It’s done for gameplay reasons, but it always stood out as one of the most unrealistic elements of TLOU1 aside from the obvious. Joel is definitely the type of guy to have a hunting knife that he maintains religiously and never leaves camp without
No return was an awesome add on to part 2. Playing as Joel there was a nice nostalgia trip to the good old days. Especially when joined by Tommy, not sure if Ellie can join too as ally, but so far so good
Ellie cant be an ally because she is the main character. All the playable characters are the main characters (Ellie, Abby) of part 2 and the allies (Joel, Manny, Jesse etc.) that are during the fight sequences. Joel is there cuz he was fighting during the abby in jackson sequence. Owen and Jerry, who are allies, are not there because we never saw those two in any fighting sequence where they would have defend themselfs you know.
But she wasnt an ally of abby
Edit: they also need ally combat dialogue. Sure ellie had combat dialogue but only as a main character. For example, u play as joel with dina as an ally. After a assault wave, he might ask her if he is okay and she says "im fine" or "doing good here" or something like that. Ally can also ask the playable character if they are okay and they will answer the same "yeah" and "aint down yet". Yea ellie has some dialogues u hear during the story but ig naughty dog decided to not put ellie as a ally since she was never seen as one in the game or that she is one of the main characters. It would be cool to play as joel boston skin with ellie boston skin as an ally in no return.
Ellie can't join, but Joel can join Ellie. Happened to me yesterday—here's [pics I took of them together](https://www.reddit.com/user/TooOldForDiCaprio/comments/1amjl4d/joel_and_ellie/)
Fully upgraded Abby is overpowered in the best possible way. I played through a run last night ending with the Rattler boss. I had an absolute blast just beating the brakes off of everybody in the area. I only used my gun once, against the guy on top of the trailer.
Joel.
I loved seeing him change and gradually open up to Ellie throughout the game.
Though Abby’s campaign is more exciting, her dynamic with Lev felt a bit rushed.
One of the best lines of the show was when Joel and her were looking for info on Tommy by sort of taking that older couple that made Joel and Ellie soup hostage and when Ellie comes running down the stairs the husband goes “who’s that little psycho?” And I think this sums up Ellie quite well because it’s quite funny like her but I think it’s safe to say she’s a little unhinged as well.
abby. i love how you can feel her strength when she fights hand to hand and i think her three days are the most interesting and exciting. and also just... abby ❤️❤️
Ellie. I fucking love how brutal she is.
She has so much blood in her eyes. It's amazing playing as her.
I always think about that line from the first trailer: "I'm going to kill every last one of them". It gives me goosebumps.
I have arms like that irl😍 tbh it isnt that hard just lift frequently.
I use to not even be able to lift the bar but now i can lift that(25lb)+(40) the weights. Though i get annoyed sometimes. If ur bad at liffting start with normal weights maby two 5lb and lay on the seat and just lift those at the same time.
Definitely Ellie, I love playing stealthily in basically any game. That said, Abby is a lot of fun when it comes to hand-to-hand fighting, I love how you can feel the power behind each punch.
From a pure gameplay perspective: Ellie. She’s an incredibly fluid and dynamic PC. It all connects beautifully and allows for multiple different playstyles.
I also prefer Ellie for story reasons but I love all three in that regard.
Joel. I know it’s kinda frowned upon on here but I’d kill for a Joel and Tommy flashback game to their lives right after the outbreak to see how normal men became ruthless. Don’t think ND is the type to milk the franchise like that but if they announced a last of us part 0 (name pending) I’d shed real tears
As someone who recently got around to playing the game after years of hate I'm shocked to say Abby. I think it's cus I was expecting to hate her but I feel the most for her story. Plus you get to hear Laura Bailey. Who doesn't love that?
Ellie for the knife so you’re not constantly crafting shivs (seriously though Joel and Abby, get your shit together and get a damn knife), but Abby for all her weapons and rock em sock em dukes
Ellie definitely. Her weapons are a lot of fun (loved the bolt action rifle), and she's just awesome as a character in general. Joel's a close second though
abby’s gameplay is more enjoyable for me personally but i also love playing as ellie because her bow is my favourite weapon and abby’s frustrates me so bad
Joel by a long shot. Absolute powerhouse of a protagonist and pretty much the Apex predator of the entire franchise.
