You know, I have actually never read the American Dreams comics, don't know why, just never got around to it. I've been meaning though for two reasons: 1. I love TLOU so I should 2. One of the co-writers of the comics, Faith Erin Hicks, is going to be the new writer for the Avatar: The Last Airbender comics starting next fall.
You should totally read them, you can find them anywhere on the internet.
I still think she could treat her a little better even in LB as well, but I don't think Riley ever properly respects anyone...
Yeah probably it's her personallity.
Actually, I have my own interpretation of why Riley even was interested in Ellie in the first place... Don't know if anyone one wants to hear it or not. Or maybe it's what everyone thinks... I don't know.
Oh I'm interested, say it!
It's kinda weird, she got interested in Ellie out of nowhere and even managed to find out her name.
Seriously Ellie just loves to bite people,
Hahaha XD
She can be vicious when she needs to.
I have to say she treats Ellie(or … moreshould I say "new kid") kinda bad at the start.
I still think she could treat her a little better even in LB as well, but I don't think Riley ever properly respects anyone...
Actually, I have my own interpretation of why Riley even was interested in Ellie in the first place... Don't know if anyone one wants to hear it or not. Or maybe it's what everyone thinks... I don't know.
Yep! That's what lead to my interpretation... I don't usually share my in-depth thoughts, theories and interpretations about stuff because I figure that the internet has enough of them already... but... I guess I will.
[Contains spoilers for American Dreams (obviously)]
I believe that the whole reason why Riley was interested in Ellie was because of Riley's huge interest in the Fireflies. She would've had her way and means of finding out insider info from/about them. She would've found out that one of the "new kids", Ellie, was somehow associated with the Fireflies and saw her as the "key" to joining them. It would explain how she already knew her name and that what Marlene said about Ellie was the truth.
It would also explain why she was talking to Ellie, someone she had only just met, about her dream of escaping the system when she took her outside, because Ellie was a part of her plan!
Riley has shown that she uses friendships in order to get something that she wants, and when she feels she has nothing more to gain, she dumps them, for example: Winston.
She also obviously used Ellie to distract Winston to steal his stuff to find out where the Fireflies were, so she had no qualms in using Ellie at this point. (That should've been a red flag for Ellie)
So what was Riley planning on doing that night before Ellie demanded to join her? She seemed to have it already figured out on what to do with Ellie on-board...
I still haven't quite figured that out, but I think it has to do with why Riley "saved" Ellie and then stole her walkman. It played out over and over in Ellie's mind for the rest of the day. Ellie was quite pissed with her, so I'm not sure what made her want to join Riley.
Riley basically just used Ellie for her own purposes, but I believe that over time, she started to care about Ellie and started to see her as more than just a pawn in her game. I reckon she's never felt like that about someone before, which would explain her behavior in Left Behind, which would lead to my interpretation of that... But that's for some other time.
I still think she could treat her a little better even in LB as well, but I don't think Riley ever properly respects anyone...
Yeah … moreprobably it's her personallity.
Actually, I have my own interpretation of why Riley even was interested in Ellie in the first place... Don't know if anyone one wants to hear it or not. Or maybe it's what everyone thinks... I don't know.
Oh I'm interested, say it!
It's kinda weird, she got interested in Ellie out of nowhere and even managed to find out her name.
I bought and read the comics this morning. They cool
Based off of that, a lot of it makes sense. Riley improvised a plan to hand over Ellie to Marlene to gain her trust. Of course, Marlene didn't very much appreciate having Ellie brought to her, which makes me think that Riley didn't know everything about her intentions with Ellie. She just knew that Marlene wasn't lying to them with what she told. Riley probably only got a snippet of the information and didn't know about the part where the fireflies wanted Ellie to stay at the military school.
It is a little funny that Ellie was oblivious to this after what she pulled with the horse. XD
And I agree that their relationship formed while this was taking place. Riley was likely hoping by the end that they would leave with the fireflies and she would be with her under the new league.
Now, I have a question. If Marlene said it was a suicide mission to join the fireflies and didn't want Riley to join, why was she able to join them in L.B while she was still in charge? Marlene could've added her to a blacklist and she could never join. Could it really be that she wanted to test her before she could accept her as one of them? There may have been some information I missed from the game that shows it's full justification, but please, I need a refresher.
Yep! That's what lead to my interpretation... I don't usually share my in-depth thoughts, theories and interpretations about stuff because I… more figure that the internet has enough of them already... but... I guess I will.
[Contains spoilers for American Dreams (obviously)]
(Spoiler)
I agree with everything you said, she seems to be the kind of person who would use people for their benefits, and yeah Winston is a very good example, but she ended up caring about Ellie, that's why after she joined the Fireflies she came back to the Military School to visit Ellie, if she didn't care about her she wouldn't come back. (as we can see in the game, she even counted the days since she left, and prepared the whole "surprise" for Ellie)
She would've found out that one of the "new kids", Ellie, was somehow associated with the Fireflies and saw her as the "key" to joining them
I don't understand how she would've found your that Ellie was associated with the Fireflies...
So what was Riley planning on doing that night before Ellie demanded to join her?
The exact same thing, but she had the chance to use Ellie as a distraction...
I reckon she's never felt like that about someone before, which would explain her behavior in Left Behind, which would lead to my interpretation of that... But that's for some other time
Yep! That's what lead to my interpretation... I don't usually share my in-depth thoughts, theories and interpretations about stuff because I… more figure that the internet has enough of them already... but... I guess I will.
[Contains spoilers for American Dreams (obviously)]
(Spoiler)
I don't understand how she would've found your that Ellie was associated with the Fireflies...
