Personally, I would have liked for the player to choose wether to save Ellie or take the chance to save humanity. I felt empty after playing that game, I didn't like the journey much (it was a big delivery quest) and that ending left me feeling all I did was for absolutely nothing. A waste of time

To answer your question, I'd have sacrificed Ellie

When you really think about it, a vaccine wouldnt really change much.

First off, at best, the cure would only cure the runners or the people in incubation. Clickers, stalkers and bloaters are beyond help since the fungus has already has grown outside their brain and on their body.

Second off,  most of non-infected are marauders, looters and bandits killing each other for supplies with no regard for human life. Without any kind of goverment and law enforcment, the society is still pretty much fucked, with or without the fungus.

Even if we disregard that, its doubtful the fireflies would have the means to distribute the cure properly since both the bandits and the goverment military are against them.

So really, Joel didnt screw humanity THAT much

I cant really say, because Im not a father.

Though if I was, you can bet your arse that I would do everything in my power to protect my child. Joel saw Ellie as his child. His responsibility. That bond, once you have it, simply cannot be broken.

He did what I assume I would do, if I was in his position.

I love how we see just how much of a cold hearted bastard Joel really is when he shoots Marlene without hesitation. No remorse. No sympathy. Just a bullet.

Ka-pi96 said: I would definitely have done the same as Joel. Can't just let those firefly jerks murder an innocent child. Besides that, what happens when they get the cure? Would they share it? I very much doubt it. They would keep it for themselves and just let everyone else die so the world was all theirs. Also... what if they aren't able to make a cure from it? Another thing to think about... What if Ellie's immunity is genetic? If her children are immune as well, then humanity is save... in a much nicer way

I didn't even think it may be genetic, that a good point.

"You'd just come after her" BANG!

Really is brilliant how he doesnt pause to even think about letting her live.

I would have done the same having gone on the same adventure and then to have the group that promised you payment for bringing her to them to then try to kill you. It is a no brainer. Save the girl and then find another way.

I think a cure would have been useless to the infected but where the cure would have been good is avoiding fates like Tess's and Sam's.

Tess wouldn't have had to sacrifice herself if a cure existed. Same with Sam who wouldn't have turned and forced his brother to shoot him.

The group was going to kill him. That blows any sort of forgiveness out the window.

A simple question would have sorted that and I had a hard time believing a soldier would be that cold to just shoot a child based on, at that time, nothing. Shame they couldn't mention something to flesh that out (like a brief first cases were in children or something bullcrap like that).