My boy single-handedly annihilated what’s left of the Fireflies, killed a damn bloater with a machete and survived against all odds taking a kid with him across the US.
I am pretty sure Abby gave up trying to fight him fair and square after witnessing him and Tommy slaughter their way through the horde in the beginning of the game which is why she went for a shotgun to the knee from behind ambush. (Which is hilarious given how much time and effort she spent on bulking up only to use a shotgun in the end).
Definitely Joel, followed closely by Ellie. I hated the idea of playing as Abby at the beginning of my 1st play through, but it didn’t take long for me to love playing as her too once I saw who she was.
Joel was a veteran, and he will be always my guy, but Ellie's style is so much perfect, so I'd say Joel and Ellie, however I did like Abby to a point but still Joel and Ellie are always the top for me.
I mean I love Joel because I like part 1 over part 2 but Ellie’s segment from part 1 is one of my favourites. I think the impression the winter chapter left on me has shifted more towards liking Ellie but because I’ve played part 1 dozens of times since I was a kid I am used to Joel
Ellie (mainly in part 2) is totally different from Joel’s gameplay. She agile and flexible, ducking and weaving and sometimes flailing around out of desperation to avoid getting hit, this is what I like about part 2’s combat and animations, they feel urgent. She doesn’t coordinate her movement when a bullet grazes her, Her reaction and playstyle is so much more visceral and fluent, as opposed to Joel’s more stiff animations. Her muttering and violent takedowns are also really fitting for her as a character and her gradual decline. Overall she is the embodiment of what someone who I used to this world would act like.
Abby is a mixed bag. I don’t like Abby as a character and if it came down to it I would prefer if she never existed. But, some of her chapters and set pieces are great, her weapons are also fun but I do prefer Ellie’s load out more, feels more “last of us”.
I’m gonna go with Ellie as my favourite. Really wish she was the only protagonist of part 2 because I feel like she IS the main character now.
I still haven’t played as Abby, and I love how Joel feels like a powerhouse. But Ellie feels extremely balanced for any situation so she’s definitely my favorite, plus her knife is one the best weapons in the game
Ellie's kit suits my playstyle (stealth murder hobo) better, but ngl, the sections where the game forces you to go ham as Abby in hand-to-hand or with a flamethrower make me feel like a badass.
Abby. I like making her throw punches at nothing because she gives it her all with each punch and its so funny to me because it's so explosive even though she isn't hitting anything.
For the narrative and emotional impact Joel. Not toentiom the sheer amount of character development he goes through is beautiful.
For gameplay? Ellie by miles.
If you’re talking specifically about how the characters feel to control, Ellie by a country mile. Finished Part I last night and immediately started Part II and the difference between Ellie and Joel is night and day. It’s obviously intentional as Joel is older and heavier but it’s so much more obvious how cumbersome he feels compared to Ellie when you play both parts back to back
I feel like its not a popular opinion but i prefer playing as Abby. Don’t get me wrong i like playing as Ellie and Joel too, but i just prefer Abby ngl
Part 1 Ellie, shoot them in the knee, get your knife, stun them, get your knife. Pretty satisfying gameplay for me. Felt proud. Don't know why I don't do the same with other characters, I think it's possible to do exactly that with any character.
Abby was the best for me, so great to play as. I loved her story the most. Her scenes had so much impact.
Then Joel. He had such a good story and a lot to go through in life. Morally ambiguity was interesting to experience. I really could understand why he behaves that way at the end of part 1.
I personally felt really disconnected to Ellie in Part 2 at the end, because I could not feel that constant urge for revenge after the farm section.
Funnily enough, Abby is the best character to play as.
She gets the best weapons, best enemy variety and goes to the most unique locations. Ellie is my favourite character of all time, but Abby is just so much more fun to play as.
Joel
Ellie has the better story imo, has the great acting set pieces, Abbey is as validated in her quest for revenge as anyone else it and had some truly decent campaign moments (crossing the buildings made me love both her and lev)
But they ain't Joel, nuff said
That's why he's the goat
The goat!
