It was the boat scene. If you played it, you know exactly what I’m talking about. When Naughty Dog released The Last of Us Part II back in 2020, the internet basically melted down for about a dozen different reasons, but the last of us 2 sex scenes—specifically the one between Abby and Owen—became a flashpoint for a level of discourse that honestly felt a bit unhinged at the time. It wasn't just about the act itself. It was about how it looked, who was involved, and the sheer discomfort of seeing two characters who are clearly falling apart try to find a second of intimacy in a world that wants them dead.
People were angry. Some were confused. A lot of players felt like the scene was "unnecessary" or "forced," while critics praised it for being a rare moment of raw, awkward realism in a medium that usually treats sex like a glossy cinematic reward or a mini-game.
The truth is, Naughty Dog didn't put those moments in there to be "sexy." They were there to make you feel something specific. Whether they succeeded or just made you want to look away is where the real conversation starts.
Why the Abby and Owen Scene Broke the Internet
Let's be real for a second: most video game romance is pretty sterile. You usually get a fade-to-black or a very choreographed, "pretty" sequence. But the last of us 2 sex scenes went in the opposite direction. The scene between Abby and Owen is messy. It’s desperate. It happens in a dusty, cramped room on a boat while it’s pouring rain outside.
Owen is spiraling because he just killed a fellow WLF member. Abby is spiraling because her entire life has been consumed by a revenge mission that isn’t making her feel any better. They’re two people who have a complicated history, and they’re using each other to escape their own heads for five minutes.
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The animation work by Naughty Dog’s team was legitimately groundbreaking, even if the result made some players uncomfortable. They used high-fidelity motion capture to catch the subtle shifts in weight and the awkwardness of the movement. It wasn’t meant to be a "fan service" moment. It was a character study. Abby, who is physically imposing and guarded, shows a vulnerability here that we hadn't seen up to that point. It's the first time her armor—both literal and metaphorical—comes off.
The Contrast With Ellie and Dina
It's interesting to look at the differences between the Abby scene and the moments we see with Ellie and Dina. Ellie’s relationship is framed much more through the lens of a traditional romance, despite the horrific circumstances. Their intimacy in the weed room beneath the library is lighthearted, playful, and grounded in a genuine "crush" energy.
- Ellie and Dina are building something.
- Abby and Owen are clinging to something they’ve already lost.
That’s the core of the storytelling. When you look at the last of us 2 sex scenes as a whole, you see two very different functions of human connection. For Ellie, intimacy is a reminder of what she’s fighting for—her humanity and her connection to Jackson. For Abby, that moment on the boat is a catalyst. It’s part of what pushes her to finally turn her back on the WLF and try to find a better version of herself. It’s a moment of shame and realization as much as it is a moment of passion.
The Backlash and the "Uncanny Valley" Problem
A huge part of the controversy wasn't even about the content of the scene, but about Abby’s body. Because she’s a muscular woman, a certain corner of the internet decided that the scene was "unrealistic." This was, frankly, a weird take. Abby’s body was modeled after professional athlete Colleen Fotsch. The "unreal" part wasn't the muscles; it was the fact that people weren't used to seeing a woman with that physique in a vulnerable, sexual context in a triple-A game.
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Neil Druckmann and Halley Gross, the writers, have been pretty vocal about why they kept the scene in despite knowing it would be divisive. They wanted the player to feel the weight of these characters' choices. If the scene felt "wrong" to you, that might actually be the point. You’re playing as Abby, a character many players initially hated, and you’re forced to witness her most private, complicated moments. It’s supposed to be challenging.
Technical Mastery or Too Much Information?
From a technical standpoint, what Naughty Dog achieved is kind of insane. They didn't just use standard "talking" facial rigs. They had to account for how skin moves when it's pressed against another surface and how lighting interacts with sweat and rain in a confined space.
Is it "too much"? Maybe. For a lot of people, the last of us 2 sex scenes crossed a line into a level of realism that felt voyeuristic. But in a game that asks you to meticulously watch every throat-slit and every gruesome death, it’s a bit hypocritical to say that a scene of two people having consensual sex is where we should draw the line of "decency." The game is built on the idea of the "cycle of violence," and showing the flip side—the desperate need for human touch—is necessary to make that violence actually mean something.
What You Should Take Away From It
If you’re revisiting the game or playing it for the first time on the PS5 Remastered version, try to look past the initial "shock" of these sequences. They aren't there to fill a quota.
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- Look at the character arcs: Notice how Abby’s demeanor changes immediately after the boat scene. She becomes more protective of Lev and Yara. The "softening" of her character starts there.
- Pay attention to the sound design: The lack of a swelling, romantic score tells you everything you need to know about the emotional state of the characters.
- Think about the "why": If you feel uncomfortable, ask why. Is it because the scene is "gross," or because you’re being forced to empathize with someone you’ve spent the last ten hours trying to kill?
The last of us 2 sex scenes aren't going to be everyone's cup of tea, and that's fine. Art isn't always supposed to be comfortable. But they are a landmark in how games handle adult themes. We've moved past the "Hot Coffee" era of hidden files and into an era where developers are using intimacy as a legitimate tool for narrative depth.
For those looking to understand the broader impact of Naughty Dog’s design choices, it's worth checking out the "Grounded II" documentary. It gives a lot of insight into the sheer amount of work that went into every single frame of this game. Whether you loved the scenes or hit the "skip" button, you can't deny they sparked a conversation that changed how we look at character development in gaming forever.
If you’re still feeling weird about it, just remember: it’s just digital actors in a very, very stressful situation. Take a breath, finish the story, and then go look at some pictures of the real-life Colleen Fotsch to see that Abby’s physique isn't "unrealistic" at all—it’s just a different kind of strength.
Next Steps for Players:
If you want to dive deeper into the technical side of how these scenes were built, your best bet is to watch the "Behind the Scenes" footage included in the The Last of Us Part II Remastered extras menu. It breaks down the motion capture process and shows how the actors handled these specific, high-pressure days on set. You can also look up the "Making of" interviews with Laura Bailey (Abby) and Patrick Fugit (Owen), where they talk about the vulnerability required to film these specific sequences in those goofy-looking mocap suits.