Rate top gamesso overall i really enjoyed the game, although there were a few parts that dragged it down for me.
what i liked: the gameplay is so much better than the first game, everything flows really well and that intensity in every encounter makes you really value your resources. easily the best part of the game was "The Seraphites" chapter on seattle day 2, where you have to use all the tactics you've learned up to that point and apply them to a new environment with new enemies and new combat techniques. the level design in the game (especially seattle day 2) was outstanding, with large open areas full of different pathways and ways to hide. the story during the first half of the game is also fucking great, joel dying is honestly fine with me and everything really clicked story-wise in that first half. one of the most powerful moments in the game for me is when abby beats nora with a pipe to make her talk, the game even making you press the button prompt to swing the pipe, then we see her hands shaking and she's clearly shaken by what happened. another pretty powerful moment was when abby kills mel, who she then finds out was pregnant, and you can see ellie hyperventilating and panicking because i imagine she was thinking of dina, who is also pregnant. this really had a profound effect on how i thought of the wolves, as it made me understand that they're people too, and abby's section of the game also helped in creating this sense of no one in this world being truly in the right or the wrong.
the overall production value of the game is out of this world too.
the music, level and sound design, graphics and gameplay all exceeded my expectations by a mile -
it's an amazing technical feat for the playstation 4 and a great swansong for naughty dog's ps4 era
abby's section was really great... to a point. i feel like the writing really dropped down a notch in quality after abby goes to the seraphite's island, and also jesse's death? no one ever talks about him or even mentions him except for one note after he dies. isaac, who is built up from cutscenes and from notes as being this terrifying and imposing figure (who really should have been pitted against abby more in my opinion), gets killed by one bullet from another character who had already been stabbed. it just felt... cheap for both of these deaths and i didn't find it very dramatic. i was upset when jesse died, but the game doesn't do a very good job making it feel truly meaningful to the story in my opinion. however, abby's story really does humanise her and made me sympathise not just with her, but the scars/seraphites too. lev is a really good character who i empathised with a lot too.
joel's death is the main motivator for the entire story, it's what makes ellie want revenge on abby and it makes sense in the context of the story in the way that it's set up. abby tracks down joel, only to be saved from a horde of zombies by him, and abby leads him back to her lodge, where joel obviously chooses to go because who would want to fight a horde of zombies instead of keeping safe with a bunch of survivors? of course, what joel doesn't know is that abby is the daughter of the doctor he killed near the end of the first game when he saves ellie. joel's actions have had consequences in this world, and abby decides to exact her revenge in a rather over-the-top way, but i think it's still a very powerful moment. joel was not a good person, nor is abby, they were just humans trying to survive, one of whoms father was killed by joel because of selfish reasons.
«Blew my mind»
«Can’t stop playing»
The Last of Us Part II was a massive disappointment, at least from a narrative standpoint. Unfortunately, even while other aspects of the game may be brilliant, at the end of the day it is a narrative-driven game that has a flawed narrative. Let's get the pros out of the way.
Gameplay-wise, TLoU 2 is pretty great. They've improved on the stealth and combat gameplay from the first game and created a solid system, with crafting and upgrades providing the requisite progression. Encounters were at times difficult but always engaging, especially when playing as Ellie. There were some truly cinematic moments which were awesome to experience. New characters of Jesse and Dina were excellent. The flashbacks with Joel and Ellie were heartwarming, even if I wish they weren't delivered as flashbacks (although the one where Joel reveals the truth was pretty effective).
But here is where the problems begin. Joel is killed by Abby in the first two hours of the game, which no one is going to be happy with - everyone loved Joel. The circumstances of his death make him seem dumb and naive, which is really out of character for Joel, but EVEN PUTTING THAT ASIDE his death never reaps the payoff it needed. I really enjoyed the first half of the game because I was anticipating that eventual payoff where Ellie gets her revenge, but that moment never came. Ellie never kills Abby. I would have been okay if the game ended at the farm, because at least Ellie would've had a new life with Dina and JJ. But to see her leave the farm, travel all the way to Santa Barbara and still not kill Abby is so mind-boggling. Ellie ends up going home, losing everything without achieving anything.
