But you can’t just mention that Tess works in game without actually showing it. She’s a beloved character for The Last of Us fans. I certainly wish she hadn’t been killed off so early. Well, lucky for us, Freako made a mod where Tess takes Joel’s place as protagonist and Ellie’s surrogate parent:

It’s a very polished offering—Freako says in the comments that he made at least one new texture for the video. While the mod isn’t available for download, I really wish it was. It would be impossible to replace Joel’s voice lines, sure, but there’s something really compelling about seeing Tess go on his emotional journey. I like this rough around the edges survival mom, and I’d like a chance to play as her.

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