Topic: User Impressions/Reviews Thread

Good posts, folks.

@mookysam I've debated playing Peace Walker before, but usually ended up avoiding it because I've heard it has co-op-centric features, and didn't want a gimped experience. If it's perfectly fine to play solo, though, I'll probably go for it eventually. A LOT of Ground Zeroes' impact felt like it was lost on me, since it seemed to center around characters and a continuity established in that game.

@crimsontadpoles Is there any continuity between Sly Cooper 1 and 2? If not, I might jump in with the second one. I seem to hear it being praised a lot, but I didn't even know it was a thing until recently.

@Ralizah Peace Walker does have co-op missions, although I’m unsure if it’s a mode completely separate from the campaign as I never touched them. The whole story is very playable in single player and doesn’t feel like it needs two people to enjoy the full experience.

@mookysam Good to hear. I was afraid it was a Monster Hunter situation where it's possible to complete it sp, but the game feels more like it's designed with multiple people in mind, which can affect mechanical balance and the difficulty overall.

@Ralizah Yes, Sly Cooper 2 does carry on from Sly 1. However, I think it would be fine to dive straight into the second game if you wanted. Sly 2 does give a good summary of anything relevant that happened in Sly 1. Plus the narratives in these games aren't exactly complex affairs. So I don't think you'd miss much from jumping straight into the second game.

Ok, so after much much time (more on that later), I finally finished The Last Of Us 2. I've had a few days to digest the game and think about my feelings and of course, this is really difficult to do without having any spoilers and as someone who gets annoyed with people assuming that a game that has been out more than a week is ripe for spoilers and given that it took me nearly a month to complete, I will be careful. I will give an overview of the game and gameplay and then spoiler tag sections for story elements. I'll not specifically give plot details but you honestly can't discuss the game without giving some secrets away. If you want to know nothing, don't read on.

So first off, full disclosure, I love The Last of Us (Part 1 or whatever it is now). My friends have begged me to play it and was the reason I got a PS4 having been an MS person with the 360 and missing it on PS3. I bought it, played it, then immediately played it straight through again. I bought the soundtrack. I tried to name my second born Ellie (wife was having none of it - she also said no to Joel, Giraffe and Clicker). As a parent with a small child, I thought the story was as close to gaming perfection as you could get. The ending is iconic and I remember musing on here that I wished there would never be a sequel because whatever you do, it cannot live up to ambiguity and implications of that ending. I liken it to the Matrix - that sets up something where you use your imagination - how will Neo stop the machines, why is he the chosen one etc. Then when you try to explain something mythic, it gets mundane and you end up with an old man using long words at the end.

I knew that at the outset that it was not going to be possible for a sequel to do the same thing twice and to be exactly what I wanted it to be so I have tried to think about The Last of Us Part 2 as its own beast.

So how do I feel about the game?

Well, I think it is impossible not to admit that this is a very good game. It is beautiful, it runs perfectly. The gameplay is satisfying on the whole, the mechanics from the first are improved, the music, acting, UI etc. all top notch. I think anyone review bombing the game is stupid because, let's face it, this isn't a rushed or shoddy game. It set out to do something and it executed it very well.

That isn't to say though that I don't have problems with the game that hold it back from greatness compared to the original. I don't like scores or anything but this is not, in my mind, a 10/10 game in terms of perfection. It has some realy issues that run as a fault line through the experience.

The first is length. I genuinely feel this game outstayed its welcome which is rather sad. The story is well paced but the gameply loop becomes very very familiar because of the length of the story. I spent 30 hours on the game, playing at normal difficulty and playing in a manner that I felt the game wanted me to play - stealth for the majority, heavy exploration with moments of weapon use etc. I was cautious in it so I guess I could have got through quicker but with resources scattered, you sort of do need to explore and take your time to really get a handle on the environments. I can't fault the combat encounters themselves, they are tense, brutal, exciting. My issue is the length of them. I felt that due to the length, it fell into a familar routine. You have an objective, getting there means going from one open (ish) place to another, killing everything, exploring everywhere, move on. Occasionally there are cut scenes or dialogue options to expand story and character but actually, they are almost few and far between given the amount of areas. There were a few times when I thought, ah something is going to happen and then find another two areas to clear. It just becomes quite systematic, combat encounter, use a few resources, explore and replenish, move on etc. This also affects the other major element that is controversial - the violence. This is a horrendously violent game and I won't get into the argument of whether it is justifiying or gloryfying but with the length of the game, you are no longer shocked by it when you get to the end. You'll shank someone and no longer be appalled. Again, this could be argued it is a part of the game (violence becomes acceptable) but it lessens the impact.

