The Last of Us Part II - PlayStation 4

As someone who purchased this game with high expectations, I can confirm that I was NOT disappointed with this sequel. This game delivers some of the best visuals on the PS4 to date along with very nuanced stealth and action gameplay that feels great to play. The enemy variety and awareness is very fun to play through. The enemies communicate very effectively and call out your position and flank you and rush you. I found the gameplay and visuals to be at the highest level. The story was exciting and visceral but also makes sure to give you plenty of moments to slow down and take in the scenery or focus on the character dialogue. From a pure video game sense “Is this fun to play and is the story engaging and interesting?” Yes, 100% yes. STORY The story has been the topic of discussion and anger for some gamers. I sincerely do not understand being mad or angry at a game developer for telling a different story then what you expected. This is their game and is their story to tell as they see fit. I am not saying you have to love it or think its the best game ever made. I thought it was very intriguing to play both view points and thought it was interesting through out. If you find yourself mad at the game director or studio for not delivering exactly what you wanted, you may need to reevaluate your relationship with video games. I am a life long gamer, male, 34 years old, and consider myself to lean heavily on the conservative side when it comes to politics. I don’t feel like everything worked or 100% landed when it comes to certain choices they make with characters, but I also don’t hate the game by any means. I think the fact that this game asks you to play in the shoes of a character with different views or who made certain bad choices is refreshing. You get to see how the other character ended up where they did doing the thing they did. At the end of the game, I ended up thinking BOTH characters were terrible people who hurt those closest to them by focusing selfishly on revenge. I think that it says a lot about our society today that (I assume they are kids) are sending death threats and racial slurs to the game developers/game director. If you don’t like the game or story then by all means don’t buy it or play it. I don’t understand this culture that wants to YELL and SCREAM against every single thing that you disagree with. As an American, I think it is very sad that we are so divided and so hateful against other people who disagree on certain views/politics. Again, it is 100% ok to disagree or disagree strongly with another view point or politics but its not OK to stand back and shout that the opposing view is coming from a place of HATE or VIOLENCE. In conclusion, the gameplay and visuals are absolutely stunning. The game creators and artists all did an amazing job creating this world. The actors portraying the characters all did an excellent job, top notch stuff. The story had a few hits and a few misses for me. I feel like the ending was a bit drawn out and overstayed its welcome. They did not stick the landing with the ending in my opinion. As a whole, I can recommend this game 100% for those who enjoy action/survival horror and stealth gameplay. The story caused me to think about my own biases and think about how the other person might have done something wrong but I can still have empathy or sympathy for them. Taking all aspects into consideration this is a 10/10 game and different people will draw different conclusions about the story. At the end of the day, I encourage you to think about your own biases and consider for a moment that the people you strongly disagree with are PEOPLE and are leading their own lives and have their own problems and traumas they are trying to overcome. We should start treating our fellow man with kindness and respect instead of making them the villain because they disagree.

I pre-ordered the game and am about 2/3 of the way through it at this point, so my review is absolutely genuine and my own and NOBODY else's. As I said, I am about 2/3 of the way through the game so I have not seen the ending yet, so I will withhold my final verdict until then, but the game is indeed an excellent extension of the first game. I am enjoying this game just as much, if not more than the first game. The graphics are absolutely gorgeous, and the game play is actually better than the first one. The crafting is a huge improvement from the first game as well. I think that when people got to the death of Joel, they just stopped trying to understand what was going on. Luckily, I am able to look at the OVERALL picture and I think that, so far, this is an excellent extension of the first game. The flashbacks are filling some of the gaps from the past between when they returned to Tommy's town to the present day. I am even starting to understand Abby a little better at this point too. She has had 1 flashback herself up to the point where I left off, so she may have more as well. I just think people aren't giving this game enough of a chance because of what they did to Joel near the beginning of the game. People just need to calm down, and let's stop with the name calling and insults and be adults here alright? I can