HBO’s The Last of Us has proven the incredible storytelling capabilities of video games several times over. Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin have done a masterful job of honouring the show’s source material, even while introducing new content that improved certain aspects of the game. The show was enjoyed by non-players and those who spent hours traversing the in-game world and learning all its secrets. While HBO’s The Last of Us can be enjoyed by anyone, a few Easter Eggs and references are laid throughout the show, making it extra enjoyable for those who played the game. While watching the season one finale, several fans spotted one such reference (a little yellow guide marker), and they just couldn’t help but laugh over it.
RELATED: Why The Last of Us Worked And The Walking Dead Didn’t
The Yellow Guide Marker
As many gamers will know, The Last of Us included many moments that involve ladders. For example, Ellie often had to toss down or move a Ladder so Joel could make it over to her. It’s a mechanic that also features in other Naughty Dog games, most notably the Uncharted franchise.
Due to the overly detailed environment of The Last of Us, players often found it challenging to locate the ladder needed to climb up. To make life easier for them, the developers included yellow paint markers, which were used to guide players to their next mark.
Fans had been expecting the ladders to make an appearance. They hadn’t expected to see a subtle splash of yellow paint next to the ladder as the camera panned over. It’s a minor, seemingly insignificant detail, but fans absolutely loved it.
RELATED: Does The Last of Us Have An Anti-Christian Bias?
Fans’ Response
Reddit User u/Pepepeche posted a photo of the paint splash near the ladder and captioned it, “Honestly the best casting in the show”, and many fans agreed with them.
Some remarked that they’d reached for the triangle button on their controller as a reflex, then realised there was no icon indicating that they needed to press triangle and they weren’t actually playing the game.
Many thought it was an awesome detail for the creator to include and praised the series, though a few did jokingly begin calling for “Justice For Brick” after not seeing one brick in the entire series.
u/TheZooBoy said, “As soon as I saw the ladder and listened to Joel say he’ll boost Ellie up, I actually laughed out loud, and my family looked at me like I was crazy. Had to explain it to them lol.” It seems they weren’t the only one who laughed aloud or had to explain why they were so excited over a ladder to their family.
Several other Redditors commented that they’d had similar experiences. One user hit their very confused wife’s leg in their excitement.
The smaller details seen throughout the show make it evident that Neil Druckmann understands and cares for his fans.
RELATED: Casting the Perfect Abby for The Last of Us Season 2
TL;DR
- The season finale of The Last of Us referenced the yellow guide markers in the game.
- Many fans were incredibly excited upon seeing the guide markers and had their families questioning their sanity.
- Neil Druckmann clearly understands his fans.