but the developers encouraged him to do so. The music during Joel's death scene intended to build dread but feel inevitable, as opposed to the surprise and sadness invoked during Sarah's death in the first game. Druckmann wanted to achieve moments in which the music conveys narrative elements: after Abby collects the medicine to save Yara, the music symbolizes her redemption; when she protects Lev in the game's conclusion, the music represents their relationship. Mac Quayle contributed to the game's combat music. He was hired on the project in early 2018; the developers were familiar with his previous work on the television series Mr. Robot. Largely unfamiliar with gaming, Quayle immediately bought a PlayStation 4 and a copy of The Last of Us to familiarise himself with the series before meeting to discuss the second game. He began writing ideas for the game in May 2018, and delivered his final music in January 2020; he found the deadlines much more relaxed compared to film and television projects. The team discussed potential collaborations between Santaolalla and Quayle, including sharing stems and sessions, though ultimately their collaborations were minimal; they performed a three-day recording session in the PlayStation offices in October 2018, where they experimented with different sounds and instruments to create "grooves and textures" that were later used in the game. Quayle attributed the similarities between their work to the developers "really knowing what they wanted". Quayle's music aimed to represent the "relentless tension" of the gameplay sequences, consistently moving the action forward and heightening the suspense and anxiety. The developers wanted to avoid music that sounded "too electronic or too organic and natural". Quayle was provided with videos of early gameplay captures for inspiration, instead of composing directly to scenes. He used Logic Pro for his work, which he used to heavily manipulate the several live acoustic instruments. His favorite instruments on the project were the bass guitar and cello; for the latter, he brought in a professional cellist. The in-game covers became a significant part of the characters and their development, namely Ellie with her guitar. Druckmann found that Ellie's guitar-playing allowed her access to memories and emotions; when she loses her fingers in the game's conclusion, it serves to sever ties to her memories and relationships. The song "Future Days" by Pearl Jam acts as a theme between Ellie and Joel throughout the game. The song was previously