The real horror in zombie fiction is usually not the legions of undead, but the frailties and cruelties that they expose in the living. The differences between stories in the genre come from the specific fears and frustrations that they render into their metaphors. The Last of Us Part II fits perfectly within these genre conventions, but what's different here is its sources of inspiration.
Great article. I’d been wondering how Druckmann’s experience as a West Bank Israeli would influence the game. Going by this, it’s more prominent than I expected.
Glad Emanuel ended up writing an article about this, I think it was the most interesting topic that came up in the 6 hr spoilercast (lol Rob). I think flags should go up anytime, especially anyone from a Western background, starts talking about universality whether that is about emotions or anything else because the history of the discourse around universality is so closely tied up with colonial projects. That Druckmann ties his experience bearing witness to the Israeli-Palestine conflict in terms of universality is so telling. I am grateful Emanuel has the background to speak to the same events Druckmann recalls, and push back against that narrative.