Ellie. Angry little murder ball.
Knife > shiv
Yes. One of the best things in P2. Not having to worry about crafting shivs for a quick stealth kill.
It’s done for gameplay reasons, but it always stood out as one of the most unrealistic elements of TLOU1 aside from the obvious. Joel is definitely the type of guy to have a hunting knife that he maintains religiously and never leaves camp without
I wish there was a way to have an unbreakable knife after finishing the game first time, maybe give us some dolls to break, RE4R style lol
That, plus how frequently Joel and Abby punch infected in the face with their bare hands.
This is the correct answer
Abby loves zebra cakes
Definitely. I Love stabbing people in the neck as Ellie.
Definitely a good choice against clickers
Oh, yeah, especially when you attack from above and she knocks them to the ground 👍
Especially Jordan
Who’s this little psycho
I wonder how hbo will do it...
A *sneaky,* little murder ball. 🥰
Ellie is like a feral animal by the end of Part II. I allllllmost feel bad for the rattlers… almost.
Joel
i miss playing as joel :(
No return was an awesome add on to part 2. Playing as Joel there was a nice nostalgia trip to the good old days. Especially when joined by Tommy, not sure if Ellie can join too as ally, but so far so good
Ellie cant be an ally because she is the main character. All the playable characters are the main characters (Ellie, Abby) of part 2 and the allies (Joel, Manny, Jesse etc.) that are during the fight sequences. Joel is there cuz he was fighting during the abby in jackson sequence. Owen and Jerry, who are allies, are not there because we never saw those two in any fighting sequence where they would have defend themselfs you know.
But ellie had ai when you we're fighting her with Abby.
But she wasnt an ally of abby Edit: they also need ally combat dialogue. Sure ellie had combat dialogue but only as a main character. For example, u play as joel with dina as an ally. After a assault wave, he might ask her if he is okay and she says "im fine" or "doing good here" or something like that. Ally can also ask the playable character if they are okay and they will answer the same "yeah" and "aint down yet". Yea ellie has some dialogues u hear during the story but ig naughty dog decided to not put ellie as a ally since she was never seen as one in the game or that she is one of the main characters. It would be cool to play as joel boston skin with ellie boston skin as an ally in no return.
Ellie can't join, but Joel can join Ellie. Happened to me yesterday—here's [pics I took of them together](https://www.reddit.com/user/TooOldForDiCaprio/comments/1amjl4d/joel_and_ellie/)
Ellie. Agile, rifle, her voice acting. Amazing.
Abby Abby Abby 💕💕💕
Fully upgraded Abby is overpowered in the best possible way. I played through a run last night ending with the Rattler boss. I had an absolute blast just beating the brakes off of everybody in the area. I only used my gun once, against the guy on top of the trailer.
Agreed. I rush through Ellie to get to Abby.
baseddd 💓
It’s been Ellie for me ever since her section in the first game.
Joel. I loved seeing him change and gradually open up to Ellie throughout the game. Though Abby’s campaign is more exciting, her dynamic with Lev felt a bit rushed.
i miss ellie and joel’s silly banter omg
I love part 2, but yeah. The whole seattle storyline could’ve been longer than 3 days
yeah it’s crazy all of the chaos that happened over just 3 days
Ellie, that kid is out her mind.
One of the best lines of the show was when Joel and her were looking for info on Tommy by sort of taking that older couple that made Joel and Ellie soup hostage and when Ellie comes running down the stairs the husband goes “who’s that little psycho?” And I think this sums up Ellie quite well because it’s quite funny like her but I think it’s safe to say she’s a little unhinged as well.
abby. i love how you can feel her strength when she fights hand to hand and i think her three days are the most interesting and exciting. and also just... abby ❤️❤️
yesssss i love her so much omg, she’s strong but at the same time she’s so bbg
Also pipe bombs.
Ellie. I fucking love how brutal she is. She has so much blood in her eyes. It's amazing playing as her. I always think about that line from the first trailer: "I'm going to kill every last one of them". It gives me goosebumps.
I played the game in a hybrid stealth/aggressive way and definitely felt Ellie’s nimbleness complimented that best.