So with length, it becomes hard not to talk about story. Without going into spoilers, I feel that the story has a point - it is well thought out, it isn't random and certainly has a thematic and narrative force behind it. That said, it isn't as satisfying as I had hoped and also, maybe controversially, isn't as clever and as thought out as it thinks it is.

So overall, my rambles are at an end. The Last of Us 2 is a very good game but not perfect and, I think, with a story that was not bad but thematically didn't work for me and ultimately, will not be something that people will be overnalysing for years to come in the way the first game did. Does that mean it failed? Well no, lightning can't always strike twice. My guess is that once the hype and controversy has calmed down, this will be one of those games that people evaluate on its own merits and say, pretty great but not a classic.

@Rudy_Manchego Nice. Great write-up. This is the sort of critical writing I enjoy reading.

I was pretty shocked when I heard how long the game was, considering how short ND experiences typically are. Setpiece-heavy cinematic experiences and horror games both tend to be more effective when they're shorter. So it doesn't surprise me to hear that you thought the experience was too dragged out overall.

Thanks for posting your thoughts.

@Rudy_Manchego Great review sir! I had similar issues with the pacing and the length of the game. There were a few sections where I was struggling a bit, but the game introduced a new enemy or had an awesome section (like the hotel or hospital) just at the right moment to keep my interest piqued. When I look back at the game I struggle to find what they would cut though, maybe a few of the encounters with the WLF or Seraphites, but I'm not sure if that would have reduced the overall length by that much.

@Rudy_Manchego Brill review dude! It’s interesting to see a more critical viewpoint now we’re removed from the initial launch buzz. Although I haven’t played it myself I did watch much of it be played, which was unavoidable as it was on the living room telly. To me it did seem a little bloated but there were certainly aspects I found very interesting. Largely what Naughty Dog did with that other character. It contrasts quite well with Ellie’s story, especially as there are some similarities between the character’s initial revenge motivations. I actually came to prefer her by the end of the game and rather disliked what Ellie had become.

It’s interesting that you bring up the ludonarrative dissonance as it is still a problem with so many games. Gameplay loops haven’t yet caught up to the strong narratives that underpin the whole experience, which at times can be very jarring. It’s especially an issue with that other famous Naughty Dog series. In those you are playing a “good” guy who is essentially a mass murderer. Then in cutscenes - particularly in Uncharted 4 - he is suddenly unable to kill or even injure someone because his conscience suddenly springs to life.

Anyway, I’m glad I watched so much of it be played as I now think I’d quite like to experience it myself and fill in the gaps that I missed. I was convinced I wouldn’t like the game and that the bleakness and violence would trigger me (my mental health has not been good recently), but it wasn’t nearly as bad as I’d built it up to be.

Yeah, it's a long game, but at the same time I was kinda sad it was over. I'll happily play more of it. However, the length did surprise me, since I was expected something similar to the first game. It's not long for a AAA game, but it is a lot longer than the original.

At the same time I'm kinda surprised they managed to keep the quality up and running throughout the whole game.

@Octane The first game definitely felt rushed towards the end to me. I’d have happily taken another 2 or 3 hours that expanded the route from the Winter section to Salt Lake City. If the second one’s longer then that’s ok because it just means we get more content for our money.

@nessisonett Yeah, the fourth section was definitely the shortest.

I also understand the criticism about part 2 being too long, because I thought it was going to end long before it actually ended. And that happened two or three times I think. But hey, I got to play more, so it was all fine by me.