♫ Secret Agent Woman, Secret Agent Woman! They've given her a number, and taken away her name ♪
Knowing her, I'm sure she weaseled her way into some info. Probably why she knew her name before they met, same why she knows the Firefly charter and what their mission is without being there.
I agree with everything you said, she seems to be the kind of person who would use people for their benefits, and yeah Winston is a very goo… mored example, but she ended up caring about Ellie, that's why after she joined the Fireflies she came back to the Military School to visit Ellie, if she didn't care about her she wouldn't come back. (as we can see in the game, she even counted the days since she left, and prepared the whole "surprise" for Ellie)
She would've found out that one of the "new kids", Ellie, was somehow associated with the Fireflies and saw her as the "key" to joining them
I don't understand how she would've found your that Ellie was associated with the Fireflies...
So what was Riley planning on doing that night before Ellie demanded to join her?
The exact same thing, but she had the chance to use Ellie as a distraction...
I reckon she's never felt like that about someone before, which would expla… [view original content]
I don't understand how she would've found your that Ellie was associated with the Fireflies...
♫ Secret Agent Woman, Secret Agent Wo… moreman! They've given her a number, and taken away her name ♪
Knowing her, I'm sure she weaseled her way into some info. Probably why she knew her name before they met, same why she knows the Firefly charter and what their mission is without being there.
Oh, it's really "Secret Agent Man" I just goofed with the lyrics.
You're right maybe she studied everything about Marlene then somehow found out that Ellie was associated with her
Well, maybe not everything. If she knew that Marlene wanted Ellie to stay at the military school she probably wouldn't have brought her along. Unless it was just added protection. ? And companionship
You make some good points. I didn't really think much about how much Riley might've known about Ellie. What you said makes a lot of sense, that Riley didn't fully understand why Ellie was in the school in the first place. I would think though, that even if she did know Marlene's intention was to keep Ellie in the school, she would've still brought her anyway or used her somehow considering she's pretty desperate to join the Fireflies.
Haha, now that I think about it, that's actually pretty creepy that Riley, Marlene and the Fireflies, all these people knew so much about Ellie before they'd even met her.
I actually went back and reread the comics after reading your post and I noticed something odd: when Riley gets "bitten" during the Runner encounter, (a "Rick's Jacket" case) she got bit on her left arm, then after the Runner was defeated, she notices a rip on her right sleeve and acts like that was where she was "bitten". After that, her sleeve magically sews back up, so when she was complaining about ruining her jacket, she was complaining about nothing. No wonder she loves that jacket though, that's a pretty handy feature!
If I had read the comics before playing the game though, I would've thought that she did get bitten but pretended it was her opposite arm...
It is a little funny that Ellie was oblivious to this after what she pulled with the horse. XD
Yeah, that could be because of her naivety. But having said that, although Ellie can appear naive, I don't think she's stupid. So maybe she did suspect Riley was still using her at this point, but had already started to form a bond with Riley and chose to tag along because of her fear of being by herself.
Remember after Winston gave Ellie the horse riding lesson and Riley had the walkie-talkies? Riley told Ellie she was going to find the Fireflies and Ellie thought she was out of her mind (I love her reaction btw), but when Riley runs off and says "Suit yourself.", Ellie was struck with the fear of being... left behind, so she reluctantly joined Riley on her crazy plan.
I also noticed this time, at that same part of the comic, Riley didn't intend to find the Fireflies that day. After the explosion, Riley said "I didn't think it'd happen tonight, but this is it. This is the way out." so she mustn't of planned to bring Ellie to the Fireflies, at least that night, but she did at least plan on using her to distract Winston. But couldn't she have used anyone for that? Winston mentions that she brings other kids there. Hmmm, I'm starting to find holes in my original interpretation... Thanks for that. Ha ha, I'm not being sarcastic either, I enjoy analyzing things, so analyzing my analysis is fun. (um... that sounds a bit crazy actually)
Now, I have a question. If Marlene said it was a suicide mission to join the fireflies and didn't want Riley to join, why was she able to join them in L.B while she was still in charge?
I haven't played the game in a few months, but that was one of the big questions I had too after reading the comics: How did Riley manage to convince Marlene to let her join the Fireflies?
In the comics, when Marlene was trying to talk Riley out of joining the Fireflies and was threatening to kill her, I reckon she must of been testing her. When Ellie escapes the grip of the other Firefly and acquires his gun, Marlene says "There's no need for this. I wasn't going to--" but Ellie interrupts her by firing off a bullet near her head. In Left Behind, Riley mentions all these tests that Marlene put her through.
Whatever Marlene's reasons were, I still think she's pretty nuts. She can be so cold and unemotional, and is so obsessed with sacrifice, yet seems so calm and down-to-earth at the same time. It's a bit frightening.
I was trying to figure out why Ellie would want to join Riley in sneaking out that night when she had only caused trouble during their previous interactions. Maybe Ellie saw that as a way of getting payback by threatening to get Riley into trouble if she didn't help her escape? I don't know, if that was me, I'd steer clear of anyone that messed with me, but... I'm not very assertive like Ellie.
I love how the artist drew a heart when Ellie met the horse (was her name Princess?). That was sweet. Animals can be healing and therapeutic.
I had forgotten about the effort Riley put in to her surprise for Ellie, thanks for pointing that out. Before that happened though, they had a huge argument and then Riley apparently up and left. Riley is so hard to figure out, always leaving people to guess what her motives are every minute. I can see how Ellie can get super frustrated with her.
Like I said before, Riley began to care about Ellie and I believe she's never felt like that before, and she's not a very upfront person, so she didn't really know how to deal with her feelings, resulting in arguments and games. That's a pretty brief outline of my LB interpretation.
