This review contains spoilers
The Last of Us Part II is a difficult play. As great as so many people say it is, it left a poor first impression online. After elements of the game leaked out of context it was already on mighty thin ice with skeptics, so the risky narrative decisions which fueled the game left a bad taste. After the storm calmed down online some valid criticism was left on the table. This is just some thoughts on why I really enjoyed Part II, and hopefully I can explain my perspective on some of the more controversial elements. It may be the most important game I've ever had the pleasure to experience. It challenged my view of this medium, the way stories can be told, and most importantly it tested my own emotions and understanding of them. This replay made me realize that I would not trade this experience for any other version of the story.
A large part of the conversation around this game revolves around two things: Joel's death and the perspective switch to Abby. Naughty Dog was so successful in creating characters that people truly loved, and that brought backlash with this decision. I believe Joel's death not only was the natural next step this story would take, but it was also a very powerful way to trigger multiple connected stories we see. It sparks Ellie's revenge, what she thinks will bring her closure after the loss of her chance to forgive Joel. And Abby's desire to find closure with her own father, after her revenge failed to bring any sort of peace. Characters in The Last of Us are authentically flawed, they are practically made to be disagreed with. Characters I once despised slowly grow on me until a moment of suspense when I catch myself realizing I've grown to care for them. As Abby struggles to rediscover her humanity in the face of carrying out a deplorable act, we do the same. Growing to learn the person she is inside, the person she wants to be again. As that same act befalls Ellie we follow her plot of revenge, each step into the darkness she takes disconnecting us (and her) from the person she once was. While you watch their many internal struggles, you may find your own. Understanding or even forgiving those who have wronged you is a difficult task, especially when it is someone you love.
In regards to the ending, I simply cannot understand the sentiment that sparing Abby was a mistake. Just the same as Part I, the end of this game subverts the surface level plot for the real backbone of the story it was telling. In Part I the goal is to create a cure, to deliver Ellie to the fireflies and end the outbreak. Right at the finish line Joel abandons that goal in favor of the story the game was always really about, the unconditional love of a parent for their child. In Part II Ellie's goal is to get revenge against Abby, and at the finish line she does the same, this time for the story of forgiveness, not forgiving Abby, but forgiving Joel. That's not to say that this forgiveness narrative was the big point it was trying to tell you, the story of these games are very complex. Trying to unwind all of the subtext and underlying narratives is part of what makes these games so interesting to talk about. They are interwoven with many different driving forces. And with how much more complex Part II is than the first, there are so many different reasons Ellie could have chosen to spare Abby. At least part of it has to do with remembering that the finial conversation she had with Joel was hopeful and good, Ellie accepting that she didn't need to do all of this for Joel because he did truly love her unconditionally. Had Ellie killed Abby at the coast, I don't think she could have found the light again. Ellie was never Joel, she couldn't do the interrogations he did, after torturing Nora she was shaken and killing Mel left her in an even worse state. On the inside she was still the girl we knew, even after all she did to get to Abby.
I don't think we'll be able to find this divisiveness around a story decision with many other games. When we lost Joel and are later forced to play as his killer there's a real tension. The discourse that came out of Part II was a lot of suggestion around how Naughty Dog could have chosen to structure these two perspectives differently. A majority of videos and criticism talking about how if they had moved segments it would make for an easier experience. At the time of my first playthrough I loved the game, but I agreed that the switch in particular was a poor choice. Yet I've changed to believe that playing the full 3 days as both Ellie and Abby allows us to become fully engrossed in both of their journeys separately. I think if we were to switch between the two it would make for a more comfortable experience, but we would never be able to fully enter either character's point of view. If it were structured any different I believe it would lessen the impact of what I understand they were trying to do. To Naughty Dog's credit, they do a great job of making Abby's sections worthwhile for those who struggle to warm up to her. Her gameplay sections are far more bombastic and her set pieces are something special. If I could I wouldn't change a thing, even though I struggled with it on my first playthrough. And I think that's the point, we shouldn't fear struggle and discomfort because that is were so many impactful stories lie. We've created a culture that games are a comfortable escape, so when something is uncomfortable we tend to reject it. But if we can welcome that discomfort I think we can grow into better people.