TLOU Part 2 is as if the Spring section is just as long as the rest of the game, but then after the hospital you get to track back all the way to Jackson, adding another 4 hours. And when you get home they have another quest for you, and then you get redirected to another location, and then it sorta ends.

@Ralizah Thanks for the kind words and yes, I believe you are absolutely right when it comes to length and tension/horror. It is very hard to stretch out tension and anxiety over a large period of time. To put it this way, there are only so many times you can open a door or walk into a room and get attacked by a hidden assailant before you stop being nervous and tense and just accept it is going to happen and I felt this a lot in this game.

@JohnnyShoulder Thanking you! From a story perspective, I don't think they necessarily needed to cut much of that, but possibly just reduced some of the gameplay sections... for example, I think in the first half there is a sequence where you go through 2-3 buildings full of infected and the first was tense and then it just felt repetetive. It is interesting you mention the Hotel and Hospital sections as without a doubt, ND can craft some amazing sequences but again, it felt few and far between maybe.

@mookysam Thanks and yes I agree that I liked the secondary character and actually, that story made more sense for me. Something I found was that I didn't quite get or feel Ellie's quest for revenge, particulaly as the game went on, even into the climax, whereas I did feel it for Abby because of what life had dealt her. No one was blameless, they both make bad decisions but somehow her story clicked more. . Interesting you mention mental health, I won't lie, this game really did affect my mood, possibly because of the pure bleakness. There isn't really any warmth, unlike the first, and it is really a series of escalations of horribleness and I felt worse coming away from play sessions.

@Octane @nessisonett In terms of game length, it depends on the game and the variety you can add in. I thought the gameplay started to get repetetive and as Octane says, there are points when the story feels like it is going to end and then continues and it means you prepare for a finale that doesn't come and it breaks the flow.

I feel I am being slightly critical as again, very good game but I think these flaws hold it back from being that classic of the generation that I have seen some hail it. However, my main objections are very personalised, especially with story and that is very subjective.

@Rudy_Manchego Thanks, man for a excellent and thoughtful break down. It’s exactly what I’m looking for as I try to decide whether to spend my precious game time and money on this. I’ve deftly avoided the spoilers as you’ve so kindly and conscientiously hidden for those of us who haven’t played it yet. I’m still torn about whether to try it, but your experience has me a little closer to trying it, since I know better what to expect now.
I do have a question about the violence that mention in your review. It’s been mentioned a few times in other reviews, but can you give me some examples? Honestly, the disturbing gratuitous nature of the violence is one of my concerns. One of the early trailers had the images of disemboweling a person alive in a torture sense and that was really off-putting to me. Do you have a comparison game that it would be similar to as far as the gore and violence? For reference — I just finished Resident Evil where you blow zombie heads off with a shotgun, one of my favorite games is Bloodborne, and I adored the first TLoU. So violence and gore I can handle. But I’m not interested in wanton and superfluous gore and suffering, even if it makes narrative sense. That and the obvious affect it has had on some people’s mental health are my main concerns. I have no issue or concerns with controversial or “social justice” narrative. That part I’m actually quite wanting to experience. But the excessive and disproportionate human suffering is worrying me. Do you think the story could have carried the full impact without showing so much indiscriminate violence? I know, hard to say without spoilers, but just in general what do you think?

@Th3solution Hey thanks for the write up. Hmm how to describe the violence and it is a good question. I would be interested to see other peoples views as well as my own. In terms of gameplay, the attention to detail is greater than that in the original game. That game is violent, in the sense that there is a weight to what is being done. However, in this game, the animations and actions are more detailed. I would not state that there is more gore per se in the gameplay sections... but there is so much more detail added to the kills and actions. An example is that you may grab an unsuspecting enemy, you would tell them to be quiet and then you may cut their throat with a knife or choke them. It is not gory but the actions and sounds are clear about what you are doing.

The cut scenes and story moments however - well, I think there is nothing necessarily worse than what you saw in the early trailer but I would say that throughout, there is a lot of violence and the brutality of that violence is part of the story. I suppose the way I would put all the violence of the game is that it is not without consequence. Grabbing someone and hurting them doesn't make them explode in coins or anything - they suffer.