The reason why I posted my interpretation of American Dreams is because I had already written it up not long ago. I haven't written one for Left Behind yet, or even for the main game. I could easily spend hours writing it and I soon won't have as much free time as I usually do. I also wanted to replay LB again before writing up an interpretation since I have new info from the comics but I don't have my PlayStation set up at the moment. So yeah, that might take a while.
I don't understand how she would've found your that Ellie was associated with the Fireflies...
Pretty much what @Zombiekiller3121 said. Riley has shown that she knows how to sneak out. She knew Ellie's name before she met her ("I have my ways. You seem crazy enough to be interesting.") and had confirmed that what Marlene said was the truth. She knew about Marlene and the Fireflies charter. But the biggest thing is that she knew something was going to happen involving the Fireflies (the explosion after Winston took Ellie horse riding), how the hell did she know of that? Those are the reasons why I believe she would've known that Ellie was associated with the Fireflies, but that doesn't mean that you have to believe it too. I'm happy for anyone to dissect my interpretation and respectfully challenge it with information I may have missed or a new perspective.
I agree with everything you said, she seems to be the kind of person who would use people for their benefits, and yeah Winston is a very goo… mored example, but she ended up caring about Ellie, that's why after she joined the Fireflies she came back to the Military School to visit Ellie, if she didn't care about her she wouldn't come back. (as we can see in the game, she even counted the days since she left, and prepared the whole "surprise" for Ellie)
She would've found out that one of the "new kids", Ellie, was somehow associated with the Fireflies and saw her as the "key" to joining them
I don't understand how she would've found your that Ellie was associated with the Fireflies...
So what was Riley planning on doing that night before Ellie demanded to join her?
The exact same thing, but she had the chance to use Ellie as a distraction...
I reckon she's never felt like that about someone before, which would expla… [view original content]
I just looked up The Last of Us: American Dreams on ebay. After being disappointing that I couldn't afford the million-dollar comics, I clicked on a similar search option for the Last of Us posters, just to see what was available...
Don't look up the Last of Us posters on ebay. I don't even know how that shit is allowed there.
I need to look at cute puppy dog pictures now.
Well, maybe not everything. If she knew that Marlene wanted Ellie to stay at the military school she probably wouldn't have brought her along. Unless it was just added protection. ? And companionship
True but I don't think Riley needed protection, she seemed pretty tough, well she could have died if Ellie wasn't there in the comic. Both, Riley and Ellie needed companionship (why did you put "companionship" in such small letters) lol
Edit: or maybe Riley just wanted to use Ellie to get to the Fireflies. That's it.
What is this song? Haha
Oh, it's really "Secret Agent Man" I just goofed with the lyrics.
You're right maybe she studied ever… moreything about Marlene then somehow found out that Ellie was associated with her
Well, maybe not everything. If she knew that Marlene wanted Ellie to stay at the military school she probably wouldn't have brought her along. Unless it was just added protection. ? And companionship
well now I'll just have to wait for your PlayStation set up so I can read your LB analyzis (haha I'm just kidding, but I love reading your analyzis and theories, thanks)
Pretty much what @Zombiekiller3121 said. Riley has shown that she knows how to sneak out. She knew Ellie's name before she met her ("I have my ways. You seem crazy enough to be interesting.") and had confirmed that what Marlene said was the truth. She knew about Marlene and the Fireflies charter. But the biggest thing is that she knew something was going to happen involving the Fireflies (the explosion after Winston took Ellie horse riding), how the hell did she know of that? Those are the reasons why I believe she would've known that Ellie was associated with the Fireflies
What I don't understand is how the he'll did she found that out, I mean, she studied everything about the Fireflies, almost everything about Marlene, but where, where she found the information about Ellie? I guess I'll never know, maybe I'm just overreacting and Riley managed to find out Ellie's name by sneaking through the "Corporal Dickhead" office and checked the list of the students and found Ellie. lol.
Well I just searched what you told me not to search because (reverse psychology, you know?) I mean, when someone tells me not to search something, I search that something, even knowing I'm gonna regret searching that, I'm curious. And now I regret searching that, as always.
Dude you're right what the fuck I can't believe people actually buy that thing? Send me cute puppy dog pictures I need them too.
Also, I can't buy the million dollars comics too, I read them on a site.
I just looked up The Last of Us: American Dreams on ebay. After being disappointing that I couldn't afford the million-dollar comics, I clic… moreked on a similar search option for the Last of Us posters, just to see what was available...
Don't look up the Last of Us posters on ebay. I don't even know how that shit is allowed there.
I need to look at cute puppy dog pictures now.
Both, Riley and Ellie needed companionship (why did you put "companionship" in such small letters) lol
It was just a thought I wanted to throw out there. I didn't think you would care about that part, but I'm glad you did.
or maybe Riley just wanted to use Ellie to get to the Fireflies. That's it.
Hmm... Oh, then Riley didn't know more than I thought. Ellie was separated from her mother and the fireflies as a baby. In that phrasing, she wouldn't know jack-doodlely about them. How would that help her get to the fireflies?
Could it be that Riley just didn't know about this early separation and it threw off her judgement?
(Sorry for the confusion in advance. I'm still sporting a fever and a headache while writing this)
Oh okay, nice song
Well, maybe not everything. If she knew that Marlene wanted Ellie to stay at the military school she probably woul… moredn't have brought her along. Unless it was just added protection. ? And companionship
True but I don't think Riley needed protection, she seemed pretty tough, well she could have died if Ellie wasn't there in the comic. Both, Riley and Ellie needed companionship (why did you put "companionship" in such small letters) lol
Edit: or maybe Riley just wanted to use Ellie to get to the Fireflies. That's it.
