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NeoGAFs Kent Brockman

The Last of Us Part 2 Won't Force Players to Kill Dogs
The Last of Us Part II players may have to kills lots and lots of dogs, but there are ways around killing the game’s furry enemies. A new GameStop promotional email re-affirms the “feature” that Sony and developer Naughty Dog have talked about in the past, and warns that this is just one example...

The Last of Us Part II players may have to kills lots and lots of dogs, but there are ways around killing the game's furry enemies. A new GameStop promotional email re-affirms the "feature" that Sony and developer Naughty Dog have talked about in the past, and warns that this is just one example of how the game will not refrain from throwing any punches, expect apparently, in this case, it does hold back a punch or two.
"One of the most noticeable new features of the game is the inclusion of dogs," reads a promotional email about the game. "These dogs are in the game to follow your scent and will attack you as soon as they have sniffed you out. The game doesn't pull any punches or 'stray' from the idea that while you're playing as Ellie in a struggle to survive, killing dogs is necessary. You'll also have to deal with the fact though that each dog has an owner, who will call out the dog's name and cry in absolute horror when they discover their lifeless furry best friend. You've been warned."
Obviously, killing dogs in video games isn't new. Not at all. Further, we've known about this feature -- more or less -- for a while. In fact, Naughty Dog has not only talked about the feature in the past, but has confirmed players won't need to kill dogs to progress. That said, on the surface level, the feature sounds neat and immersive. However, it's easy to imagine why many have responded negatively it.
Of course, the feature itself probably won't bother most players once they play the game, especially if they truly don't have to kill any doggos unnecessarily. It's just odd that GameStop would go out of its way to highlight the "new feature" as if it were a big selling point.