understand why people would be angry at Naughty Dog for doing what they did to Joel, but in the larger context of this game (given the violent circumstances of the world) was anyone really surprised that they would go there? As far as the people who are complaining about Naughty Dog pushing a Progressive agenda in regard to LGBTQ characters and Marijuana usage, I am a Moderate Republican and don't give a D**m about your personal problems. The world is what it is and it is NOT going away. I personally could care less what a person looks like, what race they are or how they identify themselves, that's their business and NONE of mine. Let's all try to get along with each other, we're all on this planet together and there has been ENOUGH bigotry and prejudice and it's high time that it ended. EDIT: OK, I have officially finished the game now, and I do understand why they went with the ending that they did. I will take the position that Ellie was heading back to Jackson at the end, and we know that Dina certainly went back to Jackson. With that being the case, and the fact that they were definitely in love, we can hope that they were able to work things out and start again. I enjoyed this game more than I though I would given the leaks. As I said earlier, I am a Moderate Republican and I don't care what race, gender or sexual identity a person is (or identifies as), that is their business, so this aspect of the game certainly did not bother me at all. As far as Abby goes, I certainly understand her anger at Joel and I eventually genuinely came to the point where I cared for what happened to her character and was glad that Ellie let her live. I think, now that I have had a chance to play the entire game, that this was indeed a masterpiece that carries on the storyline of the first game better than most people give it credit for. I really enjoyed playing this game and I thought that the improvements to the gameplay were just what the game needed and that overall this is a 9.5 out of 10. As far as all the people who are hating on this game, I really don't think that they finished the game and just stopped playing after they did what they did to Joel or when they were "forced" to play as Abby. They gave us plenty of time to get to know Abby as this was a 20+ hour game and I just think people like to hate for the sake of hating in this day and age.

First of all, I loved this game. So if you don’t want to read a glowing review then just skip it. From the reviews you can tell it’s not a game for everyone, but it certainly was a game for me. Some spoilers towards the end which will be marked. Last of Us 2 is an immersive, emotional and brutal game. You’re going to be angry and devastated and hopeful and uplifted and sometimes just confused. The story is the thing that seems to polarize people the most. Naughty Dog took a real chance here by not just having things to go the way they might “normally” go in a series of games, although I would question if they ever make another of these. As for agendas and “sjw” content, that’s actually part of life, folks. I found it to be a depth of storytelling and it didn’t bother me one bit. I don’t think it was an agenda. It’s only controversial if you ignore the real world out there. The graphics and sound are just beautiful. Sometimes I just stopped and was awed by what was on the screen. Truly a worthy showpiece of the graphic capabilities of the PS4. How much better can it get without it being real people?? The game is long. It might be best to take a break here and there to fully appreciate it. It’s also very dark and sometimes it’s best to take a break from that also. It’s an amazing immersive game and I enjoyed every bit of it. Will you? I think you’ll know by reading a sampling of reviews. Hopefully you can appreciate this masterpiece. **spoiler time** Things don’t go the way you expect your typical hero games to go. A major character dies pretty quickly, and I’m pretty sure you know it isn’t Ellie. A lot of people are very upset about this, but as the game goes on you come to understand why this happened.. and if you can take off your fanboy hat for a minute you can certainly see a strong argument for him deserving his fate. You completely switch who you are playing at points in the game and parts you are certain are the ending.. aren’t the ending. That’s pretty wild. It was a bit of a shock but I rather enjoyed it. Actually after playing and understanding the new main character, I enjoyed her more than Ellie and was rooting for her. Both characters are sympathetic and yet “dirty” at the same time. There is quite a bit of depth here. Who is right and who is wrong? Is anyone? I didn’t want the new character to die because she doesn’t deserve to. I’ll leave the ultimate spoiler for that alone, however. The only thing that drives me crazy and I don’t understand is that when it’s all said and done.. why, WHY didn’t you ask her why she did what she did??? Why?? I guess because it would have changed the story too much. But really, who would not have asked why? Still.. amazing game. I’m going to think on it for quite a while because it wasn’t disposable trash. Worthy successor to the first game, which was my favorite game ever? Yep. Might even be better.