This helped to bring to light a lot of things. And you're welcome
Yeah, that could be because of her naivety. But having said that, although Ellie can appear naive, I don't think she's stupid. So maybe she did suspect Riley was still using her at this point, but had already started to form a bond with Riley and chose to tag along because of her fear of being by herself.
Yah, not stupid. And if not naive, She's just willing to take these risks if it meant that It would help her in that way. She wanted to leave the city with her after they left the fireflies, after all. Just because she didn't want to be alone.
Maybe Ellie saw that as a way of getting payback by threatening to get Riley into trouble if she didn't help her escape?
I looked back at page 28, (I got the all-in-one edition, it will still be at the end of chap 1) there was a mutual agreement, Ellie would bust her if she didn't show her a way to escape. She wanted to know a way out, and I don't blame her. Having a place where she can get away for a moment to calm her nerves doesn't sound like a bad idea. Also, (unrelated) Ellie commented on that page that she should get someone to watch her back. I like that part
Whatever Marlene's reasons were, I still think she's pretty nuts. She can be so cold and unemotional, and is so obsessed with sacrifice, yet seems so calm and down-to-earth at the same time. It's a bit frightening
I see. And in some ways, I'm starting to relate to her on that outlook (More towards myself than everyone else). Is that bad?
And all these little details makes me think of that moment before they left the arcade. It's so odd that she would have thoughts like that. What if we get to see some parts like that through the eyes of Ellie and Part II? I would love that.
Hmm... Oh, then Riley didn't know more than I thought. Ellie was separated from her mother and the fireflies as a baby. In that phrasing, she wouldn't know jack-doodlely about them. How would that help her get to the fireflies?
Ellie would help her because she would be a distraction while Riley steals Winston's stuff. Not because her association with Marlene and the Fireflies (actually, that helped her) but I don't think Riley knew about Ellie and her association with Marlene. As I said before:
maybe I'm just overreacting and Riley managed to find out Ellie's name by sneaking through the "Corporal Dickhead" office and checked the list of the students and found Ellie.
(Sorry for the confusion in advance. I'm still sporting a fever and a headache while writing this)
Who else thinks Naughty Dog should make challenging bosses in the sequel, kind of like in the same level with the Dark Souls and Bloodborne ones? That'd be enjoyable and add more replay value.
Who else thinks Naughty Dog should make challenging bosses in the sequel, kind of like in the same level with the Dark Souls and Bloodborne ones? That'd be enjoyable and add more replay value.
Kind of? I'd also like a boss where in an area you're unarmed and you have to avoid an enemy which kills you instantly, sort of like Xenomorph from Alien Isolation.
5 years have passed in Part ll, so it would make sense if there are new types of infected, more dangerous than the bloater. And personally I would love if there are infected animals, imagine having to fight against a bear clicker. In the first game the monkeys were infected, so the cordyceps may have evolved and infected larger and more dangerous animals. Then we would have to fight new types of infected, animals infected and humans.
Monkeys were not infected, they were trying to make cures using the monkeys.
Also a little thingie here:
In that lab, on one of the tapes, it is said that they were trying to find a cure for years and have not had a breakthrough in five years.
Going by the amount of clickers/bloaters in the building and how old and decomposed the fireflies remains were, his body had been there for an extremely long time.
It is said that this so called "breakthrough" was actually testing done that has to do with Anna. They were trying to make a cure but couldn't, little did they know they actually made a mother who could pass on immune offspring.
5 years have passed in Part ll, so it would make sense if there are new types of infected, more dangerous than the bloater. And personally I… more would love if there are infected animals, imagine having to fight against a bear clicker. In the first game the monkeys were infected, so the cordyceps may have evolved and infected larger and more dangerous animals. Then we would have to fight new types of infected, animals infected and humans.
Monkeys were not infected, they were trying to make cures using the monkeys.
Also a little thingie here:
In that lab, on one of the tape… mores, it is said that they were trying to find a cure for years and have not had a breakthrough in five years.
Going by the amount of clickers/bloaters in the building and how old and decomposed the fireflies remains were, his body had been there for an extremely long time.
It is said that this so called "breakthrough" was actually testing done that has to do with Anna. They were trying to make a cure but couldn't, little did they know they actually made a mother who could pass on immune offspring.
But probably one that would be the most likely to happen would be a super stalker. They wait in hidden and dark places, and stand there without a sound. If get too close and fail to see the warning signs to steer clear, they grab you and drag you in. Heads on a swivel.
5 years have passed in Part ll, so it would make sense if there are new types of infected, more dangerous than the bloater. And personally I… more would love if there are infected animals, imagine having to fight against a bear clicker. In the first game the monkeys were infected, so the cordyceps may have evolved and infected larger and more dangerous animals. Then we would have to fight new types of infected, animals infected and humans.
Yes, you're right, you're not overeacting... (cont'd)
(Minor comics spoilers below)
Those reasons I listed don't actually prove that Riley knew that Ellie was associated with the Fireflies, they just show that it's highly likely that she did.
What you said is also quite likely as well. She could've snuck in sometimes office and read the files on the students and found Ellie's name.
Everyone has a different perspective, which is cool.
well now I'll just have to wait for your PlayStation set up so I can read your LB analyzis (haha I'm just kidding, but I love reading your … moreanalyzis and theories, thanks)
Pretty much what @Zombiekiller3121 said. Riley has shown that she knows how to sneak out. She knew Ellie's name before she met her ("I have my ways. You seem crazy enough to be interesting.") and had confirmed that what Marlene said was the truth. She knew about Marlene and the Fireflies charter. But the biggest thing is that she knew something was going to happen involving the Fireflies (the explosion after Winston took Ellie horse riding), how the hell did she know of that? Those are the reasons why I believe she would've known that Ellie was associated with the Fireflies
What I don't understand is how the he'll did she found that out, I mean, she studied everything about the Fireflies, almost everything about Marlene, but where, where she found the informati… [view original content]
Well I just searched what you told me not to search because (reverse psychology, you know?) I mean, when someone tells me not to search some… morething, I search that something, even knowing I'm gonna regret searching that, I'm curious. And now I regret searching that, as always.