Apart from the story though, nobody is arguing. The Environment of Seattle is uniquely overcast and wet. A great location for the blossoming nature which grows from a broken city. Gustavo Santaolalla's soundtrack is mesmerizing, and perfectly placed to elicit memories associated with each track. Combat is disgustingly realistic, it flows fabulously in both stealth and aggression. The AI is criminally underdiscussed, Stalkers are absolutely terrifying, Humans are super dynamic always keeping you on your toes. Remastered's inclusion of the new mode "No Return" is far more fun and repayable than the combat encounters available in the original. Dialogue is authentic, it can feel messy just like any real conversation. Performances from the actors shine through with their little nuances from highly detailed capture. Ashley Johnson and Laura Bailey gave it their fucking all and you can see it in every second. The art direction is also top-notch. This remaster doesn't do much to improve the visuals, which isn't bad but I feel like they could have called it a "Director's Cut" or "Definitive Edition". The remaster is more about the new content than any visual upgrades. Lost Levels are a fun insight for those who like a look into pieces of the development (I also highly recommend the Grounded II doc on YouTube). I hope we can all agree that even if it did not land for you, Naughty Dog were ambitious this narrative. Something rarely ever seen in the AAA space, they looked at the formulaic stories coming from other large studios and scoffed.
I'm grateful we have studios like Naughty Dog that take risks. We need developers who reach for heights never gone, who want to do things that challenge you and the way you think about games. If The Last of Us Part II didn't work for you, that's okay. At the end of the day it's divisive for a reason, Naughty Dog took a risk that they knew would be polarizing for a portion of their fans. I'm glad it worked for me, both parts have meant so much to me over the last few years. I'm patiently awaiting their next game. If anything is clear to me it's that Naughty Dog and Neil Druckman care about telling stories, they understand the power this medium has to tell unique stories. I'm okay with the pain and heartbreak this story brings, because it is also full of hope, love, and humanity. "Beyond faith in pain, I want faith through pain."
A large part of the conversation around this game revolves around two things: Joel's death and the perspective switch to Abby. Naughty Dog was so successful in creating characters that people truly loved, and that brought backlash with this decision. I believe Joel's death not only was the natural next step this story would take, but it was also a very powerful way to trigger multiple connected stories we see. It sparks Ellie's revenge, what she thinks will bring her closure after the loss of her chance to forgive Joel. And Abby's desire to find closure with her own father, after her revenge failed to bring any sort of peace. Characters in The Last of Us are authentically flawed, they are practically made to be disagreed with. Characters I once despised slowly grow on me until a moment of suspense when I catch myself realizing I've grown to care for them. As Abby struggles to rediscover her humanity in the face of carrying out a deplorable act, we do the same. Growing to learn the person she is inside, the person she wants to be again. As that same act befalls Ellie we follow her plot of revenge, each step into the darkness she takes disconnecting us (and her) from the person she once was. While you watch their many internal struggles, you may find your own. Understanding or even forgiving those who have wronged you is a difficult task, especially when it is someone you love.