It is another good question of whether the game needed this from a story sense. In some ways, yes but only because of the story they chose to tell and as I think I may have mentioned in the review, it is where I found the story and the gameplay at odds because the narrative consequence didn't seem to relate to the gameplay sections. Arguably, does any game need that kind of accuracy when it comes to causing harm to others? No, I don't think so. At the same time, the violence is not there to be gratiutious for gratuity's sake (this isn't a Manhunt) but it is still deliberate.

@Rudy_Manchego Okay, thanks. That helps. It probably wouldn’t bother me too much. It does concern me that games are pushing more and more realism and every phase of new games seems to want to out-do the last as far is grittiness and intensity. Which is fine, I guess, but at some point it threatens to become just too much. I’m reminded of Season 7 of The Walking Dead (which I never saw because I lost interest in the show long before that) that caused outrage when they pushed the violence and brutality too far. Here we have a show that has displayed massive amounts of gore, savagery, and violence for 6 seasons and then finally crescendoed to the point that much of the fan base (and some of the actors apparently) just felt they went too far.
With Cyberpunk also looking like it is going to push the envelope, I wonder if gaming will get to that point. Anyway, that’s another topic entirely, but we all have our own ‘set-point’ that we are personally comfortable with and so I was just wondering if TLoU2 reaches that for me. I don’t think so, if the trailer footage is about as far as it goes.

@Th3solution I believe the part you mention was part of the gameplay trailer from E3 2018(?). That section is actually still in the game, but relocated to another part in the level, and it isn't a cut-scene. It happens during gameplay and it's really difficult to see what's going on. The only reason I knew what was going on was because I recognised the level from that trailer.

@Th3solution Yes it is true and I think Jim Sterling did a video on this element which is the impact it has on developers having to research it. Ultimately, I'd argue that there is a sliding scale of depictions of violence. A film, for example, that shows very realistic violence in a serious context and does so for a justifiable reason is different from say, John Wick. Let's face it, if John Wick had realistic violence in it, it would cease to look 'cool' and become something truly horrific - you would not root for him at all.

It is harder to say that about games when violence is often the way that you interact with the world and it is always over the top. I mean, even in TLOU (1 and 2), I mean the charactes murder literally hundreds of people. Maybe that is why it is called The Last Of Us. Largely, combat is meant to be satisying and to a large part, fun. If it become realistic and unpleasant and is an unavoidable part of the game, then you cease playing a fun game and move to a murder simulator. I'd say TLOU2 treads a line but I would agree, we don't need boundary pushing. If I shoot someone in a FPS, do I need to have realistic gore and screams of agony? I think not.

Okay so this is my first time on this site and pretty much the first critical video game review I've ever written so you may have to bare with me on this one so here we go, first attempts at a completely spoiler-free review of The Last of Us Part 2.

The Last of Us Part II. A complex story of love, loss, and despair.

It is difficult to even think where to begin with this game. Even after a week of completing this journey, the thoughts, and emotions this game has brought upon myself still engulf me. This game is a complex, dynamic narrative like no other with the sole aim of taking the player on a journey with not only the characters, but the player themselves. This game comes with its flaws which it cannot hide from, but don’t let these flaws distract you from the fact this game is an incredible and illustrious feat in story writing like we’ve never seen in the industry before.

The post-apocalyptic world of The Last of Us is once again brought to life in Naughty Dog’s latest and most ambitious project to date. As expected, The Last of Us Part II directly follows on from the events of the first game, with two of its most beloved characters: Joel and Ellie. This time, we have moved on around four years since the events of the first game, meaning Ellie is now a nineteen-year-old woman who has learnt to fight and fend for herself, and now takes centre stage as the main playable character throughout the story. Joel and Ellie have settled down in the town of Jackson, a settlement founded by Joel’s brother: Tommy. We have now been introduced to two new factions, The Washington Liberation Front (WLF) and Seraphites (Scars). All is well and life seems to be on the up for our two protagonists. However, this is the world of The Last of Us. It was never going to be an easy ride.

