Game Theory: The Last of Us, Revisited Chris Suellentrop reviewed The Last of Us, a post-apocalyptic video game drama from the studio Naughty Dog, for The New York Times in June. After that, a member of the team that made the game wrote a rebuttal letter. Below is a condensed and edited version of that essay. A little working knowledge of the game - including familiarity with characters like Ellie, David and Joel - is helpful for following along. The treatment of women in video games has been a hot topic in recent years. As more women have come forward to speak about their experiences, more people have paid attention to us and have started to focus on what is wrong with the industry and what can be done to change it. In The New York Times review of Naughty Dog's The Last of Us, Chris Suellentrop criticized our studio for creating a poor representation of women in "another video game made by men, for men and about men." While I believe that Mr. Suellentrop had the best of intentions, I am concerned with his dismissal of both the women in this studio and the accomplishment of establishing the role of Ellie, one of the most complex, playable female characters in the medium. Mr. Suellentrop refers to Ellie as a "likable, sometimes powerful female character, even if she is for the most part unplayable." I'm not entirely sure what he meant by "sometimes powerful." Ellie's power comes from her bravery, ingenuity and determination throughout the game. It was also shown in her ability during the game's final moment to accept Joel for all of his flaws and forgive him, because she understood that he needed her more than she needed him. She was ultimately the hero of this story. She's powerful the whole time, and it had nothing to do with wielding a gun or physical ability. In an industry that more often than not represents women as either a damsel in distress or a male character in a female body, this was a triumph in storytelling and representation. Ellie is an entirely playable character. It was not by coincidence that the moments you play as her are the most impactful in the game. Mr. Suellentrop's most unfortunate oversight was valuing the length of time spent playing as Ellie as more important than the quality of those moments. Ellie's fight with David was the most important experience I've had playing a game. It felt like an apology for all of the superficial, weak female characters in games, along with all of the people in my own experiences who told me I couldn't do this and I don't belong here. Watching Ellie cry and slash at David, a man trying to take what was hers away from her, was like watching me slash away all of the problems I've faced as a woman trying to make it in this industry. Trying to find my role. Trying to prove that I can do this too and that I don't need your help - that I just need your support and respect. I was so proud of her, of Naughty Dog and even of this industry in that moment. Mr. Suellentrop acknowledged that Joel "grows over the course of the game into an admirably complicated protagonist," but he failed to recognize Ellie's growth. Her journey from a damsel in distress to a fully capable and complex character is made clear through the relationship she develops with Joel. Likewise, Joel's growth could not have happened without Ellie. This was not a game "about men." It was about a mutual relationship and about how people need one another. If Joel had died and you had played as Ellie for the rest of the game, we would have lost that dynamic. In our medium, the change needed in female characters is not about women being portrayed as stronger or more capable than men but about being portrayed on equal terms. I don't want to be treated like I'm more important than my male co-workers. I want to be seen as equal to them. I want to rely on them as much as they rely on me - a true partnership. We have that at Naughty Dog. Our game was made by men and women, some of the most talented in the industry. The statement about the game being made by men for men has the potential to be very damaging. It perpetuates the idea that this is not a world for women. Young women reading this review who are considering entering games as a career could feel justified in their fears that this industry is not for them. If this thinking is to stop, we need to promote partnership and not continue the cycle of men versus women. Alexandria Neonakis is the user interface designer at Naughty Dog. She worked on The Last of Us. Follow her on Twitter: @beavs.