It's been two weeks since The Last Of Us 2 was released after a 7 year wait. A continuation of the story that captivated the gaming world. Many video games attempt to tell a story and include humor and some degree of character development that makes you care about the side you are on and the person you are playing through, to feel involved and elicit an invested emotional response. The Last of Us takes those components and develops them to a level and degree beyond any other game I've ever played. Most of you reading the reviews know the story since you most likely played the first game. If not, you do need to start there. A post apocalyptic world exists after a mass infection, not by a virus or bacteria, but by a spore producing fungus. Anyone who breathes the spores becomes one of "the infected" as they are referred to. A gradual transformation rapidly happens making the victims lose their minds. But far worse it transforms their bodies into any one of a variety of hideous semi-human creatures. The longer the infected have lived, the greater their metamorphosis into some truly horrifying creatures. An early iteration is the "runners". They still have most of their senses though in a state of insanity. They will attack you on sight and their scratch or bite infects you as well to become one of them and perpetuate the fungus life cycle. Or worse you become their meal. This might sound completely far fetched, but the inspiration for the story is based in a kind of reality in the insect word which the game designer was fascinated by in school. There is a fungal spore that is eaten by ants and then enters the ant's nervous system and completely controls the insect by directing its actions. It directs the ground based ants to find a tree and climb to the highest extremity. The ant then dies and a post horrifically sprouts out of its head. Birds flying over the trees see the appendage and swoop down to eat it which infects them as a vector. They later excrete their bird droppings that lands on the forrest floor which is eaten by an ant again and the life cycle is perpetuated. In the first game of Last of Us, the story centers around the relationship of a man who loses his teenage daughter but is given the job as a smuggler to deliver another teenage girl to a survivalist group called the Fireflies, who are trying to preserve civil society and provide hope. The girl is the only known case of someone bitten but who has a natural immunity. The two travel cross country in the first game as you first play the part of the smuggler caretaker named Joel. Later you switch, due to a development and play the game as the 14 year old girl who has become a formidable force herself. The character development, relationships and final outcome are both heart warming but also force you to consider a huge moral question regarding love, loyalty and the greater good. This part 2, after giving a small reminder of what brought you to this point moves the story forward after a lapse of around 5 years. You can't escape the controversy and often acidic reviews lambasting the continuation and development. Many expressed that they wanted to see the further development of the relationship between Joel, the now protector and father figure and Ellie the now young woman. The story writer had other plans, thankfully to create a story line that becomes one gut punch after another, and is far from a neat little package of white verses black. Don't worry, no spoilers will appear here though it's difficult to tip toe around. The story isn't a clear cut, good guys verses the infected. In a world severely depleted of humans and resources, who have reverted back to an age largely before even electricity, except of a few small generators, you might imagine the universal survivors attitude would be cooperation and shared values. Instead you see the same age old divisions and factions that divide societies, producing hate, wars and division. There's the initial seeming good guys, who have formed a community in Jackson Wyoming. There's a periphery religious sect called the Seraphites that have morphed into a disturbingly violent society structure who feel no hesitation to hang anyone who they consider an apostate, or punishing even a minor offense by clipping your wings, that is holding a sinner down and having someone smash the bones in their arms making them useless or in need of amputation. The Fireflys have disbanded and many have formed a new group called the WLF, or Wolves for short. Various other groups like the Rattlers are just a crazed criminal band. Why the hate and controversy about this game then? First there is the initial sexual preference ambiguity of a main character Ellie. This innocent young girl we all grew to love and want to protect, might be exhibiting a lifestyle choice many who play the game feel uncomfortable with or even be repulsed by. A main character you also grew to love in the first game has something unthinkable happen to them, which you might be shocked by but which sets up the basis of the story development and theme. Much of the game centers around an unexpected character that you initially hate. Then suddenly you are forced, like in the first game, to switch playing as the main character and now are playing as this hated character! I