Motivation is an essential factor in any story. It drives characters to do what needs to be done, and the right motivation will keep an audience member on the edge of their seat. Without a clear, motivating factor, the stories end before they can even start.

This is especially true for a medium such as video games, where the players are in direct control of events within the story. When the player can connect with the motivation of the character and share the experience with them, they'll root the characters on until the end. Naughty Dog's modern masterpieces, The Last Of Us and The Last Of Us Part II, both present very different motivations with similar goals, resulting in some players finding more to relate with in the original game than it's recent sequel.

Related: How The Last of Us Part II Sets Up a Sequel

The Last of Us Part II Featured

In the original The Last of Us, Joel is tasked with trekking across post-apocalyptic America to save the world. But as the game goes on, his goals change. Joel (and by extension, the player) becomes more invested in keeping Ellie safe and thinking that the Fireflies can do that. The Fireflies are a well-organized group with a basic functioning society, somewhere that Ellie should be safe. It ropes players in with an easy goal -- escort a girl who can save the world -- and keeps them hooked with the motivation of protecting a character they're attached to.

Ellie's motivations in The Last of Us Part II, however, hinge entirely on revenge. Negative intentions push her and, while some players may share her goal in the beginning, others will feel differently as the game progresses. It's a challenging goal to get attached to, as players aren't presented the organic growth Joel experienced in the first game, instead being thrust immediately into Ellie's search for revenge.

Most importantly missing, though, is the element of camaraderie. Joel and Ellie are in agreement with what their goal in The Last of Us, both working to find the Fireflies to try and manufacture a cure. When both protagonists push each other on, it helps them stay connected to their goal. The goal of getting to the Fireflies is shared by both protagonists, which makes it easier for the player to remain focused on that goal.

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Joel and Ellie talking in The Last Of Us

For the sequel, Ellie's goal is hers alone. While she does have friends and companions throughout the game that follow her, they don't wholly support her. Dina and Jesse both work to talk Ellie down from her mission. They ask her if she's had enough revenge and when she is ready to let this task go, trying to keep her from taking it too far. Ultimately these two friends are just watching her back -- both in keeping infected from swarming her hiding spots and hate from swarming her heart. But it distracts the player from the goal, forcing them to continually second-guess the game's ultimate narrative of a quest for revenge.

But most importantly, players aren't finding that connection because Ellie isn't as rock bottom as Joel was. By the time of Part II, Ellie is a beloved member of a community that she can return to. Contrast this with Joel, who never had a home to look back to in the first game. In the years following his daughter Sara's death, Joel had become a much darker person and was working as a smuggler alongside Tess when the game opened. He didn't have any close connections in Boston, and the eventual death of Tess made it feel as though Joel was genuinely lost in the world. This opens the player up to want to form that bond with Ellie and give both characters a new home to return to.

Motivation is a part of what makes a character great, especially in story-based games. Even if a player doesn't necessarily agree with the character and their goal, the characters' drive can keep them coming back for more.

Keep Reading: The Last of Us Part II: Abby & Ellie Are Reflections of Each Other