Naughty Dog makes you play as Abby for the other half of the game and tries to humanise her and emphasise the theme of perspective, but I was never going to care about her after what she did to Joel. She was unlikeable, her friends were unlikeable, and when she started to care about Lev and Yarra I didn't buy it. The game tries to convince you that she's a good person when you're preconditioned to think that she isn't, because she's killed our favourite character, who saved her life, by the way. Yes, Abby's dad was killed by Joel, but we don't know her dad. We know Joel. We know Ellie. That's the bottom line. Getting us to care about the character that killed Joel was never going to work, and Naughty Dog should've known that.
However, Neil Druckmann and Naughty Dog knew exactly what they were doing with this game, in that everything was deliberate. It's just that those choices that they made were poor. Big risks MUST have a fulfilling result, and most of them didn't in this game. Taking risks isn't in and of itself a commendable act. It's pulling off those risks that makes the game, and when you don't pull them off you just look pretentious and self-indulgent. The game is depressing and makes you feel so empty by the end, and the themes that the narrative was trying to evoke were poorly executed. The Last of Us Part II has great elements, but they are almost completely undermined by a narrative that punishes you for caring about certain characters. There's a million ways this game could've been rewritten and instantly been made better as a result, but unfortunately those versions were not the game we received.
Looking at the game as a whole, it's not bad. You can't ignore the elements that are well done. But the narrative is so flawed, and in a narrative-driven game, that's a massive problem.
Gameplay-wise, TLoU 2 is pretty great. They've improved on the stealth and combat gameplay from the first game and created a solid system, with crafting and upgrades providing the requisite progression. Encounters were at times difficult but always engaging, especially when playing as Ellie. There were some truly cinematic moments which were awesome to experience. New characters of Jesse and Dina were excellent. The flashbacks with Joel and Ellie were heartwarming, even if I wish they weren't delivered as flashbacks (although the one where Joel reveals the truth was pretty effective).
But here is where the problems begin. Joel is killed by Abby in the first two hours of the game, which no one is going to be happy with - everyone loved Joel. The circumstances of his death make him seem dumb and naive, which is really out of character for Joel, but EVEN PUTTING THAT ASIDE his death never reaps the payoff it needed. I really enjoyed the first half of the game because I was anticipating that eventual payoff where Ellie gets her revenge, but that moment never came. Ellie never kills Abby. I would have been okay if the game ended at the farm, because at least Ellie would've had a new life with Dina and JJ. But to see her leave the farm, travel all the way to Santa Barbara and still not kill Abby is so mind-boggling. Ellie ends up going home, losing everything without achieving anything.
Naughty Dog makes you play as Abby for the other half of the game and tries to humanise her and emphasise the theme of perspective, but I was never going to care about her after what she did to Joel. She was unlikeable, her friends were unlikeable, and when she started to care about Lev and Yarra I didn't buy it. The game tries to convince you that she's a good person when you're preconditioned to think that she isn't, because she's killed our favourite character, who saved her life, by the way. Yes, Abby's dad was killed by Joel, but we don't know her dad. We know Joel. We know Ellie. That's the bottom line. Getting us to care about the character that killed Joel was never going to work, and Naughty Dog should've known that.
However, Neil Druckmann and Naughty Dog knew exactly what they were doing with this game, in that everything was deliberate. It's just that those choices that they made were poor. Big risks MUST have a fulfilling result, and most of them didn't in this game. Taking risks isn't in and of itself a commendable act. It's pulling off those risks that makes the game, and when you don't pull them off you just look pretentious and self-indulgent. The game is depressing and makes you feel so empty by the end, and the themes that the narrative was trying to evoke were poorly executed. The Last of Us Part II has great elements, but they are almost completely undermined by a narrative that punishes you for caring about certain characters. There's a million ways this game could've been rewritten and instantly been made better as a result, but unfortunately those versions were not the game we received.