A huge step-up in gameplay
The Last of Us Part II was subject to a massive overhaul in gameplay since the first game was released, now over 7 years ago. TLOU 1 could often be related to a Telltale game with its basic gameplay which often left the player feeling restricted. It is a pleasure to say that in TLOU P2, this is certainly not the case. The Last of Us Part II does an incredible job of enticing fans back into the story of Joel and Ellie, without making gameplay mechanics feel repetitive and basic. Naughty Dog perfectly mixed the standard structure and base gameplay we know and love from their first title, with the new dynamic of improved movement mechanics, combat sequences, and additional gameplay features you could expect from a game with a 2020 release date.
First, I want to touch on movement. The movement in this game feels incredible and flows exquisitely across the entirety of the game. Ellie feels agile as she runs away from convoys of WLF soldiers chasing her down for blood, hurdling obstacles in her way and manoeuvring over the shattered terrain of a war-stricken Seattle, before using the new jump feature to drop onto her enemy like she’s fresh out of Assassins Creed, sinking her knife deep into her enemies neck. However, sometimes it is best to go quiet. Ellie can go prone and crawl through the overgrowth as she desperately tries to stay out of the sight of the extremist cult known as Scars. This new feature adds a substantial amount of depth to the gameplay mechanics like we had never seen in the original instalment, completely changing the stealth aspect of the game that brings us those tense and terrifying moments, which I will get on to later. This new feature also allows Ellie to squeeze her way through gaps underneath a vehicle or in a gap in a wall to move throughout the world and access new areas. It really is remarkable to see how far ND have come across their portfolio of titles and how the gameplay of a story driven game can easily compete with the gameplay of any other game in this generation.

Now, it’s time to talk about combat, and I do not even know where to begin. As you would expect throughout TLOU P2, there are several encounters which enemies, both human and infected. Every single combat encounter you experience is different; no two combat sections of the game are identical, and this helps massively in keeping the game feel fresh and exciting throughout. There is no single way to take on each sequence, you may choose to quietly take down each enemy one by one with your bow at range and progress silently without alerting enemies, or you may choose to go all Rambo on those WLF and light them up with your precious bullets whilst raining fire on them with the use of a well-placed molotov. This is just one of the aspects of the gameplay that make your playthrough just so damn enjoyable. Another improvement is very clearly seen in the enemy AI. Enemies feel so much more real and so much smarter than we saw in the previous game. Each enemy has a name, creating this sense of emotion between the enemies and these can be very clearly heard when the enemy shrieks the name of one of their fallen soldiers. If you alert enemies, they will find you. They will scour the entire area and will follow you around corners as you attempt to escape. Another fantastic addition is the introduction of dogs to TLOU P2. These dogs will pick up your scent and follow you trail unless you distract them by using the resources you have and the world around you. ND also made significant improvements to one-on-one combat as Ellie can now dodge hits from her enemies and duck out of the way of the flailing arms of incoming infected, before landing a counter strike with either her knife or any other melee weapon you may pick up along the way. This new system makes combat so much more immersive and gripping as the player now must time their dodges in order to achieve that all important kill, which is especially important on those higher, more challenging difficulties. Another fantastic feature was the introduction of the pistol silencer, which can be crafted at any time if the player has the correct materials required. This gifted the user yet another way of attacking those gripping encounters by giving Ellie another tool to use when stealthily executing those enemies.