felt outrage and confusion as well. Whats happening here? This must be a mistake. The genius, in my opinion, is that the game forces you to consider the possibility that even the worst terrorist or seemingly evil character also has a life and a family and a history and loves and a perspective. Being forced to live in their shoes and then see what made them have the degree of their hate and in turn made them into your arch enemy, is perhaps, not so evil as you imagined with your superficial or at least incomplete world view. But that's far from all the moral questioning and dilemmas you're forced to consider. Even within the group you have adopted as your peers and seemingly have given total loyalty to, changes can happen that make you take actions you might have considered impossible. Allies become mortal enemies you begin to kill even to your own surprise. Final there's the final outcome between the story's two main characters, who you now have intimate and confusing insights into. Frankly, I was also deeply torn as to how I wanted this to all end. Even with a consideration of "fairness" and big picture morality, you will still be deeply torn and perhaps unsatisfied. I just finished the game for a second time since its release two weeks ago. The first go through took me 48 hours. The second about 10 hours less. Like any richly detailed book or story, you'll always see and appreciate more a second time through. Even knowing all the story with no surprises the second go round, I still felt the same division, sympathies, hate and fears. I found myself mentally debating my own values and asking, what I would do. I completely understand the offense and discomfort some players might feel. First because this game takes you far outside most people's comfort zone. But whether you initially are repulsed by some things or plot developments, consider that a truly educated and hopefully wise person takes the time to evaluate and reconsider based on new perspectives and the reality that our way, at least the "way" you were indoctrinated to believe is real and true and ultimately "good" is just that. A small subset of a big picture and a world where very few things are truly black and white but almost always a broad blur or gray. A few further thoughts about the game play. You feel little remorse about the need to kill "the infected". They are no longer human and devolve into life forms that can make you feel repulsed but has the potential to feel real terror. The fungus even seems to partially digest some former humans into a lattice of mycelium that's seemingly cemented to walls inside buildings, only to have them break loose when you least suspect it and viciously attack you. I guarantee you, you will feel the terror, especially when it first happens. The degree of violence and brutality in this game is not for the faint of heart. When playing as Ellie, for example, you can make "stealth" attacks both on the infected and on your enemies by sneaking up behind them quietly, putting them in a chokehold and then plunging a switchblade into their temple. When using some weapons like high powered rifles, a shot often blows an arm or a leg off as the victim survives several seconds screaming. It's thrilling since you are playing for your survival but it can be exhausting from the tension, gore and violence you inflict and receive. My second play through, I opted to experiment with some of the Optional settings. Be aware they exist. As you forage through the game be sure to explore every building and corner because ammunition and supplies are very scarce. There are times I had almost no ammo left at all and saw I had multiple enemies very close. It's a near hopeless feeling. Just remember to do as many stealth kills as possible to preserve your resources. Quiet is often the key since a single shot can rally the infected to come racing and overwhelming you. Make use of the bow, crossbow, and silenced pistol and machine gun as they offer effective and quiet kills. Don't be afraid to run away at times to regroup, fashion materials and weapons or get a better position. In a few sections where multiple factions are fighting each other, there's noting wrong with just allowing them to kill each other off, thus preserving your own ammo. Believe me, you'll need it. I did experiment with putting a few options on an easier setting, for example making resources and ammo more plentiful. It will make the game move more quickly since you won't get killed nearly as much having the supplies you need. But for your first run through, if you have some experience gaming, I'd keep it at moderate. After your first play through, allow all the credits to play through and you'll be offered the option to play again, but this time keeping all the modifications and upgrades it took the whole first game to accomplish. These can be hugely helpful and again make the game go more quickly with you more secure. Forgive my wordy review, if anyone has even read it. The bottom line is that this is perhaps the deepest, most layered, most morally gut wrenching video game I have ever played. It has perhaps the best voice acting, dialogue, animation and options as well. Releasing it and playing it during the pandemic we are all experiencing gives it perhaps an additional edge. It's