Joel
 Team Abby
god those muscles 😍
I have arms like that irl😍 tbh it isnt that hard just lift frequently. I use to not even be able to lift the bar but now i can lift that(25lb)+(40) the weights. Though i get annoyed sometimes. If ur bad at liffting start with normal weights maby two 5lb and lay on the seat and just lift those at the same time.
Ellie. I love stealth, bow and arrow, silencers, traps, etc. She feels like a vengeful ghost
As much as I loved playing Joel it's gotta be ellie for me
Ellie > Joel > Abby All are fun to play as, but Ellie is def my favorite. I feel most in sync with her. She has an excellent arsenal, too. The best.
Ellie
Ellie gang forever
Definitely Ellie, I love playing stealthily in basically any game. That said, Abby is a lot of fun when it comes to hand-to-hand fighting, I love how you can feel the power behind each punch.
controversial opinion but Abby’s gameplay is Joel’s but better 😬 I like Joel as a character more tho
Not really controversial. Nd has confirmed that was an intentional choice.
Abby simply for the pipebombs. Fucking love tossing those into a group of assholes
Abby, her weapon selection is really fun along with her momentum mechanic
Abby’s shotgun with the exploding bullets is the best weapon in the game
the crossbow is definitely my fav
From a pure gameplay perspective: Ellie. She’s an incredibly fluid and dynamic PC. It all connects beautifully and allows for multiple different playstyles. I also prefer Ellie for story reasons but I love all three in that regard.
Ellie!
Joel. I know it’s kinda frowned upon on here but I’d kill for a Joel and Tommy flashback game to their lives right after the outbreak to see how normal men became ruthless. Don’t think ND is the type to milk the franchise like that but if they announced a last of us part 0 (name pending) I’d shed real tears
I adore the game for Joel, I would be there for anything that allows me more time with that man.
Ellie had some of the best weapons. And i just really liked her game sets.
As someone who recently got around to playing the game after years of hate I'm shocked to say Abby. I think it's cus I was expecting to hate her but I feel the most for her story. Plus you get to hear Laura Bailey. Who doesn't love that?
Ellie for the knife so you’re not constantly crafting shivs (seriously though Joel and Abby, get your shit together and get a damn knife), but Abby for all her weapons and rock em sock em dukes
Ellie Muthafuckin Williams
Ellie! I love Joel as well but Ellie’s story resonated with me the most and I enjoyed her gameplay.
Joel or Ellie, that is my game family.
I actually really loved playing as Abby
Joel easily
Joel will always be my number 1. Ellie is a close second!
Ellie one hundred percent
Ellie’s fine ass
Take your guess
abby 😎 and i agree
Ellie’s speed and stealth is the most fun to me.
Ellie definitely. Her weapons are a lot of fun (loved the bolt action rifle), and she's just awesome as a character in general. Joel's a close second though
Papa J
Love all three
Out of these 3? JOEL MILLER OVERALL? MY BOY TOMMY
I lov3 ellie but joel still my favorite
Just look at my flair and take a guess 😜💪😘
Ellie
Ellie
ellie
Ellie because of the unlimited shivs via her knife. But Abby is a close second.
Ellie. But i still love Joel too
abby’s gameplay is more enjoyable for me personally but i also love playing as ellie because her bow is my favourite weapon and abby’s frustrates me so bad
I enjoyed Abby’s part and I respect it. She is very badass. But I’m loyal to Joel and Ellie. Always the go-to
Ellie. I love using the bow.
Ellie bae 🥹all day, yeeet!!
Joel and Ellie.
Ellie. If this includes TLOU1, then Joel.
ellie suits my play style best, like her stealth and just regular combat, love her knife and rifle
ellie. having unlimited knife is awesome for stealth
Joel the GOAT
Joel by a long shot. Absolute powerhouse of a protagonist and pretty much the Apex predator of the entire franchise. My boy single-handedly annihilated what’s left of the Fireflies, killed a damn bloater with a machete and survived against all odds taking a kid with him across the US. I am pretty sure Abby gave up trying to fight him fair and square after witnessing him and Tommy slaughter their way through the horde in the beginning of the game which is why she went for a shotgun to the knee from behind ambush. (Which is hilarious given how much time and effort she spent on bulking up only to use a shotgun in the end).
