Trauma, empathy and complicity in The Last of Us Part II: playing as enemy characters

Abstract

The Last of Us Part II continues Ellie’s story and introduces the new playable character Abby as they inhabit a post-apocalyptic world. This article aims to analyze how the game portrays trauma, which is a central component of the narrative. Considering the existence of two different diegetic agents, the article also discusses the concepts of empathy and complicity. The results indicate that through the experience of playing as enemy characters, the game successfully builds empathy for people with distinct motivations while also making the player feel complicit with the violence committed by the characters. The article also concludes that video games and their capacity for making the player feel empathic and complicit with the on-screen events present a very interesting possibility for a readerly engagement with trauma.