a reminder that far from some impossible science fiction narrative, nature, which we mistakenly believe mankind has mostly tamed, is in the end in charge. Fifty million people died during the influenza of 1917 - 1919. Up to half the population of Europe died a horrible death in the 14th century Black Plague. There have been 5 mass extinctions in the millions of years life has existed on earth. Each caused by nature or some natural disaster. The last destroying the dominant life form on earth, dinosaurs, and allowing mammals to have their day, including us. So the best apocalyptic stories and speculations are ones that indeed are possible. Don't hesitate to buy and play this game. My hat is off to the hundreds of designers, programmers, artists writers and Naughty Dog Studio. You have again produced something so well designed and executed, that can be truly called Great. It raises the bar. Thank you. UPDATE: 18JULY2020: Finished the game again for a third time! Yes, it's that good. Have the advantage of keeping all the weapon upgrades and skills it takes most of the first play through to acquire, so even though the difficulty level is bumped up, it's still a huge advantage. It's incredible that even after you know all the details and there are no surprises, it still elicits the same emotions, outrage, uncomfortableness, and moral dilemmas. There are a few characters on both sides of the struggle that I like even more and so feel shredded when they meet with sudden ends that are morally unfair and that they also resisted. My new Artis Pro Wireless headset just arrived today and actually am considering a fourth run through to see if the enhanced sound makes it more visceral. A few words of advise during play.... When you enter a building or area you suspect of having infect in, utilize the listening skills to locate them often instead of just rushing in. There's a provision I missed completely at first where, while you're listening and holding down the F1 key, you can also touch the red square key and it does a cool "scan". All enemies in proximity will elicit a blimp sound and a momentary circle showing their positiin. As you collect scavenged items and have opportunities to upgrade hardware and skills, maximize that listening ability to the max. Save your ammo since it can be extremely scarce and work on your stealth kill proficiency. When you pass an item but can't collect it because you already have the maximum amount allowed to be carried, it's often best to stop and "craft" more ammo or a bomb or arrows to deplete that maximum raw material limit so you can still collect the item near you. There's an "option" you can choose that allows you to be invisible to enemies even very close to you, once you drop to the prone position. Rather than opt for an easier setting of play if you keep getting killed, that one setting can help keep you concealed so is worth experimenting with. Don't be afraid to just turn and run in overwhelming attacks. It isn't cowardice, it just gives you a chance to establish better or more strategic positioning. There's a circular graphic that indicates your health. It's a good idea to top that off with a medical kit rather than allowing it to drop below half so you're killed more easily and then have to repeat a whole scene several times. You will also encounter food vending machines that have one or two objects still in there. I felt like an idiot not realizing you can break the glass with a melee weapon and grab those occasional items which will boost your health also. Not to insult anyone's intelligence, but you can waste lots of time and resource opportunities without adhering to those few suggestions. UPDATE: 22NOV2020: Yes, I went through TLOU and then TLOU 2 another time. It goes much faster since you can't un-remember the best ways to navigate through it. Did it get old or stale? Just the opposite. This story, characters, outrage and moral dilemmas are even more deeply wrenching. Emotion is the biggest lever that moves someone. Intellect can be a distant second. But the overlap of the two is what some people call morality. This storyline could easily be required reading, or playing, for every adult. The fact that there are still so many haters calling it the worst Video Game ever produced while others like myself consider it perhaps the best, by a wide margin, is a testament to the moral issues it forces you to face. The take away, without spoilers, is this: Don't ever allow your initial impressions, ideas and values to be set in stone. Quiet your rage long enough to look through your enemies eyes and through the perceptions of people with "weird" and maybe repulsive values and customs. You may not ultimately embrace them, but you might understand that nothing is as simple as it first seems.