Dude you're right what the fuck I can't believe people actually buy that thing? Send me cute puppy dog pictures I need them too.
Also, I can't buy the million dollars comics too, I read them on a site.
So, do you think you'll be getting the comics soon...?
I'm going to assume that you haven't played Left Behind yet, is that right? It'd probably be better to read the comics beforehand anyway since they were released before LB. I did it in the wrong order.
I just looked up The Last of Us: American Dreams on ebay. After being disappointing that I couldn't afford the million-dollar comics, I clic… moreked on a similar search option for the Last of Us posters, just to see what was available...
Don't look up the Last of Us posters on ebay. I don't even know how that shit is allowed there.
I need to look at cute puppy dog pictures now.
I'm not so surprised that people buy that as to the fact that it's even allowed to be sold there.
As for the puppy dog picture, I hope this will suffice:
Damn my latest interest in this ridiculous TV series...
Kind of? I'd also like a boss where in an area you're unarmed and you have to avoid an enemy which kills you instantly, sort of like Xenomorph from Alien Isolation.
thanks you saved my life, now I know where is the perfect place not to buy posters, I bet David made that poster lmao
Damn my latest i… morenterest in this ridiculous TV series...
I don't know what TV series you're talking about but if the cute puppy dog is there, it's not ridiculous
Sure.
1. the plot feels like a combination of set pieces.
2. full of dull stealth sequences
3. the gameplay is so bad, it's unbelievable
4. the story is boring, I couldn't even finish the game i was that bored,
that's just my opinion and I just want to say I'm not a Xbox fanboy or anything, I own both console.
Heh heh, nice one, man. But if that's what you think, then that's cool with me.
Do you wanna discuss the reasons why you think TLOU isn't as good as people say?
Hmm, I suppose I don't really need to spoiler tag this post since it technically doesn't give away anything plot-wise to the comics...
I see. And in some ways, I'm starting to relate to her on that outlook (More towards myself than everyone else). Is that bad?
I'm not completely sure what you mean by that. Are you asking for my opinion on that? What I meant with Marlene is that she is so devoted, and focused, and I'd even say obsessed with her cause that she is willing to sacrifice anything and anyone for it, but at the same time, she doesn't appear crazy, she seems quite level-headed.
At the end of the day, would you rather have achieved your ultimate goal but have no one with you, or have people that you love and care about but haven't completed your cause? I'd choose the latter, because in my opinion, what's the point in saving the world if you have no one to share that with? Maybe that's a selfish outlook? I just don't think any good reason like "saving the world" is justification for killing your friends.... And yes, we've only seen Marlene sacrifice Ellie thus far, someone who she never really had a bond with, (there's still ambiguities surrounding Anna's death) but I can see her doing that to anyone. "I don't know, it just doesn't seem right." - Ellie
But with you? Well, being unemotional and having difficulty feeling and expressing emotions are completely different things. I can't say which one you feel though. And... are you obsessed with sacrifice? Again, I'm not quite sure what you mean.
And all these little details makes me think of that moment before they left the arcade. It's so odd that she would have thoughts like that. What if we get to see some parts like that through the eyes of Ellie and Part II? I would love that.
The part where Ellie imagines what the arcade was like pre-apocalypse? Oh my gosh, I can't believe you mentioned that! Yes, I'd love to see more parts like that! I was going to mention it before in my previous post but I figured it was long enough already...
Out of all of the comics, that part stood out to me the most, and it doesn't even advance the plot. It's just so... compelling and powerful, I don't know how to explain it. When I read that part, that whole scene comes to life. I can hear the laughter of the kids playing in the arcade. I can hear the sad, emotional music in the background. I can hear Ellie's voice say "It's coming for you.". I can hear the infected come and maul the innocent people. I can feel the sadness Ellie must feel at the thought of what's been lost in the apocalypse: fun. I can hear the silence that follows.
Sure.
1. the plot feels like a combination of set pieces.
2. full of dull stealth sequences
3. the gameplay is so bad, it's unbelievable
… more 4. the story is boring, I couldn't even finish the game i was that bored,
that's just my opinion and I just want to say I'm not a Xbox fanboy or anything, I own both console.
So, do you think you'll be getting the comics soon...?
I'm going to assume that you haven't played Left Behind yet, is that right? It'd … moreprobably be better to read the comics beforehand anyway since they were released before LB. I did it in the wrong order.
Here is the puppy pic btw:
(wait, does it work?!)
Comments
You should totally read them, you can find them anywhere on the internet.
Yeah probably it's her personallity.
Oh I'm interested, say it!
It's kinda weird, she got interested in Ellie out of nowhere and even managed to find out her name.
Yep! That's what lead to my interpretation... I don't usually share my in-depth thoughts, theories and interpretations about stuff because I figure that the internet has enough of them already... but... I guess I will.
[Contains spoilers for American Dreams (obviously)]
I believe that the whole reason why Riley was interested in Ellie was because of Riley's huge interest in the Fireflies. She would've had her way and means of finding out insider info from/about them. She would've found out that one of the "new kids", Ellie, was somehow associated with the Fireflies and saw her as the "key" to joining them. It would explain how she already knew her name and that what Marlene said about Ellie was the truth.