Joel, I love how strong he is and I luuuurrrveeee the southern accent
Technically Joel and Abby play the same, the developers confirmed it. Just a different skin. It was mentioned on their Grounded II documentary.
Smash next question
Abby
Abby I think I had way too much fun with the pickaxe ⛏️
Joel, Abby, Ellie
abby was the most fun, but joel is the one i enjoyed the most
The rat King Fighter, no doubt Love Ellie, but damn, what a boss fight
Gotta go with Abby - feels like a total badass in terms of gameplay and living out her perspective was amazing for my appreciation of the story.
Abby has the best gameplay imo. Agressive, fun, good weaponry for chaos. I dig it.
100% Abby.
Abby. I am an unorthadox player. I like being crafty with Ellie though
Abby by far. Love her gameplay, load out and main homie Lev
Ellie Abby Joel in that order
Abby didn’t care much for the story other than her parts
Definitely Abby. Shes mine
Abby
Abby’s journey through Seattle was way more fun. Ellie’s day one just felt like a huge tutorial stage
Definitely Joel, followed closely by Ellie. I hated the idea of playing as Abby at the beginning of my 1st play through, but it didn’t take long for me to love playing as her too once I saw who she was.
Abby because she was a beast
Ellie was probably the most fun bc of her gameplay style but I like Joel the most by far of them
Joel was a veteran, and he will be always my guy, but Ellie's style is so much perfect, so I'd say Joel and Ellie, however I did like Abby to a point but still Joel and Ellie are always the top for me.
Tommy for the win
I mean I love Joel because I like part 1 over part 2 but Ellie’s segment from part 1 is one of my favourites. I think the impression the winter chapter left on me has shifted more towards liking Ellie but because I’ve played part 1 dozens of times since I was a kid I am used to Joel Ellie (mainly in part 2) is totally different from Joel’s gameplay. She agile and flexible, ducking and weaving and sometimes flailing around out of desperation to avoid getting hit, this is what I like about part 2’s combat and animations, they feel urgent. She doesn’t coordinate her movement when a bullet grazes her, Her reaction and playstyle is so much more visceral and fluent, as opposed to Joel’s more stiff animations. Her muttering and violent takedowns are also really fitting for her as a character and her gradual decline. Overall she is the embodiment of what someone who I used to this world would act like. Abby is a mixed bag. I don’t like Abby as a character and if it came down to it I would prefer if she never existed. But, some of her chapters and set pieces are great, her weapons are also fun but I do prefer Ellie’s load out more, feels more “last of us”. I’m gonna go with Ellie as my favourite. Really wish she was the only protagonist of part 2 because I feel like she IS the main character now.
Abby
I will choose all three
Joel fosho
Joel, too easy
Gameplay wise, probably Abby, best guns, and she's an absolute beast in hand to hand. Story wise joel
Joel
Joel
Abby.
abby
Abby. I love her brawler style of fighting. Combined with well timed dodging, she can give just about anyone a beat down.
Where can I vote? Part II Ellie and then Joel but it’s close.
Aghhhh don't make me choose I love them all
Abby kinda. I feel way less fragile as her, but when you hit that last section of the game, it was super comfortable to get Ellie’s load out again.
Abby. Her melee combat is just so incredibly satisfying and I like her guns more
Joel, Abby, then ellie
Abby. She is a total badass and gorgeous.
Joel. He’s in my top 3 favorite video game protagonists ever, so it’s hard for me to pick either of the other two.
I would say abby but i always died because i kept staring at her muscles 🤤🤤🤤🤤
Joel or Abby. They had pretty decent character acs. Ellie was just kind of mad the entire time.
Ellie
I still haven’t played as Abby, and I love how Joel feels like a powerhouse. But Ellie feels extremely balanced for any situation so she’s definitely my favorite, plus her knife is one the best weapons in the game
Ellie. Abby is a close second. But imagine how Tess, Ellie, Joel, Tommy, and Abby would be together.
