Abby from The Last of Us Part 2 is certainly one of the most polarizing characters in the history of gaming, and while the characters’ voice actor, Laura Bailey, expected some fans to be upset about her role in the highly-anticipated sequel, but she didn’t expect the vast amount of hate the character received after the game was released back in July.
While speaking with Game Informer, Bailey, who has been the voice behind several notable gaming characters, said that playing Abby in The Last of Us Part 2 was one of the most challenging roles she’s done, but also said it was one of the most fulfilling experiences of her career.
“It was a difficult role, but I think it’s an incredible story, and I think Abby is, man, just one of the most amazing characters that I’ve ever played.”
While Bailey expected some fans to be angry when the game got released, she also thinks that the leaks fueled some of the outrages, and made the negativity surrounding the sequel far worse than it would’ve been otherwise.
“I knew that there would be backlash for sure,” Bailey says. “I knew that I was going to get some hate. I didn’t anticipate the extent.
“It was the perfect storm. I think the leaks had a lot to do with it. If your first experience with that had been in the game, and then you kept moving forward, you would have had the growth and understanding. But the leaks came out a couple months in advance; you had months of people forming barriers and forming walls before they were able to understand Abby’s side of it, and therefore a lot of people never were able to.”
Most of the game’s plot being leaked prior to release certainly made things worse than they might’ve been otherwise, but fans are also angry that Naughty Dog decided to use misleading trailers that showed Joel, the first game’s main protagonist, being alive for the majority of the sequel, when in reality, he dies within the first two hours.
Given that The Last of Us Part 2 was released just five months ago, it’s far too early to expect a third game anytime soon, but if there is one, it’s likely that Abby could be the main protagonist going forward.
As for what Naughty Dog could be working on right now, well, it’s likely that they’re nearing the final stages of The Last of Us Part 2’s multiplayer expansion, which could be released sometime next year.