SPOILERS AHEAD I can't believe the response to this game from users. This game is absolutely amazing. It seems like everyone who hates this game wanted the Joel and Ellie story again. If that's the case, then just stick to the first game. Why should Naughty Dog tell the same story again? They kept Joel very much in this game with flashbacks to fill in the time gap between the first and second games. We got to experience Joel and Ellie in this game as well it just wasn't center focus. Naughty Dog forewarned that this story would be about the vicious cycle of revenge and they definitely delivered on that promise. If you can get over Joel's death, which is brutal and heartbreaking, you can appreciate the depth and pain of the story Naughty Dog tells through Ellie and Abby. No one can tell me that some of the backlash isn't because Abby is masculine. I've seen plenty of transphobic videos of INCEL men moaning about this. I researched her character, Naughty Dog claims she isn't transgendered but even if she is, who cares? Does that make her pain any less important than anyone else's? The beauty of writing is that writers can MAKE YOU FEEL a certain way. The only reason why everyone was so heartbroken over Joel is because the writers made us feel that way with their brilliant storytelling from the first Last of Us. But we didn't see the other perspectives. We didn't see the carnage and pain Joel caused with his actions. Stop and think about it for a second. Yes, he loved Ellie. He bonded with her after he thought he had lost his ability to bond with anyone. And so he made the decision FOR HIMSELF to save her. It wasn't for Ellie it was for himself. And he sacrified what was probably best for the world to do it. Both Ellie and Abby lost their fathers and avenged them. They have quite a bit in common as characters. But people don't want to see that because Joel and Ellie achieved pedastal status from the first Last of Us game. It was hard to watch Joel die. I cried like many gamers probably did. But, to believe that only Joel's pain only Joel's feelings matter, is a very narrow way of looking at things. Had the first Last of Us focused on Abby's story, we would sympathize more with her. When I had to play as her for the second half of the game, I was genuinely curious what led her to carry out her murder of Joel towards the beginning of the game. I really started liking her when she teamed up with Lev and his sister. She cared deeply for that boy and put her life on the line for him. What The Last of Us 2 does so well is showcase how the pursuit of vengeance and revenge is never-ending and soul-destroying. Look at what happened to Ellie. She had a chance to move on happily at the Farm House with Dina and JJ. She had a chance to heal. And she chose to leave her family and pursue revenge that in the end she couldn't even carry out. A lot of people also criticize the ending as pathetic because she couldn't carry out her revenge. Again, people miss the point. Sometimes what we fantasize about in our minds can't be realized when that moment comes. She sees Joel's face and has a moment of realization finally that killing Abby won't bring Joel back but it would destroy her. So she stops. She finally stops pursuing this poisonous vengeance mission. She sits in the ocean and lets the grieving tears flow. She begins to heal. She has to lose basically everything to find herself again. And here's something else to chew on. Part of Ellie's rage was at herself. We see many flashbacks of Ellie and Joel where she is downright cold towards him because she is so angry that he lied to her about the hospital and what happened. She hated herself because Joel was taken from her before they could reconcile. In order to avoid hating herself to an unberable degree, she focused her rage on Abby because Abby killed Joel before she could forgive him. I'm sure a lot of Ellie's pain is due to how things were left. The last things she said to him were, "I'm going to try to forgive you." She hadn't yet. That makes his death even harder. I didn't like the ending in the sense that Ellie chose vengeance over the love of her life and her kid but that's a painfully true fact. When you let revenge take over, it consumes everything good in your life. For that reason I think the story is brilliantly told. I thought Dina's character was written absolutely perfectly. She supports Ellie in her first attempt to get back at these people because she loves her and understands her pain. She's a badass ride of die girl and she does more than enough to help. Then, she gets sick from the pregnancy and almost dies at the hands of Abby. Then, at the Farm House, she defends Ellie from Tommy's stupid warpath. He hasn't learned that enough is enough. Dina tries to convince Ellie to let it go and enjoy the good in her life. Embrace the family they have and stay. Ellie breaks her heart and Dina decides to leave. She's gone when Ellie returns because she wasn't going to let Ellie's lust for revenge tear her down too. Absolutely brilliantly written. I think Naughty Dog does a great job of developing Abby. It took several hours of play for me to begin to empathize with her. Do I side with Ellie or Abby at the end? Honestly, more so with Abby because Abby had let it go. Abby decided to place her focus on Lev and taking care of him. Even in her malnourished and weakened state, she fought for him at the end. Whereas Ellie turned her back on what should've been the most important people to her. Aside from the story, the graphics are breathtaking. It feels like you're participating in a movie at times. I just started a New Game+ and I know I'll play this many times over because I'm sure there's more to notice that I missed. Great game, Naughty Dog. The haters are definitely lacking deep thought.