TLOU P2 is of course a gigantic step up in terms of graphics compared to the first game. This game is simply stunning in every way from the glowing lights of flares in an infected-filled underground station, to the gorgeous warm glow of the morning sun beaming down onto the grass below. ND have once again done an incredible job with the feeling of the environment around you and the way that you really feel as if you’ve been dropped right in the middle of post-apocalyptic Seattle. The sense of loneliness and isolation that the environment makes you feel is nothing like I have ever experienced before in a video game, yet the player has to constantly stay on their toes because one moment you’re alone, next you’re on the run. Compare this game to TLOU Remastered, it genuinely looks and feels like you are already playing the PS5. Every little bit of this game is so immensely detailed right down to blood of your fallen enemies seeping into the gaps in between the tiles they lay on, or the water dripping off of Ellies clothes after climbing out of the water (yes, Ellie can swim). On top of this, thanks to TLOU P2’s built in picture mode it allows the user to capture their own beautiful shots of this diverse world to furthermore increase that feeling of immersion. However, I would have one slight nit-pick in terms of how this game looks. The game has a built-in grain filter, which adds to the aesthetic of the world of TLOU however can feel as if it is restricting the beauty of this game from excelling even further. But overall, the graphics in this game completely exceed any expectations I ever had for an almost seven-year-old console.

This game doesn’t just look good, it sounds good too
If you have played TLOU P1, I’m sure you would be aware of the iconic music that sends shivers down your spine and causing that surreal feeling of goose bumps. Well, Gustavo Santaolalla has done it yet again. The music in this game really hits the player right down to the core, often resulting in my eyes once again filling up with tears (thanks Naughty Dog…) The plucking of those strings instantly reminds me that I’m playing The Last of Us. Even now when I hear that soundtrack for TLOU P2, it triggers overwhelming emotion and instantly throws me back right into those thoughts and feelings that this game brought upon me. One sound that stood out to me the most is one called ‘Longing’ which you can find on YouTube. This incredible, simple noise perfectly sets the scene throughout the course of the game and allows the player time to take a step back and think, “wow, has that REALLY just happened???”. But not only is it the sound of Gustavo Santaolalla that makes this game incredible, its also the contribution from the two characters we know and love: Joel and Ellie. Throughout the game, Ellie will pick up a guitar along the way and begin to pluck those six strings in a way only she could. The use of Ellie and her guitar throughout your journey create an even deeper bond and connection between the player and their beloved characters. One of these scenes where Ellie picks up a guitar and begins to play also happens to be one of my favourite scenes throughout the entirety of this incredible story, you really feel every emotion that the characters are feeling and continues to remind you, this is more than just a video game. Also, huge credit to the sound design for this game, once again adding such a huge depth of immersion from the sound of long grass dancing in the wind, down to that incredibly satisfying sound of Ellie launching a brick through a nearby window and hearing the glass shatter on the ground below. Those harrowing sounds of nearby infected are now even more terrifying then they were previously (yes, this is somehow possible), and of course that iconic sound of a clicker waiting patiently for you to sprint past it for a little mid-day snack.

The elephant in the room- the story.
Just as a word of warning, this section will continue to be spoiler-free, however I will talk about the story with spoilers in greater depth at a later date with a follow up review to properly dissect the story. This story is extremely tough to talk about without spoilers, but I will try my best. Here we go.
The story of TLOU P2 is, simply put, an extraordinary achievement in storytelling, and one of which I have very rarely seen in a video game. I’m sure the vast majority have seen the leaks or have had it spoiled for them by now, and straight away I want to say, do not let these spoilers steer you away from playing this game. This game has to be played to properly appreciate this work of art.
The story is a gut-wrenching, heart-breaking, and devastating journey that after 25 hours of playing, I didn’t want it to end. The structure of this story is a complex and ambitious approach from Neil Druckmann and co in attempting to take the player on a spiritual journey across the world of TLOU with our characters. Naughty Dog created a story that would continuously test the players emotions throughout the entirety of the game, and often leave the player feeling completely torn between what is right and wrong, whether they agree with the actions of a character, or even to an extent, making the player themselves question their own beliefs and emotions and impose guilt on them for their actions in a videogame. Many times throughout playing this game, I had to take a step back and take a walk. You become so immersed in the story of this game, that the emotions and feelings of the characters become your own, you cry with them, you share the same anger as them, and you truly do become them. Naughty Dog have perfected the art of putting the player into the characters shoes. You are Ellie. You are setting out on this seemingly blood-searching mission of revenge.