Looking at the game as a whole, it's not bad. You can't ignore the elements that are well done. But the narrative is so flawed, and in a narrative-driven game, that's a massive problem.
«Disappointment of the year»
No video game has ever made me feel so many emotions. It is a powerful game & the story is true to the harsh post-apocalyptic world. It does not do any fan service & remains authentic as per actions & decisions taken by the characters in the first part. It’s a long game with close to 30 hours of content that requires patience. An incredible amount of effort, time, love & thought has gone into making this interactive experience & it shows. Regardless of whether you like or dislike the story, this is one of those rare things that should be experienced first hand. Don’t decide to play or not play any game based on anybody else’s review. Trust your own gut feeling whether you should invest your time & money into any experience. Don’t play this game with any expectations & if you play with an open mind, you might be rewarded with the most gut wrenching, thought provoking & emotionally draining video game of all time that will make you think about its characters & their feelings for a long time even after completing the game.
«Blew my mind»
I very much enjoyed the first The Last of Us. So much that I pre-ordered The Last of Us 2, which I rarely do. If you ignore what people on the internet are saying (which is good advise in general) you'll find an engaging and dark story that takes place in a world with a staggering amount of detail.
The one thing I could have done without is the companions. At best the help out on the rare occasion but mostly they just sit around and waste the good cover spots. Once they even pushed me out of cover in front of a very angry looking fella.
Date Completed: 2020-07-03
Playtime: 25h
Enjoyment: 9/10
Recommendation: If you played the first then it's a definite yes.
The Last of Us Part II tells an insubstantial, poorly structured, and badly paced story. Many situations are implausible and the message is confusing and simple. This second part does not adequately continue the story of the original game. I expected a lot from this game but I get almost nothing from it.
«Disappointment of the year»
This is, without a doubt, the best game I have ever played. What an achievement. I can understand why some people who played it may not feel the same way, and I respect that, but don’t trust anyone who has only been going off the leaks. Trust the people who have actually played the game.
«Blew my mind»
«That ending!»
The Last of Us Part II has been criticized many many times by many different reasons. It leaves no one indifferent. It made history.
While the turns of the narrative and its message are subject to personal tastes, the gameplay is truly astonishing and dynamic, the storytelling is smooth and interesting and the aesthetic is immersive and attractive. A lot of hard work has been put into making this great piece bit by bit with emphasis on details and world-building and it deserves big recognition purely for that.
And still, I love everything about it. From the story, to the gameplay, passing through the artwork and soundtrack and even the ending. Yes, it's a hard emotional journey. No, it's neither happy nor wholesome. However bittersweet, it is a very special experience to live.
As a last note: This is just part my personal experience but The Last of Us as a whole means so much because I grew up alongside it while growing up myself as a lesbian woman. Ellie's journey helped me throughout different moments of my life. Helped me be proud of who I am. Every time I come back to it I always end up reflecting on past experiences and big emotions, looking forward to the future. I know it does the same to a whole lot of other people.
I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
While the turns of the narrative and its message are subject to personal tastes, the gameplay is truly astonishing and dynamic, the storytelling is smooth and interesting and the aesthetic is immersive and attractive. A lot of hard work has been put into making this great piece bit by bit with emphasis on details and world-building and it deserves big recognition purely for that.
And still, I love everything about it. From the story, to the gameplay, passing through the artwork and soundtrack and even the ending. Yes, it's a hard emotional journey. No, it's neither happy nor wholesome. However bittersweet, it is a very special experience to live.
As a last note: This is just part my personal experience but The Last of Us as a whole means so much because I grew up alongside it while growing up myself as a lesbian woman. Ellie's journey helped me throughout different moments of my life. Helped me be proud of who I am. Every time I come back to it I always end up reflecting on past experiences and big emotions, looking forward to the future. I know it does the same to a whole lot of other people.
I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
«Blew my mind»
«That ending!»