After finishing The Last of Us Part II, I was surprised to read all of the adverse reactions that surround this game as of late. That’s why in this review I’d like to share my own thoughts regarding the positives and negatives of the second installment in The Last of Us series, as well as attempt to explain why people may continue to feel the way that they do about this game without spoiling any major story elements in said game. Graphics: In terms of graphics, I can honestly say that I have never seen a more gorgeous game on the PlayStation 4. I only have an original PlayStation 4, so while I haven’t played through The Last of Us Part II at peak performance, I shudder to even imagine how beautiful this game must appear to anyone who has access to a PlayStation 4 Pro. This dystopian world has never looked more beautiful and feels as though a major catastrophe, such as a zombie outbreak, had taken place all those years ago. Most fans seem to agree that the graphics are nothing to scoff at, so I will leave this entry rather sparse when compared to the next two sections. Gameplay: When it comes to The Last of Us Part II, many of the major gameplay elements have fundamentally stayed the same. However, there are certain aspects of this game that I was never able to fully master. The dogging mechanic that was added in close quarters combat seemed foreign and didn’t resonate with me until the very end of my play session. The enemy AI was also much more precise in this iteration, often shooting you on their first attempt leaving you riddled with bullets if you are not stealthy or well prepared. While I personally think that the gameplay portion is the weakest aspect of The Last of Us Part II, this is still a great gameplay experience that rewards exploration and puzzle-solving in order to progress in an effective manner that greatly mirrors The Last of Us. Story: This is a major element to not only The Last of Us Part II but to the entire franchise and currently has many fans divided over whether or not the overall narrative of this game is good or bad. Without spoiling the story, all I can say is that the story of The Last of Us Part II is much more complex than people first realize. To fully understand and appreciate this narrative, you will need to recognize the notion of empathy and fatigue that is felt from these characters who are attempting to survive in a life where cruelty and injustice reign and is felt not only because of the infected but human beings as well. As a result, The Last of Us Part II attempts to juxtapose the original game’s story with a much darker undertone that lasts until the credits, making many gamers feel uneasy when it came to their investments in certain characters. The Last of Us Part II also tells a divergent story that often jumps around several years in order to express a deeper understanding of character motivations in a meaningful way. While I do believe that this story is told in a much more complex and meaningful way when compared to the previous game, certain moments are left up to your imagination as to how the main character was able to survive otherwise fatal events, oftentimes resulting in suspending certain senses of disbelief. If we take into consideration the rather linear storyline that was presented in The Last of Us, it makes sense that many fans who expected a more simplistic narrative would feel unsettled by this drastic change. Overall, while the story is not perfect in certain minute facets, The Last of Us Part II is absolutely worth experiencing for those who are interested in a darker and more identity-driven narrative that attempts to teach empathy in a will-to-power zombie apocalypse. Verdict: While I do believe that The Last of Us Part II is visually and technically impressive, while also being able to pull off a rather amazing story, I must admit that the gameplay elements are what hold me back from saying that this sequel is ultimately better than The Last of Us. However, just because this game is not my favorite in the franchise does not mean that I believe The Last of Us Part II is bad either. Based on my play session, it is clear that Naughty Dog had put their blood, sweat, and tears into making a game that fans of the series could enjoy.

I'm putting 5 stars but my actual scoring would be about 4.8/5 or so. Here's why: STORY: This game has one of the best stories I've ever encountered, with characters so real, flawed, and relatable it soars above RDR2 (a favorite of mine). Intertwined with combat and stealth obstacles you can approach in a myriad of ways is a world and story that really confronts the way you view reality, both in game and in real life. The Last of Us Part 2 does not give you easy or tropey satisfactions found in many triple A games today, but instead issues a challenge to how you will handle a web of moral and emotional questions. I had to stop playing for a little while to process the incredible complexities and raw emotions that this firehose of a game was drenching me with. The Last of Us Part 2 is a true tour de force in gaming with this hard to swallow, but incredibly necessary rollercoaster narrative that keeps you on the edge of your seat for hours upon hours. GAMEPLAY: Very similar to the original but with remarkable improvements. The game is still linear with strategic points to duck and cover behind in fights and little notes and trinkets left for you to find and read for world building. Ammo and crafting supplies are still rare and require you to scavenge the entire world to survive your next encounter with the Infected or aggressive humans. BUT, this game will reward you in spades if you give that extra 2% in world exploration. In addition to new enemies not seen in the first game, the AI of TLOU2 has improved tenfold. Some enemies more readily see you from far off, while others quietly stalk you and mimic your movement as you hunt them. You can rise to these new challenges with improved stealth abilities. No longer must you crouch behind a plastic chair and hope nothing sees you; just go prone and crawl under the chair into a pile of grass and disappear for good. My 4.8/5 is due to a small gameplay issue. Some actions which required a single button press (pull trigger, crouch, interact, etc) would drop the input. This happened so frequently that by the time I finished the game, I was button mashing for every little interaction, because losing the input and not performing said action in a crucial moment would always end in a dead Ellie. I believe it was the software and not my controller, because I've never had these issues with other games and the same controller. TIDBIT: If you've been reading negative reviews for this game and are on the fence about buying this game, don't be. There is nothing controversial about it. Most of the one star reviews are trolls. All online complaints I've seen honestly only appear to exist because people either weren't paying attention or need to have all story spoon fed to them. This game has incredible nuance that is usually only seen in novels, so the tone deaf will not enjoy it. I do also believe its refusal to be feel-good and follow worn out paths made frustrated people lash out with negative reviews. You will not feel good when you finish this game. And that's the point of the moral confrontations. Finally, I believe there is another source of controversy. It shouldn't be, but sadly it reflects the nature of our culture today. Forgiveness. It doesn't always feel good, but that doesn't make it less necessary. If you cannot forgive or at least try to see things eye to eye, you will likely feel the way the one star trolls did. That or you don't like Asians, lesbians, or transgender people, in which case you've got some bigger fish to fry. If people like the three I listed will make you mad just by being on screen, you won't enjoy this game. Thankfully this game is not preachy about minorities, they simply get to exist and be their own people, as it should be. All in all, a great game I would highly recommend. Just don't lose those inputs, and make sure you have a box of tissues nearby!