The games story is told in many ways. One of these ways is the incredibly emotional and soul-destroying flashbacks to previous events throughout the characters life. These flashbacks perfectly tell the story of the characters you encounter throughout the game and provide perfect understanding as to why they feel and act the way they do. Often the game would leave you wondering, what happened there? Why is this character acting like that? How did this character reach this position? And well, the flashbacks in this game perfectly explain every bit of that. Admittedly, some flashbacks can often be seen to be in the wrong place in terms of the timeline of the game. Some flashbacks may have had a greater impact if they were told in a different order, however this does not take away the fact that ND’s use of flashbacks is a spectacular achievement. These sequences are an incredible nod back to the previous game, which anyone who played and loved the first game are happy to see and hear.

In terms of pacing, this game has me feeling mixed. The game builds up incredible pace and tension to the point where it reaches a huge climax and can often suffer from a huge drop in intensity from one scene to the next where the player is left gagging for more. Of course, no video game should be continuous fast-paced action throughout and I am glad that TLOU P2 is not like this. However, often throughout playing this game, the difference in pace between certain sections of the story can often be just too great of a jump which results in often a damaging fall. However, credit where credit is due, Naughty Dog have once again mastered the art of fast paced sequences that leave the player on the edge of their seat, and yet again perfected those slower, more emotional moments of bonding and growth between the characters. These are those special gaming moments that stay with you long after you have completed this game.
Now onto the characters. This is a Naughty Dog game; I think you already know what I am about to say. The characters you encounter throughout this game feel real. The way they look, the way they act, the way this game allows the player to grow this understanding of a certain character’s personality is exceptional. Just like the original game where we had characters such as Tess, Henry, Sam, Tommy, Bill; this game introduces even more new faces to the player and once again tells their story throughout the entirety of your playthrough through new standout additions such as Dina and Jesse, two of Ellie’s closest companions. If you were a fan of the first game, then you will know exactly what I am talking about when I say that you fall in love with each character like a friend or family member in real life. Naughty Dog’s use of the live action capture we saw in the first game really does bring each character to life and allows the actors to perfectly portray each individuals personality through their body language and the incredible voice acting that we see throughout this game.

The story of The Last of Us Part 2 is a complicated emotional and spiritual journey told by a range of extensive storytelling and structural devices which can cause this game to be seen as messy. However, the sheer complexity of the story Neil Druckmann is trying to tell has to be approached with an open mind. Let the story play out, let Naughty Dog take you on this path they have created for us to discover and follow. This game is not your standard video game story. This is the sort of story you would expect to see in a classic novel or a blockbuster movie, this is not a simple story of revenge, this is not what you expect it to be. Just to quote the words of Girlfriend Reviews on YouTube, the plot and the story are two completely different things. The plot is the main idea of where the game will take you and what it will follow throughout. The story however is each individual character’s journey along the way and how we reach the ultimate plot goal. Simply put, on the surface the plot may be seen as simple, however the story is the complex artistic creation that lays underneath, and that is the part that should be truly appreciated across the entire gaming community.
This is a story of redemption, soul searching and the everlasting cycle of violence and where violence and obsession leads you. This game was designed to be uncomfortable to play, this isn’t just your standard video game, this is a story and Naughty Dog wants you to listen. This game will teach you lessons, and if by the end of it you haven’t learn anything, then you haven’t beaten the game, the game has beaten you.

The Last of Us Part 2 is a masterpiece. Albeit does have its flaws just like any other story may have, this game is an outstanding achievement in both design and storytelling like no other we have seen on this generation. This game will change the way you think and will completely alter your perceptions of any other game you will ever play. The Last of Us Part 2 is a must play, there is no other way about it. Don’t just take my word for it, play it for yourself and see.

One thing is for sure, the PlayStation 4 is signing off in style.
To Naughty Dog, Sony and all who worked on this game: Thank you.

The Last of Us Part 2 (2020), Final Score: 9.7/10

Thank you so much mate, I’m glad you enjoyed it @LN78

@WillHar270 Wow, a great introductory review. Thanks for sharing it! I can see a lot of time and care went into it. And I’m glad you enjoyed the game so much. I have yet to play TLoU2 but your review has given me a lot to think about.