‘The Last Of Us Part II’ Review
With the recent announcement of The Last of Us Part I releasing September 2, 2022 and the upcoming The Last of Us HBO Series coming later this fall I thought it would be a perfect time for me to write up a review on my favorite game of all time. TLDR Yes, I liked the game and I have played it all the way through about 5 times in the last two years and I still can’t get enough of it. I like it so much that even before the game’s releases I went out and got Ellie’s tattoo inked into my right arm. To say I am a fan is an understatement. I am very excited to pick up the recently announced The Last of Us multiplayer game.
Now, I am aware of the controversy about the story, characters, graphics, etc.. but that is not going to stop me from writing a review of a game over 2 years after its release talking it up, and selling my soul to your eyes and pleading for you to give the game a chance. If you have not played this game, ‘Dew it.’ And, if you don’t like the game please read the rest of this article so I can try to change your mind.
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Gameplay
Picking up this game for the first time I was surprised by how well it responded to my rapid button mashing. Coming from PC which is a very different gaming experience I was pleasantly surprised by how reactive the controls were in this game. As someone who is not the best at shooters with a controller I was excited when I was able to not only quickly shiv a clicker in the face and drop it after 3 shots, but I was able to dodge and run away from swarms of infected without too much stress on my part.
Since release, they have added ‘grounded’ mode to the game which is a super hard difficulty mode where there aren’t as many items, ammo, or supplies in the world and I think that this mode had added so much to the feel of the inward gameplay. When I first played the game I started on hard, and now that I have played through it a few times I have graduated to ‘grounded plus,’ the hardest and most taxing game mode. if you get shot or attacked by the infected it is basically an instant death to your character.
I wanted to praise Naughty Dog for the gun controls in this game especially, the HUD controls are easy to use and manipulate to your liking, and the vast amount of accessibility settings will make this game accessible to the majority of players. I know I use some of these features myself and they are a lifesaver. The way that the guns react to your movement is buttery smooth and reactive. I have never once tried to aim somewhere and had it miss the mark.
The last thing I think is impressive about this game is that there are seamless transitions between gameplay and cut scenes. and no loading screens.
Graphics
The first time I played eyes on this game I thought that I was going to die, at the time I had never seen a game that looked more photorealistic and picture-perfect. Since 2020 I have seen the game start to age with the recent and quickly developing and improving technology. As we know from The Last Of Us Part I trailer that was released just a few days ago the improvements that they have made in the last couple of years with gaming is nearly photorealistic and I would give it maybe 5 years before we can not distinguish the difference between a digital reality and our own.
Graphically, the game is gorgeous. The textures in the world look authentic and rich. When you shoot at the ground you can see small particles of asphalt disappear. When you shoot an enemy the characters react to the place on the body that you shot them. For example, when you shoot someone in the leg they fall to the ground, meaning that you could essentially shoot someone to the ground. One small thing I noticed is when you are in Seattle and shoot or badly injure one of the WLFs they will stand on their knees and beg for their life. Which I think is such a cool detail that the developers did not have to include. On another note, with the enemies that have dogs, if you kill their pup they will react to the dog dying, and sometimes they will say the dog’s name.
Story
This is one of the most controversial parts of this game for most fans. As this game was my first exposure to the world of The Last Of Us, I was not as choked or torn up by the death of Joel, I wasn’t aware until after playing through the cabin scene who he was or his importance to the story. Once I looked up who he was and realized that they killed off the player’s character in the first game I understood the gravity of what had happened.
I think this, as well as the handling of Abby’s character by the end of the game why so many fans felt like Naughty Dog betrayed the fans and their love for these characters. At the same time, this game is all about revenge, pain, and suffering and I think that we as a collective as fans felt all those emotions and feelings. This is the reason why I think that it works. Killing Joel off in the first few minutes of the game sets Ellie on the path forward and without that, we wouldn’t have the game.
I think the themes of suffering, torment, and pain fit in the story, and perfectly parallel Abby’s story as well. Abby is hell-bent on seeking revenge against Joel because of her father’s death in the first game at the hands of Joel. If the continuation of the story is about seeking revenge and having eventual redemption, or mercy. I think, having Abby’s main goal at the start of the game be to kill Joel and then that parallel Ellie in the remainder of the game, in she is on a mission to avenge the Death of Joel, fits perfectly. The game sets up Ellie and Abby against each other, both seeking revenge and it ends with mercy and love, by Ellie Sparing Abby because of Lev. And Abby Sparing Ellie because all she cares about is saving someone who she loves and wants to protect. I would argue that the game starting with revenge and ending with mercy and love is the point of the entire story. That is the reason why Joel fights for and saves Ellie in Part I. Out of love and wanting to protect her from death.
Pros And Cons
Pros, oh jeez how can make a list of so many. The gameplay elements such as game controls and reactiveness to in-world situations. The difficulty is perfectly calibrated to allow the player to make the game as easy or hard as they want. Top-tier voice acting. I can not give enough praise to Ashley Johnson(Ellie) and Laura Bailey(Abby). Their hard work is much appreciated and perfectly portrays who the characters are and allow us to connect to who they are. The smooth gunplay is reactive and not too hard to get used to, especially for someone who isn’t the best at using a controller. And finally, the engaging story that keeps you on the edge of your seat from the beginning until the very end.
The only con that I have with the game is not necessarily a complaint but a limitation of video games in 2020/2022. That would be the AI of the companions. I think it is great to have games that have companions but in this game, as it is in most games the companions are mostly useless. You could not count the amount of time that Dina just stood there watching me get my face eaten off when she could have hit or stabbed/shot one of the infected in the face and saved my life. I will mention here that all enemies will focus on Ellie rather than the NPC that is literally standing right in front of them. They also do little to no damage unless it advances the story and leads into a cut scene. This is not an issue that is exclusive to The Last of Us Part II, but as a gamer, it irks me to no end how dumb NPCs can be. I can only hope that in the future we will be able to code Ai that is actually useful in-game and doesn’t just stand there.
Verdict
The Last Of Us II is a marvel to be had, and if you have yet to pick this game up it is currently $39.99 for the standard game on the Playstation store. I think that if you are looking to play a game that has a rich story, character, and world, The Last of Us Part II would be perfect for you. I highly suggest that you pick up The Last of Us Part I and play through that before you dive into this game. With the recent announcement of the remake coming in September you can pick that up and come back to part II once finished with the first game.
Rating: 9.75/10
Developer: Naughty Dog; Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment; Players: 1; Released: June 19th, 2020; ESRB: M for Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Drugs; MSRP: $39.99
Review played on PS4 and PS5
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