In regards to the ending, I simply cannot understand the sentiment that sparing Abby was a mistake. Just the same as Part I, the end of this game subverts the surface level plot for the real backbone of the story it was telling. In Part I the goal is to create a cure, to deliver Ellie to the fireflies and end the outbreak. Right at the finish line Joel abandons that goal in favor of the story the game was always really about, the unconditional love of a parent for their child. In Part II Ellie's goal is to get revenge against Abby, and at the finish line she does the same, this time for the story of forgiveness, not forgiving Abby, but forgiving Joel. That's not to say that this forgiveness narrative was the big point it was trying to tell you, the story of these games are very complex. Trying to unwind all of the subtext and underlying narratives is part of what makes these games so interesting to talk about. They are interwoven with many different driving forces. And with how much more complex Part II is than the first, there are so many different reasons Ellie could have chosen to spare Abby. At least part of it has to do with remembering that the finial conversation she had with Joel was hopeful and good, Ellie accepting that she didn't need to do all of this for Joel because he did truly love her unconditionally. Had Ellie killed Abby at the coast, I don't think she could have found the light again. Ellie was never Joel, she couldn't do the interrogations he did, after torturing Nora she was shaken and killing Mel left her in an even worse state. On the inside she was still the girl we knew, even after all she did to get to Abby.
I don't think we'll be able to find this divisiveness around a story decision with many other games. When we lost Joel and are later forced to play as his killer there's a real tension. The discourse that came out of Part II was a lot of suggestion around how Naughty Dog could have chosen to structure these two perspectives differently. A majority of videos and criticism talking about how if they had moved segments it would make for an easier experience. At the time of my first playthrough I loved the game, but I agreed that the switch in particular was a poor choice. Yet I've changed to believe that playing the full 3 days as both Ellie and Abby allows us to become fully engrossed in both of their journeys separately. I think if we were to switch between the two it would make for a more comfortable experience, but we would never be able to fully enter either character's point of view. If it were structured any different I believe it would lessen the impact of what I understand they were trying to do. To Naughty Dog's credit, they do a great job of making Abby's sections worthwhile for those who struggle to warm up to her. Her gameplay sections are far more bombastic and her set pieces are something special. If I could I wouldn't change a thing, even though I struggled with it on my first playthrough. And I think that's the point, we shouldn't fear struggle and discomfort because that is were so many impactful stories lie. We've created a culture that games are a comfortable escape, so when something is uncomfortable we tend to reject it. But if we can welcome that discomfort I think we can grow into better people.
Apart from the story though, nobody is arguing. The Environment of Seattle is uniquely overcast and wet. A great location for the blossoming nature which grows from a broken city. Gustavo Santaolalla's soundtrack is mesmerizing, and perfectly placed to elicit memories associated with each track. Combat is disgustingly realistic, it flows fabulously in both stealth and aggression. The AI is criminally underdiscussed, Stalkers are absolutely terrifying, Humans are super dynamic always keeping you on your toes. Remastered's inclusion of the new mode "No Return" is far more fun and repayable than the combat encounters available in the original. Dialogue is authentic, it can feel messy just like any real conversation. Performances from the actors shine through with their little nuances from highly detailed capture. Ashley Johnson and Laura Bailey gave it their fucking all and you can see it in every second. The art direction is also top-notch. This remaster doesn't do much to improve the visuals, which isn't bad but I feel like they could have called it a "Director's Cut" or "Definitive Edition". The remaster is more about the new content than any visual upgrades. Lost Levels are a fun insight for those who like a look into pieces of the development (I also highly recommend the Grounded II doc on YouTube). I hope we can all agree that even if it did not land for you, Naughty Dog were ambitious this narrative. Something rarely ever seen in the AAA space, they looked at the formulaic stories coming from other large studios and scoffed.
I'm grateful we have studios like Naughty Dog that take risks. We need developers who reach for heights never gone, who want to do things that challenge you and the way you think about games. If The Last of Us Part II didn't work for you, that's okay. At the end of the day it's divisive for a reason, Naughty Dog took a risk that they knew would be polarizing for a portion of their fans. I'm glad it worked for me, both parts have meant so much to me over the last few years. I'm patiently awaiting their next game. If anything is clear to me it's that Naughty Dog and Neil Druckman care about telling stories, they understand the power this medium has to tell unique stories. I'm okay with the pain and heartbreak this story brings, because it is also full of hope, love, and humanity. "Beyond faith in pain, I want faith through pain."