It would also explain why she was talking to Ellie, someone she had only just met, about her dream of escaping the system when she took her outside, because Ellie was a part of her plan!
Riley has shown that she uses friendships in order to get something that she wants, and when she feels she has nothing more to gain, she dumps them, for example: Winston.
She also obviously used Ellie to distract Winston to steal his stuff to find out where the Fireflies were, so she had no qualms in using Ellie at this point. (That should've been a red flag for Ellie)
So what was Riley planning on doing that night before Ellie demanded to join her? She seemed to have it already figured out on what to do with Ellie on-board...
I still haven't quite figured that out, but I think it has to do with why Riley "saved" Ellie and then stole her walkman. It played out over and over in Ellie's mind for the rest of the day. Ellie was quite pissed with her, so I'm not sure what made her want to join Riley.
Riley basically just used Ellie for her own purposes, but I believe that over time, she started to care about Ellie and started to see her as more than just a pawn in her game. I reckon she's never felt like that about someone before, which would explain her behavior in Left Behind, which would lead to my interpretation of that... But that's for some other time.
What do you think about it?
I bought and read the comics this morning. They cool
Based off of that, a lot of it makes sense. Riley improvised a plan to hand over Ellie to Marlene to gain her trust. Of course, Marlene didn't very much appreciate having Ellie brought to her, which makes me think that Riley didn't know everything about her intentions with Ellie. She just knew that Marlene wasn't lying to them with what she told. Riley probably only got a snippet of the information and didn't know about the part where the fireflies wanted Ellie to stay at the military school.
It is a little funny that Ellie was oblivious to this after what she pulled with the horse. XD
And I agree that their relationship formed while this was taking place. Riley was likely hoping by the end that they would leave with the fireflies and she would be with her under the new league.
Now, I have a question. If Marlene said it was a suicide mission to join the fireflies and didn't want Riley to join, why was she able to join them in L.B while she was still in charge? Marlene could've added her to a blacklist and she could never join. Could it really be that she wanted to test her before she could accept her as one of them? There may have been some information I missed from the game that shows it's full justification, but please, I need a refresher.
I agree with everything you said, she seems to be the kind of person who would use people for their benefits, and yeah Winston is a very good example, but she ended up caring about Ellie, that's why after she joined the Fireflies she came back to the Military School to visit Ellie, if she didn't care about her she wouldn't come back. (as we can see in the game, she even counted the days since she left, and prepared the whole "surprise" for Ellie)
I don't understand how she would've found your that Ellie was associated with the Fireflies...
The exact same thing, but she had the chance to use Ellie as a distraction...
Tell me! I love your theories haha
♫ Secret Agent Woman, Secret Agent Woman! They've given her a number, and taken away her name ♪
Knowing her, I'm sure she weaseled her way into some info. Probably why she knew her name before they met, same why she knows the Firefly charter and what their mission is without being there.
What is this song? Haha
You're right maybe she studied everything about Marlene then somehow found out that Ellie was associated with her
Oh, it's really "Secret Agent Man" I just goofed with the lyrics.
Well, maybe not everything. If she knew that Marlene wanted Ellie to stay at the military school she probably wouldn't have brought her along. Unless it was just added protection. ? And companionship
Comics spoilerz
Yes, they cool, very much so.
You make some good points. I didn't really think much about how much Riley might've known about Ellie. What you said makes a lot of sense, that Riley didn't fully understand why Ellie was in the school in the first place. I would think though, that even if she did know Marlene's intention was to keep Ellie in the school, she would've still brought her anyway or used her somehow considering she's pretty desperate to join the Fireflies.
Haha, now that I think about it, that's actually pretty creepy that Riley, Marlene and the Fireflies, all these people knew so much about Ellie before they'd even met her.
I actually went back and reread the comics after reading your post and I noticed something odd: when Riley gets "bitten" during the Runner encounter, (a "Rick's Jacket" case) she got bit on her left arm, then after the Runner was defeated, she notices a rip on her right sleeve and acts like that was where she was "bitten". After that, her sleeve magically sews back up, so when she was complaining about ruining her jacket, she was complaining about nothing. No wonder she loves that jacket though, that's a pretty handy feature!
If I had read the comics before playing the game though, I would've thought that she did get bitten but pretended it was her opposite arm...
Yeah, that could be because of her naivety. But having said that, although Ellie can appear naive, I don't think she's stupid. So maybe she did suspect Riley was still using her at this point, but had already started to form a bond with Riley and chose to tag along because of her fear of being by herself.
Remember after Winston gave Ellie the horse riding lesson and Riley had the walkie-talkies? Riley told Ellie she was going to find the Fireflies and Ellie thought she was out of her mind (I love her reaction btw), but when Riley runs off and says "Suit yourself.", Ellie was struck with the fear of being... left behind, so she reluctantly joined Riley on her crazy plan.
I also noticed this time, at that same part of the comic, Riley didn't intend to find the Fireflies that day. After the explosion, Riley said "I didn't think it'd happen tonight, but this is it. This is the way out." so she mustn't of planned to bring Ellie to the Fireflies, at least that night, but she did at least plan on using her to distract Winston. But couldn't she have used anyone for that? Winston mentions that she brings other kids there. Hmmm, I'm starting to find holes in my original interpretation... Thanks for that. Ha ha, I'm not being sarcastic either, I enjoy analyzing things, so analyzing my analysis is fun. (um... that sounds a bit crazy actually)
I haven't played the game in a few months, but that was one of the big questions I had too after reading the comics: How did Riley manage to convince Marlene to let her join the Fireflies?