The Last of Us (part 1) is likely my favorite video game of all time. I’ve been playing them since the 70s, and I t’s definitely in the top 3. I finished Part 2 a few weeks ago and loved it. I just now happened to come across so many negative reviews while shopping for something else on Amazon, and could not believe it. I was intrigued me why so many people are vehemently opposed to an exquisitely designed game with such a thought provoking narrative. After reading the reviews and comments, there are several universal threads. I doubt I have a complete explanation to why most people love it and some detest it, but I have some thoughts and, at a minimum, can relate my experience. During the first half of the game, I was floored and thought it was just as good, if not better, than Part 1. I had played the DLC with Part 1, so was aware of Ellie's sexuality, which both in real life and in the game, doesn’t bother me one bit (you love who you love - how can that be wrong?). When I got to the two major reveals/changes that happen in the story (which, I won’t get into, but spoilers abound throughout these reviews, so they are hard to miss), I was initially annoyed and frustrated, and wanted to stop playing. However, I kind of “needed to know” what happened so I kept going. Over time, I started to get it. The creators of Part 2 tried, and succeeded, in giving us more than a great game that explores an amazingly detailed world where you slaughter hundreds of “monsters” (both infected and non-infected). They, as much as they possibly could, forced us to not only think about, but also to experience the world of the “bad guys” and showed that everything is not black and white. Actions have consequences, and there often are not “right” and “wrong” answers. While I did not always agree with the choices made by the characters, they came across as sincere and consistent with the story and the world developed in the two games. It’s sad (but clearly not surprising given the current state of our political discourse) that people will go to great lengths to trash an extremely thoughtful, well developed game because they can’t deal with the fact that the protagonist is a lesbian and that the people she mows down have lives, thoughts, and feelings too. Although it is still a 5 star game, I don’t think it’s as good as part 1. I was not as invested in story and characters, as a whole, as much as Part 1. Although I had a much stronger desire to find out “what happened” this time, looking back on it a few weeks later, I liked the overall story of Part 1 better. Also, even though the world (visuals, audio, voice acting, small details) and game play are significantly improved compared to Part 1 (there might be games that look as good, but I doubt any look better), some components were minimally improved. I played on “hard” level and thought the AI of the enemy wasn’t much better than Part 1 (ie - too easy to hide from them, even after attacking). Also, some of the flask backs were too long and, rather than finding me eager to learn more about what happened in the past, were annoying because they interrupted the flow of the main story. I also think some people are unhappy with the fact that Ellie has changed compared to Part 1. To me, this makes sense because she is older (now a young adult, not a 14 year old girl) and is scarred from everything that has happened to her. She is darker, and, to me, less likable than Part 1. However, even though I may not like her as much, her changes are consistent with everything we know about her from her past and I have to applaud the writers for taking this into account. Although there were some negatives, overall these were minor compared to the impressive achievement of this game. The realism throughout is astounding. It’s as close as I have ever seen to being able to play through a movie. Just because some people don’t like what this movie says, doesn’t mean that it’s not a tremendous artistic accomplishment.