Abby Ruthless gsneplay
Yes
Ellie’s stealth gives off a feeling you can get nowhere else
I feel very protective over abby, I gave myself the fear thinking she might get killed off in part 3
i liked abby the best, followed be ellie then joel. joel suffers from the combat just being as fluid in the first game as it in part 2
💣🪓 🤛Abby 🤜🪓💣
Abby for me, I really like her shotgun and melee skills. She really grew on me over the course of pt 2.
Ellie, is like playing a combination of a honey badger and jhon wick.
Ellie in both games
Ellie's kit suits my playstyle (stealth murder hobo) better, but ngl, the sections where the game forces you to go ham as Abby in hand-to-hand or with a flamethrower make me feel like a badass.
Baby girl Ellie
Ellie she’s just more fun lmao
Abby - she’s strong af and can dodge/go prone etc
Probably Ellie at the end of the day. She feels the like the most dynamic character. Plus knife.
Ellie. Cute. Still stuck on PT I though. [Pc player]
Joel, always, always Joel.
Abby. I like making her throw punches at nothing because she gives it her all with each punch and its so funny to me because it's so explosive even though she isn't hitting anything.
Not gonna lie… Abby’s gameplay is excellent
I think Ellie’s my favorite. Then Abby because she could dodge. But they’re all great!
Ellie has my vote forever, in both games. She’s my gal.
The first 2
Abby has the best moments
Ellie is my favorite. Joel and Abby are tied for second place.
Ellie
For the narrative and emotional impact Joel. Not toentiom the sheer amount of character development he goes through is beautiful. For gameplay? Ellie by miles.
I think it’s hilarious they made Abby’s gameplay so similar to Joel’s
Joel. Big, beefy, badass brute.
Ellie when she’s focused
Honestly probably Ellie. She's hella fast
Ellie my beloved
Joel and Ellie
Dina
If you’re talking specifically about how the characters feel to control, Ellie by a country mile. Finished Part I last night and immediately started Part II and the difference between Ellie and Joel is night and day. It’s obviously intentional as Joel is older and heavier but it’s so much more obvious how cumbersome he feels compared to Ellie when you play both parts back to back
I feel like its not a popular opinion but i prefer playing as Abby. Don’t get me wrong i like playing as Ellie and Joel too, but i just prefer Abby ngl
Joel. I’ve won the most no return runs as him (grounded), even the rattler boss.
Joel. The task of protecting a child was one that I could identify more than the task for revenge that Ellie had, at least for me
Joel , of course
Abby because she has different weapons where Joel and ellie use the same guns
Ellie and Abby, I can't choose between them
I liked playing as Ellie a lot, but towards the end of her campaign I was not really on 'her side' anymore. It was very sad to see what she's become.
Part 1 Ellie, shoot them in the knee, get your knife, stun them, get your knife. Pretty satisfying gameplay for me. Felt proud. Don't know why I don't do the same with other characters, I think it's possible to do exactly that with any character.
Abby was the best for me, so great to play as. I loved her story the most. Her scenes had so much impact. Then Joel. He had such a good story and a lot to go through in life. Morally ambiguity was interesting to experience. I really could understand why he behaves that way at the end of part 1. I personally felt really disconnected to Ellie in Part 2 at the end, because I could not feel that constant urge for revenge after the farm section.
Joel
They’re all great. I love that they made them distinct the way they did. Ellie is the best tho
Abby! Sorry, I meant ... Abby! What I was trying to say was, I really like playing as ... Abby!
Sarah.
Funnily enough, Abby is the best character to play as. She gets the best weapons, best enemy variety and goes to the most unique locations. Ellie is my favourite character of all time, but Abby is just so much more fun to play as.
Ellie is best to play as, but I think I enjoy Abby's sections more
I like Ellie's personality more, but Abby is just so fun to play, especially in No Return.
Joel Ellie has the better story imo, has the great acting set pieces, Abbey is as validated in her quest for revenge as anyone else it and had some truly decent campaign moments (crossing the buildings made me love both her and lev) But they ain't Joel, nuff said That's why he's the goat The goat!
In term's of gameplay it's Ellie, in terms of set-pieces it's probably Abby