2’s workbench trapgreat. This is because, on second playthroughs where players know the bench is a trap, they could simply loot the room and avoid the bench itself to skip the encounter. Even better, they could set traps by the doors where the enemies emerge from, killing them with explosions before they can even attempt to come after Ellie.
Continuing with the two previous examples,Resident EvilandDead Spacecould both give players a chance to counter these jumpscares on repeat runs through a game, adding a bit of replayability. If a zombie orNecromorphis hiding in wait behind a wall, players could shoot the spot where the enemy emerges from to kill it with bullet penetration, or at the very least scare it off. Not only could they get all the benefits from a traditional safe spot this way, but the enemy that was preparing to attack could drop an extra item to reward clever gamers. Given how greatThe Last of Us 2’s workshop ambush was, more games should take inspiration from the sequence.
The Last of Us 2is available now on PS4.
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