The Last of Us Part 2: The Scariest and Cutest Enemies?

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In The Last of Us, there’s no scarcity of fearsome and tension-building adversaries. Creatures like the unpredictable clickers, who suddenly appear and flail around, are constantly intimidating, for instance. And groups of armed bandits darting around cover create nerve-wracking cat-and-mouse situations. Typically in The Last of Us, there’s a back-and-forth balance between players being the prey and enemies being the predator, but in Part 2, they added dogs to their mix of tense stealth gameplay mechanics, making the experience even more thrilling.

In the initial release of “The Last of Us Part 2”, dogs were a highly debated subject due to their integration as a new enemy type in both the Washington Liberation Front and Rattler factions. Despite being endearing to most people except those with a fear of dogs (cynophobes), these canines are extremely dangerous during gameplay, causing even well-planned strategies to unravel. This applies not only to the game’s story campaign but also its roguelike mode, No Return.

The Last of Us Part 2’s Dogs are No Mere Pets

In The Last of Us Part 2, military attack dogs are introduced as companions of the Washington Liberation Front soldiers. As Ellie ventures deeper into enemy territory, tracking dogs pose a significant challenge during both stealth and combat starting from Day 2. This is particularly problematic when Ellie is alone while Dina, who is pregnant, rests at their hidden theater base. The dogs are able to detect players’ scent, which is represented by a silhouetted trail between the dog and Ellie when Listen Mode is activated. If players cannot create a distraction, maintain distance, or kill the dog before it locates them, they will be found and attacked in a frenzy that requires rapid button-mashing to escape.

In some cases, it might not be as straightforward, but players have the option to bypass or avoid any dogs in a story campaign battle by either eliminating the dog’s controller to divert their attention, or employing stealthy tactics to move past them undetected.

It’s crucial to understand that Ellie doesn’t go around needlessly harming innocent pets. Instead, she acts in self-defense against dogs specifically trained for combat, particularly when they are from the enemy group, the Seraphites. It’s also worth noting that Alice is the only dog known to have been killed by Ellie, and in that situation, it was either her defending herself or being mauled by the dog. Dogs serve an unusual role as antagonists in The Last of Us series, as players might find themselves grappling with the morality of killing them due to their canine nature.

Dogs in The Last of Us Part 2 aren’t Always Man’s Best Friend

In contrast to the original intention of avoiding dogs in The Last of Us Part 2 to spare them harm, dogs encountered in the “No Return” mode contribute to enemy tallies and need to be defeated to finish the associated encounters. Despite seemingly going against the ethos of dog-avoidance, this exception is made due to “No Return” being a standalone roguelike game mode that operates independently from the storyline, allowing for a clear distinction between dogs’ narrative roles versus their impact in gameplay.

In two distinct locations – the Logging Camp for Wildlife Freedom (WLF) interactions and the Resort for the Rattler Captain boss fight – you’ll find dogs spawning. However, these pooches can’t access or climb higher areas like upper floors and platforms in these settings. As a result, they remain vulnerable, sitting below until players take them out to finish the encounter.

In this game, the ethical dilemma of killing dogs is resolved because they are portrayed as enemies. Yet, it’s ironic that characters like Abby, who have their own pet dogs throughout the story, might find themselves in situations where they must kill dogs during one of six encounters in each playthrough for The Last of Us Part 2’s No Return level.

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2025-04-29 15:50