In the comics, when Marlene was trying to talk Riley out of joining the Fireflies and was threatening to kill her, I reckon she must of been testing her. When Ellie escapes the grip of the other Firefly and acquires his gun, Marlene says "There's no need for this. I wasn't going to--" but Ellie interrupts her by firing off a bullet near her head. In Left Behind, Riley mentions all these tests that Marlene put her through.
Whatever Marlene's reasons were, I still think she's pretty nuts. She can be so cold and unemotional, and is so obsessed with sacrifice, yet seems so calm and down-to-earth at the same time. It's a bit frightening.
I was trying to figure out why Ellie would want to join Riley in sneaking out that night when she had only caused trouble during their previous interactions. Maybe Ellie saw that as a way of getting payback by threatening to get Riley into trouble if she didn't help her escape? I don't know, if that was me, I'd steer clear of anyone that messed with me, but... I'm not very assertive like Ellie.
I love how the artist drew a heart when Ellie met the horse (was her name Princess?). That was sweet. Animals can be healing and therapeutic.
Left Behind & Comics spoilerz
I had forgotten about the effort Riley put in to her surprise for Ellie, thanks for pointing that out. Before that happened though, they had a huge argument and then Riley apparently up and left. Riley is so hard to figure out, always leaving people to guess what her motives are every minute. I can see how Ellie can get super frustrated with her.
Like I said before, Riley began to care about Ellie and I believe she's never felt like that before, and she's not a very upfront person, so she didn't really know how to deal with her feelings, resulting in arguments and games. That's a pretty brief outline of my LB interpretation.
The reason why I posted my interpretation of American Dreams is because I had already written it up not long ago. I haven't written one for Left Behind yet, or even for the main game. I could easily spend hours writing it and I soon won't have as much free time as I usually do. I also wanted to replay LB again before writing up an interpretation since I have new info from the comics but I don't have my PlayStation set up at the moment. So yeah, that might take a while.
Pretty much what @Zombiekiller3121 said. Riley has shown that she knows how to sneak out. She knew Ellie's name before she met her ("I have my ways. You seem crazy enough to be interesting.") and had confirmed that what Marlene said was the truth. She knew about Marlene and the Fireflies charter. But the biggest thing is that she knew something was going to happen involving the Fireflies (the explosion after Winston took Ellie horse riding), how the hell did she know of that? Those are the reasons why I believe she would've known that Ellie was associated with the Fireflies, but that doesn't mean that you have to believe it too. I'm happy for anyone to dissect my interpretation and respectfully challenge it with information I may have missed or a new perspective.
...And thanks.
I just looked up The Last of Us: American Dreams on ebay. After being disappointing that I couldn't afford the million-dollar comics, I clicked on a similar search option for the Last of Us posters, just to see what was available...
Don't look up the Last of Us posters on ebay. I don't even know how that shit is allowed there.
I need to look at cute puppy dog pictures now.
Oh okay, nice song
True but I don't think Riley needed protection, she seemed pretty tough, well she could have died if Ellie wasn't there in the comic. Both, Riley and Ellie needed companionship (why did you put "companionship" in such small letters) lol
Edit: or maybe Riley just wanted to use Ellie to get to the Fireflies. That's it.
well now I'll just have to wait for your PlayStation set up so I can read your LB analyzis (haha I'm just kidding, but I love reading your analyzis and theories, thanks)
What I don't understand is how the he'll did she found that out, I mean, she studied everything about the Fireflies, almost everything about Marlene, but where, where she found the information about Ellie? I guess I'll never know, maybe I'm just overreacting and Riley managed to find out Ellie's name by sneaking through the "Corporal Dickhead" office and checked the list of the students and found Ellie. lol.
Well I just searched what you told me not to search because (reverse psychology, you know?) I mean, when someone tells me not to search something, I search that something, even knowing I'm gonna regret searching that, I'm curious. And now I regret searching that, as always.
Dude you're right what the fuck I can't believe people actually buy that thing? Send me cute puppy dog pictures I need them too.
Also, I can't buy the million dollars comics too, I read them on a site.
It was just a thought I wanted to throw out there. I didn't think you would care about that part, but I'm glad you did.
Hmm... Oh, then Riley didn't know more than I thought. Ellie was separated from her mother and the fireflies as a baby. In that phrasing, she wouldn't know jack-doodlely about them. How would that help her get to the fireflies?
Could it be that Riley just didn't know about this early separation and it threw off her judgement?
(Sorry for the confusion in advance. I'm still sporting a fever and a headache while writing this)
This helped to bring to light a lot of things. And you're welcome
Yah, not stupid. And if not naive, She's just willing to take these risks if it meant that It would help her in that way. She wanted to leave the city with her after they left the fireflies, after all. Just because she didn't want to be alone.
I looked back at page 28, (I got the all-in-one edition, it will still be at the end of chap 1) there was a mutual agreement, Ellie would bust her if she didn't show her a way to escape. She wanted to know a way out, and I don't blame her. Having a place where she can get away for a moment to calm her nerves doesn't sound like a bad idea. Also, (unrelated) Ellie commented on that page that she should get someone to watch her back. I like that part
I see. And in some ways, I'm starting to relate to her on that outlook (More towards myself than everyone else). Is that bad?
And all these little details makes me think of that moment before they left the arcade. It's so odd that she would have thoughts like that. What if we get to see some parts like that through the eyes of Ellie and Part II? I would love that.
Ellie would help her because she would be a distraction while Riley steals Winston's stuff. Not because her association with Marlene and the Fireflies (actually, that helped her) but I don't think Riley knew about Ellie and her association with Marlene. As I said before:
maybe I'm just overreacting and Riley managed to find out Ellie's name by sneaking through the "Corporal Dickhead" office and checked the list of the students and found Ellie.
