This review contains spoilers
I have so much to say about this game that reviewing each individual part of it is impossible. At its core, it takes a huge amount of risks, which both makes it a fresh new take on a standard story format, much like the original, but also appear in places where they probably shouldn’t. This and an often disjointed feeling are the cost of a story that feels legitimately fresh, yet strongly classical, one that is not afraid to try new and innovative methods, many of which work only in the video game medium.
However, this game is not without its faults. As mentioned before, it often feels loosely planned, evident most clearly through the epilogue chapter. Santa Barbara is conceptually strong and amazing as a level, but somewhat weak in terms of pacing. After Abby and Ellie’s fight, ending on the farm would feel unsatisfying, and ending in Santa Barbara feels rushed. Not enough time was spent fully justifying her decision. Not enough time as a whole was spent on the chapter, time that probably should’ve been relocated from some of the less important parts in Seattle. However, the ending itself was incredibly strong, and perfectly bittersweet. Ellie leaves the farm, and despite nearly trying to kill Abby, could not have saved her and Lev without being there to do so. She is forced to move on, much as she helps Abby and Lev do.
My only other complaint is that the story often has odd absences of logic that hurt its continuity. Tommy is shot in the head, point blank, and miraculously survives to majorly advance the plot. When other characters are ruthlessly killed for similar offenses, having one survive such is a jarring inconsistency that cannot be overlooked.
Everything else about the game, though, works out pretty well. The combat and traversal in particular are huge steps up from the first game, the former allowing a huge degree of player expressiveness and creativity, while the latter is made much more entertaining by clear Uncharted 4 influence. The story uses its dual narratives well, although I felt Abby’s Seattle narrative and Ellie’s second narrative were slightly weaker than the incredible start to the game that is the prologue and Ellie’s Seattle.
However, despite these occasional lapses in consistency, this game is something new, something fresh, an ambitious narrative that has changed the way people look at stories in gameplay. Such is visible in the way that combat develops through the game, first motivated by the player wanting revenge, much as Ellie did, then turning into a necessity as she is guided along by her PTSD and pressure from Tommy. Moments like these are especially visible in the fights between Abby and Ellie, tough moments that disconnect the player from their character, as Ellie similarly loses herself.
In the end, I don’t think this game is about revenge, rather empathy. If that was the case, it would end on a much darker note, and we would not be put through Abby’s ordeal, as the cost of revenge could be communicated through Ellie alone. The realization that Ellie must let Abby live, despite what she meant to her, is the moment this game is building to. If all this is what was needed for her to achieve empathy, that was a price that needed to be paid so she did not go down the path Joel did in the years between the first game. Through this message, we are taught to rethink the first game, and morality as a whole. These messages go far beyond revenge, and I think saying that’s all they were going for is underselling it, much as one could undersell the first game by ignoring the authentic emotions each of its scenes are crafted with.
While The Last of Us 2 is not as airtight and refined as it’s predecessor, the risks and innovation shown in its story, the sheer fun of its gameplay, and the introspective link made between the two make it an experience to remember.
However, this game is not without its faults. As mentioned before, it often feels loosely planned, evident most clearly through the epilogue chapter. Santa Barbara is conceptually strong and amazing as a level, but somewhat weak in terms of pacing. After Abby and Ellie’s fight, ending on the farm would feel unsatisfying, and ending in Santa Barbara feels rushed. Not enough time was spent fully justifying her decision. Not enough time as a whole was spent on the chapter, time that probably should’ve been relocated from some of the less important parts in Seattle. However, the ending itself was incredibly strong, and perfectly bittersweet. Ellie leaves the farm, and despite nearly trying to kill Abby, could not have saved her and Lev without being there to do so. She is forced to move on, much as she helps Abby and Lev do.
My only other complaint is that the story often has odd absences of logic that hurt its continuity. Tommy is shot in the head, point blank, and miraculously survives to majorly advance the plot. When other characters are ruthlessly killed for similar offenses, having one survive such is a jarring inconsistency that cannot be overlooked.
Everything else about the game, though, works out pretty well. The combat and traversal in particular are huge steps up from the first game, the former allowing a huge degree of player expressiveness and creativity, while the latter is made much more entertaining by clear Uncharted 4 influence. The story uses its dual narratives well, although I felt Abby’s Seattle narrative and Ellie’s second narrative were slightly weaker than the incredible start to the game that is the prologue and Ellie’s Seattle.
However, despite these occasional lapses in consistency, this game is something new, something fresh, an ambitious narrative that has changed the way people look at stories in gameplay. Such is visible in the way that combat develops through the game, first motivated by the player wanting revenge, much as Ellie did, then turning into a necessity as she is guided along by her PTSD and pressure from Tommy. Moments like these are especially visible in the fights between Abby and Ellie, tough moments that disconnect the player from their character, as Ellie similarly loses herself.
In the end, I don’t think this game is about revenge, rather empathy. If that was the case, it would end on a much darker note, and we would not be put through Abby’s ordeal, as the cost of revenge could be communicated through Ellie alone. The realization that Ellie must let Abby live, despite what she meant to her, is the moment this game is building to. If all this is what was needed for her to achieve empathy, that was a price that needed to be paid so she did not go down the path Joel did in the years between the first game. Through this message, we are taught to rethink the first game, and morality as a whole. These messages go far beyond revenge, and I think saying that’s all they were going for is underselling it, much as one could undersell the first game by ignoring the authentic emotions each of its scenes are crafted with.
While The Last of Us 2 is not as airtight and refined as it’s predecessor, the risks and innovation shown in its story, the sheer fun of its gameplay, and the introspective link made between the two make it an experience to remember.