Augen on 26 June 2014
I think the story of Joel was one of how the world changed him. He is not a hero and due to the ugliness of the world he became a survivor and a killer. Ellie represents redemption for Joel, but in the end he selfishly (but understandably) chooses her and himself over the world they inhabit. The point is he doesn't see the world worth the sacrifice it would take to maybe save it. I will agree it is a bit more open ended because there isn't a "ever after" sort of saying what happens after, but I think the point of the story was in the journey and the characters more than the end result.
My .02