No problem! I'm not feeling really good either
Who else thinks Naughty Dog should make challenging bosses in the sequel, kind of like in the same level with the Dark Souls and Bloodborne ones? That'd be enjoyable and add more replay value.
If it feels like the highschool bloater in Part 1 then im cool with it
Kind of? I'd also like a boss where in an area you're unarmed and you have to avoid an enemy which kills you instantly, sort of like Xenomorph from Alien Isolation.
5 years have passed in Part ll, so it would make sense if there are new types of infected, more dangerous than the bloater. And personally I would love if there are infected animals, imagine having to fight against a bear clicker. In the first game the monkeys were infected, so the cordyceps may have evolved and infected larger and more dangerous animals. Then we would have to fight new types of infected, animals infected and humans.
Monkeys were not infected, they were trying to make cures using the monkeys.
Also a little thingie here:
In that lab, on one of the tapes, it is said that they were trying to find a cure for years and have not had a breakthrough in five years.
Going by the amount of clickers/bloaters in the building and how old and decomposed the fireflies remains were, his body had been there for an extremely long time.
It is said that this so called "breakthrough" was actually testing done that has to do with Anna. They were trying to make a cure but couldn't, little did they know they actually made a mother who could pass on immune offspring.
Wait, was Anna immune? Did the Fireflies cause that?
(If these questions are answered in LB or the comics, please don't tell me...)
Yah. A bear clicker would be cool.
But probably one that would be the most likely to happen would be a super stalker. They wait in hidden and dark places, and stand there without a sound. If get too close and fail to see the warning signs to steer clear, they grab you and drag you in. Heads on a swivel.
Yes, you're right, you're not overeacting... (cont'd)
(Minor comics spoilers below)
Those reasons I listed don't actually prove that Riley knew that Ellie was associated with the Fireflies, they just show that it's highly likely that she did.
What you said is also quite likely as well. She could've snuck in sometimes office and read the files on the students and found Ellie's name.
Everyone has a different perspective, which is cool.
those questions are not answered, backed up by people investigating the game
If they weren't infected, they were sick or something like that because one of them bit the Firefly and that's why he died.
I'm not so surprised that people buy that as to the fact that it's even allowed to be sold there.
As for the puppy dog picture, I hope this will suffice:
Damn my latest interest in this ridiculous TV series...
Ah. There are many collectibles I've missed. Should probably go back and try to find them all.
I'm about due for a replay anyway...
So, do you think you'll be getting the comics soon...?
I'm going to assume that you haven't played Left Behind yet, is that right? It'd probably be better to read the comics beforehand anyway since they were released before LB. I did it in the wrong order.
Here is the puppy pic btw:
(wait, does it work?!)
thanks you saved my life, now I know where is the perfect place not to buy posters, I bet David made that poster lmao
I don't know what TV series you're talking about but if the cute puppy dog is there, it's not ridiculous
Uuuhh... Wasn't that David?
Fuck, that's dark!
Yah. Get them trophies, Man. I was fixin on going back and doing the same.
Truthfully, I'll probably need a walkthrough to get them all, and a lot of patience.
The last of us is overrated IMO
Heh heh, nice one, man. But if that's what you think, then that's cool with me.
Do you wanna discuss the reasons why you think TLOU isn't as good as people say?
Sure.
1. the plot feels like a combination of set pieces.
2. full of dull stealth sequences
3. the gameplay is so bad, it's unbelievable
4. the story is boring, I couldn't even finish the game i was that bored,
that's just my opinion and I just want to say I'm not a Xbox fanboy or anything, I own both console.
Hmm, I suppose I don't really need to spoiler tag this post since it technically doesn't give away anything plot-wise to the comics...
I'm not completely sure what you mean by that. Are you asking for my opinion on that? What I meant with Marlene is that she is so devoted, and focused, and I'd even say obsessed with her cause that she is willing to sacrifice anything and anyone for it, but at the same time, she doesn't appear crazy, she seems quite level-headed.
At the end of the day, would you rather have achieved your ultimate goal but have no one with you, or have people that you love and care about but haven't completed your cause? I'd choose the latter, because in my opinion, what's the point in saving the world if you have no one to share that with? Maybe that's a selfish outlook? I just don't think any good reason like "saving the world" is justification for killing your friends.... And yes, we've only seen Marlene sacrifice Ellie thus far, someone who she never really had a bond with, (there's still ambiguities surrounding Anna's death) but I can see her doing that to anyone. "I don't know, it just doesn't seem right." - Ellie
But with you? Well, being unemotional and having difficulty feeling and expressing emotions are completely different things. I can't say which one you feel though. And... are you obsessed with sacrifice? Again, I'm not quite sure what you mean.
The part where Ellie imagines what the arcade was like pre-apocalypse? Oh my gosh, I can't believe you mentioned that! Yes, I'd love to see more parts like that! I was going to mention it before in my previous post but I figured it was long enough already...
Out of all of the comics, that part stood out to me the most, and it doesn't even advance the plot. It's just so... compelling and powerful, I don't know how to explain it. When I read that part, that whole scene comes to life. I can hear the laughter of the kids playing in the arcade. I can hear the sad, emotional music in the background. I can hear Ellie's voice say "It's coming for you.". I can hear the infected come and maul the innocent people. I can feel the sadness Ellie must feel at the thought of what's been lost in the apocalypse: fun. I can hear the silence that follows.
...Yeah... Maybe I'm crazy...?
Number 1 intrigued me, what do you mean by "a combination of set pieces"?
Not sure when I'll be able to get a hold of the comic series. But I'm sure I'll manage.
And yeah, I haven't played Left Behind yet. Probably won't for a while. Gonna have to just play The Lost Legacy to fill the void for now.
(Ehh, I think I like my dog picture better.)