How Last of Us 2's Superhero Cards Connect to The Main Story
[WARNING: Minor Spoilers for The Last of Us: Part 2 below]
While playing through The Last of Us Part 2, the player often finds themselves stumbling upon superhero trading cards which not only have intriguing origins and designs, but also hold more story relevance than players might think. It is no secret that Naughty Dog's newest masterpiece is a bleak one. It seems their is no line The Last of Us: Part 2 is unwilling to cross, often reveling in its ability to make the player contribute to Ellie's new gruesome journey. In fact, in many cases dark and unsettling actions are utilized (to admittedly great effect) to further push the games themes and tone. The game is confident in it's violent vision, and while there are some playable flashbacks that provide the player a short time to relax, the adventure is undoubtedly visceral and intense until the credits roll.
When looking at the story of The Last of Us: Part 2, one would not describe it as "lighthearted." Interestingly enough, Neil Druckmann and his team opted to highlight Ellie's apparent interest in old superhero comics and films in the form of a collectible; these collectibles being the well designed and intriguing superhero trading cards which are hidden all throughout Seattle.
At first glance, these cards may appear to be a small Easter egg, paying homage to many modern day superheroes. In fact, Druckmann also inserted a unique reference to the Uncharted series into the game as well. While many of these cards do appear to simply be parodies of other superheroes, Naughty Dog has also created many fantastic designs that stand on their own. Some of the more interesting ones include the techno billionaire "Brainstorm," the Archer look alike cleverly named "Arch-Enemy," and the mysterious "Imp" which has a strong resemblance to art from 90's anime.
Druckmann even left a hilarious self-referential Easter egg one in the form of his own trading card titled "Doctor Uckmann." According to the card, Uckmann was once an esteemed researcher until he began running experiments which tested the limits of the human body. Some thought this was a reference to Naughty Dog's rumored reports of crunch, but it appears to simply be a reference to Druckmann's physical exercise regimen.
The fascinating and well thought out designs of many of these cards is to be expected, but what purpose do they serve in The Last of Us Part 2's narrative? As previously stated, Ellie's new adventure is one with little remorse and no second chances to those who have wronged her. This grim mood in constant throughout her three days in Seattle. Despite this, the trading cards serve to add some lightheartedness to what is otherwise an unsettling experience. The cards provide a small period for the player to relax in between all the brutality that occurs throughout Ellie's time in Seattle.
Overall, the trading cards themselves are an undeniably small portion of The Last of Us: Part 2. Despite this, they inject personality into not only the game's characters, but also into the game's world. It would be great to see Naughty Dog create even more cards in the future. However, unless The Last of Us: Part 2 receives a story expansion (which seems unlikely) settling with all the cards in the final game is a fine alternative.